《The Chimeric Ascension of Lyudmila Springfield》


 Chapter One: A Bystander’s Punishment (Arc 1 – Start) (Illustrations!)

    Chapter One: A Bystander¡¯s Punishment (Arc 1 ¨C Start) (Illustrations!)


    ¡°Attention all passengers, this is your captain speaking. My name is Carter Armlet, and I have the lovely joy of flying you all to Athens, Greece. It¡¯s a beautiful country with a rich history, so I hope you enjoy your trip. Just bear with us as weplete our pre-flight checklist, and we¡¯ll be in the air before you know it.¡±


    Mekka Academy¡¯s ss 2-F was packed into a ne headed for another country. Since the sun hadn¡¯t risen yet, it was almost pitch ck out. Most students were glued to their phones, postingst-minute social media updates or sending messages to friends and family. They wouldn¡¯t have a chance to do that once we were in the sky, so I suppose this was theirst opportunity until wended. Judging from our pilot¡¯s announcement, we were just minutes from taking off.


    As for me? My phone was about to die, so I was doing all I could to get through an article on ancient military strategy and how the history of war could have changed if guns were a thing 5,000 years ago. It was honestly incredible that some of the ns and schemes created thousands of years ago were still in use today. It was astounding that man had evolved from sticks and stones to spears and arrows to guns and ICBMs. If you were to ask the brightest minds of a century ago, they would have never imagined a world where it was possible to control a missile-equipped drone to strike a target the size of a watermelon on the other side of the.


    The screen flickered for a second, then turned ck, marking the end of one of the few joys I had in life. My charger broke a day prior, and it would take me months to scrounge enough money to rece it.


    <i>That¡¯s fine. It isn¡¯t like anyone calls or texts me. I should be happy the academy decided to give me one. Even if it¡¯s the oldest model, it¡¯s still something.</i>


    ¡°Your phone died?¡± said Will, who sat to my left. I only conversed with him at school, but that was good enough. Will mentioned he wanted the window seat, so I was more than happy for him to im it. His small stature meant I would have more space since he wouldn¡¯t have to lean over me to stare out the window.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± My reply was brief and quick, with a hint of an apathetic tone thrown in for good measure, but he knew there was nothing sinister or antagonistic behind it. It was the same with Greggie and Keeth, who sat in the seats behind us.


    Greggie leaned forward and handed me a cable, but I didn¡¯t take it. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. You got the 42c. I don¡¯t think those models have been sold in a decade,¡± he said in his deep voice.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with enjoying the past. Take the M1903 Springfield. It¡¯s over 300 years old, but man does it hold up in beauty,¡± I said, swooning over its fantastical design. These three had already known I was a gun nut, and they had epted that fact. We all had our quirks. Will was obsessed with lewdness, Greggie was a foodie, and Keeth enjoyed building models.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bolt action, right? I¡¯m not too big into guns, but I thought everything was automatic nowadays.¡± Greggie pulled back his hand and presumably pocketed the cable. He had started to develop an interest in guns after meeting me.


    ¡°It is, but a few¡ª¡± Before I could answer my big-boned friend, an obnoxious group of people and their voices drowned me out.


    ¡°Tokko, you¡¯re gonna help me snag some girls, right? I¡¯ve kinda been on a dry streak.¡±


    ¡°No, Damon. It¡¯s time for you to stand on your own two feet. Besides, I¡¯ve got ns,¡± replied Tokko. He ran a few fingers through his short-cut blond hair, then rubbed the three earrings in his left ear.


    ¡°Those ns better include me,¡± said a girl who sat in the row ahead of them. She stood up, turned around, and sat on her knees in her chair. A wave of brown hair soared across her hazel eyes. A slender hand reached out, almost touching Tokko¡¯s face.


    ¡°You know it, Mia,¡± Tokko whispered. He raised his right hand, which had a tattoo of a diamond on it, and reached forward until his fingers slid down Mia¡¯s face.


    ¡°Eh, I thought you were talking to me. Hey, why don¡¯t we share a night together? You know you want to be with the D-Man.¡± Damon shed an insincere smile that he thought was gentle and warm, but his rugged outfit,plete with a crude leather jacket and a spiked bracelet, reflected his nature as a conflict-loving delinquent. His heterochromatic eyes gave way to his lustful thoughts.


    Mia groaned, gagged, and smiled at Tokko with her eyes.


    ¡°And now you¡¯re going to make lovey-dovey eyes in front of me? Are you bastards trying to make me jealous? Shiku, help me getid!¡± Damon tapped the head of the guy sitting in front of him.


    ¡°Jesus Christ, just shut up already! We haven¡¯t left the airport, and you¡¯re already making me wish I was dead!¡± Shiku stood up out of his seat and turned around, sending ck hair scattering angrily across their green eyes. Though his voice and body were soft and feminine, Shiku was definitely male and often beat up anyone who suggested otherwise. His slim-fitting t-shirt stubbornly clung to his chest, which unintentionally emphasized how feminine he was. The pants he wore outlined his narrow waist and unnaturally wide hips. After a vote to decide the prettiest girl in school, he somehow snatched the silver medal. It was much to his demise, really, and he was unnaturally depressed for a few days.


    <i>I wonder if he dresses that way on purpose just so he can have an excuse to fight? He is a martial artist.</i>


    ¡°Tch! Those bastards... Just because they¡¯re aristocrats...¡± Will didn¡¯t finish his sentence. Aristocrats referred to the best of the best of Mekka Academy, which itself stood at the top of the merit-driven society we lived in. Only prodigies and geniuses had a chance to apply, and it wasn¡¯t assured they would get it.


    Tokko ruled the entire academy since he was simply unmatched. Mekka Academy forbade tattoos or earrings, but aristocrats circumvented the rules.


    I just remained quiet and listened to Will grumble to himself, which was something he did a lot.


    ¡°You saw Mia when we were boarding, right? Her outfit is ridiculous, even for the aristocrat¡¯s standards! The cut-off top that ends above her belly button... That short skirt¡­ I mean, her ass is constantly on disy!! You saw it when she bent over to adjust her socks, right? That tight ass was just calling my name past that skinny pink thong! Like that sexiness should be illegal. Hey, you think she gets wet off having people stare lustfully at her?¡± At times like this I just ignored Will.


    Even for an outsider, it was odd seeing people from such different backgrounds getting along so well. Compared to the aristocrats speaking so loudly as always, my friends were like night and day.


    Will was somewhat overly antagonistic and tended to speak what was on his mind. Greggie was a gentle giant, and he filled out his seat in a way that had made it a struggle for the average-sized Keeth to shuffle past him when we boarded the ne.


    Greggie was Will¡¯s physical opposite. That even extended to his voice. Will¡¯s was scratchy and high-pitched, but Greggie had a deep southern drawl that lingered on certain words. When we got together in ss or at lunch, the topic of our personal lives never came up. But if we were quiet, then Keeth was like a mime. His mouth only opened to answer questions when directly asked. I had only seen him initiate a conversation two or three times.


    We kept to the shadows because we hated standing out. It was the one thing we all shared, and I suppose that was the link to our rather fragile friendship, which was only tested at school.


    Three girls near Damon said they wanted to be his, and he let out a hearty chuckle and said Shiku¡¯s services wouldn¡¯t be needed. Then those three started to bicker over the right to sleep with Damon, revealing personal and intimate details I did not want to hear. I wasn¡¯t the only one feeling grossed out.


    Lori and Ann sat in the seats behind the delinquent and audibly groaned to the point of exhaustion. They were twins nketed in a thick fog of mystery because they rarely allowed a stranger to intrude upon their sisterly rtionship. But they didn¡¯t have an issue helping someone if they needed it. They weren¡¯t official aristocrats, but it was safe to say they had the perks of being one.


    Since they were twins, it made sense that they were like two peas in a pod, but that didn¡¯t extend to their hobbies or clothing. Lori was the shier dresser, wearing jewelry and clothing that probably showed a bit too much. Ann dressed more conservatively, wearing muted-colored clothing that covered her from neck to foot.


    A few weeks prior, Will told me that Ann had more admirers than Lori because of the mystery of imagining what was under her clothes. He said a person¡¯s sexiness was inversely proportional to the amount of clothing they wore because it required more imagination or something. Honestly, I wasn¡¯t paying much attention when the conversation switched to Lori¡¯s mastery of the spear and Ann¡¯s otherworldly capability with the katana. And then, of course, his mouth had to keep running.


    ¡°I mean, a pair of incestuous trophy-winning sisters who¡¯re unmatched in their respective schools ofbat? If anything as absurd as that was to happen, it would be at Mekka Academy. But seeing two sisters make out? I wouldn¡¯tin about that. It might be kinda hot. You got the yin and yang type of thing going on, yeah? You gotta have yin in yang, and you gotta have yang in yin. And in this case, you need Lori in Ann and Ann in Lori. It mathematically works out because the name Loriannes from¡­ You guessed it, Lori and Ann!¡± he had said at the time.


    I didn¡¯t really put any thought into baseless rumors, so I just tuned him out whenever I thought he was getting annoying. Greggie did his best to steer the conversation into something more appropriate, which was sometimes hard.


    Sometimes I wished Will was as quiet as Keeth.


    ¡°Sister, when do you think we¡¯ll leave?¡± asked Lori.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, sister. I do hope it¡¯s soon. For more than one reason, as you can imagine,¡± replied her twin, who shook her head, sending a ck ponytail left and right. Lori leaned over and gently grabbed it, slowing it down as a symbol of sisterly affection.


    ¡°Of course, sister. Thank you.¡±


    Meanwhile, Damon just ate up all the attention, even grinning when he realized it was good advertisement about his prowess in bed. If anything, it seemed he was getting off on it... ¡°Please, keep it up,¡± he said. Since he wasn¡¯t in the window seat, he scooted into the airne¡¯s hallway and took a bow or two.


    The girl sitting in front of me shook with irritation. She looked up from her book and took a deep breath.


    ¡°Could you please quiet down, Damon? It¡¯s hard to read!¡± she said, shaking her head in frustration.


    Spoiler


    Please ignore the lighting in from the windows. It''s supposed to be early morning...


    [copse]


    This was Que, the quiet girl of the ss. She was an aristocrat in name only. Other than her extraordinarily bright mind, the most notable thing about her was probably herck of attentiveness when it came to certain things like clothing andmon sense. I assume it was her naivety or aloofness at hand because she was one of those rich, pampered girls, but it was like she didn¡¯t know how ¡®mature¡¯ her body was. She often wore her medium-length red hair in pigtails while wearing clothing a size or two too small. Her shirt was constantly hugging against her sizable chest, and it would ride up her stomach if she had to reach for something on a shelf. As the ss president, she should have known better, but it was like she didn¡¯t think it was worth worrying about.


    Once when that happened, Greggie mentioned that Que was selfishly myopic, and she chose to purposely ignore anything that didn¡¯t line up with her immediate goal.


    As for her current attire, she nearly shocked everyone when the family limo dropped her off at the airport. For the first time in a while, her clothing choices made sense. Here was a girl who always wore things that didn¡¯t match, like a shirt that didn¡¯t fit and baggy jeans with heeled shoes, or a tight tank top over a dress that came to her ankles with sneakers. I don¡¯t know if her mother picked her clothes out this morning, or if it was one of the other girls in ss, but I overheard a particr friend of mine talk about how drop-dead gorgeous she was. I... I didn¡¯t really see it. He must¡¯ve seen a goddess or something, but I just saw a girl in my ss.


    I only noticed her clothes because Will was practically screaming in my ears. He spoke endlessly about the stockings on her legs, her ck skirt, the zer she wore, and the hairband in her hair, which ording to him, was the key to unlocking a girl¡¯s cuteness.


    ¡°Ah, so the bookworm can speak? How joyous!!!!¡± eximed Damon. He skipped down the hall to our row of seats, gasping that it was a miracle, which seemed to piss Que off. She was never one to get mad or upset, but I guess everyone had a breaking point.


    ¡°Please, just be quiet. It is early in the morning, and after I finish this book, I want to take a nap. I can¡¯t do that if you¡¯re being loud, obnoxious, rude, loud, rude, and obnoxiously, irritating loud.¡± Que responded with a voice like unbendable material, choosing to repeat certain words for added effect. Sighing, she shook her head and put a hand to her scarlet hair. A wave of annoyance washed down her face. Damon had reached her seat, and he stuck a hand out to steal her book. Fear shed through her body as her hands jerked to bring it to safety, but her sses were knocked off. She eximed in surprise at her blurry sight, identally letting go of her novel.


    Damon fell backwards,nding on the seats in the empty middle row. ¡°Wow...¡± he said, opening to thest page and reading from a paragraph whileying down as if he was in a bed. ¡°...and that was how she met her true end. The once sought-after princess had reached a natural conclusion from a lifetime¡¯s worth of overindulgence. The ugliness of her soul¡ª¡±


    ¡°Give it back, you jerk! Don¡¯t read the ending!!!!¡± Que cried, showing more emotion than ever before. She jumped towards him after bending down to rescue her sses, but Damon rolled backwards, somehow flipping over the seats andnding in the row behind. His green and blue eyes harbored a cruel smile. Why was he ying keep-a-way? That was a childish game people yed with their crushes, right? If the rumors were true, then Damon had a syrupy mouth that could spill promises sweeter than msses. Did he not have any courage?


    <i>How can I talk about someone else¡¯sck of courage when I don¡¯t have any of it? I''m content with riding out the days until my natural death. I don¡¯t have any desire to stick out more than I already do. If I could meld with the shadows, I would probably do that if I could continue my hobbies¡­</i>


    Damon said he¡¯d give it back if Que sat down, so she did that after puffing air out of her nose as if she was an angry bull. She ced her sses back on her face after returning to her seat and expectantly held out a hand. He walked over and gave it to her, but he kept a tight grip, and it turned into a small game of tug-of-war. Exhaustion showed on her face, and during the struggle for the book, it bounced up andnded right in myp. Two sets of eyes focused on me, and I stopped moving like a deer frozen in the headlights of an oing car.


    I didn¡¯t know how much time had passed, but Que stood up, walked towards my seat, snatched the book out of myp, and stared while lightly biting her lip.


    ¡°Hey! You¡¯re a bastard for not giving her the book back! Come here!¡± Against my will, Damon dragged me out of my seat. During the struggle, Que¡¯s sses were knocked from her face a second time. I didn¡¯t know who was responsible, but it wasn¡¯t worth thinking about. ¡°Oh, now you¡¯re asking for it. You don¡¯t get to smack beautiful girls in the face!¡± Damon roared at me. He gripped my malnourished neck with one hand and lifted me a few inches off the floor. He pulled back his left arm and formed a tight fist. I struggled to breathe; sickening gurgles crept out from my nose, and Damon changed his grip to just holding me by an arm since it was more humiliating. Apathetically, my eyes searched for help. My three friends were busy pretending I didn¡¯t exist, choosing to look at their phones rather than me.


    <i>It isn¡¯t right for me to get punished. I didn¡¯t even do anything wrong...</i>


    By all ounts, I should have been scared out of my mind because I was about to get punched. But after thinking about it, was I scared? Growing up, the beatings my parents gave me were just something I had to live with. Pain was pain, and after bing used to it, it was just an annoyance at worst. I was adept at taking the abuse and shaking it off. It may have been a while since thest time I was struck, but I remembered what to do all the same.


    Yeah, it was fine. Take the hit, then ignore it. Take and ignore. Take and ignore...


    <i>Take and ignore... Pain is just temporary¡­</i>


    ¡°EH?! There¡¯s a fight?!¡± eximed a girl named Elly, a shy idol with blue hair. She was one of the two foreign exchange students. Her father was Russian, and she was the second tallest in the ss. Skimpy clothing was the name of the game for her since, ording to her, idols were always getting stared at.


    ¡°Ami, look!¡± Elly said, talking to her cousin, who was half Russian and half Mexican, as indicated by her skin, which was a shade lighter than golden brown.


    Spoiler


    [copse]


    Ami¡¯s sleeveless arms reached up and pushed down Elly¡¯s blue hair, allowing a pair of brown eyes to peek at the action. Her infectious smile was almost a permanent characteristic of her happy attitude. That was something she and her cousin shared, and they were likable. They even talked to someone like me enough times to count on two hands.


    My eyes probably involuntarily nced over to them for help, but the message didn¡¯t get across. I just wanted to get this over with. My body rxed and waited for a punch that I knew wasing.


    ¡°Stop this at once!!!!¡± From nowhere, a stressed voice rang out, causing all eyes to turn to Ms. Mary. As an instructor of ss 2-F, which had no rivals, Ms. Mary didn¡¯t have much to do. Anything she could have taught the rest of the ss was stuff they, barring me, had already known about.


    She rushed out of her seat, and the cking of her heels brought all the attention to herself, which subsequently brought it to me again when everyone saw what she was walking towards. Her beige blouse and ck pencil skirt were all folded and creased, probably from the haste she ejected herself from her chair. Will considered her to be pretty, though. With her smart-looking sses and fluffy ck hair, he eximed that a ¡®hottie¡¯ like her had no end to her list of suitors.


    Will had once mentioned he had heard a rumor about Ms. Mary. Apparently, she was a lesbian, but baseless rumors were dime a dozen at Mekka Academy. As prominent and high-ranking it was in terms of academic geniuses and physical prodigies, it was still a school at heart. In the deepest, darkest corners of the left, right, and main halls, the tortured cries of abused, bullied, and tormented students could be heard at all hours of the day.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t you move another fucking step.¡± Damon had a sharp edge in his voice, stopping our teacher in her tracks. Her knees were shaky and weak like she wanted to march forward, but she just couldn¡¯t do it. Her sses nearly danced off her face from her trembling. ¡°Remember your ce, instructor. Don¡¯t do anything to jeopardize an easy job thates with a fat paycheck. Sit there and watch. Do nothing else.¡± Then he shed a smile, but it was like a wolf¡¯s snarl and punched me in the stomach.


    Pain red up, spreading from my stomach to my arm and neck. I crumbled to the floor, hitting the back of my head against an armrest as I struggled to breathe.


    The air was knocked out of me.


    Ms. Mary stayed back, afraid to take the extra step since it would mean disobeying a direct order from the aristocrats. She just stood there...watching as one of her students was assailed by a flurry of kicks to the gut.


    But whereas our teacher was frozen in fear, someone else stomped down the aisle. ¡°Pick him up!¡± Miamanded. I felt arge hand wrap around my shirt. A secondter, I was on my feet. As much as it all hurt, I kept an empty expression. I didn¡¯t like being punished for something I didn¡¯t do, but striking back against my abuser? Shouting at the teacher, who didn¡¯t do a single thing to protect her students?


    That kind of thought just didn¡¯t exist in my mind. It was just so foreign that I couldn¡¯t fathom the possibility of doing anything other than taking it.


    <i>I¡¯ve been taking the abuse all my life¡­ Why should it change now? This must be my fate.</i>


    ¡°Shuuta! You¡¯re a shitty brother! I told you that you were forbidden from doing anything that would embarrass me!¡±


    Damon roared withughter upon learning Mia¡¯s secret, which pissed her off. In a sh, she raised a fist and clocked me across the cheek. Years of archery practice and devotion to her fitness had strengthened her core and arms, and I wasn¡¯t surprised when a few teeth vacated my mouth with a ssh of blood. The dull ache multiplied, making it hard to deduce just how many Mias were scowling at me.


    But that was fine. The pain didn¡¯tpare to what my ¡®mother¡¯ and ¡®father¡¯ did to me.


    <i>Hell hath no fury like scorned parents...</i>


    Damonughed some more and taunted me, saying that I was able to ignore his line of sight for two years, but now he was locked on to me. Then said the best shine the brightest whenpared to filthy losers. He asked Tokko if he could have some ¡®fun¡¯ with me, but the aristocrat walked down the aisle.


    ¡°No,¡± Tokko said, joining the growing distraction. ¡°Like Que said, it¡¯s a long flight, and I might want to catch some sleep. I can¡¯t do that if you have your little ¡®fun¡¯. If I recall, he¡¯s the only student in our school with absolutely nothing to his name. No trophies, no awards, not even an honorable mention. Every garden needs a wilted weed to showcase how beautiful the roses are, am I right?¡± Tokko grinned and shook his head.


    He held out a hand. Mia¡¯s mood instantly brightened, and she skipped over and ced her head on his shoulder. It was like watching a puppy happily walking towards her master. He gave a warning to Ms. Mary that cut through her very soul, then returned to his seat with Mia. Damon saw fit to give me a light push, which knocked me to the ground where I bashed my head against an armrest.


    ¡°Got it. Que, I¡¯m so, so, so, so, so sorry. Can you ever find it in your gorgeous, beautiful, busty heart to forgive me for my insolence? I¡¯ll even let you go out on a date with me.¡± Damon kneeled and touched his forehead to the carpet. Even though my vision was cloudy, I knew it was just theatrics.


    When he realized Que was ignoring him, Damon savagely stood up with reckless abandon. He punched the empty middle seats while returning to his own, where he crashed into it with an exasperated sigh. From behind, I heard Ms. Mary cautiously creep forward. Instead of looking to Will, Greggie, or Keeth, my eyes radiated over to the pair of foreign exchange students because they were talking about something.


    ¡°Wow, Shuuta, you got pped like crazy!¡± Ami said. The girl had no sense of tact, but I felt like it wasn¡¯t worth getting mad at her, especially since Elly chastised her cousin over her amateurish grasp on ournguage. I guess she had exined what the correct thing was to say because she said somethingpletely different. ¡°Wow, Shuuta, I¡¯m sorry you got punched like crazy.¡±


    <i>She isn¡¯t from here, so I can¡¯t fault her for not saying the right thing the first time¡­ Is there anything about me that¡¯s right?</i>


    ¡°Wah!¡± eximed Elly, a wave of ruby red embarrassment covered her face. She covered Ami¡¯s mouth and apologized for her cousin.


    Que put her sses on for the second time and reached out a hand. Right as I was about to take it, the world went bright white. Almost all creation seemed to disappear into an unfathomable void of infinite nothingness.

 Chapter Two: 0-Star Curse – Part One

    Chapter Two: 0-Star Curse ¨C Part One


    Heaven? Hell? Purgatory? No one knew where we went after we died. The former was unknown to someone like me, but I had lived through hell for most of my life. And purgatory? That was where I lived now, just waiting until I finally died.


    But I knew I was still alive. We were all alive... My ssmates¡¯ anxious faces proved that. If this was supposed to be my life shing before my eyes...


    <i>What a disappointment.</i>


    To begin, I blinked twice to confirm that what I saw was what I was, and upon confirming it was real, I took a closer look at the chapel-like room I was in. The walls were blindingly white, and the room was sparse of any real color. But there was a giant mural on the far wall. Above that was a stained-ss window depicting a naked woman with a sash. Was she a Goddess? I¡¯ve never been interested in any deities, so religious sculptures, etchings, and the like were far out of my expertise.


    The aristocrats were all together. Mia and Tokko were hugging, Shiku had his hands in his pockets, remaining in a rxed position where he could act from. Damon looked to be taking it all in stride because the three girls who spoke of his erotic aplishments had their arms around his waist. In turn, he had his arms around them, embracing them in a hug that felt like it was the verge of turning lewd.


    <i>Is this really the time for that? And weren¡¯t those three arguing earlier?</i>


    The Mystery Twins couldn¡¯t have looked more at home, so I guess nothing really fazed them.


    ¡°Hey man, you alright?¡± Greggie suddenly spoke up. I turned around. He was about to ce a friendly hand on my shoulder, but I flinched away at thest second. The apologetic look in his eye told me he had forgotten that I didn¡¯t like to be touched.


    ¡°Yeah... I''m fine,¡± I said, ignoring the awful stomach pain and blistering headache. I wiped my mouth with my hand and swallowed whatever blood was threatening to leak out of my mouth. A quick check with my tongue confirmed two missing teeth.


    I turned around to face Greggie. Keeth was looking at the ground, his fists clenched in what was probably anger. Will looked beside himself, almost embarrassed that he didn¡¯t do anything. A secondter, the three of them apologized.


    ¡°Where do you think we are?¡± Will asked, scratching his scrawny arm.


    ¡°A church, maybe? Did we die?¡± Greggie answered, asking his own question in turn.


    ¡°Die? I just remember seeing a bright light. I didn¡¯t hear anything odd, either,¡± I said. My phone was dead, so I couldn¡¯t check it. My threepanions looked at theirs, but they didn¡¯t have any service.


    Ami suddenly blurted out an odd greeting, and I realized we weren¡¯t alone. Perhaps it was the bright walls camouging them, but soldiers wearing blindingly silver armor had us surrounded. Their sharp weaponry glinted in the light. And of the light, I had no idea where it wasing from. Looking up, I saw something like a holy abyss instead of a ceiling. Somehow, it was an iprehensible concept that absorbed and emitted light.


    Damon removed his hands from his harem long enough to assume a rugged, archaic fighting stance. It seemed as if a conflict could break out at any minute. Greggie probably wanted to act tough to make up for his cowardice on the ne, but the big man trembled like a frightened kitten. I just stood there and waited, staring with a searching eye because I couldn¡¯t do anything else.


    <i>If a natural death ising, I¡¯ll meet it head on.</i>


    ¡°Please find it in your hearts to calm down!¡± a feminine voice sounded from somewhere as a vivid light filled the room. An unpleasant pressure forced me to gaze up at the never-ending void of white. It glowed even brighter than a dazzling star, and a person phased into existence. Like an angel, this unknown entity descended. I couldn¡¯t make out any details about her until she was close to the ground.


    She was a woman who was more naked than dressed. If she was a Goddess or some other heavenly being, she didn¡¯t dress like the ones from my mythology books.


    Her long golden hair sparkled like the sun, adding more brightness to a room that didn¡¯t need it. The white dress she wore was adorned with golden thread in just the right areas. It had a plunging neckline, with it barely covering her breasts. It split right above her waist, meaning that only a long, thin strip of fabric, which reached her ankles, covered her crotch. A simple breeze would be enough to send it cascading away. Her thick hips and smooth, long legs poked out, adding a startling amount of sexy to an already gorgeous woman. When she finally touched down on the white tile floor, her white high heels clicked twice, and her breasts lightly jiggled since she wore no bra. More likely than not, she probably wasn¡¯t wearing any underwear, either.


    The cloth hiding her waist seemingly bounced around, but it didn¡¯t stray far enough to see what it hid. My eyes had started from her feet, and my gaze slowly shifted upwards.


    <i>I can¡¯t avert my eyes... Why...can¡¯t I look away...? Is something...controlling my head...? Sexy... Gorgeous¡­ No, I didn¡¯t think that... I just see a woman... Where did those detailse from...?</i>


    Her face was like that of pure beauty given physical form, and I found it hard to stare away from her yellow eyes, which looked like miniature suns, once my leering had reached her face. It felt like the thoughtsing to my mind about this woman weren¡¯t my own... I didn¡¯t like it at all...


    Her pink lips seemed to smile at everyone. It even reached a quartet of students who preferred to stay out of sight.


    ¡°Holy shit... She¡¯s beautiful...¡± Will whispered. Once he had spoken, whatever power keeping my sight locked on the woman''s face vanished, so I quickly turned my head towards the floor. Being back in control over my body...having my own thoughts and feelings... It just felt right, and having that taken from me... It left a horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach.


    ¡°I am Meruria, the Holy Lord who has summoned you, my Soul Warriors, to protect my country of Cridia.¡± She was soft-spoken, but some unknown force amplified her voice without distorting it.


    <i>Summoned?</i>


    ¡°HOLY SHIT!!!¡± Someone, probably Damon, exploded into profanity.


    All at once, a collection of different feelings made themselves known. Some believed we had been transported to a different world like that of a certain type of book. Others thought we were dead, and they had started praying to whatever deities they believed in. A few even thought we were in the setting of a certain story, one that I didn¡¯t know much about. That was the guys¡¯ reactions, and it wasn¡¯t that different for the girls. Being able to nearly instantly adjust to an extreme change of surroundings was a skill they all learned at an early age. But not all of them acted that way. There were a few outliers on both sides that were on the verge of tears.


    We all took it differently. Will, Greggie, and Keeth were freaking out hard since they had the love and support of their family behind them. It would kill them if they couldn¡¯t see them again.


    <i>If I were like them, would I act like that? Shivering in ce while keeping my fears froming out? Would I be begging for mother? Yearning to see father? Ugh¡­</i>


    Ms. Mary froze and almost shut down. She wasn¡¯t the best teacher, but her students were her responsibility. I wouldn¡¯t im to know her inner thoughts, but I wonder if she was feeling worse than the rest of us? Que walked over and spoke to her, but nothing came of it. Our ss president frowned and ced a pair of hands on our teacher¡¯s shoulders and asked again, but the results were the same.


    Suddenly, Tokko raised his voice and asked for everyone¡¯s attention. Once all eyes were on him, he shed a bright smile and expertly orchestrated a rallying speech meant to reduce any worries about being transported to a different world. As much as I disliked him, he had charisma in spades, and it wasn¡¯t long until the entire ss looked at this summoning as a chance to make their mark on this world. His words were true for everyone but me. We were on that trip to Greece because 2-F had crushed the other sses for most trophies won. Even Greggie, Will, and Keeth managed to score a few.


    But me?


    I was a lump of coal surrounded by the brightest stars.


    When asked if returning to our world was possible, Meruria ced a meticulous finger on her chin and smiled. ¡°Yes, that is within my power. Upon sessful aplishment of your task, I can send you to a particr point in time.¡±


    Upon hearing that, greed overcame much of the ss.


    Some spoke about ying the stock market and buying bitcoin. My ¡®family¡¯ wasn¡¯t rich, but we weren¡¯t poor. Everything just went towards Mia. I didn¡¯t generate any money. I was just an expensive drain. The veryst gift they gave me was a pile of clothes from a nearby thrift store, and that was because they were forced to by Child Services.


    It also came with a letter asking me to die.


    Even now, as I¡¯m standing here in this new unknown ce, I¡¯m the most poorly dressed amongst us. My shirt and pants were full of holes, and my shoes were scraggly pieces of leather held together with fabric and glue.


    Really, it was no small wonder I wasn¡¯t bullied for my clothing, but I guess I can attribute that to my remarkably excellent ability to stay out of sight.


    But even through all that, I couldn¡¯t find it in my heart to truly hate my parents, but that didn¡¯t mean I forgave them. We hade to a unanimous unspoken agreement among ourselves to cut off all contact.


    That was fine.


    <i>Am I broken?</i>


    Meruria spoke and exined that post-summoning confusion usually took days to fizzle out, so she was impressed by Tokko¡¯s charisma and natural leadership. To expand on that, herst group of Soul Warriors were summoned half a century ago, and they were to be our instructors. Then she narrowed her eyes towards the only woman dressed like a teacher.


    ¡°You, the one frozen in ce, paralyzed by cowardice. Are you the leader of this group?¡±


    Ms. Mary was caught off guard, and she stammered her words, taking half a minute to say something that only needed a few seconds. ¡°I... I... am their instructor...¡±


    ¡°Then why did you not speak up for your students? They should look to you for guidance and assistance, but I do not see any of that within you.¡±


    ¡°Holy Lord Meruria, could you continue with your exnation? You call us Soul Warriors, but what does that entail?¡± Tokko asked.


    ¡°That will have to wait until I have prepared the Soul Crystals. I did not expect arge group. In the meantime, shall I teach you about this world?¡± Her words were as sweet as nectar. It took all I had to break away from whatever force wanted me to stare at her lips.


    Meruria was a Holy Lord, a person who had broken through the limits to reach the pinnacle of evolution. She channeled Holy Mana, and Dark Lords, the opposites of Holy Lords, channeled Dark Mana. A country led by a Lord was called a Divine Country. When asked if Dark Lords were our enemy, Meruria shook her head. As the hair passed by her eyes, she exined that Holy and Dark Lords were different sides of the same coin. People summoned by either were called Soul Warriors.


    Soul Warriors were not used for war. Rather, they were like nuclear deterrents to prevent conflict. Every Divine Country was to carry out their summoning simultaneously to keep the equilibrium of power in check.


    This world had humans, but any humanoid beings with animal-like characteristics were called beastfolk. There were monsters, who didn¡¯t fit into either category. Most races inhabiting this world could evolve into a higher being, and the example given was an ogre transforming into an oni. Such evolution would grant a substantial increase in power and bestow new skills, spells, abilities, and techniques.


    very dide up, and Meruria said monsters were used as a source ofbor, but envement spells could be used for other purposes. It was all very vague, though, which was probably on purpose. The currency of this world used copper, silver, and gold coins. There was a fourth tier, but it was used for extravagant purchases like buyingnd.


    Meruria then asked us to line up because it was time. ¡°Soul Warriors are measured on their soul¡¯s potential, and it ranges from 1-Star to 5-Star. Is this familiar? Does it make sense?¡±


    Shiku spoke up andpared it to a gacha game. ¡°Yes! That¡¯s it! Exining it is the hardest part, but you¡¯re talking to it extraordinarily well,¡± she said with a smile after he was done.

 Chapter Two: 0-Star Curse – Part Two

    Chapter Two: 0-Star Curse ¨C Part Two


    ¡°Now, I, Holy Lord Meruria, call upon the crystals of our destiny! Come forth! Allow these souls to take shape, bing power to deliver death in the hearts of our enemies!¡± At hermand, a series of lights enveloped our bodies. It grew and morphed, twisting and turning like it was trying to escape with something in tow.


    After a few seconds, we all stared at our respective colorless basketball-sized crystals. Each one was the exact same in terms of appearance. Damon was hasty in trying to touch his, but Meruria red at him, coldly stating that he had to wait his turn. Her intense tone was enough for him to freeze in ce, and a momentter, his arms were down by his side.


    <i>Did she do something else? Or is he just afraid of her?</i>


    ¡°When you open it, you will be given skills that most ordingly match your soul¡¯s reflection. That may be foreign, but I will exin it all in due time. Please give an introduction before you open your crystal so that I may get to know my warriors a little bit more.


    Tokko was up first. After exining that he was a champion in boxing and fencing, two sports that existed in this world, he touched his crystal and watched as rainbow energy filled the room. Then it all condensed into stars...but there were six of them. They collected above Tokko, mmed into each other, and sprinkled dust upon his body.


    ¡°Tokko!! Do you know what this means? You¡­ A 6-Star Soul hasn¡¯t been seen in hundreds¡ªno, thousands of years!!! I... I thought they were a myth¡­ I¡­ I cannot even begin to describe my happiness!!!¡± Meruria looked like a fan girl who had met her favorite singer. She felt way more rxed and approachable in this casual state.


    Mia whispered sweet words meant to induce jealousy within the Holy Lord, but it didn¡¯t seem to work. Damon and Shiku walked over, pping their king on the shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re the man, man! Hey, Mia, if I have a 6-Star Soul, let me hug your tits.¡± Mia scowled and flipped the perverted Damon the bird. His harem gave him the stink eye and frowned.


    ¡°Good work, Tokko. You¡¯re always the best, aren¡¯t you?¡± Shiku wasn¡¯t alone inplimenting Tokko. Since he had apparently broken yet another limit, it made sense for everyone to mor around him. Well, all except Que, Ms. Mary, and myself. Will, Greggie, and Keeth were torn, I think. The way Tokko waved off Damon¡¯s violent assault against me probably soured any excitement they might have had. Maybe they thought making any sort of exmation of support was like cheering for the enemy? But they didn¡¯t have that wariness when they listened to his speech.


    <i>Whatever... I guess if it makes them feel better, then they should go ahead and praise Tokko. Sticking with him might be the best way of getting back to our world... I wouldn¡¯t me them...</i>


    After a quick cough from Meruria, the rowdy students quickly lined back up.


    ¡°You, the girl with her body on full disy like some sort of tramp of the night. Get on with it.¡±


    Mia scowled at the unttering description and introduced herself. Her aplishments included having an offer of employment at NASA and a letter inviting her to train with our country¡¯s Olympic squad because she was a master archer. Meruria found much excitement after realizing that NASA¡¯s goal was space exploration. She couldn¡¯t believe human technology had advanced so far in the world we came from.


    When she touched her crystal, six stars came out.


    ¡°Mia, do you know what this means?!?!! This¡­ This is a joyous day!!! I take back my previous words of calling you a tramp! You¡¯re amazing! You¡¯re incredible!!!!¡± Meruria threw her hands up and hopped around like an excited puppy, her breasts bouncing all over the ce.


    That got me thinking¡­ Just what kind of person was Meruria? She imed to be a Holy Lord, yet she didn¡¯t seem to care that we saw half of her chest. I didn¡¯t think she was an exhibitionist. I also couldn¡¯t tell if she was friendly or not because she tended to drastically change the tone of her voice at the drop of a hat. She wasn¡¯t a fan of Mia¡¯s outfit, yet she apologized after realizing she was a 6-Star. Would Meruria have simr things to say about Lori¡¯s and Elly¡¯s risqu¨¦ outfits?


    But didn¡¯t that make her a hypocrite? Judging from her own words, Meruria was dressed like a streetwalker with the amount of skin on disy. It was like her dress was made with the sole intention of enhancing her body¡¯s natural beauty. The white veil supported her curves rather than hiding them behind a wall. What reason would she do that if not to persuade ogling pairs of eyes to stare at her ''rich'' body? She couldn¡¯t have been trying to steal Tokko from Mia, right? Would a Holy Lord feel jealously towards her summoned subjects?


    <i>Natural beauty? Rich body? Stop... Stop putting thoughts inside my head!</i>


    After calming herself, Meruria told Shiku to go ahead. He was a 4-Star. After exining that he knew karate and aikido, Meruria wanted him to spar with a guard, and the armored man found himself being flipped over upside down in the first few seconds.


    Damon was next. He practiced wrestling, and he was also a 4-Star. After him, it was a steady stream of 3-Stars and 2-Stars until it came to Lori and Ann. Those two went at the same time to reveal a pair of 5-Stars. Meruria was all smiles when she learned that Lori and Ann were unmatched in the spear and katana. She was so happy she summoned a spear and sword and promptly handed them to the twins. Both were wooden, but that didn¡¯t matter.


    ¡°Sister, this weapon is wonderful,¡± Lori said when thrusting her spear. She pulled it back in and flourished it around her body before performing a vertical slice.


    ¡°Agreed, sister.¡± Ann examined the de and cut the air three times in rapid session. The sharpness of her swordy amazed Meruria, whose smile had grown evenrger. Her eyes became wide, filled with affection at her third and fourth strongest warriors. ¡°Sister, I think I love this weapon. Am I correct in my thinking?¡± Ann asked.


    ¡°Yes, sister. I feel the same,¡± Lori replied. She returned the spear to her side, allowing its butt to rest on the floor. Ann did something simr, except she just held her katana by her side since she didn¡¯t have a sheath.


    Elly, a 3-Star, was next. After exining she was an idol, she sang a little upbeat song that originated from a cartoon. Meruria listened to the rapid lyrics intertwined with a soft voice, but she didn¡¯t smile.


    When it came to Elly¡¯s cousin, Ami was still perpetually smiling as three stars birthed from her crystal. She was a luchadora in Mexico before leaving to meet with Elly. She smiled so brightly at Meruria that even her icy heart had to feel it. She just stared at the bronzed-skinned girl, never allowing whatever she felt to show up on her face.


    Que was next. She listed her notable academic aplishments, like managing to edge out Tokko to take the top spot in the national exams, before being rained down with five rainbow stars. Interestingly enough, Meruria exined that Que had the innate capabilities to be a strikingly powerful mage.


    Ms. Mary followed. Meruria didn¡¯t have any words for her, and after seeing the three stars, just went on to Will. He was a researcher of mathematics and exined how physics and math were closely rted in sending rocket ships to space. He was well known in his field since his discoveries had advanced the world of math by at least a decade. Meruria found that eptable, I suppose, even overlooking the two stars that came out from his Soul Crystal.


    Greggie spoke with a proud tone when he eximed that he loved to cook. Meruria gave her approval when he said he was good enough to prepare meals for the presidents that presided over countries in our old world. Four stars popped out of his crystal, and Meruria curled her palm and rubbed Greggie¡¯s cheek. ¡°When the time is right, I shall see if you can back up your ims. Do not disappoint me, my warrior.¡±


    Keeth was next. His effort to remove himself from existence didn¡¯t work. Meruria¡¯s yellow eyes pierced through his very soul until the difort was too much. ¡°Keeth...is my name,¡± he whispered in a scratchy voice. It took him a while to exin the idea of using models to formte a visual representation of what you wanted to build. Meruria didn¡¯t buy it at all, and she scoffed at his 3-Star Soul.


    And then, I guess, it was my turn. Without even knowing it, a small smile formed on my face. These hazel eyes of mine were awaiting Meruria¡¯s order to touch the crystal. She stopped and stared at my face, then offered her apologies for how long I had to wait. To my surprise, however, she didn¡¯t even ask me my name.


    ¡°Imand you to open your crystal and grasp the power within!¡± Meruria spoke with a powerful tone, one that was full of force and determination. The entire ss fell victim to it, causing all of them to stare at her and the person she stood in front of. It was ufortable to be the center of attention for a second time that day, but I shrugged it off.


    <i>Is it fine¡­if I¡¯m looking forward to it?</i>


    I ced my right palm on the floating crystal in front of me...and it simply fizzled like a balloon after very vaguely altering itself into a gun-shaped object. There were no stars. There was no smoke. There was no pomp and circumstance.


    In every other crystal, there had been at least one star.


    Nope. Not for me.


    <b><i>New Skill: [Soul Armatization]</i></b>


    <b><i>New Title: [Soul Warrior]</i></b>


    Some mysterious words detailing a new skill and title, whatever that meant, appeared in the bottom left of my vision. I saw my name, level, and a green and blue bar on the top left.


    Meruria pped her hands to gather everyone¡¯s attention and said we had to discuss what happened to me. In essence, I had a 0-Star Soul. The consequences of that? I would never grow even the tiniest fraction stronger, and I would always remain as I was. ording to her, I was unable to acquire SP from leveling up, and I couldn¡¯t learn any skill, technique, spell, or ability.


    For a fraction of a second, there was an object shaped like a gun in my crystal. Soul Warriors were given a skill called [Soul Armatization]. Leveling this would eventually grant you a Soul Weapon, a weapon that best reflected your inner desires. This weapon would grow with you, changing forms and forever evolving. The weapon was foreshadowed in your crystal, but it was often hidden because of the smoke and stars.


    I supposed it was somewhat ironic that I was being shown something I could never obtain...


    Then again, even if the opposite was true, Meruria imed that firearms were rarely used since bows were quieter, had easier-to-craft ammo, and did not require as many working parts. And bows didn¡¯t require firesalts to make bullets, which, while not exactly rare, often had a strong smell, which was something you wanted to avoid.


    ¡°Bwhahahah!!!!¡± Damonughed. Meruria joined in, covering her hand with her mouth while ring at me like I was trash... What could I have done? Fought back? Shout at them? Doing any of those things would just make it worse...but I still wasn¡¯t angry. Unhappy? Sure, anyone would have, but the desire to retaliate was simply foreign to me.


    <i>I¡¯ll be alright. I know I can take it. I¡¯ve been doing that all my life, but with Keeth, Will, and Greggie... I could make something worthwhile of my time here, right? Even someone like me has had thoughts about doing it all over again, correcting mistakes as I lived my life a second time. I have the chance now, right? To be a better me...</i>


    After a few seconds, Meruria started exining the user interface. I saw my name and other stuff in the top left of my vision. The green bar was for my health. When it became empty, I¡¯d die. The blue represented my mana pool, so using spells would subtract from it. Running out wouldn¡¯t kill you, but you¡¯d feel sluggish. If I had any party members or ves, their info would be below mine. Then we were all ordered to focus on our name, which opened the Status Menu.


    <b><i>Shuuta Fenton</i></b>


    <b><i>Human</i></b>


    <b><i>Lv. 1</i></b>


    <b><i>SP: 0</i></b>


    <b><i>Title: Soul Warrior</i></b>


    <b><i>Sub-Title: N/A</i></b>


    <b><i>Skill Menu [+]</i></b>


    Meruria exined that this world had something called a leveling system. The cap was 99, but upon breaking through your limits, it increased to 199. SP was used to purchase or upgrade skills, which included weapon skills like [One-Handed Sword] or a general crafting skill like [cksmith]. But it was possible to manually obtain a skill through hard work and determination, which allowed people to grow after reaching either of the level caps. Skill Orbs existed as rare items. Using one would grant the user the skill contained at no cost.


    ¡°But wait... Where are the stats?¡± asked Shiku.


    ¡°Stats?¡± Meruria questionably replied.


    ¡°Yeah, if we have levels, we gotta have stats. Stuff like our strength, endurance, intelligence? You know, stats.¡±


    ¡°Hmm... Around 150 years ago, a group of warriors I summoned introduced me to something called ¡®tabletop RPGs.¡¯ If I recall, there were these... ¡®attributes¡¯ you could give your yer character. It was fun watching the number grow until you were powerful enough to defeat the evil dragons. But that only applies to the imagination. In this world, you just have your level, SP, title, sub-title, and skills.¡±


    ¡®Then how do we get stronger?¡± asked Tokko.


    ¡°Skills are distinctively divided into three categories. Physical, magical, and dexterous. [Leap Smash] is a physical skill. Learning and leveling it will allow you to hit harder and take more damage while increasing your health. [Fire Magic] is magical. Increasing that will cause your spells to strike harder, you''ll take less damage from spells, and your mana pool will increase. [Deadeye] is a dexterous skill that makes it easier to aim ranged weaponry, so this will increase your damage with those while also helping you run just a bit faster and jump a bit farther.¡± But growing stronger didn¡¯t involve just learning and leveling skills. Killing monsters with magic would improve your magical abilities, and leveling up didn¡¯t just give you SP. Basically, everything you did made you stronger. It was just that some things helped more than others.


    As an aside to that, the amount of SP given with each level up varies, but Soul Warriors worked around that because their souls added a certain amount. A 6-Star Soul, for example, would guarantee at least 7 SP per level up as a minimum, and a max of 16, since you gained anywhere from 1 to 10 SP with a level up.


    My 0-Star curse meant I was at the very bottom, and I wouldn¡¯t improve in any way. Fighting would do nothing, I couldn¡¯t get SP to even learn skills, and while it was possible to learn and level skills without SP through hard work to manually acquire them, that was also impossible for me.


    As for the skills? I only had [Soul Armatization], while everyone else had more. I remained alone and stared at proof of my failure until Meruria mentioned she would speak about the title systemter, only briefly mentioning that we unlocked the sub-title system by default.


    ¡°Now, I need you to listen to me! I thank you for being patient as I exined everything, but now it is time to start your training! I want you to all follow me as we go to our next location!¡± Meruria pped her hands three times and walked towards a pair of silver doors that I had failed to notice. It was on the wall opposite of the mural. As always, I waited a few seconds to take my rightful ce at the back of the pack so I could be alone with my thoughts. Tokko and Mia, though, were standing right beside Meruria.


    ¡°Shuuta?¡± A caring voice broke my concentration, and I looked up to see Que staring at me with a pitying smile. I wanted to say something, but Meruria suddenly appeared in front of me even though she was supposed to be at the front of the group. She did not hold back her words as she berated me for ¡®disturbing the peace.¡¯ As quickly as Meruria appeared, she vanished in another sh of white light. The only thing I could think of was that she teleported from the front just to talk down to me. Que was the one who spoke, but I was punished for it. She seemed sad and tried to convey something with a facial expression, but I just shook my head and sighed.


    <i>I¡¯ve endured such treatment all my life, so why should it be any different now?</i>

 Chapter Three: The Threat of Recycling

    Chapter Three: The Threat of Recycling


    We left the auspicious, seemingly important building and emerged into a green wondend that was a courtyard. There was a fancy perg next to a rectangr pond, and it seemed this bountiful slice of nature connected to four different buildings. The one we came from was probably the church? It was mostly empty, and it didn¡¯t have any pews or altars, so I could have been wrong about that. We bypassed the fish-filled pond and entered the building across from where we were summoned. The iron doors vanished when Meruria touched them with her hand. Upon stepping in, I was instantly sick to my stomach.


    ¡°Are... Are those...children?¡± I heard Que whisper, her voice cracking.


    ¡°No, my dear. These infernal creatures are called goblins, and they¡¯ve been terrorizing a few of our farming viges,¡± Meruria answered. She had brought us to some sort of prison, or maybe it was an execution chamber. Sinister candles upied the blood-stained walls, casting light on crimson that had been dried for days or weeks. The roars of the chained ¡®monsters¡¯ cried out, sending fear through my heart. I gathered the courage to count them up, and my heart nearly stopped.


    The number of goblins matched the number of warriors summoned by Meruria. She told us we had to learn how to kill since that was instrumental to defending her country. At hermand, over half of us scattered to a chained goblin after picking up a weapon located on a rack nearby. The ones remaining, including me, faltered in their steps.


    <i>Can I really kill something like that? I feel...uneasy...</i>


    Meruria again insulted me for my uselessness and hesitation, then turned to the other reluctant students and gently encouraged them with words of love and affection. Even the 1 and 2-Stars were softly spoken to. She guided them along as if she was tending to a flock of lost sheep. I was conveniently left behind. Greggie and Que looked back, staring at me with worry. With reluctance, I took uneasy steps forward, each one reducing the distance between me and a snarling monster as I held a wooden club in shaky hands.


    Before long, I was standing just a few feet away. Thick veins bulged from its green head. Viciously sharp ws wanted to end my life. It was hard to avert my eyes from something that hated me so much, but I felt like there was apulsion to stare at Meruria. She was standing right beside Que. Ms. Mary was after her, and then it went Greggie, Keeth, and Will. The aristocrats were at the far end, the opposite of where I was.


    <i>[</i><b><i>Lesser Goblin ¨C Lv. 1]</i></b>


    The name and level of the beast appeared along with a green bar. Presumably, it would have a blue bar if it knew magic.


    Meruria spoke again. ¡°Monsters are the only beings you can ess this information on. Focusing on a person does nothing unless you have [Scan]. Even then, the skill is incredibly rare. There is a tool called a Scan Stone, which is moremon, that can analyze your Status Menu. It produces a document that proves you are who you say you are. By putting this document into a Scan Stone, you can either verify your information or update it if you have grown more powerful. If you happen to acquire some social standing, like bing a Duke or a Baron and acquiring the appropriate title, then this document would act as your proof.¡±


    After taking a breath, Meruria spoke onest time. ¡°Finally, raise your weapons and strike at the foe you see before you. As I¡¯ve said before, do not think of these foul creatures as innocents! Goblins feast upon males while forcibly shooting their festering seed inside any female they find. This is how they reproduce and increase their number, so strike them down! Cover the floor with their disgusting blood!!!¡± Meruria shouted. Her voice had changed to something deep and sinister. If Dark Lords could be good in this world, it only made sense that a Holy Lord could be evil.


    Half students of our ss easily took to killing the helpless monster in front of them. Tokko hefted a massive de he¡¯d chosen from the rack and mmed it down, cleaving the child-sized, green-skinned goblin in two and instantly draining the green bar in one fell swoop. Mia took her bow and nocked an arrow, pulling the string back. A secondter, her target had no head. Elly looked down at a small dagger she held in quivering hands. She cried with tears in her eyes, but nheless, her hands jerked forward, cutting the goblin across its green neck. Eventually, it stopped screaming, dying a painful death.


    Ami was next to her, and she had her hands up in a fighting stance after finding a pair of gloves on the weapon rack. She punched the unfortunate beast in the head as a soft, glowing aura radiated from her body, but it didn¡¯t reflect her mental state. Elly was right there tofort her weeping cousin as they hugged it out.


    Lori and Ann were like trained killers in how efficiently they dispatched their target. The former spun the spear around her body to gain speed, then destroyed the beast¡¯s head with a swift stab between the eyes. Ann took a simr approach. She held the handle of her sword with both hands, raised it up, then brought it down at an angle. Even if the de was wooden, it had no trouble cleaving all the way through. What was even scarier was the nk expressions on their bloody faces. Even Tokko slightly groaned, but that was a response to getting blood on his cheek.


    The twins, though... They just turned to each other, using their hands to wipe away the crimson sshed on their clothes.


    They didn¡¯t even mess with the blood staining their faces.


    <i>They¡­ They just went for it... Even though... Even though we¡¯re killing them¡­ I¡­ Do I have to¡­kill?</i>


    ¡°Sister, it seems our mission isplete,¡± said Ann.


    ¡°Indeed, sister. Let us leave this ce and train. I would very much like to test this new strength against you,¡± replied Lori. They made for the door, and Meruria told them where they could find the training facilities with a giant smile on her face.


    As I gripped my club, I stared at Que. Her red hair shivered from side to side in pure anxiousness, following her shaking body. She didn¡¯t want to be a killer, but she wasn¡¯t alone. Ms. Mary, Greggie, and Keeth were hesitating at crossing that line.


    Will, though...


    He held a cleaver in his hands, and once he started to chop at the immobile goblin as if it was a block of meat, he didn¡¯t stop. Will kept attacking and attacking, giving the corpse a posthumous execution after he chopped its head clean off to join the arms and legs. Why? Why did he look so epting of it? He wiped his brow while staring at the torso as if he was proud of his work.


    Ghastly vomit poured from my lips as Meruria evaluated her warriors. She hadpliments for the aristocrats and disdain for Que since she was faltering. ording to our summoner, Que was given an innate ability to cast her magic by simply speaking the name of the spell. She didn¡¯t have to worry about chanting in thenguage of mana, and there should have been a list of avable spells in her skill menu under [Fire Magic]. ¡°Just target the goblin, hold up a hand, and speak ¡®fireball¡¯,¡± Meruria said before turning her attention away.


    Que cried out, a tearful voice filling the room as she raised her hands towards her foe. ¡°[Fireball]!!!¡± she screamed. Red energy materialized in front of her, starting small but growing until it was the size of a basketball. Itunched towards the crying monster, reducing it to nothing but ash after swallowing it in a ze of crimson. The hesitant girl fell to her knees, weeping into her slender hands while vomit slithered out from her nostrils. She wailed a series of deep emotions as apologies endlessly flowed.


    Greggie and Keeth silently wept while they stole the life of their foes with an axe and hammer, respectively. I know they tried to make it quick and painless, but their inexperience betrayed them. The cuts and strikes were shallow and limp, producing pain that wasn¡¯t needed. Ms. Mary finally killed hers after taking her knife and hesitantly pushing it into the goblin¡¯s heart.


    Meruria stomped her way over to me since my goblin was thest one standing. She was a Holy Lord, but that title had to be a lie. This woman was a horrible person with a soul stained with sin and hatred. If it was up to me, I¡¯d never want to be on her side¡­ But what choice did I have? I was in a new world, and it was filled with unknowns and mysteries.


    ¡°Are you useless? Or are you going to sit there and do nothing?¡± she asked. My hazel eyes narrowed, and my shaking arm raised my club. I don¡¯t know what it was carved out of, but it was thick, sturdy, and felt durable. Even if the goblin wasn¡¯t human, a strong enough blow to the head should kill it. Even a beginner like me could do it...


    The green-skinned goblin, naked from the waist up, stared at me, whimpering and growling because it was scared and angry. Slowly, my arm felt as heavy as lead. Was this the weight of a life? I focused on my desperate foe. It was a level 1 goblin, and that was it. That was all I knew of it.


    I wasn¡¯t even sure if it had a name...


    ¡°DO IT!!! KILL THE GOBLIN!!!¡± Meruria screamed into my ear. I raised my voice to its limit for the first time as I mmed my club down, deforming the goblin¡¯s skull as a sickening thud invaded my ears. A sharp wave of force traveled through my arm and ended at my shoulder, sending a small shock of pain as I dropped my weapon. When I picked it up, the snarling goblin pulled its head back and mmed it forward, breaking my nose and causing a few teeth to fall out. Inded on my ass and cried out, arms trembling as the taste of iron collected on my tongue. I watched my foe break its arm against its restraints while I scrambled to my feet and snatched my bloody weapon.


    My HP had dropped by about 8%. If that became empty¡­ I¡¯d die¡­


    Again, I raised my club and mmed it down, repeating until the foe had no more breath to give. Not that it could breathe because its head was almost as t as a pancake. Bits of its skull and pink brain leaked out through its ears while words appeared in my activity log.


    <b><i>You¡¯ve reached Lv. 2! You¡¯ve gained 0 SP!</i></b>


    <i>Meruria was telling the truth... I really can¡¯t grow stronger...</i>


    Meruria ced a tired hand on her head and pointed to the corpse. ¡°It took you too long to do that. And you panicked. And now you''re injured when the goblin couldn¡¯t even move. Great... Don¡¯t think of these things as people. They¡¯re the enemy. When you see a monster, you kill the monster. ughter their lives for experience and use that to grow stronger. Of course, the things I¡¯m saying do not apply to you because you drew the short straw. That is why I will give you a choice. Do you wish to do something with your life? Do you wish to aplish something only you can do?¡±


    I felt her words were purposelyid with bait to tempt me like the ancient sirens who led sailors to death with their sweet songs. I wiped the blood from my chin and tried to talk, but no voice came out.


    ¡°I am giving you a chance to atone for your sin of having a 0-Star soul. There is a skill I know that can recycle the energy I used to summon you,¡± she said. Even in this death-filled chamber, her voice wasden with malice thick enough it could choke a demon.


    I couldn¡¯t find the strength to speak, so Que jumped in. She held back her emotions long enough to ask the Holy Lord to rify her words. Greggie, Keeth, and Will came over, curious to hear what Meruria had to say. The former two were still visibly shaking, but not thetter.


    Meruria then exined that she could recycle the Holy Mana used to summon me to bring in a recement stronger than me. It required the sacrifice of my body and mind¡ªmy flesh and soul¡ªto the winds of infinite void. ¡°If you want to me anyone, me yourself,¡± Meruria said. Everyone had their attention turned to us by now.


    ¡°Recycling?!¡± Que eximed, speaking for me. She swallowed her fear and hesitation, forcibly pushing aside the trauma for the time being. I knew she was hurting something fierce inside, though.


    ¡°That is correct. I have no use for the weak. Should I sacrifice you to the void, I shall have my investment returned to me. ¡°


    ¡°Is there no other option?!¡± Keeth asked. He spoke without any pauses, but the quivering expression in his eyes suggested he was about to run out of whatever bravery he had left. I didn¡¯t me him. No one normal could kill a living thing that looked so much like them and remain unaffected.


    ¡°There isn¡¯t.¡± Meruria raised her hands as a golden staff materialized into existence with a soft glow. She held it tightly and pointed it right at me. ¡°You have the dishonor of being the weakest Soul Warrior I have ever seen, but I will prepare a suitable grave as one that has made the ultimate sacrifice. Keep that in mind, and it will make your death painless. I¡ª¡±


    ¡°WAIT!!!!!¡± Que shouted. She ran in front of me with her arms held wide. ¡°Give us a chance! Give us a week¡ªno! Three days! In three days, I¡¯ll argue for his survival!¡±


    Mia exploded intoughter, nearly crying from how hysterical she found this situation. ¡°You¡¯re telling me I can finally get rid of that pathetic stain of a failure? Fine. Then I¡¯ll argue for his recycling. Lord Meruria, is it too much to ask that you preside over this trial?¡±


    Meruria red at my soul, piercing me with her yellow eyes as a hungry grin frightened me more than my parents¡¯ abuse ever did. ¡°Very well. I shall ept it. Ah, but here is something you should know. The star level of your soul reflects the <i>desire</i> you had in your world. That is why it was startling to see a pair of 6-Stars since they have not been observed for thousands of years. Hmm... Yes, one more thing. Soul Evolution and Soul Devolution are possible, if extraordinarily rare. If the 0-Star can be a 1-Star within these three days, then I shall personally apologize for my behavior and grant my warriors the mostvish feast. If you would have it, I¡¯ll warm your bed during our first winter together. However...¡± Meruria held her staff towards Que. ¡°I will overlook this transgression if you are sessful. If you aren¡¯t, prepared to be punished.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine!¡± Que said, reaching out an arm to push the staff away. Suddenly, Keeth, Greggie, and Will approached and put a hand on my back.


    I always hated being touched, but...just the sensation of their hands on my fragile back felt soforting.


    The next voice to speak up belonged to an idol with blue hair. She looked to her cousin, nodded, and walked over to stand next to me. Even while their eyes were red and raw from crying, they came to my defense. ¡°We wanna help Shuuta! None of us actually deserve to die, right? It doesn¡¯t make sense to kill him. We all have things we aren¡¯t good at. Like, I can¡¯t cook to save my life, but you don¡¯t wanna recycle me, right?¡± Elly said. Ami¡¯s smile was so bright and cheerful it hurt to look at.


    Ms. Mary was thest to voice her concerns. ¡°ss 2-F is my responsibility! Holy Lord Meruria, please let me look after him!¡±


    I... I never had anyonee to my defense... Even as I was being beaten for being a failure, being abandoned, or if my parents were angry and wanted something to abuse, it was only just me.


    Me.


    Me.


    Me.


    Me. Theughingstock of the Fenton family.


    That was why... It hurt so much to have people who wanted me to survive... I didn¡¯t want to die, but why did it pain me when others felt the same way...?


    Even when I knew that I wasn¡¯t deserving of anyone¡¯s pity...


    I... I felt weird...


    I believed I was about to say something, but my body just couldn¡¯t handle it. The hard, cold, bloody ground approached at a fast rate, and the world wentpletely ck.


    <hr>


    Meruria watched her weakest warrior fall unconscious with a grimace of embarrassment. She just could not believe there would be someone so pathetic in the same group that held a pair of mythical 6-Stars. She rubbed her head and wondered if she was making a mistake by granting a grace period of three days, then realized that she woulde out on top no matter what happened.


    If Shuuta managed to achieve Soul Evolution, he would be the first to do so in a few hundred years. If he failed, then she was guaranteed someone significantly stronger. ¡°Pick him up,¡± Meruria said, talking to Greggie. Therged gritted his teeth at his summoner who called his close friend useless, but nheless followed her instructions and lifted Shuuta. Greggie was surprised by just how light he was. He was afraid that if he used just a little bit of muscle he would snap in half like a twig.


    Meruria channeled a teleportation spell through her staff as a magic circle inscribed the ground underneath them. When it glowed yellow, those still alive inside the hellish chamber of death were warped to her church, which was just a few short minutes away. Only instead of arriving together, her Soul Warriors materialized in front of their assigned rooms, and she had to go from group to group to hand out keys and instructions, which didn¡¯t take long at all.


    ¡°Take the rest of the day to rx and get prepared. Dinner and a change of clothes will be brought to your rooms. Tomorrow marks the first day out of three. Que, don¡¯t waste any time. Soul Evolution is rare, though I assure you it is possible,¡± Meruria said when she appeared in front of the group she designated as Team Que. She passed out their keys and warped away to take care of some business, but not before groaning in annoyance at how warmly the weakest warrior was being treated by his much stronger allies.


    Que watched as her summoner vanished, then went to join the others in Shuuta¡¯s room, walking right in as Greggieid his friend down onto the bed big enough to sleep seven. If they were privy to his history, they would have been shocked to realize that the bed was twice asrge as his room at home. The walls were a slight gray with an intricate stencil etched into them. The closest was bigger than it had any right to be, and when they checked out the bathroom, the tub was in the ground like a pool. Beside that was a wall of soap and different scented candles and oils to rx the body.


    Que talked to her friends as they sat at a nearby table. The topic of conversation was obviously Soul Evolution, and after some debate, they hypothesized that strengthening Shuuta¡¯s desire was the key. After all, it only made sense for that to be the answer if the power of his desire was the factor that determined his initial soul level. Thus, with that in mind, Que, Ms. Mary, Elly, Ami, Greggie, Keeth, and Will put their minds together and fabricated what they believed to be the best and most optimal training schedule. It was strenuous, leaving very little time for even the smallest casual conversation. When Will suggested they go around and do a little introduction, he was met with resistance from Que, who stated that they should have that as the goal. And that was something they all agreed on. When someone had something waiting for them at the end of a dreadful path, it could give that person a little bit more motivation to work harder towards their task.


    When a knock came at the door, Que opened it to see a short-statured man with a thick beard. He was pushing a cart with a te of food that looked like steak and potatoes and a box with Shuuta¡¯s name on it.


    <i>He reminds me of a Dwarf from those fiction books I like to read.</i>


    He pointed down the hallway, where there were more carts in front of more doors, meaning it was time to eat and change clothes. Que rolled the cart in, informed her friends of dinner, and they all left with promises to return soon after. And they did about an hourter, but Shuuta¡¯s food was still untouched, and he hadn¡¯t moved a single bit. Dejected, Que and Ms. Mary moved to the balcony after sliding the ss doors. It was a beautiful view, for sure, since it was angled away from Cridia¡¯s capital city, so they stared at a picturesque slice of nature. The sun had started to set, so the crimson glow of the sky added emotion to a powerful scene. It was audience to an ufortable conversation about what they would do if they failed and Shuuta had to be sacrificed.


    When night arrived, Que and the others left, locking the door and sliding the key under it. Just secondster, Meruria materialized in the middle of the room while calling out his name. When he didn¡¯t respond, she walked over, the cking of her heeled shoes making an awful lot of noise on the marble flooring, but it wasn¡¯t enough to rouse him from his slumber.


    Upon huffing with a sigh, she held both hands together and summoned a symbol of her power and status as a Holy Lord. Though it looked so benign, being nothing more than a simple makeup kit, it was the greatest weapon a woman like Meruria could ask for.


    After she used it, she leaned back and began to act.


    ¡°Arise, my warrior. Your summoner requires your assistance,¡± Meruriamanded, stepping back and storing her Lord Armament within her essence. Right away, Shuuta slumbered awake with no light within his eyes. He got out of bed, walked to Meruria, and kneeled at her feet. She demanded to know why his desire in the world he came from was so low. If something substantial had happened to him, then surpassing that trauma and oveing was the key to evolving his soul.


    ¡°Imand you to divulge the contents of your soul to me. Compared to your sister, it is nothing more than a me about to be extinguished by the calmest of winds.¡±


    And so, Shuuta began to speak about his past, starting from his earliest memories. However, his words did not flow as freely as Meruria wished. At a certain point, he stopped speaking, refusing even as Meruria reached the soft limit of her weapon. Going even a bit farther would literally shatter what made Shuuta himself, causing Meruria to grow annoyed and anxious.


    She teleported away and returned about fifteen minutester after learning the truth from Mia, the mastermind behind the despicable horrors her brother was forced to endure. No, that wasn¡¯t the truth. His parents were also to me, but now that Meruria knew Shuuta¡¯s past, she quickly put a n into action.

 Chapter Four: Piercing Betrayal (R-18)

    Chapter Four: Piercing Betrayal (R-18)


    ¡°Hmmm... Mmmmm....¡±


    A female voice moaning in pleasure fluttered into my ears as my eyes opened. It was morning; that much was clear by the sun flickering in through the balcony windows. I wasn¡¯t in my assigned closet, so I must¡¯ve not woken up from this nightmare.


    I was still in this new world.


    A sigh escaped my lips as I leaned up and swung my legs off my bed. Since my sight was still hazy and not at all adjusted, I didn¡¯t immediately notice the woman standing over me. I was eye to eye with her bare stomach as she erotically touched herself. I looked up, my eyes going past her naked breasts to a face flushed red with heat, finally stopping at the pair of fluffy, pointy ears on her brown hair. A tail danced around her backside, swaying side to side as she licked her lips. A hand reached out and grabbed my shoulder, and that¡¯s when I realized I was naked myself.


    Did it matter?


    The masturbating girl looked at me expectantly, but I had no intention of doing anything. It was never possible for me to get an erection in my old world. Even when Will had printed out some of his favorite vintage magazines and shared them around, I didn¡¯t see the appeal of it.


    I didn¡¯t know what it was. But the more I looked at it, the less I felt. Even after taking it home, I tried to touch myself. I tried for hours, but it was like I was incapable of feeling anything even resembling pleasure. Even spitting on my penis and rubbing it that way just ended in me simply touching something that was a part of me.


    <i>In my world, I was broken. In this world, I¡¯m broken. It seems like I¡¯m destined to be broken no matter where I go...</i>


    When I stood up, the Beastfolk grabbed my penis and threw me to the bed. I bounced up, remaining frozen as she hungrily licked her lips and kissed my stomach, her head traveling down my scarred body untiling to myid penis.


    ¡°Lord Meruria paid me to make you a man, Lord Shuuta. Let me bring you to heaven. Even with a pathetic dick like that, you¡¯ll blossom into a beautiful flower.¡±


    I remained silent and totally still.


    <i>Maybe she¡¯ll go away¡­ I hope she¡¯ll go¡ª</i>


    I didn¡¯t have time to finish my thoughts before she used me like a pleasure doll. I was frozen and terrified, and the fear only increased when she used my body as a toy, growing increasingly angrier when I showed no signs of reacting. Maybe she thought the cold embrace of death would do something, so she wrapped her hands around my throat and squeezed.


    <i>The HP bar¡­ It¡¯s¡­draining¡­</i>


    Right when suffocation was about to take me, the girl quivered, moaned, and rolled off me while furiously fingering herself.


    I curled into a small ball, released the anguish from my soul, wailed until my very soul started to tremble and quiver, and darkness found fit to take me once again when I heard footsteps stomp right outside my door.


    <hr>


    ¡°SHUUTA!!!!¡± Greggie screamed after Que used [Fireball] to burn down the locked door. They didn¡¯t have the key, so breaking it down was the only option. He smashed through the smoldering remains to find his close friend curled into a small ball with a damp nket covering his body. A strange woman with animal features was humping his weeping face. ¡°GET AWAY FROM HIM!¡±


    Elly and Ami were frozen solid by the sexual assault happening in front of them. Before Ms. Mary or Que could act, their summoner materialized in front of the bed, preventing Greggie from getting any closer after she wrapped his arms and legs with a binding spell. Calling the beastfolk, she skipped to Meruria''s side after getting her clothes and dressed without any shame.


    ¡°It seems to me that he does not have the qualifications to achieve Soul Evolution. Therefore, I have decided his future,¡± Meruria said. Upon hearing words of protest from the seven that wanted to save Shuuta, Meruria mmed her staff into the circle and used a mass teleportation spell to summon all of ss 2-F, barring Lori and Ann since they had left the church, to Shuuta¡¯s room. It was certainlyrge enough to handle the number of bodies. Besides, she hadn¡¯t had a chance to set up the courtroom.


    ¡°What? This trial thing is happening already?¡± Damon asked, raising his arms up to stretch. He was shirtless because he was in the middle of working out. Ayer of sweat dripped down his toned, muscr body.


    ¡°Lord Meruria, why is he like that? Who is that woman? What did she do to him?!¡± Que demanded, showing a fiery passion. She tried to move, but magical bindings appeared on her and the rest of Team Que.


    ¡°She is Shuuta¡¯s trial. He must conquer his trauma if he wishes to achieve Soul Evolution. I expected you to figure this out, but I am disappointed you didn¡¯t,¡± Meruria said.


    Meruria channeled a telekinesis spell through her staff. She tightly wound the damp nket around Shuuta''s body, then lifted him into the air. Only his head was visible.


    "I will uphold the rules of a trial and allow you all the chance to speak about him. You will answer two questions. ¡®Will Shuuta Fenton be useful to me in his current state as it pertains to the defense of Cridia?¡¯ ¡®Does Shuuta Fenton deserve to be sacrificed so that I may summon another warrior?¡¯ Use this inability to conquer his trauma as a basis for your answer," Meruria added. She summoned a little bell and exined that it made a noise when a lie was spoken. She proved it worked by saying that her name was Molly, and it rang. When she said Meruria, the bell remained silent.


    One by one, the students who didn¡¯t know of Shuuta¡¯s existence prior to the events on the ne decided his future. Arge majority believed he wouldn¡¯t be useful at all, and those that shared this belief wanted him to be gone. They really spared no time going for the jugr and wished for someone stronger to take his ce.


    After all, the weak were devoured by the strong, and everyone attending Mekka Academy had the instinct of a vicious, bloodthirsty wolf. They fought, wed, and trampled over those that were too feeble to have the drive they had.


    When it was Damon¡¯s turn, he spoke from the heart and didn¡¯t allow what happened on the ne to influence his judgement.


    <hr>


    ¡°Just think of him like a toy, yeah? When you buy something and it turns out to be defective, you don¡¯t try to fix it. You go and get your money back or exchange it for something that actually works. Oh, he¡¯s awake?¡±


    A feeling of being weightless overcame my body as the realization I was stuck in this hell shocked me into consciousness. I had awoken as Damon wasparing me to some sort of broken toy. I looked down at the bed I was raped on, then towards the shocked expressions of the seven that wanted me to remain alive. They found it hard to keep eye contact. The damp nket wrapped around me restricted my movements. I could only really turn my head.


    <i>I don¡¯t me them... Why...can¡¯t I die...?</i>


    Greggie called my name so many times, but I couldn¡¯t formte enough energy to reply.


    To me, it seemed the trial was going on ahead of schedule... Or was it?


    Did it matter?


    A short girl with ck curly hair named Renata was called to speak. She said she didn¡¯t want to see anyone sacrificed while agreeing I wouldn¡¯t be useful. Benedict, a bald student with thick arms that barely fit his gray t-shirt, was called after her, and his answers were the same.


    Next was Shiku, who spoke inly and hastily that I would not be helpful. On the topic of recycling, he mentioned that if there was a way that wouldn¡¯t end in the loss of life, we should go that way because it would mean there would be at least one more body at the ready to protect Cridia.


    ¡°Let us take care of Shuuta. We don¡¯t have to sacrifice him. I¡¯ll work twice as hard¡ªwe''ll all work to make up for¡ª¡± Que started to say.


    ¡°That is something I cannot allow,¡± Tokko replied. ¡°Being responsible for someone that, in metaphorical terms, cannot even walk by himself is a tremendous drain on resources. Every decision you make would be dyed, and that could lead to catastrophic consequences because we had to consider someone that cannot fight. In addition, it isn¡¯t fair to the others. We all worked hard¡ªusing our blood, sweat, and tears to aplish our goals. Shuuta, you have not achieved anything of note.¡± He spoke of how Mia had spent nearly a hundred hours a week bettering her archery and performing research before she was even ten years old. ¡°Everyone but Shuuta has spent countless hours carving out our destiny to attend Mekka Academy, which stands as proof of our determination. It is pathetic that you want to coast through this new world on our coattails.¡±


    <i>I just want to live my own life. Why is that so wrong?</i>


    ¡°But that¡¯s not true! He¡ª"


    ¡°Look at him,¡± Tokko cut off Que¡¯s rebuttal. ¡°Willpower cannot be forged to the degree we need in just three days. If it could, I would be instructing him because I knew I could lead him past his trauma and be a better man.¡±


    <i>Better man? Trauma?</i>


    Meruria asked two specific questions to Tokko and Mia, but their opinions on me were well known, so she moved on to Que.


    "Do you believe Shuuta deserves to be sacrificed?¡± asked Meruria.


    ¡°No.¡± Que¡¯s reply came swiftly.


    ¡°Then will he be useful?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he will. I guarantee it.¡±


    <i>Ring!</i>


    ¡°What?! No, that¡¯s not a lie!¡±


    <i>Ring!</i>


    ¡°I know he can be useful!¡±


    <i>Ring!</i>


    ¡°A lie...¡± I croaked; my voice extremely hoarse. ¡°It¡¯s all...a lie...?¡±


    ¡°Shuuta, you can be useful! I know you can!¡± Que¡¯s voice grew even more aggressive, yet that little bell continued to ring.


    One by one, Ms. Mary, Elly, Greggie, Keeth, Ami, and Will answered Meruria¡¯s question, and it seemed neither of them had any faith in me. Every time the bell rang, they called out my name, but the pain was inflicted too deeply for me to do anything. I didn¡¯t even have the strength to close my eyes or stop them from wandering around. The one that raped me seemed to be smitten with Meruria because she was petting and scratching her behind the ears.


    Mia grinned and started to talk to a distraught Que. ¡°Did you want to save him?¡±


    ¡°I did.¡±


    ¡°Why? Before the incident on the ne, you had the pleasure of not knowing his existence.¡±


    ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to see him die.¡±


    <i>Ring!</i>


    The irritating cry of a bell had the same effect as a bombshell.


    ¡°Qutie¡­?¡± Elly whispered, her arms quivering against her bindings as unfathomable sadness darkened her expression. ¡°You were the first¡ª¡±


    ¡°That bell is broken! It¡¯s true!¡±


    <i>Ring!</i>


    ¡°I knew it,¡± Mia smugly smiled. ¡°Nihil Nisi Perfectum¡­ That is your family¡¯s motto, correct? Nothing but perfection? All your life, you¡¯ve been driven by a singr goal to avoid failure. I don¡¯t know why you targeted him, but because you did, you were obligated to prevent his sacrifice. You must¡¯ve automatically stepped because of how difficult it would be. That exins it all, yes? You don¡¯t even care about him. You just want the thrill and satisfaction of not failing this Herculean task. If the stance was flipped, you¡¯d be arguing for his death because that would be the goal.¡±


    ¡°THAT ISN¡¯T TRUE!¡±


    <i>Ring!</i>


    ¡°Shuuta, I did this because¡ª¡±


    Que kept talking, but the words didn¡¯t reach my ears. She struggled against the bindings around her legs, trying to hop forward but failing and smashing into the ground.


    ¡°It...was...all...a...lie...? You¡¯re...just like them? I was always meant to...die?¡± I didn¡¯t even have the strength to cry. What good would tears do?


    "Hmm..." Meruria tapped her chin with a finger. "It seems the general consensus supports his sacrifice. I''m d I summoned smart and capable warriors. As an added bonus, just see for yourself how weak and useless he would have been for us."


    The tip of her staff shed, then the nket keeping me covered vanished, allowing everyone to see the litany of scars covering my body. I''d tried my best to keep them hidden, but my sunken chest and thin waist provided proof of my abusive upbringing.


    "HOLY SHIT! Look at his crotch... It''s like someone took a weedwhacker to his dick!" Damon eximed. Some of the other students had simr reactions to my wounds. Some groaned in disgust, and others gasped so loudly you could hear it over everyone. A short girl with curly hair and her friend found it hard to stare away, but I didn''t think they took pleasure in my suffering.


    "The scars... How horrible..." Elly covered her mouth, her eyes shinning with tears.


    Ami whispered my name, the smile long gone from her face. She clutched her heart as if it was in pain. Ms. Mary was shedding a few tears and begged Meruria with Keeth and Que. Greggie was nearly inconsble. The bigd wore his feelings on his sleeves and cried the loudest of those that wanted me to survive.


    ncing over to Shiku, our nces briefly met for just a second before he shamefully averted his gaze to the ground. He subtly shook his head and clenched his fists.


    I wasn''t the only one to notice that.


    "This poor, poor fool. What an utter failure of a human being. I thought Soul Warriors from across the wide ne of existence were supposed to be heroic figures of outright legend, yet all I received was a pitiful boy who was abused by everyone he met. If you had the power to stand up and fight for your right to survival, who knows just how powerful you would''ve been. s, that''s not the case. Ah, has anyone changed their mind? Keep in mind that I desire the strong, not the weak. And any support for this miserable sacrifice... Well, I don''t have to say it out loud."


    Only one person raised their hand, and it belonged to someone I considered a friend.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t lie,¡± Will said, the bindings on his limbs disappearing. He freely walked over to join Tokko and Mia to get away from Que and the others. ¡°At this point, it''s more about me caring about you. I mean, look at yourself. You¡¯re fucked up, and that¡¯s putting it mildly. You have nothing at all. Just remaining alive must be a living hell for you, and from the bottom of my heart, I think sacrificing you is the best option because you¡¯ll be free from this pain. And I¡¯m not making this decision lightly. It pains me, man. It really does. We were friends-- close friends. If you had told us earlier, we could''ve helped you. But now? I''m...sorry."


    The bell remained silent.


    ¡°And I know I¡¯m not the only one thinking like this.¡±


    All at once, Que and the others shouted that wasn¡¯t true, and the bell chimed six times, indicating that their feelings had changed.


    And that was that.


    I...was going to die...


    ¡°Lord Meruria, how exactly does this ¡®recycling¡¯ work?¡± Tokko asked, yawning.


    ¡°I open a gate to that beyond the realm of existence. The winds of infinite void reign supreme there, eliminating all that dare to invade their domain. In exchange for his soul and flesh, they will return the Holy Mana I used to summon that pathetic weakling.¡±


    ¡°Then if it pleases you, could you summon it?¡±


    Meruria nodded to her strongest warrior ¡°The winds of infinite void... I call upon you!!!!¡± She raised both hands in the air as her golden staff disappeared. A momentter, it shimmered into existence from an explosion of blinding light. She mmed the butt of her staff into the ground. The fabric of reality cracked apart when she lifted it up, allowing a nket of purple void to anchor itself to the spot where her weapon hit the floor. It twisted and morphed into a soul-wrenching vertical form about the same size as a set of double doors. Pure darkness was the outline, and from within it, I saw¡­death. A trillion winds cackled in my general direction.


    Meruria lowered my body to the bed and called upon Damon and Shiku to ferry me over to the portal. I felt myself being lifted into the air, my whole naked body on disy like a trophy as Meruria smiled at my forting death.


    The bell kept chiming and chiming as Que and the others¡¯ voices became garbled. I couldn¡¯t pluck out what they were saying, but the bell was the perfect interpreter. Meruria must''ve gotten tired of its constant ringing because it disappeared in a sh of light.


    ¡°Your life is a stain we couldn¡¯t erase,¡± Mia said. ¡°Be thankful we can finally rectify that mistake.¡±


    As I was drawn ever closer, it felt like something inside of me broke. Perhaps it was the bell¡¯s constant chirping. Or maybe it was that prostitute that happily received head pats from Meruria.


    Maybe it was everything.


    Or maybe it was nothing.


    Perhaps it was a final cry for help, but I found enough strength to cling onto onest bastion.


    ¡°Que, don¡¯t let them do this to me. Please, help me!!!! Elly!!!! AMI!!!! GREGGIE, I NEED YOU!!!! DON¡¯T LET THEM KILL ME!!!!! KEETH?!?!?! HELP ME, KEETH!!!!!! WILL!!!!! I THOUGHT WE WERE FRIENDS!!!! I DON¡¯T WANNA DIE!!!!!!!!¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you rather have your ssmates¡¯st memory of you be heroic? Or would you rather them remember you as the powerless, useless, fearful coward you are now?¡± Meruria asked.


    Something happened... I felt something crack from the depths of my core...and wondered if this was what ¡®hate¡¯ and ¡®rage¡¯ felt like? Did they finally decide to show up? Why now? Why here? Why couldn¡¯t they have made themselves known earlier?!


    As I¡¯d thought before, it would be one thing if I left the world on my own terms, but I just couldn¡¯t die like this...


    I couldn¡¯t leave this world like this...


    I refused to.


    I listened to this fury in my heart and spoke my truest desires.


    ¡°Listen to your shitty Holy Lord like good loyal dogs who can¡¯t think for themselves! Make sure to bark while you¡¯re at it, alright?!¡± I growled. ¡°Count the days! This won¡¯t be the end of me!!!! THIS WON¡¯T BE THE END OF ME!!!! I WILL TEAR YOUR FUCKING HEAD OFF!!!¡± For the first time in my life, I spoke with vengeance as the foundation of my words. Anger¡¯s seething heat forcibly contorted my normally nk expression to one of disgust, allowing it to take on a never-before-seen form. When they carried me past that Beastfolk, I broke free for a second and grasped at her cotton robe. I pulled her in my direction because I wanted this bitch to die with me.


    I just wasn¡¯t strong enough to achieve that.


    Damon grabbed my wrist and bent it in an unnatural direction, but the pain felt good. Shiku grabbed my arm and forced it behind my back. I was struggling and managed to look up at his face. There was blood running down his lips from where he was biting it.


    ¡°Hahaha!!! You¡¯re going to die!!! I¡¯m going to be every fucking shadow!!! You fucking rapist! You shitty Holy Lord, I¡¯m going to scrape out your fucking brains!!!!" I screamed, my voice turning hoarse.


    ¡°You know, this edgy attitude isn¡¯t doing anything. You think a small spark of fury will help? You¡¯re still just pathetic, you know. Just go ahead and die,¡± Damon said a second before they let go of me. His overall demeanor had slightly changed from how he was on the ne.


    Shiku remained speechless.


    After feeling a sense of weightlessness, I was thrown through that portal even as I screamed a thousand threats and locked eyes with Damon and Shiku.


    Was Mia scared? What about Tokko? That fucking traitor, Will? Greggie? Keeth? Que? Elly? Ami? Ms. Mary? They never had any faith in me. And they thought it was better to put me out of my misery.


    In the next few seconds, my skin was ripped off. Next came my muscles and bones, which drained from my body in a crimson and white-colored mist. I couldn¡¯t see or focus on anything but the excruciating anguish, but it felt good.


    After that?


    The void had me trapped.


    Noise ceased to exist. Light was just a memory. Taste was a forgotten concept. Smell? I couldn¡¯t even remember what ¡®smelling¡¯ was. Touching the piercing ck void around me did nothing because I wasn¡¯t even sure I had hands. And I had soon forgotten what ¡®touching¡¯ even meant.


    After the initial assault, there wasn¡¯t even any pain. If I was a soul, then the evesting abuse Meruria spoke of didn¡¯t do much at all. I wouldn¡¯t put it past her to lie to me about that, but maybe the torture was something else? I was still very much alive¡­


    For the first few seconds, at least.


    <hr>


    In mere seconds, absolute hell broke loose when it became impossible to keep my psyche together.


    Time was a formless concept, so counting the seconds failed because I had forgotten what ¡®time¡¯ was.


    Numbers were the next conceptualization to vanish from my mind. Anger? The one emotion I just discovered that slumbered within my abused breast. I clung to its heat for as long as I could, letting happiness, sadness, and fear pass me by. Disgust, anxiety, and shame were three things I easily sacrificed if it meant I could harness this fury within my formless existence for a little bit longer. Surprise? Embarrassment? Pride? When had I ever needed those fucking things? Pity? Sympathy? Fucking admiration?


    No!


    No!


    I needed anger!


    I desired anger!


    <i>No! Don¡¯t take it from me!!!</i> In my final moments before my assimtion with the void could bepleted, it seemed my mind saw fit to give me a bout of hallucination.


    <i>Alert: Unknown entity detected within the void.</i>


    <i>Alert: Barrier coherency is weakening.</i>


    <i>Alert: Taking effective action. Entity, doest thou wish to survive?</i>


    What? Why could I see words in a void where everything was broken down to its simplest form? Wishing to live¡­ Did my mind want to abandon me at my lowest point?


    The final sparks of my red-hot fury shed bright and true, giving me the final ounce of willpower to focus on four little words before the nothingness devoured me.


    <i>I...want...to...live...</i>


    <i>I want to live.</i>


    <i>Alert: Mental acknowledgement confirmed. Granting Divine Skill: [Wrath, mes of Inexhaustible Indignation.]</i>


    <b>New Divine Skill: [Wrath, mes of Inexhaustible Indignation.]</b>


    Within this ckened void, a spark of crimson filled my soul. Its light regathered the emotions I sacrificed to keep my wrathful fury, bringing them back to me¡­ I wasn¡¯tpletely whole, and it felt like it would take some time to put me back together since I was hanging on by something even less than a thread.


    <i>Alert: Doest thou wish for a second chance?</i>


    <i>I do¡­</i>


    <i>Alert: Will thou rescind thy humanity?</i>


    <i>I will¡­ I¡¯ll throw it all away to kill that goddamn bitch¡­</i> Warm fury flowed through me like blood. With every passing second, a thousand variations of Meruria¡¯s death filled this void with a slice of my violently vivid imagination.


    <i>Alert: Granting skill: [Lesser Chimera.]</i>


    <i>Alert: Attempt failed.</i>


    <i>Alert: Sacrificing [Soul Armatization] and [Soul Warrior] to grant Divine Skill: [Chimeric Mastery.]</i>


    <b>New Divine Skill: [Chimeric Mastery.]</b>


    <i>Alert: Granting **** Skill: [Hermes Trismegistus]</i>


    <b>New **** Skill: [Hermes Trismegistus]</b>


    Alert: Could not finalize [Hermes Trismegistus.] Alerting the Conduit for final initialization.


    Alert: Granting Title: [Lesser Chimera.]


    <b>New Title: [Lesser Chimera]</b>


    <i>Alert: Will thee endure the vast reaches of the infinite void? Will thy cling fast to life? Will thee remain firm in thine anger?</i>


    <i>I will¡­ This won¡¯t be the end of me¡­ IT WON¡¯T BE THE END OF ME!!!</i>


    At some point, the words became something that was always there. You wouldn¡¯t look twice at a rock you see on your everyday journey. Even the most observant wouldn¡¯t notice a tiny change in size or shape here and there, especially in a ce where themon rules of the world didn¡¯t apply.


    On top of that, this unyielding rage made it impossible to read what must¡¯ve been a figment of my imagination.


    I didn¡¯t care how long it would take¡­but I would always channel this rage and imagine the horrifyingly violent deaths for those damn traitors¡­


    <hr>


    Kill them¡­


    They must die...


    If they live, the mission is over...


    If they survive, revenge is considered a failure...


    <hr>


    I must make them bleed....


    I need to see their deaths...


    If I¡¯m not the one that kills them...


    Then what has all of this been for¡­?


    <hr>


    DIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIE!!!!!!!!!!


    DON¡¯TFORGET


    DON¡¯TFORGET


    DON¡¯TFORGET


    DON¡¯TFORGET


    DON¡¯TFORGET


    DON¡¯TFORGET


    DON¡¯TFORGET


    DON¡¯TFORGET


    <hr>


    <i>Revenge...?</i>


    <i>Yes, my revenge...</i>


    <i>They have to die...</i>


    <i>Focus... Focus on their deaths... Focus on the sweet, sweet relief you¡¯d feel once they¡¯ve passed into the afterlife...</i>


    <i>Focus¡­</i>


    <i>Count.</i>


    <i>Focus.</i>


    <i>Count.</i>


    <i>Focus.</i>


    <i>Don¡¯t lose your way..</i>


    <i>How¡­do I count? Numbers? Wan¡­won¡­one¡­ 1¡­2¡­ Yes, I remember now¡­</i>


    Count¡­


    <i>1... 2... 3... 4... 5... 6... 8... 20... 34... 234... 567... 1,284... 2,342.... 384,723... 2,678,400¡­</i>


    Just¡­how long was a second? Or a minute? What determined an hour? Why was an hour an hour? Why¡­ Exin¡­


    As I debated about time and its rules of ssification, a colorless speck surrounded a tiny spot in thisher-like void of space and nothingness. I feltpelled to will my anger towards this foreign entity since I had nothing better to do.


    <i>Entity? Why¡­is that familiar? Words? Alert? No, it doesn¡¯t matter. Focus this anger and send it to the speck¡­</i>


    <hr>


    <i>Alert: Assisting in the summoning initiated by the Dark Lord of Tyranny...</i>


    <i>Alert: Summoning sessful...</i>


    <i>Alert: Seek out and restore the bnce.</i>

 Chapter Five: Chimeric Rebirth – Part One

    Chapter Five: Chimeric Rebirth ¨C Part One


    <i>When I was six years old, I was called into the living room of our house. The wallpaper was frayed, peeling off like a nasty scab, but that was the worst of it. We had nned, as a family, to repaint the whole house together. Father and mother remarked it would be a fun activity since Mia was going to inherit it when she became an adult.</i>


    <i>¡°Mother, did my resultse in?¡± I asked after sitting down. My mother, with her brown hair and hazel eyes, opened the letter father had given her. No, it was already cracked open, so what used to be sealed within was already known.</i>


    <i>¡°Acrobatics¡­ Failed,¡± she whispered. Father was sitting near her, and he stood up. With a fist formed from years of watching his son live a life of failure, he brought a heavy blow upon my frightful face.</i>


    <i>It wasn¡¯t the first beating¡­ It wouldn¡¯t be thest beating¡­</i>


    <i>¡°Aeronautical Design¡­ Failed.¡± Another punch. This one knocked me to the ground. Waves of pain erupted from my face, blood dripping down my two nostrils.</i>


    <i>¡°Aeronautical Engineering¡­ Failed. Archery¡­ Failed¡­ ssical Music Theory¡­ Failed. Modeling¡­ Failed. Steam Worker¡­ Failed. You¡¯ve failed everything¡­ Why are you doing this to us¡­?¡±</i>


    <i>Father¡¯s fist was soaked in my blood by the time he stopped. Consciousness was just a tiny thread, and I clung to using all that I had. His eyes were dead¡­ Unmoving and devoid of all care and love he once had for me¡­</i>


    <i>¡°Daddy, is it time for my birthday?¡± asked my sister. Mia was just a year younger than me, yet she had all the favor in the family.</i>


    <i>¡°Of course, sweetie. We can also celebrate your excellent future. The examiner said there hadn¡¯t been anyone with your aptitude for physics in over 50 years.¡± When my father said that, he looked back at me and shook his head. He then turned to Mia and continued to offer his praise. ¡°You¡¯re our bundle of joy¡­ There are great things awaiting you, sweetie. You can do it¡­ I know you can.¡±</i>


    <i>From then and there¡­ I knew I had no ce in the Fenton family. I was especially sure of that a few dayster¡­</i>


    <i>Because they attempted to abandon me on the other side of the city.</i>


    <i>Or was it the country? I can¡¯t even remember anymore, but it really doesn¡¯t matter. For a small child, being a hundred miles from home was the same as ten thousand.</i>


    <i>In either case, the bond between parent and child was irreversibly broken.</i>


    <hr>


    ¡°AAAAHHHHHHHH!!!! I¡¯M GOING TO FUCKING KILL THEM!!! Why did I just take it over and over and over again FOR TWENTY GODDAMN YEARS?!?! FFFUUUCCCKKKKKKK!!!!!!¡±


    Two decades¡¯ worth of repressed anguish and fury exploded from my mouth when my eyes opened. I said everything I had been carrying deep down¡­ Curses flowed out as easily as rain in a thunderstorm. Everyone who¡¯d treated me like shit¡­ I didn¡¯t leave off a single name.


    But as suddenly as this rage overcame me, it abandoned me for greener pastures.


    Without any warning, my activity log was filled to the brim with information, but it did very little to answer any of my questions. It just created more. Why wasn¡¯t I angry? Where did the rage go? I saw something referencing wrath, and I had felt wrathful, but¡­where did it go? The zing inferno of relentless fury¡­ Why was it extinguished? What¡­ What was thest thing I saw?


    <i>There was the trial, right? Then Will¡¯s betrayal. Que and the others, too, since they never believed in me. I was thrown into the void? Then I counted¡­ Did I¡­reach out with my anger? Shit, I can¡¯t remember.</i>


    ¡°Gah, and why is it so bright? Huh--- Waahh!!! My¡­ My voice¡­ What happened to my voice¡­?¡± The voice that uttered those words did not belong to me¡­ It couldn¡¯t have¡­ I was male, and the regal, queen-like tone I heard was so far out of the league of my wispy, scratchy throat that the two couldn¡¯t have been more different.


    I looked down and saw a pair of breasts attached to my chest. My skin tone was a palish cream white, yet my legs were golden bronze. My hands went to my chest, but the arms that came into view were dark gray. I leaned over a bit more to rub my legs and stopped when I saw a penis. Was it mine? It looked like nothing of the one I remembered having. This one was the color of dark ash, yet it was big, thick, and girthy, like arge snakeying down to rest. A quiet plop spurned me to action. Within half a second, I stood up and realized I wasn¡¯t outside.


    The entire ground was a grassy wondend, with each individual de of verdant wonder providing something colorful for my eyes. The trees, tall and brown with thick, fat leaves branching off of healthy limbs, blocked out what must¡¯ve been an artificial sun. A substantial amount of shade littered the ground, and it all looked mightily inviting to sleep on. Even the air felt clean and refreshing. The sound of a waterfall cascading down into a pond was music to my pointy ears. But then my eyesnded on the five gray y coffins in the middle of the room. A tablet floated above each one.


    Besides the strange sight, it felt like I was in the very definition of a naturalistic paradise.


    Everything caught my eye, but I couldn¡¯t split my attention multiple ways. ¡°Okay, I should start at the pond. Some instinct is telling me it¡¯s ptable,¡± I said, flinching at my newly feminine voice. Even as I stepped over to my goal, my footsteps were a familiar sound. It was odd and hard to understand, but it offered somefort.


    ¡°Woah¡­ Is¡­ Is that me?¡± I said, staring at my reflection in still water.


    The face with an open mouth of surprise¡ªthe one that stared back at me from the water¡¯s surface was not the one I was born with. The skin was fair and delicate, smooth to the touch like soft silk. The eyes gazing up at me were light brown.


    A timid hand reached up to poke at the two new pointy ears, which extended more sideward than upward. The edges of them were quite sharp, not rounded like my human ears. But the most drastically different thing was my hair, which looked like sweetened honey. Compared to the greasy brown rag that used to just barely cover my head, these golden locks that warmly brushed against my neck were gorgeous. If I moved just a bit, I could feel the ends of my hair tickle against my rear, which was curvy and well-rounded.


    ¡°So, this chest isn¡¯t mine¡­ I was a guy¡­ I¡¯m a girl now?¡± Perhaps someone I knew would have loved to be in the situation I found myself in. Without even realizing it, a pair of feminine, dark gray hands, with nails that seemingly looked like they had received the best of attention and care, started exploring this brand-new torso. The boobs I were currently fondling were just that. They were just sacks of fat that happened to be too big for my new hands topletely conquer, so I settled for pinching my nipples for half a second to try something. But they ever slid downward, bypassing a toned stomach until they came to my crotch.


    My old body had nothing like this new penis, which must¡¯ve easily been 7 inches. Its ash-like appearance was almost like a brighter version of the skin tone on my arms. In a blind motion, I proceeded to keep my hands moving down. Both slipped around the shaft, wrapping it gently in a soft embrace. When they reached the end of my uncircumcised penis, they traveled down the back side on a direct course for my dangling testicles. The hands of a woman¡­ The soft fingers of a female¡­wrapping around and showing care to my sensitive bits. It was a sharp contrast to that beastfolk as she brutalized me.


    <i>When I think about that, why can¡¯t I get angry? Why doesn¡¯t rage flow through me like a torrential downpour when it was so prevalent a moment before? I know it¡¯s there, so why can¡¯t I ess it?</i>


    After touching my crotch, I continued to examine these bronzed legs of mine. Like my arms, they were slim and slender, yet I felt the powerful muscles lying underneath. Would it be a blessing? A curse? This tension and springiness gave me the confidence that I could run for hours without worry.


    ¡°This body isn¡¯t mine. It¡¯s not mine!!! This voice¡­ This chest¡­ Everything is all wrong! But why does it feel inviting? I should be scared to have my soul wrapped in a new container of flesh. Especially one that feels powerful and fresh, but that foreign feeling scares me¡­¡±


    <i>When Meruria descended, it felt like someone had taken over my body. My thoughts weren¡¯t my own, and my actions didn¡¯t reflect what I wanted to do. It felt wrong¡­ It was all wrong! If I don¡¯t have control over my body, then what do I have?</i>


    <i>Why did I say ¡®container of flesh?¡¯ Is¡­</i>


    After taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and opened them while exhaling. The activity log said something about a skill, and it had an odd name. When I opened the Status Menu, things were different.


    <b><i>N/A</i></b>


    <b><i>Chimera</i></b>


    <b><i>Lv. 1</i></b>


    <b><i>SP: 0</i></b>


    <b><i>Title: Lesser Chimera</i></b>


    <b><i>Sub-Title: N/A</i></b>


    <b><i>Skill Menu [+]</i></b>


    <b><i>Mastery Menu [+]</i></b>


    My name was erased? I went back to Lv. 1? I didn¡¯t know where to start, but I hoped whatever was within my Skill Menu could exin something. I looked at the very first one, not at all ignoring how it was categorized as a Divine Skill.


    <ul>


    <li>Wrath, mes of Inexhaustible Indignation


    <ul>


    <li>Allows the user to control their anger when this skill is invoked. The more they allow wrath to fester within their heart, the more powerful the user will be. Excessive or improper use can cause the user to fall into an uncontrolled rampage, transforming them into a mindless beast with an instinct for destruction.</li>


    </ul>


    </li>


    </ul>


    The anger I felt towards Meruria and those traitors helped me? The skill had to be working because I was freely thinking about them, and I was entirely leveled headed about it. No, it was like I knew I was angry at them, but the anger itself wasn¡¯t present in my mind at all. But invoking a skill?


    I had to test it out. ¡°[Wrath, mes of Inexhaustible Indignation!]¡± A crimson-coated dial appeared in my sight. It was to the top-left of my HUD, near my name, but I could move it around my vision.


    I imagined turning the dial, starting slow at first because I was venturing into the unknown. With it set to 10, possibly out of 100, I immediately found it hard to not punch the nearest object. My previously apathetic mind started to feel extreme rage. My breathing increased as air huffed out of my nose like an upset bull.


    At 20, I was screaming and raging, yelling threats of violence towards my greatest enemies. ¡°MERURIA!!! I¡¯M GONNA RIP OFF YOUR HEAD AND SHIT DOWN YOUR NECK!!! AAAAHHHHRRRAAHHHHH YOU¡¯RE GOING TO FUCKING DIE!!!!!¡±


    This raw feeling of negative emotion¡­ It gave me the strength to keep myself together because that was what I had to do. It was my onlypanion during that long, lonely, arduous time in the void.


    If I didn¡¯t do that, I wouldn¡¯t have been standing here, in this spot, on this day, with a body I wasn¡¯t familiar with, with the chance to strike back and quench this relentless fury in my heart.


    Anger was a close friend. Rage, hatred, fury¡­ They all worked together for my benefit, and they were bowing down, just waiting to do my bidding.


    <i>Why turn it down? You¡¯re nothing without the inferno inside you. Fighting against it means betraying yourself¡­ Allow yourself to be consumed¡­ Taste its sulent milk, then drown yourself in its familiarity. You know you want it¡­</i>


    A voice in my mind argued in favor for the skill the moment I twisted the dial down to zero, and it took everything I had to ignore its sweet whispers.


    ¡°Stop¡­ Get out of my head!!!!¡± I shouted, falling to the ground and crushing thefortable grass. Warm, salty tears leaked from my eyes as shivers wracked my body.


    <i>Stop trying to force these thoughts into my mind!!!! Why did it feel like my soul just allowed my body to be controlled like a puppet¡­? That wasn¡¯t me speaking¡­ It wasn¡¯t me stomping around¡­What¡­is¡­ I don¡¯t understand¡­ Shit, I have to push forward¡­ I just have to keep marching ahead¡­</i>


    It took time for me to calm down, but I eventually read through the rest of my skills.


    <ul>


    <li>Eyes of the Huntress (Lv. 10)


    <ul>


    <li>Allows the user to see at a far distance while tracking fast moving objects with the utmost ease. In addition, it also grants the user the ability to perceive night and darkness as if it was day. The user¡¯s eyes will slowly turn to a light gray when this effect is in use.</li>


    </ul>


    </li>


    </ul>


    <ul>


    <li>Timeless Existence (Lv. 10)


    <ul>


    <li>The user is removed from the passing of time and cannot die from old age.</li>


    </ul>


    </li>


    </ul>


    <ul>


    <li>Nature¡¯s Workshop (Lv. 3)


    <ul>


    <li>Grants the user the ability to create misceneous items from materials found in nature.</li>


    </ul>


    </li>


    </ul>


    <ul>


    <li>Schr¡¯s Tongue (Lv. 10)


    <ul>


    <li>Grants the user the ability to quickly master unknownnguages.</li>


    </ul>


    </li>


    </ul>


    <ul>


    <li>Dead Eye (Lv. 6)


    <ul>


    <li>Grants the user increased uracy with firearms, bows, and throwing weapons.</li>


    </ul>


    </li>


    </ul>


    <ul>


    <li>Heat Resistance (Lv. 10)


    <ul>


    <li>Grants the user resistance towards heat.</li>


    </ul>


    </li>


    </ul>


    It was bright, so I couldn¡¯t test the night vision portion of my skill. Tracking fast objects would help. Would that be something I did passively?


    Seeing my title was all that I needed to see to understand my situation. Well, almost. I didn¡¯t know how I became like this, but it was evident that I was made up of around five different body parts that were both male and female. It didn¡¯t seem like they came from the same race.


    I should have been extremely freaked out, but what could I have done? This body¡­ Being turned into a Chimera was the only reason I had a chance to enact my revenge. Was I a hypocrite, then? Five bodies, one soul. Did the soul make the body, or did the body¡ªbodies¡ª make the soul? What if that was why I had no name?


    <i>What if I lose my sense of self¡­? Shuuta Fenton doesn¡¯t exist anymore...?</i>


    I¡¯d probably have an eternity to think on that because Timeless Existence, if it could be trusted, guaranteed old age wouldn¡¯t be the cause of my death.


    In short, that was simply incredible. In my world, health care had advanced far enough so that living a century and a half wasn¡¯t out of the question.


    <i>But no time limit?</i>


    The rest of the skills seemed to be self-exnatory, but I had one more Divine Skill to look through. And it looked to be rted to my current predicament.


    <ul>


    <li>Chimeric Mastery


    <ul>


    <li>Biomass ¨C A resource used to fuel Chimeric Transfiguration. Capacity will grow faster the more it is used. Biomass can be used to regenerate dismembered body parts and heal wounds. Biomass is gained upon sessful Assimtion of organic material. Biomass is used to satisfy a Chimera¡¯s hunger and thirst.</li>


    <li>Assimtion ¨C An ability that allows the user to physically and spiritually devour their target, provided they have enough mana, and take their target¡¯s strength for themselves. If used on the same type and species of monster, there will be diminishing returns.</li>


    <li>Chimeric Transfiguration ¨C The ability to morph the user¡¯s body to match those they assimte. The more the user is transfigured, the more Biomass is required to sustain it. Current Transfiguration Limit: 10%</li>


    <li>Assimtion Mastery ¨C The ability to master the skills belonging to those the user assimtes. The user must be partially transfigured into the being that has the skill the user wants to master. The more powerful the skill, the more the user must be transfigured. Once a skill is mastered, it can be used at any time. Grants ess to the Mastery Menu.</li>


    </ul>


    </li>


    </ul>


    <i>Okay, I need to take it slow and examine it effect by effect. You can''t act rashly.</i>


    [Chimeric Mastery] came with multiple skills. Biomass was another resource to manage, which was probably the yellow bar underneath the blue one. It couldn¡¯t just regenerate like mana, so [Assimtion] would handle that. If the description could be trusted, I just had to eat food. [Chimeric Transfiguration] would allow me to take on the characteristics of those assimted, but I didn¡¯t know how to do either of those.


    [Assimtion Mastery] would allow me to learn the skills of those assimted? That all sounded nice, but I just didn¡¯t know how to do that. Mastery Menu came from this skill.


    It had my other skills listed, and they were mastered.


    So many questions swirled around my mind, and I just didn¡¯t know where to start.


    Or even how to start answering them.


    <i>How did I turn into a chimera? Where am I? Why do I look like this? How did I get these skills? What happened to the winds of infinite void?</i>


    <i>Wait¡­ I¡­saw words, right? Didn¡¯t that¡­ Yeah, it¡¯sing back¡­ Something spoke to me and asked me to¡­ What did it ask me? Why did it¡­turn me into a chimera?</i>


    <i>Like everything else, I¡¯m just going to have to roll with it until I could find some answers. Ah, wait, there¡¯s something else. **** Skill? The name of the skills is fine, but its ssification, I think, is unreadable.</i>


    <ul>


    <li>Hermes Trismegistus


    <ul>


    <li>Status Cloak ¨C The user may freely edit their Status Menu to hide what they do not want disyed. The changes are visual only.</li>


    <li>Analysis ¨C The user may analyze a target to receive information. (Needs Initialization)</li>


    <li>Map ¨C The user receives a map of the world, but only the locations they have been are filled in. It can be ced anywhere in the user¡¯s vision, zoomed-in, and zoomed-out. The user may search the map to find a person, ce, or thing, and once found, they may ce a waypoint to track the target. Waypoints may be shared. (Needs Initialization)</li>


    <li>Radar ¨C On the map, foes show as red blips, allies as green blips, and neutral parties as white blips. (Needs Initialization)</li>


    <li>Timestamp¨C The user may see the current time in regard to their current location. This skilles with a calendar avable for use. (Needs Initialization)</li>


    <li>Storage ¨C The user may store items in a dimension that is not affected by time, temperature, or gravity. (Limit: 50lbs) (Needs Initialization)</li>


    <li>Auto-Loot ¨C The user will automatically gather and store items within [Storage.] (Limit: 30 Feet. Limit: Cores Only) (Needs Initialization)</li>


    <li>Artificer¡¯s Arsenal ¨C The user may store their crafting supplements and supplies in a realm where they do not degrade. In return, they cannot be used to cause harm or injury. This skilles with [Appraisal]. (Needs Initialization)</li>


    <li>?????????? ??</li>


    </ul>


    </li>


    </ul>


    ¡°Hermes Trismegistus... That sounds familiar. Honestly, all these abilities sound amazing. Especially if [Map] and [Radar] work like I think they will. Being able to do a search for a person or object and then marking it with a floating waypoint? It¡¯s too bad everything but [Status Cloak] requires initialization, and I don¡¯t know what that is... Didn¡¯t I see something about a Conduit? And why is it **** Skill and not Divine Skill like my other two? And why the ¡®????¡¯? Is there another skill?¡± I spoke to myself while browsing my Status Menu for any information that could have been useful, but nothing stood out. I thought about giving myself a name with [Status Cloak], but being known as Shuuta Fenton unnerved me, so I waited. Besides, I didn¡¯t have to do it now.


    <i>Plop!</i>


    Looking up, I saw red and purple fruits grow from the size of a seed to somethingrger than a grape in seconds, then observed as itnded near me. I wasn¡¯t hungry or thirsty, yet something inside told me it was safe to eat.


    Trust the voice? Don¡¯t trust the voice? Or was it instinct speaking to me? Instinct belonging to a body part that I wasn¡¯t born with. The longer I stared at the growing fruit, which clung to the tree for safety and nourishment, the more <i>I</i> wanted to eat it. The desire grew within <i>me</i>. It was <i>my</i> voice. It had to have been <i>my</i> choice, and that was why <i>I </i>grabbed the fruit when it fell.


    <i>My</i> teeth chewed, biting the skin and tasting the delectable juice hidden inside. <i>I</i> enjoyed the vor, which tasted like a mix between an apple and a watermelon.


    ¡°<i>I </i>did this. You didn¡¯t guide me to do this¡­ I¡¯m my <i>own </i>person¡­¡± I whispered, the juice dribbling down my chin and onto the sacks of fat on my chest. I ate and ate, popping the tasty snacks into my mouth as quickly as they grew back.


    After eating my fill, I kneeled down and scooped the cold, refreshing water to my new mouth. It tasted far better than the toilet water I had to drink at home and at the academy. Sweet nectar quenched my thirst, and for the first time in forever, I actually felt somewhat safe. I had no reason to believe the tree would stop producing food.


    <i>Military strategists often say brash assumptions lead to losses. Does that apply to different worlds, where even thews of physics differ?</i>


    I swallowed three more mouthfuls and turned my attention to the left-most coffin. I briskly walked towards it, reaching out to grasp the stone tablet.


    The text was unreadable at first, but then¡­


    <b><i>[Schr¡¯s Tongue] has activated! New Skill: [Orc Language]</i></b>


    It was like someone flipped a switch inside my mind. Suddenly, the words started to make sense.


    <i>Languages are considered skills? Huh¡­But there¡¯s no level after it?</i>

 Chapter Five: Chimeric Rebirth – Part Two

    Chapter Five: Chimeric Rebirth ¨C Part Two


    <i>High Elf Susize, Cowfolk By, Dark Elf Reina, Desert Foxfolk Yaekira, and I, Ashen Orc Murag... We were the five Soul Warriors who fought and defeated the Dark Lord of Tyranny. No, it¡¯s incorrect to say we aplished it alone. Truth be told, we had the help of the entire world over, who banded together to eliminate the greatest threat this world had ever known. Special thanks had to be given to all who participated, but two stood out above the rest.</i>


    <i>Amos¡ªThe brave Holy Lord who led us to victory as ourmander.</i>


    <i>The second refused to give his name, but had he not joined in the fight, it wouldn¡¯t be wrong to im the world would have met a fiery apocalypse.</i>


    <i>Even with them, and proper nning from the wisest elves, we could not kill the foul tyrant. Defeat? Yes, but not kill. Holy Lord Amos eventually discovered the Dark Lord suffered from a curse that ensured rebirth after death, which meant her reign of terror could never be truly stopped. However, he wasn¡¯t knowledgeable about her until after her name had already begun to spread. It was right around the time in which he had acquired enough Holy Mana to create Soul Crystals, but he didn¡¯t start on his journey with her defeat in mind.</i>


    <i>That wouldeter.</i>


    <i>Instead of risking his chance against the boundless, cosmic infinity of the universe via the summoning ritual, he journeyed around the world to gather exceptional men and women to be his chosen few.</i>


    <i>We were the only five who were worthy of him.</i>


    <i>As mentioned before, defeating the Dark Lord was what we did, and we did that by sealing her with blessed chains.</i>


    <i>I am writing this from the dungeon that will serve as her sealing location. The dungeon is said to be unconquerable, which makes it the perfect ce to leave the Dark Lord. The room I¡ªwe are in now is the first safe room of five, which will function as our bases of rest and rxation. Even though we are strong, we are surrounded by staggeringly difficult monsters, all of which are at the level cap. There is a silver lining. The seal we put on the entrance will prevent any more from spawning during our descent.</i>


    <i>Since I am a historian at heart, I will leave a tablet in each safe room to detail our journey towards the bottom. More than that, I do hope it will serve as a warning if this tablet is ever discovered and read.</i>


    <i>The ultimate evil will be resting at the bottom.</i>


    <i>To prevent anyone from reaching her, we have applied a special magical technique that eliminates the teleportation magic linking these safe rooms together the moment when unknown mana is sensed. The only path forward will be the long way, which is filled with peril and trouble. That is another reason to turn back and leave this ce behind.</i>


    <i>Just penning these words down brings great pain to my heart because I value the past, present, and future. I live for history, and I believe everything should be written down so those thate after us will learn from our mistakes. Even still, I must stick to my gut and reason¡­</i>


    <i>I do not want anyone to read any of this, but I will leave tablets in each safe room because that is the least I can do.</i>


    <i>I am the recorder of history that will be forgotten in theing generations.</i>


    <i>Murag.</i>


    <hr>


    When my eyes scanned the name of this tablet¡¯s author, it shattered in my hands. The shards rained down and crashed into the y coffin, which also cracked into a thousand pieces. The corpse inside slowly descended until itid against the verdant grass.


    Suddenly, an idea came to my mind as a gluttonous feeling welled up in my stomach. The taste of deliciousness danced atop my tongue.


    <b><i>Error: You are not strong enough to use [Assimtion] on Susize!</i></b>


    ¡°So, you¡¯re Susize, huh?¡± I asked, knowing the corpse couldn¡¯t reply.


    It was headless, but that wasn¡¯t the extent of the brutality I saw. It was like a monster had pierced through this body¡¯s chest, then dragged out its ws to the left, ripping out flesh and bone. The blood that had spilled out had long since been dried by time. It was like I was staring at a mangled chew toy, but that didn¡¯t exin the immacte clothing I saw. I clearly saw the wounds underneath the green,cy shirt. She also had gloves and pants covering her arms and lower body. The clothes would put even the highest quality of silk in my world to shame.


    A window appeared my vision and informed me the clothes were part of a set called the Favored Daughter¡¯s Fateful Farewell. The way the greens and yellows yfully interacted allowed even someone like me to see the creator¡¯s intended meaning. It was truly reserved for royalty. At least, that was the feeling I had gotten from it.


    I thought about stealing from the dead but abstained from doing so because there were four more coffins left. Besides, I had gotten quite used to standing in the nude, but I didn¡¯t know why. I didn¡¯t even care if someone saw me naked. It isn¡¯t as if I was going to feel embarrassed about it.


    More than that, the clothes just wouldn¡¯t fit me. Thecy shirt was small, the underwear wasn¡¯t big enough for my new ass, and the gloves, from sight alone, were too narrow in the fingers.


    But she didn¡¯t just have clothes. There was a weapon lying right beside her. It was a recurve bow made of wood, I think, but the string was wrapped or smothered in pure gold, giving it a gaudy look.


    <ul>


    <li><b><i>Hunter of the Stars (1/10)</i></b>


    <ul>


    <li><b><i>Mana Link</i></b></li>


    </ul>


    </li>


    </ul>


    That was all the information I got from focusing on it. When I tried to pick it up, it just vanished. That was fine, though. Before it left, I focused on {Mana Link} and learned that it was an enchantment to link an item to yourself. And if it was broken, you could expunge mana to forcibly recreate it. In the case of a ranged weapon, your mana magically created the projectiles it fired, so there was no need for crafting ammo. I had no idea what (1/10) meant. Maybe it could hold 10 enchantments?


    That information did little to help me, but it was nice to know a little bit more about this world.


    ¡°I¡¯m staring at a corpse, yet I don¡¯t feel anything. No fear, no worries¡­ Just¡­nothing at all. Is that a side effect of the winds of infinite void? Or maybe what I¡¯m feeling is normal, but theck of any outward burst of emotion is why I¡¯m feeling like this?¡± I just shrugged my head and adjusted the gloves I had stolen. Clothes had no way of helping the dead. I tossed what I couldn¡¯t wear on top of the corpse as if it was a hamper.


    It was just as simple as that.


    <i>That tablet answered a lot of questions.</i>


    My head definitely used to be a part of Susize¡¯s corpse. The arms had to be of Dark Elf origins, and this sturdy torso belonged to a Cowfolk. These legs once allowed Yaekira to speed across the desert.


    The penis was once owned by the Ashen Orc historian, Murag. Its unusual length and girth only made sense if it once belonged to an orc. That traitor Will once talked about the lewd stories he liked to read during lunch. One of his annoying quips was that he hated the fact that if there was an orc in the story, it would have arge cock. Again, it was one of those things where I just ignored him the best I could.


    Knowing the previous owners of my sewn-together existence helped just a tad bit, but that was all. It didn¡¯t answer the primary question I had, which was how I obtained this body. Surely the Dark Lord wasn¡¯t responsible for it. Why would she make something like this for me? Did she want me to free her? Did she turn me into a chimera to grant me a second chance?


    <i>Is she behind those words I saw? What about a dungeon? This can¡¯t be it, right? If it is, I don¡¯t have to worry about any monsters. The entrance was sealed by Amos, but where is it? He shares the same title as Meruria, so the power must beparable.</i>


    I felt the very air tremble and quiver as the very space above me became distorted and cracked in half. Slowly, a person descended, but she wasn¡¯t alone. She was crucified to a cross of pure white energy that somehow emitted no light. This woman was old and withered and naked, with thin bones, no hair, and skin so wrinkly and dry it seemed a small breeze would rip it from her body. Her eyes were closed, and she showed no signs of moving.


    Suddenly, her left leg was engulfed in me darker and darker than the deepest night. It was then I realized that she had white chains embedded into her right leg, right arm, left arm, and heart. I presumed the coffins, tablets, and chains were acting as the Dark Lord¡¯s seal. They only just showed themselves when I inadvertently broke the first one.


    At the same time, Susize¡¯s corpse glowed a soft azure. Secondster, the ethereal form of a headless woman with a gnarly chest wound separated itself from its earthly shell. With a solemn shrug of her shoulders, she walked and stood under the Dark Lord, the ck mes acting as a symbol I was doing something right.


    <i>Susize¡¯s clothes followed her into death¡¯s embrace.</i>


    ¡°Is this the beginning of my revenge?¡± I spoke to myself. After being in this body for a little while, the feminine, regal tone of my new voice started to sound normal. Even the pair of boobs started to feel like they were always been there. Was that what I truly thought? Or was it a trick being yed on me to keep me calmer than I should have been?


    Did it even matter what kind of body I had? It was just a means to an end. Why, this chimerism was starting to feel a tadfortable.


    For a few seconds, my mind went to the friends that stood up for my continued existence.


    Then I growled and threw their names from my mind because it turned out they wanted me to die so I¡¯d be free of the pain.


    Those bastards...


    <i>When [Wrath: mes of Inexhaustible Indignation] is at 0, I really can¡¯t feel any anger. I know it¡¯s there, but it¡¯s like it¡¯s invisible... It seems it won¡¯t be an influence on my decisions, which is good. I must keep a cool head.</i>

 Chapter Six: The Dark Lord’s Fate

    Chapter Six: The Dark Lord¡¯s Fate


    I walked over to the next coffin while talking to myself. ¡°Chimerism is the key. It must be. It details that I could gain power by assimting, but I need to find something I <i>can</i> assimte. Common sense tells me the others are too strong... I can try, but it most likely won¡¯t work... If it means getting revenge, I¡¯d eat anything that dares to stand in my way... Wait, what about that Divine Skill? The tooltip said I¡¯d get stronger the more I turn the dial, but how strong would I get?¡± I cranked it up to five, but nothing noticeable happened. Perhaps it worked in increments of ten? Unlikely¡­ Meruria¡¯s name passed through my thoughts, and I instantly felt some mild anger when it was at nine.


    <i>I¡¯ll have to test it outter.</i> <em>Right now,</em> <i>I need to look at the tablet.</i>


    <hr>


    <i>In this tablet, I will detail the history, or rather the most widely epted history, of the Dark Lord we have captured. As much as I hate wasting words on her life, I couldn¡¯t live with myself if I purposely ignored the chance to leave written proof of her existence.</i>


    <i>Her story must be told. That is simply the truth of the matter.</i>


    <i>The Dark Lord of Tyranny was born to an adventurer and his wife, who were very well off. Her father was an aplished and noteworthy warrior who had reached the third highest rank with the guild. Her mother was the daughter of a rather famous family that has since been struck from history. I do wish I knew the name so I could mark it down, but s... I do not...</i>


    <i>As with any innocent child, her birth was supposed to be one of celebration... A grand asion to wee a new life to this wonderful world we live in... That was how it was meant to go, but everything changed when she was pushed out of her mother¡¯s womb.</i>


    <i>For you see, the Dark Lord was born with silver hair, red fur warming her arms, and blue fur covering her legs. ording to ancient legends, the greatest threat the world had ever seen was thought to have had those exact features, and it was written that her reincarnation would bring the world to ruin. Her mother and father panicked, shaving the newborn. They did their best to put that awful prophecy behind them by pretending their daughter suffered from a disease that caused hairlessness. Such stress tore the family apart, causing unfaithfulness to rear its ugly head.</i>


    <i>For five years, the family held together, but even the patience of a loving father will eventually run out. He soon foundfort in the arms of the maid attending to them and their mansion. She gave him so much affection that he thought it only fair to bless her with a rich belly that housed a pair of twins. Pregnancy was something that couldn¡¯t be hidden, and his wife soon found out about his infidelity.</i>


    <i>Perhaps that was what it took for the mother to snap... The stress umting of giving birth to a rumored harbinger of death and chaos, the inability to keep that shame hidden forever, theck ofpanionship and help from the one who had sworn to always be there for her... Knowing that he had taken it upon himself to follow through with a second chance at starting a family pushed her over the edge into insanity.</i>


    <i>One night, during dinner, the drinking sses were poisoned. The Dark Lord¡¯s mother and father, along with the maid and her unborn children, died from poison. Rumor had it the Dark Lord was behind it, but I believe the mother was the one who wanted to take everyone with her. As for leaving the Dark Lord behind? Perhaps the mother was just afraid of her... She feared the child would follow them in death, wreaking havoc upon the afterlife as such was her predetermined destiny in the world of the living.</i>


    <i>On that note, I have problems with the validity of that legend I spoke about above. It seems to have beenmon knowledge, but my attempts to discover its source ended in failure. I am almost of the mind to dere it an outright lie since I cannot find any historical reference to it. Then again, this dungeon will be the Dark Lord¡¯s resting ce. It¡¯s just a matter of time before her legend fades to memory. After that, I expect it to be gone from history. After a few hundred years, perhaps those unlucky Lionfolk born resembling her will no longer be persecuted.</i>


    <i>From here, the details be as blurry as smoked ss... I have it on good authority to say that after the Dark Lord ran away from her house, she was captured by a ver. After years of living in misery, she attempted to escape with a friend, but after tripping in the mud, the Dark Lord was left behind to be recaptured. That perceived betrayal lit a dark fire within her heart.</i>


    <em><span ss="TextRun SCXW170784720 BCX0"ng="en-us" xmlng="en-us"><span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW170784720 BCX0">Once sheter escaped by herself, she formed her own bandit troupe and started attacking anyone who had the misfortune to encounter her or pass through thends she¡¯d imed. Such an umtion of power and a thirst for death eventually led to her ascension as the Dark Lord of Tyranny. Her reward was the abominable Divine Skill called [Tyranny <span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW170784720 BCX0">Control]--<span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW170784720 BCX0"> the strongest envement skill in the world, which befitted her tyrannical nature, and a weapon. <span ss="EOP SCXW170784720 BCX0"></em>


    <i>Her mace... That was the most terrible thing she was cursed with... Even now, I shudder when thinking about its power... I am happy to say that the infernal weapon is in Lord Amos¡¯s hands. He stored it in a ce known only to him, and he stated that he would investigate sealing its unholy power once we were done here.</i>


    <i>If the agent we sent in hadn¡¯t swindled it away from the Dark Lord of Tyranny, I wouldn¡¯t be here right now, etching this into stone to guarantee this reminder wouldst until the end of the world.</i>


    <i>That agent was the person who left the Dark Lord alone all those many years ago during her first escape attempt. But being betrayed again by the closest thing she had to a friend, right after she¡¯d forgiven him and he¡¯d dered his love for her? Her screams... The Dark Lord curses of revenge... I will never forget them for as long as I live. Sometimes, I wonder if we were right to do this, but just the thought of how her reign of terror and destruction would bring devastation to the world... We must have been right. It was the only way we could have stopped her.</i>


    <i>As such, that is the story of the Dark Lord of Tyranny. From the beginning, she was destined to live a life of neglect, abuse, and envement, while being spearheaded into bing the world¡¯s enemy. Was tragic? Perhaps. Could one argue that she was nothing but a victim? Of course.</i>


    <i>But at the end of the day, if she wasn¡¯t stopped, there just wouldn¡¯t have been a world anymore.</i>


    <i>Murag.</i>


    <hr>


    ¡°So, you¡¯re the Cowfolk... Yeah, the skin tone of my tits matches your face,¡± I said when the tablet and coffin shattered.


    I suppose I was looking at what was left of a woman that would probably be considered pretty. Her hair was long, a mix between red and pink. A pair of small horns poked out from underneath, meaning she was a beastfolk.


    I snatched up the crumpled, mostly empty leather dress partially covering the body. After focusing, I was told it belonged to the Favored Daughter¡¯s Fateful Farewell set¡ªthe same collection as Susize¡¯s clothes.


    Same collection? Yes, but that didn¡¯t mean it matched. When I thought of cows, leather came to my mind. This red and ck leather-covered dress was reinforced with golden thread in just the right areas to highlight its strengths. It was an extreme disy of an artisan''s care for his craft. Or it was something like that.


    I wasn¡¯t going to wear it, so I tossed it to the ground and examined the corpse.


    She didn¡¯t have a torso, except for her hairless crotch, so it was like looking at a doll missing the central piece. My hands ran up and down her arms, feeling just how smooth and soft her gloves were. If I had her torso and ass, then why did I have a penis? Why take everything and leave the crotch? Or why give me the crotch of a man in the first ce?


    <i>Do those questions matter? I¡¯m here, aren¡¯t I?</i>


    <b><i>Error: You are not strong enough to use [Assimtion] on By!</i></b>


    Yeah, I figured that would happen. That was 2 of 5 of being too strong. Chances were high that the pattern continued. She was buried with leather sandals, but I chose to ignore them.


    Like Susize, By had something extra buried with her. A sword and shield, to be exact.


    <ul>


    <li><b><i>Castle¡¯s Monument (1/10)</i></b>


    <ul>


    <li><b><i>Mana Link</i></b></li>


    </ul>


    </li>


    </ul>


    <ul>


    <li><b><i>Protector¡¯s Bane (1/10)</i></b>


    <ul>


    <li><b><i>Mana Link</i></b></li>


    </ul>


    </li>


    </ul>


    The shield reminded me of a pair of sturdy walls that surrounded the castles of the Middle Ages. Silver and polished to a sheen, it seemed unbreakable. And heavy, too, since it was nearly five feet long and at least a foot and a half wide. Likewise, the sparkly silver de nearby was something like a great sword. Presumably, By wielded both at the same time.


    Like with Susize¡¯s bow, the sword and shield vanished. Then By¡¯s ethereal form as it came from her body and walked to where Susize stood.


    Suddenly, the Dark Lord¡¯s right leg was swallowed by the same mes scorching her left one after burning the holy chain to ash. I stared up at her for a few seconds before realizing that she didn¡¯t have red fur on her arms. ording to the document, that was one of the reasons why she was persecuted. Was this crucified, naked woman, with half of her body engulfed in ck fire, the Dark Lord?


    <i>She has to be.</i>


    I thought about what I had read on that second tablet. If it was a warning against freeing her, I wasn¡¯t really feeling it.


    The single key to her defeat was the betrayal of who I assume was her closest ally. What made it worse, though, was the fact that it seemed like the Dark Lord forgave this traitor after being betrayed by them the first time. In history, many, many battles and wars were won thanks to a few people, or even a single person, switching sides at a pivotal moment.


    From the beginning, it seemed like the world was railroading her into being a self-fulfilling prophecy. Her parents were shit, the people around her nurtured a negative, horrible environment, and it shouldn''t have been a surprise that she turned out the way she did. And that shit about being preordained for world ruination? If the world was going to abandon someone for that, then maybe it did deserve to be destroyed. I certainly wouldn¡¯t me the Dark Lord for going that route.


    I walked over to the third tablet and began to scan it. It was...nothing important. Or really relevant. Or maybe it was, now that I thought about it. While it didn¡¯t reveal any information about the Dark Lord, it was a detailed summary of how Amos picked his five warriors.


    Susize was personally sought after by Amos when it was time to pick his Soul Warriors since he did not want to leave it to cosmic chance. She was the High Elf Princess of the Forest of Vredi, a highly respectable forest thatter burned to the ground after a war between a Holy Lord and Dark Lord that didn¡¯t involve the Dark Lord of Tyranny. She was blessed with [Eyes of the Huntress]. Her swordy and archery were second to none, and she fancied herself as a scientist because she had a goal of producing a seed that took mana and used that to satisfy its need for water and sunlight. She never did seed, but she came awfully close because her final attempts produced a seed that needed a tiny drop of water to activate the process.


    I wondered if this paradise came from it?


    By was a queen. Her country was attacked, her family was ughtered and burned to death, and Amos and Susize arrived in time to save her. She was the only survivor, and after enduring a body that was over 70% scorched, Amos saw fit to bless her with a Soul Crystal.


    Reina was the third, and she was initially tasked by the Dark Lord Myrrah to nt evidence that suggested Amos was nning her assassination attempt. That failed when Susize took Reina in a fight Murag described as a ¡®lioness ying with a kitten.¡¯ When the truth was revealed, Reina became infatuated with revenge and plotted Myrrah¡¯s death after Amos gave her a Soul Crystal. She was already powerful enough to instantly receive her Soul Weapon, which was a firearm.


    She shouldered the gun and took aim. With Myrrah being weakened by the ¡®bindings¡¯ of the Head Judge, Murag noted the assassination would have been easy, yet Reina chose not to do it because Myrrah was facing justice. Murag also wrote that Amos gave her an approving smile that warmed her heart well.


    Murag was the fourth, and he was just an Ashen Orc that preferred history and books to weapons and blood. He also wrote that his oundish sex drive was conquered with the help of his four female allies, but that detail wasn¡¯t necessary. I didn¡¯t know why he wanted to mark that down for future generations to read.


    Yaekira, the Desert Fox Folk, was a fan girl of Amos. She left her desert home and searched far and wide. Once she found him, she pestered him night and day, never giving up even after being refused thirty times before Amos somehow saw something within her. Murag grudgingly epted his Lord¡¯s decision, but his attitude changed when he, once again, wrote about how he suffered from hypothermia and only survived because Yaekira warmed him with her body.


    I scoffed at how he ended this tablet.


    <i>Susize, By, Reina, Yaekira... I love you four very much...</i>


    But then it hit me.


    If Ashen Orc was the final¡ªor a final¡ªevolution of an orc, what about High Elf and Dark Elf? They were obviously different than a regr elf. And Desert Foxfolk? Why not just Foxfolk? If Foxfolk was the first form, then was it possible to further specialize into a particr niche? By, though. She had nothing before her race name, so I can assume that Cowfolk was a race that either couldn¡¯t evolve or had a hard time evolving.


    The coffin shattered.


    <b><i>Error: You are not strong enough to use [Assimtion] on Reina!</i></b>


    Reaching out, I brushed my fingers through her ck hair, caressed her pointy ears, then poked her lips for just a second. This woman was supposed to be dead, so why was her dark skin so warm? Why did it feel like she was alive?


    I scanned the ck gloves resting against her chest and picked them up for a few seconds. Like before, it was part of a collection called the Favored Daughter¡¯s Fateful Farewell. I had never touched spider thread before, but that was what I imagined these gloves were made from. When I slid them on, they fit just right, which just made sense since I had her arms. If Reina¡¯s armless corpse had hers, then it would look like she was just in a deep sleep.


    I thought about taking her ck tunic for myself, but By¡¯s breasts were just too big. The pants were too small, too. They were simr in color to the gloves, but they had red and gold ents. I checked to see if her underwear was going to be of any use, and it wasn¡¯t.


    <i>And the sandals don¡¯t fit...</i>


    <ul>


    <li><b><i>Scorpion¡¯s Bite (1/10)</i></b>


    <ul>


    <li><b><i>Mana Link</i></b></li>


    </ul>


    </li>


    </ul>


    Okay, Reina¡¯s Soul Weapon was a gun, but the pistol buried with her could not have existed here. I mean, it looked like a perfect recreation of a Beretta 92FS. The barrel, slide, and trigger were polished to an unhealthy degree, yet the original grip must¡¯ve been reced by crimson cherry wood. The two colors meshed very well, and I was slightly sad to see it vanish like the other weapons with {Mana Link}.


    As Reina¡¯s spirit joined her allies, the chain piercing the Dark Lord¡¯s left arm turned into ash as ck fire swallowed her left arm whole. That was three out of five, but there wasn¡¯t any sign of life on her. Her eyes were still closed. Still, the facial expressions of two of the three spirits were of foreboding dread. They couldn¡¯t speak, but they did stare at me a time or two, but I just ignored them.


    <hr>


    The fourth tablet was all about the dungeon¡ªor theck of one, I guess. It spoke of a narrow ledge you had to travel for hundreds of miles, fighting off winged menaces armed with spells of every magical element. Then there was a maze cursed with the Spell of Completion, where all paths had to be exhausted. Then more fighting monsters called Elder Liches and Skeletal Wyverns that used Elemental Dispersion, and that was on top of sliding down a rail suspended by magic.


    He wrote about a giant monster that birthed hundreds of thousands of other monster. It was so tall that even Susize¡¯s incredible eyesight couldn¡¯t see the top of it.


    Then I found something important.


    Amos confessed that the seal used on the inside of the dungeon was to be powered with his Soul Warriors¡¯ lives. And they knew that. They came into this supposed hellhole without any intention of leaving it.


    Amos was responsible for leaving these bodies here to act as a seal. All the ones I came across were in perfect shape, other than the parts that had been stolen, but the same wasn¡¯t true of Susize''s corpse. She hadrge a gash across her chest. I think I could safely assume that it didn¡¯te from Amos.


    ¡°Thanks for answering most of my unanswered questions...¡± I whispered as the coffin and tablet shattered.


    <b><i>Error: You are not strong enough to use [Assimtion] on Murag!</i></b>


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re pretty much all muscle... And taller than me... I don¡¯t know why I didn¡¯t make the connection sooner, but Ashen Orcs¡¯ bodies are really the color of ash,¡± I said when looking over his body.


    A dark gray-colored ash, to be exact. A pair of teeth-colored tusks extended from the corner of his mouth, which was formed into a smile. Unlike his other allies, who were buried in exotic-looking clothes that probably suited their beauty, not that I could appreciate any, Murag wore generic brown clothes that reminded me of what monks from the Middle Ages would wear when studying.


    They were part of the Favored Son¡¯s Fateful Farewell set. A counterpart from the Favored Daughter¡¯s Fateful Farewell, I was sure. Slowly, I slipped on Murag¡¯s short-sleeved brown shirt. It was oversized and came down to my knees, but it felt pretty damnfortable. Like the other clothes, it was of exceptional quality. Was it made out of cloth? I rubbed it between my fingers and couldn¡¯t quite ce the material. Focusing on it only revealed the name of the set.


    His toned, defined muscles were clearly visible from his neck down to his incredibly refined abs. Even in death, he looked powerful and regal. Since his crotch was now mine, his underwear was caved in and empty under his brown pants. Was it nasty to wear someone else¡¯s undergarments? Yes, it was. But I didn¡¯t care about that. In a sh, I slid them up my legs and properly adjusted my cock, making sure it was secured in ce. That was difficult since I never had this problem in my old body. Eventually, I settled on something that feltfortable. ¡°Finally, it¡¯ll stop flopping around. You just don¡¯t know how annoying that is to have something sorge smack you in the thigh.¡± Here I was,ining to a dead body. ¡°But what do I know...? This did belong to you¡­¡±


    There were pants, but Murag¡¯s legs were thick and powerful. His clothes needed to amodate hisrge body, which meant they wouldn¡¯t have fit me. If I had a belt, then maybe, but there wasn¡¯t one around. I managed to get lucky with his underwear.


    <ul>


    <li><b><i>Ferocious Pride (1/10)</i></b>


    <ul>


    <li><b><i>Mana Link</i></b> </li>


    </ul>


    </li>


    </ul>


    A warhammer? It was quiterge and rugged, with jewels going down the golden handle while a pair of ruby spikes poked out from both sides of the head. It looked to be very well made and expensive, and I wondered who created it. It could have been Amos, but nothing in the tablets indicated he was a master craftsman. Right when the weapon vanished, Murag¡¯s spirit rose from his corpse and joined the other four. I tried to wave at them, but they weren¡¯t looking my way because they all stared up at the crucified Dark Lord. I wasn¡¯t sure how Susize could stare with no head, but that was beside the point.


    Right on cue, ck fire swallowed the Dark Lord¡¯s right arm in the darkest me. And there was still no movement at all. I had just the one seal left¡ªthe chain piercing right through her heart¡ªand things were probably going to get interesting.


    <hr>


    <i>I regret that I even have to etch these words into stone, yet I have to leave word of Princess Susize Vredi¡¯s passing. As for how it happened? The Dark Lord must¡¯ve been slowly amassing power during our descent down. Susize was just walking by when she broke free from the crystal we had temporarily encased her in, shing my closestpanion across the chest and killing her instantly. It was a final attempt to break free from her punishment.</i>


    <i>I descended into the furious rage my brethren are known and feared for. It was a blissful experience when wrath overtook me. It took Lord Amos and the three others to restrain me. Truthfully, I still remember it... I heard the Dark Lord¡¯s awful cackling, and I wanted to wring her neck. Even if it meant this journey would have been for naught, I just wanted to rip open her chest and devour her beating heart... Even now, my orcish blood and intrinsic desire to rampage are making it hard to concentrate.</i>


    <i>But Susize¡¯s death... Her passing means that the seal Lord Amos had nned won¡¯t be perfect. It¡¯s better than killing her¡ªthat''s for sure, but instead of being a permanent solution to her abominable existence, it¡¯ll be like a bandage. Holy Lord Amos said we would have peace for 800 years longer than if we would have killed her, so I suppose 1,000 years isn¡¯t anything to scoff at...</i>


    <i>Susize... You were loved by all, and I will miss you very much. Ourte-night talks thatsted well into the early morning hours were a highlight of my life. Even when I was depressed, I could count on your cheery face to greet me with a fascinating smile... I wish I could hold you in my arms onest time, feeling your kiss upon my lips¡­</i>


    <i>For your sake, I will make sure the rest of the n goes off without a hitch. I swear it.</i>


    <i>Murag.</i>


    <hr>


    <b><i>Error: You are not strong enough to use [Assimtion] on Yaekira!</i></b>


    That exined it, right? Susize died before the final seal was used, which exins the wound on her chest. A thousand years, though? A millennium for Murag and the Dark Lord, but how much time had passed since I was summoned?


    Yaekira was buried in something simr to what might have been found in ancient Egypt of my world. Her bronze skin was kissed and touched by the harsh sun of the desert. The top she had on was made of yellow and white silk that danced up her arms from a ring on her middle finger. Or that was what the silk was sewn into. The overall designplemented her toned stomach, yfully ncing against her breasts as if to draw purposeful attention to them.


    There was a jackal-like headpiece on her head, which covered her medium-length ck hair. And since I had her legs, her skirt was just lying there. I picked it up, dusted it off, and wore it. It was made out of purple silk, yet sshes of yellow and white formed a decorative border around the waistline. I swirled around in a circle, watching and smiling as the skirt began to re up. I did debate on stripping Yaekira¡¯s shirt off and putting it on, but By¡¯s tits were just so much bigger than hers that anything less than oversized wouldn¡¯t cut. Besides, I already had Murag¡¯s shirt.


    <ul>


    <li><b><i>Kitsune¡¯s Kiss (1/10)</i></b>


    <ul>


    <li><b><i>Mana Link</i></b></li>


    </ul>


    </li>


    </ul>


    Though only one name appeared when I focused on the pair of daggers, it looked as if the two were considered a single item. That made sense because it seemed they linked together by the pommel to create a weapon with two des. The shing dark brown and bright silver did not match, and why did one have a sapphire in its hilt while the other held a yellow jewel?


    ¡°The seal should be broken,¡± I said, watching as Yaekira¡¯s spirit left her body to join the others. A moment before this happened, the weapon vanished, making me wonder if the weapons were somehow linked to the seal.


    As if it was right on cue, the chain piercing the Dark Lord¡¯s chest was burned, and the ck fire scorching her four limbs joined together on her heart, and it spread to her entire body.


    And then her arms and legs began to move.


    I had done it. ording to the tablets, I had just freed the greatest threat this world had ever known. A malicious grin appeared on my face, and I approached the five spirits, who helplessly stared.

 Chapter Seven: The Dark Lord of Tyranny’s Reincarnation

    Chapter Seven: The Dark Lord of Tyranny¡¯s Reincarnation


    ¡°Susize. By. Reina. Murag. Yaekira.¡± I spoke the names of the five ghostly phantoms fearfully staring at the Dark Lord¡¯s scorched state of being. It was slightly, but I saw a little bit of movement within those deep, dark mes engulfing her being. Murag started to speak, but his words were unknown for a few seconds until I learned thenguage.


    <b><i>New Skill: [Arezzian Language]</i></b>


    <i>Arezzian? That¡¯s an odd name.</i>


    ¡°This room... It was where that abominable monster killed Susize. The seeds she carried were doused by her blood. Over time this deste, dark, despicable ce was transformed into the utopia you see before you,¡± whispered Murag.


    I understood him perfectly. Internally, I marveled at how powerful [Schr¡¯s Tongue] could be in the right situation.


    He huffed, meeting my eyes while shaking his head. ¡°Did you intend on this being your grave? You¡¯ve read the tablets, so why did you continue to go through with breaking the seals that required our very lives?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve read them, so what? I need the power the Dark Lord holds if I¡¯m to aplish my goals.¡±


    ¡°But why?!¡± Yaekira whined. Her brown ears wiggled while her tail snapped in fury. Her eyes darted down to my legs. The disgust on her face was inly visible. She crossed her arms over her exposed stomach, hiding it from my gaze even though I wasn¡¯t staring at it.


    ¡°You should know how dangerous the Dark Lord of Tyranny can be! She forced mothers to kill sons, fathers to suffocate daughters, and brothers to butcher sisters. She destroyed their bodies and spirits, then tightened her grip around their souls to feed them into the awful machine called war!!¡± shouted Reina. ¡°She almost destroyed the world!¡±


    Disgusting gurgling came from Susize¡¯s neck stump. Was it possible they forced her into the ritual seal after her death?


    ¡°Does it look like I care? Hey, just how long does it take? She¡¯s been burning for a few minutes. Besides, there¡¯s nothing you can say to me that¡¯ll make me regret my actions.¡±


    ¡°WHY?!?!?! Don¡¯t you know that freeing the Dark Lord would mean everything we had worked for¡ªall of the years of nning, hoping, praying, and training¡ªyou''re really just going to throw our hard work away?! And for you to do that while being a disgusting chimera? No... Just no!!!¡± Yaekira ranted, throwing a tantrum. My nonchnt tone irritated her.


    ¡°Again... I don¡¯t really care. If it pisses you off even more, I¡¯ll dly do it while looking like this. The five Soul Warriors of Lord Amos... Those who gave their lives to keep the Dark Lord sealed away... How ironic that the one to free her will do it while looking like you. Haha! It¡¯s almost like it was fate, right?¡± My chuckles andughs seemed to set them off, but I didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°YOU DON¡¯T UNDERSTAND!!!!! YOU¡¯VE DOOMED THE WORLD!!!! Everyone will die... They¡¯ll all die... And you¡¯ll be responsible... It¡¯ll be as if you went around and personally slit the throats of every innocent child. The five of us left behind loved ones! What about our descendants? They¡¯re innocent! They don¡¯t deserve to have that innocence tainted by the ravages of war!! Everyone deserves to live in peace, right? What about your loved ones? You have family, right? And friends? What would they think about this? Listen to their voices that reside in your heart? You can still stop this! You can still reverse your mistake!!!!¡± Reina was trying to appeal to a sense of righteousness or filial piety that she assumed I had, but her fierce re gave away how empty her titudes were.


    ¡°Are you trying to guilt trip me by appealing to my affection for my loved ones? Hahaha!! You have no idea how hriously misced that ridiculous bullshit sounds to me. If I listened to my ¡®family¡¯ I¡¯d havemitted suicide years ago. They never stopped telling me how worthless I was and egging me on to just off myself and do them and the world a favor.


    ¡°Do you know how many times my parents tried abandoning me? Do you know how many times they actually seeded in doing so? How it took weeks to get back home, and my reward was my so-called father¡¯s fist to my face the second the police officers were out of sight? How many times has my ¡®mother¡¯ forced me to drink water from the toilet because she said the faucet water was too good for me? How my ¡®sister¡¯ took great joy in stealing what little I managed to collect and keep from my parents? How many times have I literally had to scrounge for scraps in the garbage because my ¡®family¡¯ refused to actually give me any food? Or how about the ¡®family bonding sessions,¡¯ where they got together and beat me for being a failure in a meritocracy that demands excellence because one of them was stressed? Or how about how it was a mercy when they finally decided to just ignore my existence and pretend I wasn¡¯t around, since at least then they weren¡¯t actively making my life a living hell? They <i>broke</i> me.


    ¡°There isn¡¯t anyone out there who would miss me if I died, and arge number who would actively cheer for it. In fact, I¡¯ve already died once. That bitch Meruria tossed me into the void, so death is something I¡¯m already well acquainted with.


    ¡°Basically, I have nothing to lose. Either I free this Dark Lord and she kills me, freeing me from this miserable existence and she¡¯ll go on to destroy the world, or she joins me and we work together to destroy Cridia. I don¡¯t give a fuck about your descendants. If they try to stop me, I¡¯ll send them your way with a hole in their stomach, but they aren¡¯t worth ughtering if they stay out of it.¡±


    Suddenly, the magical energy the Dark Lord was crucified on was instantly swallowed by mes of the darkest night.


    And then it exploded, sending cascades of tiny fragments of white and ck down to the ground, where they sizzled instantly in the soft green grass, but that wasn¡¯t all.


    There was a woman¡ªa youthful woman around the age of 25-30, that slowly descended amongst the falling debris. Her skin was light gray. Her hair, which came to her shoulder des, lion-like tail, and lion-like ears were the same obsidian ck as those powerful mes that seemingly threatened all of reality. The fur on her forearms and lower legs shared the same color as her hair. She turned towards me, staring with those deep silver eyes as her feet finally touched the warm grass.


    The tablets detailed a Lionfolk with blue and red fur, but that wasn¡¯t what I saw.


    My eyes briefly scanned up and down, realizing the Dark Lord waspletely naked. Her breasts were full and rich, yet smaller than mine. My nipples were pink, yet hers was a gentle light gray, matching her skin. And while I didn¡¯t intend to stare at her crotch, I did notice she was nearly hairless. Her stomach was slim and toned, but not overly muscled like Yaekira or Murag.


    The Dark Lord of Tyranny turned back towards the five spirits and scoffed, then walked and knelt down on one leg in front of me, cing her arm across her chest as if she was a noble knight and I was her queen. Her piercing silver eyes never did look away.


    ¡°My savior,¡± she spoke with a distinctively feminine voice, yet it was a tad deeper than I thought and contained remnants of great power. ¡°I used thest of my strength to summon your soul from the void after sensing your incredible fury, but I did not transform you into a chimera. That is beyond my ken. However, I exploited the w in the seal after I killed Susize to make you a body from the cowering warriors you see behind me. Amos¡¯s Holy Mana flows through your body, and that allowed you to break the seals. If you¡¯ll permit me, my savior, I will follow you on your path of revenge.¡±


    <i>She¡¯s speaking Arezzian.</i>


    ¡°How will we leave? I don¡¯t see any sort of exit,¡± I replied. The Dark Lord stood and pointed behind her.


    ¡°This is not the dungeon¡¯s original form. The very nature of one is to be ever-changing. I do not know when it happened, but the safe rooms detailed in the tablets closed around my seal to create a loop with no entrance. If you wish to leave, you must conquer it.¡±


    ¡°How do I do that?¡± I figured I knew the answer. If freeing her wasn¡¯t the way, then I probably had to kill those spirits. Each one, barring the headless High Elf, had removed those fearful expressions and reced them with one that was ready for battle.


    ¡°The dungeon morphed to keep anyone from reaching me, and it has two goals. One is my freedom, which you have expertly aplished. The other is to exorcise their spirits. The teleportation circle will appear after that.¡±


    ¡°DON¡¯T LISTEN TO HER LIES!!!¡± screamed Murag as the Dark Lord turned around and stood in front of me. Her tail was sharplyshing from left to right, yet I knew she was smiling. I walked forward to stand beside her, which I didn¡¯t think she expected.


    ¡°Look, I have my revenge I need to get to. The only way I can do that is by leaving.¡± Murag scowled and lowered his head, his teeth-colored tusks aimed at me. It seemed he was about to charge at me like a raging bull. Before he could, the headless High Elf specter ran between us and held out her arms. Energy gathered around her neck, and I was soon staring at the original owner of my new head. There was great strain on her face, though, so whatever she just did took a lot out of her.


    ¡°No...¡± she said in a voice that matched my own. ¡°I won¡¯t allow you to ruin everything we worked for! On my status as the Princess of Vredi, the first chosen Soul Warrior of Holy Lord Amos, I will stop you here!!!¡±


    All at once, the five gathered mana in their hands, and the weapons they were buried with appeared for them to grasp.


    ¡°These may not be our Soul Weapons, but our ceremonial weapons are just as powerful!¡± Susize shouted.


    ¡°Hahahahaha!!!!!!¡± The Dark Lord broke intoughter. ¡°Really, you think those toys can save you? My savior, {Mana Link} is an enchantment that links your mana to an object, allowing you to recall it from anywhere. You are created from their bodies. Concentrate and focus, Master. im those weapons as your own.¡±


    I nodded and held out a hand. Focusing hard, I thought about the gun Reina had pointed at us. In my mind, I ran an invisible hand over the sleek, silver barrel, rubbed the cherry wood grips, and cocked it back, loading a 9mm round inside the chamber.


    Something clicked, and my empty hand wasn¡¯t so empty.


    ¡°WHAT?! What did you do?!¡± Even if I had never touched a gun before, Scorpion¡¯s Bite felt so familiar andforting, and I wondered if it was Reina¡¯s instincts flowing through my arms. I grinned and looked it over while the Dark Lord congratted me. Then I went a step farther and summoned the remaining weapons over to my side, grasping each one while storing them away in my mana, which came naturally to me.


    The Dark Lord observed the weaponless warriors and cracked her knuckles. Murag ran in front of Susize and held up his hands. While being wary of us, they hastily spoke strategy, but the Dark Lord justughed once more. ¡°My savior, give themand, and I will rupture these foolish souls from the cycle of reincarnation. Only mana belonging to Amos or those that created the seal can wipe them from this reality. I trust you know what to do.¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± I said, summoning Murag¡¯s warhammer. It was too heavy for me tofortably wield with two hands, but the Dark Lord had no trouble hefting it over her shoulder. She walked forward, eximing that it was finally time to get her revenge. In a sh, she darted forward with surprising speed and brought the gratuitous heavy weapon down onto Murag. He held up both hands to block it, but the ruby red spikes pierced through his forearms, and he bled out crimson blood.


    Susize appeared from behind and tried to tackle the Dark Lord, yet the High Elf just phased through and fell to her stomach.


    ¡°You don¡¯t realize it, do you? My savior has broken the seal keeping your astral spirits tied to this world. If you want proof, look at the blood dripping down. When you die, you won¡¯t even enter the cycle of reincarnation!¡± shouted the Dark Lord. She yanked her weapon back, slicing open Murag¡¯s arms while spinning and mming the warhammer onto Susize¡¯s back. The princess yelped and cried, but By¡¯s, Reina¡¯s, and Yaekira¡¯s feeble punches and strikes were totally useless.


    I stood back and watched as the Dark Lord enacted her final revenge. Her movements were brutal and without care, and I was amazed by her raw power and intensity. She threw her warhammer at By and knocked her to the ground. With ck mes wrapped around her feet, she stomped forward and maliciously grinned at her prey. She lifted the warhammer and brought it down upon By¡¯s stomach, pulling away to allow her ghastly intestines to flow out on top of a river of blood. She cried out in a primal voice filled with so much pain. Her hands desperately tried to push her ghostly innards back inside her body, but it was to no avail.


    The Dark Lord began to strike Reina and Yaekira, who continued their fruitless endeavors with war cries. It didn¡¯t matter how many times they tried to punch the Dark Lord because nothing would ever happen. Perhaps the Dark Lord sensed that because she went for their knees, breaking them with a single powerful m of her warhammer. Then, one by one, she brought the wounded, weakened, battered spirits over to me and forced them to kneel.


    Susize red at me with those big eyes. Water was already leaking down the sides as she begged me. ¡°Please, don¡¯t do this. You can¡¯t do this! You can¡¯t let her leave this ce!¡± The Dark Lord, who was covered in blood from the brawl, walked and stood by me.


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m going to do. We¡¯re going to leave here, and I¡¯m going to kill Meruria and her shitty warriors. I won¡¯t stop until I have her head on a fucking pike.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it! Chimera, you are recently born, so you¡¯re weak and cannot assimte our corpses. And by the time you do have enough strength to do so, we will have dposed and returned as one to the great Mother Nature!¡± Reina eximed, finding her voice after being trounced.


    Remaining silent, I ignored her.


    ¡°Agree to the following geas. You will do your natural duties and reseal the Dark Lord, and you will only kill Meruria and her Soul Warriors. Pledge your soul, and we will grant you the rest of our mana. We¡¯ll willingly pass into the afterlife, content to note back into the world of the living for the rest of eternity. That is how serious we are in preventing her from breaking free. Please, it is for the best! With our powerbined, even Lord Amos will be unable to defeat you.¡±


    ¡°Wait, so let me get this right. You¡¯ll allow me to get my revenge, with your power, mind you, and you¡¯re willing to justpletely die for the rest of eternity, so the Dark Lord doesn¡¯t escape?¡± All five nodded, then begged me that it was the correct choice.


    So, I thought it over for a few seconds.


    ¡°You know what? I¡¯m starting to feel like I won¡¯t stop at Meruria. Maybe this world needs to go. Maybe it needs to burn to a crisp and cease to exist. So yeah, you just convinced me. Fuck the world and all that¡¯s in it.¡± I summoned Reina¡¯s gun, pressed it to her head after cocking it, and pulled the trigger.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    I killed a humanoid in cold blood. I could argue that the goblin was also a humanoid, but it wasn¡¯t capable of propermunication.


    I used to think the weight of the trigger would be extremely heavy, but it was as light as a feather. Did a life weight that much? Why did it take so little effort topletely kill someone?


    I didn¡¯t feel anything of it as her spirit slumped against the bloody ground.


    ¡°NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU¡¯RE GOING TO FUCKING DIE!!!!!!!!!!¡± Murag screamed. He raged against his broken legs, doing his best to even try to inch towards me, but I just adjusted my aim. I intended to kill him, but By was the next to go. The back of her head exploded, and ghostly brain matter and thick crimson sshed the emerald grass around this slice of paradise.


    Yaekira¡¯s crying was then silenced, and by then, I was feeling weak and lethargic. It seemed that only three bullets were enough to drain my mana by 60%, but the Dark Lord stabilized me by grabbing my shoulders. I hated being touched, but it was different this time... I turned my aim to Susize, who started to pray to Amos for safety and protection. Murag was desperately crawling towards me, even managing to reach my leg, yet even though I had his mana running through me, his semi-astral body was on the bare cusp of disappearing.


    There was literally nothing he could do to stop me from pulling the trigger, sending a bullet straight down through Susize¡¯s head until itnded safely in her chest. Her prayer was silenced with a loud gunshot. Her lifeless spiritual body fell to the ground with a harsh thud, and there was just one more left.


    I felt even weaker than before with only 1/5th of my mana remaining. My breath became audible and hastened as sweat doused my brow. If the bar was filling it, it was as fast as a snail walked.


    The two Murags I saw within my hazy vision must¡¯ve felt a whirlwind of emotions. ¡°Please... Don¡¯t do this... Do not let her out... She cannot be free to roam around the world because it¡¯s in her very nature to bring devastation... Susize, Reina, By, Yaekira, and I sacrificed so much... Please, find it in your heart¡ª¡±


    His final pathetic wishes would go ignored as the sound of gunfire cut him off, erasing him from this world. His spirit dematerialized at the same time as the others, transforming into energy that simply vanished away. The blood covering the Dark Lord and the grass disappeared as well, removing any traces that they were even here.


    Well, their corpses remained. I guess they were telling the truth that their bodies would eventually decay into nothingness.


    ¡°Shit...¡± I said, stumbling forward as the pistol fell from my hand. The Dark Lord appeared in front of me, catching my body and wrapping her hands around my back as she gently brought me to the ground.


    <i>The fur on her arms¡­ It¡¯s so soft¡­and warm¡­</i>


    ¡°{Mana Link} is powerful for a reason, and ites with a great cost. I¡¯m surprised you were even able to fire five shots. Sleep well, Master, and recover your strength. I will watch over you,¡± she whispered, kneeling down beside me.


    Nearby, an explosion of light carved a rotating white circle into the ground. Obviously, that was how I was going to get out of here, but I couldn¡¯t focus on it because sleepiness saw fit to snatch me away for a few hours.

 Chapter Eight: Tyranny Control (R-18)

    Chapter Eight: Tyranny Control (R-18)


    ¡°Did you rest well, Master?¡± asked the Dark Lord, who, true to her word, seemed to have looked over me while I was resting. She stood up and held out a hand, and I used it to get to my feet.


    ¡°I did,¡± I replied, yawning. Suddenly, a thought urred to me. ¡°What¡¯s your name,¡± I asked her.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been locked up for such a long time that I can¡¯t seem to remember,¡± replied the Dark Lord. She looked down at her hands and brushed her fingers through her hair. Then she crouched and affectionately rubbed her ck fur on her calves. ¡°Mmm... It¡¯s been ages since I¡¯ve had a chance to stretch out like this. That fight from before didn¡¯t count.¡±


    "But you¡¯re the Dark Lord of Tyranny?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that was the epithet given to me upon my ascension. At some point, it reced my name entirely,¡± said the Dark Lord. She stopped stretching and stared into my eyes. A small smile formed on her mouth. She looked at me expectantly. It felt like the atmosphere was getting tiring, so I just got to the point.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t free you for shits and giggles. You¡¯ve nearly brought the world to ruin once before, right? I need you to do it again.¡±


    The artificial sun-like object shimmered off her silver eyes as she cracked a grin. It felt like I was looking at death incarnate with how her eyes seemingly glowed at the thought of ughtering her enemies. ¡°I can certainly do that.¡±


    ¡°Good. Meruria and her shitty warriors need to die,¡± I said, feeling the anger swirling within my body. I hastily checked the dial that controlled my wrath. Since I didn¡¯t really need it right now, I turned it down to 0. It didn¡¯t like that at all, and a syrupy sweet voice tried to convince me to leave it on. I just ignored it.


    ¡°I want nothing more than to help my savior. When I said I would follow you, I wasn¡¯t lying. Master, should I use [Tyranny Control]?¡± said the Dark Lord.


    ¡°That¡¯s that envement skill, right?¡± I shook my head. ¡°Being my ve implies that you¡¯d be weaker than me, and I cannot allow that. I¡¯m a 0-Star that won¡¯t ever grow stronger. I need you to be a warrior that assists me in assimting my way to power. You hate the world as much as I do, so I don¡¯t see why you¡¯d refuse.¡±


    ¡°I value the chance to be a follower of someone with such fury within their heart. For the sake of your revenge, however, [Tyranny Control] would only be a boon.¡±


    ¡°Exin,¡± I said.


    ¡°[Tyranny Control] will give you half of the SP I gain without subtracting it from me. Your ¡®curse¡¯ will not transfer over,¡± the Dark Lord exined.


    ¡°What are you getting at?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s simple. The rules of chimerism are as followed. If youe across a corpse, you may assimte it if you are stronger than it. If not, then you must wait until you are. If you are fighting something stronger, you may assimte the target once you have in it. That is the key. If you kill it, you may prosper from its power. Monsters will not give you any, but you will grow stronger by taking their power and strength for yourself. Having ess to my SP will allow you to devour stronger beings much earlier.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Let me ask you something. I¡¯m made from those that imprisoned you. Will that be a problem?¡±


    ¡°You have their physical form, but that¡¯s it. You fulfilled my desire for revenge against them when you dispersed their energy and killed their astral spirits. In the truest sense, they¡¯re dead. It pleases me to no end that I got thestugh.¡±


    I still had my apprehension about bing her ¡®master.¡¯ I downright hated the idea of that because I was a ve to my parents and sister for so long, but my revenge? Was I so soft-hearted that I would falter before even stepping out of this fucking dungeon?


    <i>It¡¯s all for your revenge¡­ Just go through with it.</i>


    I turned and stared into her eyes. I didn¡¯t know how to invoke [Tyranny Control], but she was willing to teach me. First, there was an incantation. Then she needed some of my blood to draw the envement seal on her body. There wasn¡¯t a specific location for it, but she decided on under her navel, but above her crotch. That sounded easy enough, so I lent her my index finger. She took it with both of her hands and put it near her mouth. She mentioned she had to break my skin, but I told her it was fine. She lubricated it, punctured it with her canines, and meekly apologized with a sad look.


    She then chanted an incantation in an unknownnguage.


    <b><i>Error! [Schr¡¯s Tongue] cannot trante the Dark Lord of Tyranny¡¯s speech.</i></b>


    Well, that was fine. It appeared to be doing something because there was a trail of energy being left behind within the blood as she maneuvered my bleeding finger around her skin. It felt...odd. Being used as a brush, I mean. I never really cared about the arts or famous paintings, but there was something about the design she drew. It was located just immediately under her belly button but above her crotch.


    The Dark Lord saw the puzzlement and answered my unasked question.


    ¡°With [Tyranny Control], the design of the seal doesn''t matter at all. The important thing is that the drawing represents your authority. If I had drawn a flower, it would have still worked out the same way, but I wanted to make this special. The two guns represent what would have been your Soul Weapon. I figure it can be your symbol. The heart in the middle is just a way for me to show you how grateful I am that you freed me and killed Amos¡¯s warriors. The location doesn¡¯t matter, either. But... There is one more thing left to do,¡± she said.


    ¡°And that is?¡± I inquired as the ¡®tattoo¡¯ shed a soft pink before solidifying into a dark red color. Why did she know my Soul Weapon would have been? Then again, she did summon me like Meruria. She probably gained that information from my soul, so I suppose it didn¡¯t matter at all, really.


    ¡°[Tyranny Control] has two requirements. One is the conquering of the flesh, which is the seal I drew. The next is the conquering of the spirit. You can aplish that in two ways, but the quickest is sex. In times of passion, the spirit is said to be malleable when you¡¯re brought to the epitome of pleasure.¡± The Dark Lord shed a small smile and eliminated the distance between us with a single step. She caressed the gloves I had stolen from Reina and removed them. She asked me to lift my arms, and I obliged. Her warm breath tickled my skin as the brown shirt came up over my head. The Dark Lord tossed it down and removed my skirt, folding that and cing it with my shirt.


    Slowly, she pulled the brown undergarments down as the surprise on her face became more and more evident. It was probably the sheer size and girth of my dick that shocked her the most, not the color.


    My cock was bigger than her head, after all. And that was when I wasid. It seemed I was broken at the core because I still hadn¡¯t experienced pleasure. I didn¡¯t know howrge it could get when erect. As I lifted my legs for the Dark Lord to remove my underwear, her eyes were glued to my dick as it swayed inches from her face. She remained quiet and smiled, then ced my underwear aside.


    Taking my hand, she led me over to a spot of warm grass. Upon asking for permission, she started to touch my chest, not at all ignoring how ufortable I was with all of this. That damn beastfolk raped me against my will, and here I was having sex¡ªor trying to have sex¡ªwith an ancient Dark Lord that came close to destroying the world.


    But this ufortableness came with a heavy reward. I focused all I could on my tits, trying to find pleasure when her light-gray thumbs danced around my nipples. She looked up into my eyes, then closed the distance and licked my neck, moaning. ¡°Mmm... Your breasts are big and soft, Master. My hands are just sinking into them as if they were clouds.¡±


    I sat there, enduring her fondling and mini kisses on my neck and cheek. Was this kind of talk meant to get me excited? If so, it failed. I¡¯d almost prefer it if she was silent because I couldn¡¯t focus on anything but what that prostitute did to me. The way she spoke so sweetly and acted so violently was honestly frightening.


    Even killing the astral spirits of powerful Soul Warriors couldn¡¯t erase that fear from my mind. In a way, I believed the Dark Lord knew that something odd was going on. She silently moved her head to my nipples and licked them, stopping for a moment and moving on to sucking them when I nodded. Her mouth was hot and moist.


    But that was all it was.


    Pleasure? Wasn¡¯t I supposed to feel something? Men and women had sensitive nipples, right? Will once said that women could orgasm from breast y alone, yet I was waiting for that sensation, yet nothing was happening.


    The Dark Lord kneeled down after a few seconds, her tongue leaving a trail of her spit as her head moved closer and closer to my crotch. She stopped right above my pelvis and kissed my bare skin. Her hand gently brushed my shaft. Upon looking up and meeting my gaze, it felt like her silver eyes were smiling when she attempted to wrap her fingers around my penis. It was just too girthy for her. She moved her hand as if she was measuring its weight. Then a tongue brushed its soft surface against my dangling testicles, leaving my penis to bnce on her cheeks.


    After thirty seconds of this, I still wasn¡¯t reacting to it.


    Perhaps she sensed that because the Dark Lord slowly moved her wet tongue up from my balls to the underside of my shaft. A moan escaped her lips when her unupied hand moved to her crotch. I smelled something feminine, and I wondered if she was getting wet.


    <i>Really? Getting wet to me? I don¡¯t understand.</i>


    I still didn¡¯t feel anything at all. Even when this Dark Lord coated my entire cock in her warm spit, pulled back my foreskin, massaged the ''sensitive¡¯ head with her soft palms, and yed with my ass, there was just nothing. She had done almost everything I had seen in the porn videos I used to watch and nothing. I once thought there was something physically wrong with my body.


    But now I knew that I was wrong.


    It wasn¡¯t that my body was broken¡­


    It was me¡­ I had a new body, yet I was still incapable of pleasure. My soul was fractured and ruined, and it had been that way for a long time.


    <i>What the fuck is wrong with me?</i>


    ¡°Are you not enjoying it? Do you want me to do something else?¡± she asked while stroking my shaft. She added a bit of a twist to her motions, then moaned as if her pleasure would somehow cause me to feel something. Then again, she didn¡¯t know I couldn¡¯t get an erection.


    Without [Tyranny Control], my ability to gain power was crippled... Without it, just how crippled would I be? Just how fast could an average Chimera acquire power, and how would I rank against that? Would it be¡ª


    Suddenly, I felt a warm sensation cover the tip of my cock, and I looked down to see that she had taken part of it in her mouth. A wet tongue yed with the tip, digging under my foreskin. At the same time, her hands continued to pump up and down my shaft while she stared up at me. After about a minute, she took it deeper into her mouth, increasing her tongue¡¯s wildly erratic movement. I could tell she was trying her hardest to give me some semnce of pleasure. She even swallowed the whole seven inches! Her chin tickled my balls, and her nose brushed against my waist. It was obvious she couldn¡¯t breathe. My dick was just too big for any air to get through.


    But then her throat constricted even more, hugging my cock in such a grip that it almost started to hurt, and I felt she was running out of air. I tried to remove her mouth from my shaft, but her hands wrapped around my waist. She was pulling me towards her, trying to get even more of my penis into her mouth like she wanted to swallow my entire crotch. Trying to walk backwards just pulled her along with me, and walking forward made her fall on her ass. Either way, she was dragged along for the ride. Guttural noises erupted from her mouth while her frantic hands tapped my waist. And even then, this girl refused to take it out of her warm mouth. I had to get rough, physically removing her grip on my ass while grasping her head and pulling myself from her throat as if she was an object used for oral pleasure.


    She gasped for air, sending out dozens of strands of saliva that fell from her mouth and nose, coating her rich breasts in sticky spit. The clear liquid drizzled down, eventually passing by the bloody seal on her stomach and down to her crotch. Her chest heaved, desperately trying to fill her lungs. ¡°Was that not enough?¡± With her silver eyes red and raw, bordering on the edge of tears, she coughed a few times, spitting out even more saliva.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need you to choke yourself to death. In my old world...in my old body, I was never able to feel pleasure. Other than the warmness of your mouth, I didn¡¯t feel anything,¡± I told her. Her eyes continued to stare at my cock, which dripped profusely with her spit.


    ¡°Master...¡± The Dark Lord shakily stood up and wiped her mouth, getting rid of all of the spittle. ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry. There are other ways to conquer my spirit. Do you want to rest a bit? Then we can try another way¡± She sounded a bit pleased that it wasn¡¯t her skill. Was it her pride as a woman? Was it something else? I knew nothing of sex or love.


    But fear? Terror? I was intimately familiar with them, and it looked like the Dark Lord had a hint of trepidation inside her eyes.


    ¡°Yeah. That sounds good,¡± I said. The Dark Lord grabbed my hand and led me over to a tree. She sat with her legs stretched out. When I went to follow, she told me to rest my head on herp because it was softer.


    A few secondster, I wasying right there, with my head in herp while my eyes stared at her breasts from below. Her face peeked down, giving me a warming smile. She started to stroke my head.


    Her touch forting. I know we just attempted to have sex, but this was the first time someone had ever treated me this way. It was full of something unknown and foreign, yet it was so incredibly pleasant and gentle.


    <i>When was thest time I felt so safe?</i>


    Without being aware of it, I started to tell of my past.


    ¡°I really wanted to make something of my life, you know... In my old world, our future was decided for us after we take something called an aptitude test. You take it when you¡¯re five, and you can repeat it once a year until you¡¯re ten. When I was four, every day was spent with my head within a book. It ended up being useless because my results indicated I was a failure in every field. I thought there was a mistake, but there wasn¡¯t. That night, my parents punished me by withholding dinner. They even prevented me from sleeping by threats of violence. A year of sleep deprivationter, I took it again after my sister had done hers. Of course, Mia had aced it, and her future was set. But me? I failed again, and this time? My ¡®father¡¯ punched me in the face. Three teeth came loose, and my blood dirtied the floor. Mia demanded more punishment because I had sullied the house she was to inherit. When she said she was satisfied, I had lost four more teeth.


    ¡°For the next few years? It was living hell.


    ¡°The abuse was bad, but it worsened the more I disappointed my family. My ¡®father¡¯ hit me until his knuckles were bloody. My ¡®mother¡¯ focused on verbal threats and emotional pain, admitting that I was unlovable because I was a failure. One day, she followed through with her promises of abandonment. Did they think I just woke up one day wanting to cause them trouble? Wanting to disappoint them? No, I didn¡¯t. People aren¡¯t born wanting to fail, but somewhere along the way, from the rejections, beatings, and abuse... I just...shut down. I tried... I really tried. I swear to God I tried to be the perfect son¡­


    ¡°And then I got summoned here. Deep down, I figured this could be my second chance, but I had a worthless soul... Threats of recycling hung over my head. Then I woke up with a beastfolk wanting to rape me on orders from Meruria, and I was just beaten and struck and abused once more... Then it turned out Que and the others never had any faith in me. And at the end, when asked if they wanted me to die out of pity, they said no, but the bell that detected lies made noise... Why does the world want to see me in pain? WHY DOES EVERYONE GIVE UP ON ME?! WHY DO THEY WANT ME TO FAIL?!?!?!?!?¡±


    Before I knew it, I was shouting, stretching my voice to the utmost limit.


    ¡°A failure? I wouldn¡¯t call you that, Master,¡± said the Dark Lord. She touched a tender hand to my cheek, petting me as if I was a dog having a nightmare. ¡°Do you realize what you¡¯ve aplished? Your entire life was a painful hell, abandoned and betrayed by Meruria and your ssmates, cast into the void and scathed by the infinite winds, transformed into a Chimera, yet you''re still here. It takes a strong person to endure that. You haven''t given up your dream of getting revenge, and you even freed me. I wouldn''t be here if it wasn''t for you. Master, there is no one else in the world like you. You are an irreceable existence, and someone I''m very thankful to have met."


    Her words... They weren¡¯t filled with hate or disgust, and they carried no ill-intent. They contained...kindness? What... What was I feeling? An unknown emotion swelled into my heart, and an odd feeling assaulted my eyes.


    <i>How could someone I¡¯ve known for an hour make me feel like this? Where was the abuse? The punches? The barbed words of abandonment because I couldn¡¯t finish this damn ritual? The castigation of my virility because I couldn¡¯t fuck you? Why¡­aren¡¯t you hitting me?</i>


    <i>Why aren¡¯t you calling me a waste of sperm?</i>


    <i>Why aren¡¯t you mming my head against the ground?</i>


    <i>Why...</i>


    My heart felt like it was finally venting the grief it¡¯d kept hidden all these years. Even still, warm water refused to flow from my eyes. I couldn¡¯t cry, and I didn¡¯t know why. But that didn¡¯t stop a soft murmur from escaping my lips and it quickly grew to a tearful moan. Without warning, I sat up and threw my arms around the Dark Lord, shouting into her chest.


    She leaned back a little and kept stroking my hair. ¡°Let it all out, Master...¡± she whispered, kissing the top of my head. It didn¡¯t take long for me to fall asleep in her loving embrace.

 Chapter Nine: My New Beginning (R-18)

    Chapter Nine: My New Beginning (R-18)


    When I finally came to, I realized I wasying on the Dark Lord¡¯sp. Staring up past her breasts, I saw her peering out towards the waterfall. She looked determined and brave, two qualities Icked, yet she had them in abundance. ¡°Why...¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re awake, Master?¡± she said, turning her attention to me. Her eyes darted to my left hand, which was slowly reaching into the air. Her fingers gripped mine.


    Suddenly, I wasn¡¯t afraid of being touched anymore¡­


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t I see it before?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? What didn¡¯t you see?¡± said the girl. She continued to stare at my hand, then smiled when I brushed my palm against her soft cheeks, my thumb rubbing her chin and bottom lip.


    ¡°Why was I so blind...to your beauty...? Why¡­are you still here?¡± I said, seeing a whole new world. Everything from her cute eyes to her adorable nose and luscious lips were the immacte standard of beauty. Her ears were in their own categories of cuteness, and I wanted to touch her... I wanted to stare at her... I... I needed her...


    ¡°You¡¯re beautiful as well, Master¡­ And I wouldn¡¯t abandon my savior.¡±


    <i>Why are you saying that? Why didn¡¯t you leave? Why¡­ Why¡­ Why¡­?</i>


    ¡°Why does my heart hurt so much?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve lived a hard life. I wonder if being cared for and validated was enough to help you start moving past your trauma? Your heart seems to have learned it¡¯s okay to open up, that it doesn¡¯t have to remain closed off.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying I just wanted someone to recognize me as having value just in being myself?¡±


    ¡°It sounds like that to me. Master, for as long as I live, I¡¯ll show you how much I value your existence and happiness,¡± whispered the Dark Lord. I leaned up off the ground, and she leaned down, pushing a few strands of hair behind her head. Our eyes closed, and we kissed, sending strange yearnings surging through my body. Her tongue overpowered mine, yet she was gentle with it.


    <i>Why would you say that when we''ve only just met? Why? Will questioning this do more harm than good? It feels like I''m losing control of myself... it''s unnerving..."?</i>


    ¡°Mmmn...¡± I leaned back and panted like an exhausted dog, a probable warm flushness covering my cheeks.


    The previous thoughts in my mind vanished, leaving me alone with these new feelings.


    A strand of saliva acted as proof of our kiss... My sweet connection to the Dark Lord...


    Suddenly, a thought hit me.


    ¡°What¡¯s the second option?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You must beat me until my very spirit surrenders itself to you.¡±


    ¡°No. I refuse,¡± I said, cutting her off. ¡°I can¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°Master, I¡ª Yes, I understand. There is yet a third option¡ªa variation of the first. Would you like to hear it?¡± After nodding, she continued. ¡°When I said the spirit bes malleable when brought to the epitome of pleasure, that¡¯s only required of me. In truth, it isn¡¯t required for you to be capable of sex. Fingers and tongues work just as well.¡±


    Really? Judging from how powerful and tyrannical [Tyranny Control] could be, it seemed like only requiring the ¡®ve¡¯ to orgasm was somehow backwards.


    But I wasn¡¯t going to argue against it.


    From just resting in herp, the Dark Lord¡¯s lovely scent kept dancing to my nose, and it calmed me down. She smiled so adorably. I grabbed her arm and rubbed her fur against my cheeks, and that seemed to bring her some happiness. I remained in herp for about five more minutes, and during this time, while I prepared myself, she asked if she could stroke me off. I found myself wanting to feel her touch, so I tried to enjoy it. She did have soft hands¡ªso soft that her palms seemingly danced across my shaft. She rubbed the head with her fingers after peeling my foreskin back. It tasted fresh air, but there was no sensitivity or pleasure. Even when she fondled my testicles in ast-ditch effort, it ended in failure, but I didn¡¯t frown. I just leaned up after kissing her once more, smiling as sheid down on the grass and spread open her legs.


    Her tender pussy stared at me. It glistened with her juices. Her perverted scent was calling my name, and I proceeded toy down and lick her crotch. Was I a virgin? Yes, but I just allowed my body to take the lead. She had done her best to please me, so I had to return the favor.


    It was only fair.


    <i>Is it only fair? I can¡¯t exactly follow a guidebook, can I?</i>


    ¡°Hmmm... Your tongue... Master, you¡¯re so good at this... Ah... There... Keep going...¡± My moist tongue tasted her vor, which was sweeter than peaches and cream. What little I remembered from Will''s countless rants on sex, there should be a little spot that makes girls go wild with pleasure. Did that exist? If I remembered right, it was right about...here? The clitoris, I think it was called? It was right under her clitoral hood... Here? ¡°AAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!¡± The Dark Lord¡¯s pleasurable eruptions meant I was correct. ¡°Master, more!!!!¡±


    I tickled her clitoris with my tongue, then moved down her moistening hole, arching my tongue upwards to lick it with the bottom of my tongue. I just didn¡¯t see how this woman could taste so sweet. It was like her pussy was filled with sugary goodness, just for me. Her passionate breathing deepened while a pair of hands pushed my head further into her crotch. Was she about to orgasm? Did I have to do anything special? My instincts were telling me to keep going¡ªthat I shouldn¡¯t stop now when she was so close to the finish line.


    Ipped and licked, thrusting my tongue in while licking her juices that coated her sultry inner thighs. Something inside told me that it wasn¡¯t proper to focus exclusively on a single area, which meant I had to swirl my tongue around her inner and outer lips, making sure to evenly distribute the pleasure just as she had done for me.


    It apparently worked very well.


    Then it came.


    More specifically, the Dark Lord came, sshing my face in a delicious liquid that I just couldn¡¯t get enough of. Her hands removed themselves from my head, allowing me a chance to look up and stare at her face, which certainly didn¡¯t disappoint me. The back of her handid on her forehead, her eyes closed while a fascinating smile nketed her lips. Her sweaty, alluring chest bounced as she gasped for air, monopolizing my eyes since I wondered if her boobs tasted as sweet as her crotch. Before I could find out, she leaned up and grabbed my head, then licked my face.


    ¡°Master... That was incredible...¡± She cleaned all the juices she had left on my face, then moved to lick on my pointy ears.


    ¡°Lean back,¡± I said, not finished with tasting her. Her eyes went wide, but then they smiled affectionately at me.


    ¡°Here you go, Master...¡± Sheid down and opened her legs yet again, spreading herself open for me. Her delectable delight dripped even more than before, her feminine scent wafting to my nose. I stared up past her breasts as my tonguepped up the juices around her thighs. Her eyes closed, and her back arched. The loveliest moans fluttered and reverberated around this slice of paradise.


    ¡°Aaahhhhh~~~ Masterrrrr~~~~~¡± she cried out. Her legs closed around me, and she tried to push me further and further into her pussy, and honestly?


    I was all for it.


    Just knowing that she was feeling this from <i>me. </i>That <i>I </i>was the one making her feel this good.


    <i>I</i> was the source of her delicious moans.


    Hearing her encourage <i>me</i>? Having someone actively cheer <i>me </i>on for the first time in <i>my </i>life?


    Well, that was enough motivation for me to do my very best for the first time ever. I did not want to let the Dark Lord down, especially not since she had so much faith in me.


    So, Iid there with my face between her crotch, refusing to stop for even a minute. I became very well acquainted with the smell and sight of her pussy. I knew just where to touch and lick to elicit the most pleasurable noises from her busty heart. Her inner folds were so hot when I weed myself into her warmest and most delicious spot. Her pretty slit just looked that much better when it was covered in her juices.


    ¡°Mmnn... Master... Please, let me try something,¡± said the Dark Lord. She opened her legs and leaned up, and I fell to the grass as she straddled me. But instead of trying to put me inside of her, she turned around and ced her pussy right at my face while she licked my dick.


    Perhaps she was hoping that mutual pleasure would benefit me, but I honestly only felt how warm her tongue and mouth were and nothing else.


    But we remained there for what felt like hours, our faces within each other¡¯s private, doing the best we could to impart pure pleasure upon the other. I wrapped my hands around her hips and tried to further enjoy her sulent taste, and the Dark Lord, likewise, licked my penis up and down before taking the tip in her hot, moist mouth, her tongue massaging it from all angles.


    But in the end, only one of us experienced an orgasm. Her light gray body quivered and trembled as her thighs tightened around my face, but I never wanted to stop because I had someone that actually desired me.


    <i>When she touches me...licks me...it feels so different... I¡¯m not...scared of her... Why do I want this to never end?</i>


    In fact, the only reason I stopped was because I suddenly felt extremely lethargic. A moment after that, the Dark Lord experienced her biggest orgasm yet, utterly drenching myself in her juices.


    ¡°AAAAHHhhhhhhh~~~~¡± she moaned, arching her back and actively grinding her pussy against my face.


    Then a moment passed, and I saw two things in my activity log and my mana being drained before consciousness left me.


    <b><i>N/A has enved the Dark Lord of Tyranny.</i></b>


    <b><i>New Title: [ve Master (I)]</i></b>


    <hr>


    When I regain consciousness, the Dark Lord was staring down at me with a friendly smile. Seeing her soft ck hair, gleaming brightly in the artificial light from above, her adorable nose, and her cute ears, it took my breath away to see proof that what I¡¯d experienced wasn¡¯t a hallucination or dream. The scenery I saw as I passed out¡ªthe leafy green leaves of the tall, brown trees kept uspany. The racketing noise of the waterfall mming into the pond felt like something I had known all my life.


    We chatted for a few minutes while she gently caressed my head. Apparently, bing her master involved draining a substantial amount of my mana to fuel the initial contract. This wasn¡¯t the perfect segue, but we had to talk about something.


    ¡°I¡­don¡¯t know if I can handle getting abused again¡­ I can¡¯t go back to that.¡± shes of my family¡¯s seemingly never-ending abuse triggered sensations of phantom pain despite being in a new body. It happened in another life, but those flurry of punches of being unable to satisfy that prostitute still threatened to paralyze my new body.


    <i>Why am I thinking of them now? Is it because I¡¯m finally feeling some positive emotions? Because my heart found a way to pry itself back open? If...</i>


    The Dark Lord stroked my head and rubbed my cheeks. I stared up at her pretty eyes, and she gave me a cute smile. ¡°I won¡¯t im to know what you¡¯ve been through, but I swear I will not add to it. You have my word not just as my Master, but as the Dark Lord of Tyranny.¡±


    We went back and forth a little more, and our gentle conversation added more cracks to the shell around my heart. It was like she knew just what to say, but I felt there was something she wasn¡¯t telling me. An odd feeling welling up within my heart egged me on, and I couldn¡¯t ignore it. ¡°Did¡­ Did it hurt? For you? Please, don¡¯t lie to me,¡± I asked her.


    ¡°Did it hurt? Perish the thought, Master. You were so insistent and never stopped for more than a moment. It was...divine. Honestly, looking at your face is a little bit embarrassing because I cannot stop thinking about it. I should be the one asking if you¡¯re hurt. I didn¡¯t squeeze you too hard, did I?¡±


    I shook my head and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m d you liked it. Really, it makes my heart feel warm.¡±


    ¡°Did¡­ Did you enjoy it?¡± she asked, blushing.


    <i>She¡¯s cute¡­</i>


    I nodded. ¡°It was¡­incredible. The smell... The taste... Hearing those sweet sounds purr from your mouth? When I was licking you, I never wanted anything more than to do my best. I¡¯m not dreaming, am I?¡±


    The Dark Lord kept rubbing my head and leaned down, allowing our lips to touch once more. She graciously let my tongue invade the sanctity of her mouth, and when we parted, thick lines of salvia kept us connected.


    ¡°This is a dream I don¡¯t want to wake up from, but thankfully this is reality. I¡¯m free from my seal, and your heart is open.¡± I cracked a smile. The Dark Lord returned it after licking her lips, and for a small minute, I just closed my eyes and relished her gentle, loving touch. ¡°Master, there is something we have to do,¡± she eventually said.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I opened my eyes and felt the soft touch of a finger poke my nose.


    "I can¡¯t remember my name, but this is fine because it¡¯s a fresh start. Will you do the honors?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a Lionfolk, so how about Sekhmet? Or Sekh?¡± I was surprised I was taking all these new things in stride. Was I finally getting used to this new world? Was being a chimera elerating/improving my adaptability?


    ¡°Sekhmet? Is that something from your world, Master?¡± She tilted her head in confusion, and her tail followed suit. It was quite adorable seeing it bashfully sway from side to side, almost like a timid child who wanted to see what was going on, brought me a little bit of joy.


    ¡°In my world, we had a multitude of different beliefs and cultures. In one of them, a country named Egypt, their ancient mythology had a Goddess of War named Sekhmet, who was known as the protector of the pharaohs. She was said to have the head of a lioness.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a pharaoh? Is that like a king?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Sort of. Pharaohs had even more power than regr kings since they were viewed as the living vessel of the Egyptian¡¯s chief god. But honestly, I can¡¯t think of a more fitting name. Do you like it?¡±


    ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°Then pick between Sekhmet and Sekh,¡± I told her. She nuzzled my head and yed with my ears while she thought about it.


    ¡°I like Sekh... Master, can that be my name? You only need to dere it.¡±


    ¡°Very well. You will be known as Sekh,¡± Imanded. The activity log notified me of the Dark Lord¡¯s name change, and ¡®Sekh¡¯ promptly showed up to the top left of my vision, right under my name. Lv. 1 was beside her name, and a green and blue bar was underneath that.


    ¡°I can confirm [Tyranny Control] is working as it should,¡± Sekh said. ¡°Ah, one more thing. When you freed me from the seal, I had to forcibly reincarnate myself because the overflowing mana would have smothered me. Remember the ck mes that engulfed my body?¡±


    ¡°I guess that just means we¡¯ll have to get stronger together.¡±


    Sekh replied, still stroking my head as if I was a cute animal. ¡°If you focus on my name, you¡¯ll see my Status Menu, which is your right as my master.¡± I took a look and learned that she had 0 SP, but she was no doubt the more experienced fighter. I was definitely going to have to rely on her until I chomped on a few monsters. And for her skills, she had [Tyranny Control] and [ck Fire.] When I asked her about thetter, she held up a hand. Without speaking, those delicate fingers became encased in fire cker than night. Then she altered the skill so that only her nails were affected by it.


    Sekh briefly exined that Beastfolk and some other races or species could be born with racial skills. [Eyes of the Huntress] and [ck Fire] were examples of that. But she said that [ck Fire] was a special case because her original racial skills [me Nails] and [Ice Nails]. They were consumed along with other skills to create one of her most powerful abilities that helped spread her tyranny with masterful maniption of the hottest fire and the coldest ice. But [ck Fire] was in its weakest form. As of now, her body couldn¡¯t sustain anything stronger.


    But I couldn¡¯t wait until I could see its true potential.


    ¡°Now that I have a name, do you have one?¡± she asked.


    ¡°My parents named me Shuuta Fenton. Should I keep it? Or should I change it since I¡¯m not in his¡ªmy¡ª body anymore.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn''t your former ssmatese searching for you if they hear about a Shuuta Fenton? If you want my opinion, I think you should get rid of it.¡±


    She had a good point. ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be a problem if I was strong enough to kill them... Hmm¡­the only thing that ising to mind is...Lyudm Springfield.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean anything?¡±


    ¡°In my world, Lyudm was the first name of the deadliest female sniper in history. She had over 300 confirmed kills in the second World War. My favorite gun is the 1903 Springfield. I¡¯m not the creative type, but they sound decent together. Like you, this is a new start for me. What do you think, Sekh?


    Sekh remained quiet, a pensive look on her face as the gears in her head turned to formte the words she wanted to say. ¡°I think it sounds noble and powerful, Master. Dere it out loud, and it should update ordingly. Usually, you wouldn¡¯t be able to do this, but you¡¯re a new chimeric being.¡±


    I asked if that was always the case, and Sekh nodded, but her confusion was really evident when I spoke about [Hermes Trismegistus.] Like I assumed, she had no idea about any of those skills. So instead of using the Chimera System to change my name, I used [Status Cloak.] A window appeared in my vision that looked like a user interface profile, and focusing on the text boxbeled ¡®Name¡¯ brought up a virtual keyboard. And just like that...


    <b><i>N/A has been named Lyudm Springfield!</i></b>


    An interesting detail to [Status Cloak] was that it applied to my ves as well. Well, since I didn¡¯t want people to know Sekh was a Dark Lord, I figured I could set her titles to nk. She said that was a good idea. I rolled with it and altered mine as well, hiding anything that may have been problematic.


    Since I was Sekh¡¯s ¡®Master,¡¯ it felt logical to rify our rtionship. Firstly, I exined that I may have been her owner, but it was in name only, and only because it granted me the advantages of Tyranny Control. Secondly, I gave her nket permission to do anything she needed or wanted to do, even if that was questioning or refusing mymands. She was a bit surprised at that, but I told her I wasn¡¯t perfect. I would probably fuck up and do something that wasn¡¯t optimal. If there was a better choice, then I wanted her to speak up and let me know. After thinking, she smiled and mentioned the orders were more than satisfactory.


    <i>Well, that¡¯s good. I guess I can just look at the seal on her stomach as a tattoo. Huh... Let me try something...</i>


    I told her to stop stroking my hair, but she ignored me and kept caressing my head, feeling nopulsion or pain from the ve seal. ¡°You told me to stop, but I just wanted to touch you a little bit longer,¡± she said with a smile and a cute nod. She swore her loyalty and said she would never betray or knowingly cause me harm.


    After she brought it up, I also gave her permission to examine my Status Menu whenever she wanted by focusing on my name. When I told her what Meruria said about not seeing other people¡¯s Status Menus, she said it was different between ves and masters, but [Tyranny Control] was the only envement skill that allowed the ve to inspect the master.


    <b><i>New orders have been given to Sekh.</i></b>


    The seal on her stomach shed pink for a second. Somehow, the conversation changed to very, and Sekh exined [Envement Magic.] In essence, there was nothing stronger than [Tyranny Control]. Once a person has been enved using it, the seal could not be broken.


    Not even Sekh could break it.


    Different envement spells took on different forms. Some, for example, magically produced a cor and leash to go around a ve¡¯s neck. Others created a ne or ring to act as the seal. Some took the shape of a bracelet or armband, and others relied on mixing the master¡¯s blood with ink and tattooing a symbol onto the body. I did that with Sekh, but she just needed my blood and nothing else. She also said it was possible to rece the forms¡¯ default appearance. If the base form for one type of envement spell was a leather bracelet, I could make a metal one and overwrite it.


    As she spoke about it, she mentioned [Tyranny Control] did not have to take the shape of the seal on her stomach. It vanished, and a bracelet appeared on Sekh¡¯s wrist. It was all ck, but the design she had tattooed onto herself was glowing on it. When that disappeared, a cor appeared around her neck. It was made from leather but stained the color of deep obsidian. A metal charm hung from it, and it was in the shape of the seal. A secondter, a metal leash materialized in front of her, and she dangled in front of my eyes.


    ¡°Which form is more to your liking?¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t my choice to make, Sekh. Remember what I said? You have total freedom to make any and all decisions.¡±


    ¡°... Of course, Master.¡± Sekh bit her lips lightly. The seal on her stomach reappeared, the leash vanished, yet the cor remained. I reached up to brush her cheeks, then slid my hand down until my finger lightly pushed the metal charm. I told her I thought she would have hated the cor.


    ¡°I do¡ªI did. But knowing that I have the choice to make it vanish whenever I want brings a small smile to my face,¡± she said. Then in a quiet voice, she said something that I don¡¯t think she meant for me to hear. ¡°I can¡¯t remember thest time I felt freedom like this...¡±


    She looked off towards the waterfall but turned to me when I kissed her cheek. She shed that lovely smile and happily stroked my head, and I enjoyed her every touch.


    ¡°Ah, I almost forgot.¡± Sekh pressed a hand to my chest and closed her eyes. I felt something familiar as a crystal the size of a basketball materialized itself when Sekh pulled away from my chest. ¡°I assume this is familiar to you?¡±


    I nodded, and while continuing toy in herp, pressed a hand to the crystal and cracked it open.


    Yeah, nothing happened.


    <b><i>New Skill: [Soul Armatization]</i></b>


    <b><i>New Title: [Soul Warrior]</i></b>


    Like my Divine Skills, this one didn¡¯t have any level attached to it. Still, I saw the vague outline of a gun hidden within the crystal when it exploded, so my eventual Soul Weapon would still be the same.


    Sekh and I talked just a little bit more, but we mostly shared the silence and simply enjoyed each other¡¯s presence.

 Chapter Ten: Freedom (R-18) (Arc 1 – End)

    Chapter Ten: Freedom (R-18) (Arc 1 ¨C End)


    Something clicked when I saw the teleportation circle out of the corner of my eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s see if we can find something for you to wear. It¡¯s not like corpses need their clothes anymore.¡±


    ¡°As you wish, Master. Would it be prudent to ask for your input?¡± She blinked and softly smiled.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the first thing about fashion, but I¡¯ll have myments if you want them. The final choice is yours, though.¡± Sekh nodded at my words while I stood up. I extended a hand for her, and we walked over to By¡¯s corpse. We weren¡¯t in a dark room, but I wondered if she could see in the dark. I asked her, and she held up a delicate hand and faced her nails outward. They shimmered a deep ck me, and not much light was emitted.


    ¡°It probably isn¡¯t as good as your night vision, but Lionfolk can also see in the dark.¡±


    I then remembered something important and asked her about chimeras.


    ¡°Chimeras are created when many corpses are gathered in one spot for a long time. The surrounding mana takes the bodies andbines them into a being capable of growing in strength by devouring others. They''re powerful, but they don¡¯t start with sentience. That¡¯s something they must develop on their own. Back when I roamed around, I fought with and against my fair share of them,¡± she academically answered. I wasn¡¯t expecting something so concise and to the point. ¡°Most start off as Lesser Chimera, the rank you are now. They rise in rank and gain new abilities by assimting corpses.¡±


    ¡°But you don¡¯t know how to make them?¡±


    ¡°I do not. The most I could do was create a body to house a soul. That¡¯s what I used <i>after</i> summoning your soul to my prison. I was able to do that because it shined so brightly in the void that I saw it from my seal. As for your soul bing capable of sustaining chimerism? I don¡¯t know any more than you.¡±


    ¡°I think¡­¡± I sighed and forced my brain to think back. ¡°I think¡­something asked me if I wanted to live. While I was in the void, I think? Yeah, I remember seeing words, but I thought it was my mind ying tricks on me.¡±


    ¡°Sending words to the void?¡± Sekh asked. She whispered in a quiet voice before shaking her head. ¡°That¡¯s a powerful feat. But if someone can do that, it doesn¡¯t mean they could turn you into a chimera.¡±


    After Sekh¡¯s answer, we both thought on it a little bit. When a sigh escaped from our lips at the same time, I changed the subject over to her choice of body parts for me. Sekh elegantly exined that Amos¡¯s chosen warriors suffered from defects, wounds, or mdies, so she chose the best from each.


    By had a robust ribcage and spine, so her torso was picked for that reason. Susize¡¯s head was for [Eyes of the Huntress] and her bright mind. Reina was a sharpshooter with [Deadeye]. Yaekira¡¯s legs were the best part of her body because they were strong and sturdy. That just left Murag, the Ashen Orc historian. He suffered from a minor disease that weakened his bones, but he had the exceptionally sought-after [Schr¡¯s Tongue].


    ¡°I knew you were male, but the four women were stronger in nearly every way. I needed to give you [Schr¡¯s Tongue], so his penis was thest option. If I were stronger, I could have given you more of their skills. But after summoning you, I was nearly tapped out. I apologize if your body isn¡¯t to your liking, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°You did fine,¡± I told her, staring at By¡¯s corpse. I poked my chest and swiveled my hips a bit to swing my dick. ¡°I don¡¯t really care what kind of body I have, but¡­ Thank you, Sekh, for doing that. Even if you didn¡¯t turn me into a chimera, you¡¯re the reason I¡¯m here right now." Sekh wrapped her hands around my back and gave me an incredible hug, then she rubbed her arms because she knew I loved how soft her fur felt. I looked down and kissed her forehead. Perhaps she figured she didn¡¯t have to say anything because the furious beating of her heart said it all.


    <i>We may be master and ve, but it doesn¡¯t feel like it. That¡¯s good, though... I don¡¯t want to be a ve owner. And we only just met, but I¡¯ve never felt more safe orfortable in all my life.</i>


    Sekh tossed the rest of By¡¯s clothes to me, but her eyes lingered on the still body. Her hands formed into fists. The angering off her trembling shoulders made it clear she had unfinished business. I figured she was over it because I had destroyed their spirits, but I was wrong.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you your privacy but do it away from the other corpses. I don¡¯t want her blood to dirty their clothes.¡± After being imprisoned for a millennium, on top of them stopping her from destroying the world, Sekh had more grievances against them than I did.


    When Sekh had dragged the body far enough, I nodded and turned around. A primal screech followed as I heard a hard fist impacting against dead flesh.


    Ten minutester, I turned around and saw Sekh covered from head to toe in glorious, striking crimson while carrying By¡¯s head. Her eyes had been gouged out by something hot, and there were thick, ck burnt marks trailing down her cheeks.


    Behind her sat a corpse that was, honest to God, unrecognizable as anything more than a chunk of disemboweled collection of meat and bone.


    After Sekh flung the head against the wall as hard as she could, I watched this paradise be slightly bloodier. Sekh looked downtrodden, but then she shed me a bloodstained smile and remarked it felt good venting a grudge a thousand years in the making.


    ¡°Make sure you get it all out of your system," I said.


    ¡°I will. Thank you, Master. I haven¡¯t killed or fought in a long time. It¡¯ll be good to get my body used to being bloody again.¡±


    <i>Even while covered in blood...she¡¯s still beautiful...</i>


    <hr>


    Three decapitationster, Sekh was covered from head to toe in thick, dried blood. She made way for the waterfall and jumped into the pond. Within seconds, it looked like a whale had been butchered underwater. Sekh dipped down under the water and shook herself around a bit. When she resurfaced, she looked like death incarnate, surrounded by a thousand liters of blood. It was a haunting, beautiful sight, and I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off her.


    I dropped the armful of clothes and sat down, staring while Sekh floated around the pond on her back. Her bloody breasts poked above the water, but I was staring at the blissful expression on her face.


    ¡°Master,¡± she said.


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to ask you something. Can you answer it honestly?¡± Sekh stopped floating and stood up, acting like a beacon of beauty in a pool full of death. Since everything here was created by Susize¡¯s magical seeds, it didn¡¯t take long for the water to purify itself and be ptable.


    ¡°I will.¡±


    ¡°As a chimera, you¡¯re going to have to eat and devour to take full advantage of it. That includes people. Master, do you think you can eat a Catfolk? A Lionfolk? What about a spider? Do you think you can end the life of a human and watch them die before your eyes?¡± Sekh approached the end of the pond and rested her soaking tits on the grass. Her drenched tail swam like a lethargic shark.


    Before replying, I stood up and entered the pond, taking a seat right beside the Dark Lord of Tyranny. All I did was plop down, but Sekh found it suitable to sit between my legs and leaned her weight against my chest. Then she took my hands and ced them on her tits. Murag¡¯s instinct channeled through my arms, and I started to give my loyal Dark Lord a tender breast massage.


    "I can, and I will. I¡¯m living for my revenge, Sekh. I won¡¯t have an ounce of hesitation when ites to me and my power. Animals, people, royalty, nobility, the rich, the poor... I don¡¯t care. I¡¯ll say this now, but I will not murder indiscriminately. I won¡¯t walk up to some random man and put a bullet in his brain just so I can devour him. But if someone is actively preventing us from aplishing my objective? I¡¯ll bite their neck and drink their goddamn blood. If I want to stick Meruria¡¯s head on a spike, I can¡¯t be bothered with worrying about bullshit like possible cannibalism. Besides, I¡¯m not human anymore, am I? Not really a High Elf, Dark Elf, or any other race that¡¯s part of my new body. That goes for any race that I might assimte in the future.¡±


    ¡°Hmm... That¡¯s a good answer. Before we leave here, do you have any questions about the world? How much did Meruria tell you?¡±


    ¡°Just the bare minimum.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been an instructor, but I¡¯ll do my best.¡±


    ¡°While that would be nice, it would probably make more sense to give me a lecture about thingster.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Sekh replied. I continued to squeeze her breasts for another minute or so before we emerged from the pond. They were just so soft and inviting, and my dark hands sank into them when I squeezed them. What was even better were her moans. Each time Sekh licked her lips and panted sent a thrill right through my body. I grabbed my dick and rubbed it against her sexy back, but it refused to get hard. Even when Sekh pushed back to sandwich it between our bodies, it remained in a deep slumber. I was feeling sexual attraction to her, yet my body refused to listen to me.


    Sekh stood out of the water, turned around, and kneeled. She deeply kissed me while stroking my cock between her two hands. When she announced she was getting out, I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her bare stomach. The seal was right there, so I kissed it as well while she softly stroked my head.


    Thanks to the warm, bright, yellow artificial sun floating just overhead, it didn¡¯t take long for us to dry. But now it was time to pick out Sekh¡¯s outfit, so I took a seat on the grass and offered myments after getting dressed.


    After a bit of back and forth, she decided on Reina¡¯s tunic and pants. The red and gold ents really brought out the craftsmanship, especially around the bust. However, Sekh was too well-endowed for it to fitfortably. By¡¯s dress was perhaps better, but Sekh was averse to wearing it. She also disliked underwear and chose to gomando. It was her choice, and I was fine with it. After that, we divided the leftover clothes evenly after realizing we could sell them to get some quick money. Sekh mentioned that items created by a Lord sold for a lot. For someone like Amos, Sekh said it would be nearly impossible to get the full value from it.


    I was fine getting even 10%. I was sure we would need money but getting started with a massive fortune would only cause problems and attract undue attention. We weren¡¯t strong enough to handle any unwanted trouble that mighte with that.


    ¡°I take it chimeras aren¡¯t that popr? You¡¯d hinted that they were rare, but I get the feeling they¡¯re outright hated.¡± I looked down at my Dark Elf hands andpared them to the skin tone of my tits. If someone saw me naked, they¡¯d know something was up.


    ¡°They¡¯re actively hunted and ughtered because people fear their power. They have no true limit to their potential. I do not know if they still exist, but there was a guild called Bellerophon a thousand years ago. They prided themselves on being the very bane of chimeras, and I crossed paths with them a few times... But we don¡¯t have anything to worry about. I rmend using [Status Cloak] to masquerade as a High Elf.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea,¡± I said, doing just that.


    ¡°As long as you hide the mismatched skin tones and not transfigure or assimte in front of anyone, we¡¯ll be safe.¡±


    After Sekh said that, she spoke about [Nature¡¯s Workshop] and wondered what all I could make since we were surrounded by grass, trees, rocks, leaves, and vines.


    I evoked the skill by vocalizing it. A window appeared in my vision. At the top, there were the number of leaves, branches, des of grass, and other items rting to nature located in my general area. Below that? A list of craftable products with how many resources it would take to create them.


    Sekh said that for most crafting skills, the overall general knowledge rted to the skill increased when it leveled up. As an example, she chose [Weapon Creation]. When making a spear without the skill, it would look like it would fall apart after a single stab. But with the skill at Lv. 5 or 6, recreating the same spear with the same materials would result in a sturdy, strong, and impressive weapon.


    To truly make a special spear, different skills like [Lumbering], to more efficiently cut down a tree, [Carpentry], to better shave that tree¡¯s wood into a perfect shaft, [Mining], to properly extract ore, and [cksmith], to guide my hammer strikes in making the perfect spearhead from an ingot, would be needed. And [Weapon Creation] would work to tie everything together.


    And that was all because of the new knowledge gained by those skills. It sounded easier said than done. Just get the skills and make a weapon, but SP was rare. You weren¡¯t always guaranteed to get a lot when you level up, and some skills required more SP than others.


    But [Nature¡¯s Workshop] was special because I was part High Elf. I didn¡¯t understand it that much, but some skills provided certain boons for those of a certain race. For myself, [Nature¡¯s Workshop] took care of everything. I just had to select an item, indicate how many I wanted, and pressed the craft button.


    Like magic, the chosen items would materialize in front of me while the overall count of raw materials in the area decreased, and I didn¡¯t have to do anything manually except give it some mana. But when I stared out at the slice of nature in front of me, instinctual knowledge of its properties and how I could best use the leaves, vines, tree sap, and grass just appeared in my mind.


    ¡°Woah¡­¡± I whispered, my voice unable to be free of awe and excitement as two wooden, leaf-wrapped canteens lightly fell into my outstretched hands. They were about eight inches tall, five inches wide, and about an inch thick. It came with a wooden clip to attach to a belt loop or d-ring. I twisted off the cap and stuck a finger inside, not expecting the innards to be as smooth as metal. I handed one to Sekh, and we moved to the pond to fill them.


    During this, I went back into [Nature¡¯s Workshop] and created two cloaks and two backpacks.


    The cloaks were made of leaves with little holes that had vines snaked through in an intercrossing pattern. It was held together by sap, but due to the design, the pressure of one leaf pressed against another, forming a natural bond fueled by gravity.


    The backpacks were standard, being nothing more than a sizable chunk of hollowed wood wrapped around a nest of glued leaves with two straps and a vine that closed it up. To test its strength, I ced one down and stomped. When it didn¡¯t break, I was quite happy with the quality and durability.


    When our canteens were filled, we attached them to our backpacks and put our cloaks on. Sekh turned around and twirled, sending the makeshift cloak of leaves and grass soaring.


    <i>She¡¯s pretty.</i>


    We then took a break and snacked on some of the fruit growing nearby. Our conversation turned to clothing, and after investigating [Nature¡¯s Workshop], I found a section marked apparel. Because it was only Lv. 3, I didn¡¯t have that many options avable. But what I did have was more than enough.


    ¡°Sekh, go ahead and strip. I know those clothes aren¡¯tfortable, so I¡¯ll make you something that fits better,¡± I said after quickly producing my own set of clothes.


    It wasn¡¯t anything special, really. The only underwear avable was a weird loincloth thing that came with a pocket for my penis. When I carefully ced my dick in there, it didn¡¯t feel odd. Maybe the warm leaves would have felt good on my balls and shaft if pleasured saw fit to bless me, but it was whatever. The pants were like my cloak, but I selected an option to use double leaves and sap to make sure the toughness and durability were up to par.


    <i>At least my dick isn¡¯t pressed against my thigh and visible when I sit down, so the loincloth is useful.</i>


    Sekh assisted me in putting on the leaf bra, making sure my boobs were ced just right. I¡¯d never worn women¡¯s clothes before, so I was venturing into the unknown. And finally, with a long-sleeved shirt with more leaves and sap and vines covering my arms and chest, I only had to put on Reina¡¯s gloves toplete the outfit.


    Almost.


    My feet were naked, but a pair of wooden boots with grassy inserts forfort fixed that right up.


    Sekh cheerfullyplimented me on my transformation when I made a basic set of wooden armor. And by basic, it was just the bare minimum of interlocking wooden rings¡ªwooden chainmail¡ª that went over my body to protect the more sensitive areas.


    <b><i>Wooden Chainmail (0/0)</i></b>


    I was curious about the ¡®0/0¡¯ so I asked Sekh, and she said that the number after the name determined how many enchantments it could hold. While I was curious about that, that information could wait forter since I had to make her something.


    For Sekh, I had more options avable to me because I didn¡¯t have to worry about hiding her body. She requested a tunic and pants after I asked what she wanted, and they appeared in front of her a momentter. I suppose it was rather dreary and basic, but it was somehow easy on the eyes. The greens and browns were intricately woven together with vines. And the built-in wooden tes meant she didn¡¯t need anything extra for defense, but she still wanted wooden chainmail for that extra protection. To make it morefortable, I made her an undershirt for the chainmail to sit on, and her tunic went over that. She also said no to underwear, and I didn¡¯t press the issue because there was probably a reason behind it. And for her feet, I made a pair of boots that matched mine, though hers covered about half of her leg fur. I thought it would be ufortable, but it wasn¡¯t.


    When looking through the weapon list, I found a mace for Sekh. The pommel and hilt were wrapped with leaves, and the spikes sticking out of the head were incredibly sharp for being made from wood. I didn¡¯t really know how to fight, but I ultimately decided on a spear because I just had to stab the pointy end into something fleshy.


    I handed Sekh her gift, and she looped the handle through a belt loop, where it dangled from her waist as it waited to be used. She thanked me for the weapon, then exined that using the ceremonial weaponry recovered from Susize and the others was the quickest way of getting noticed. ¡°Yeah, I figured that,¡± I replied, stashing my weapon on my backpack since it came with an appropriate spot.


    <i>These things sure are versatile... They have hooks and rings for nearly everything. It just makes sense, though, since they¡¯re created from the same skill.</i>


    Then we went around to pack up the burial clothes Amos had made for his warriors. During this, I asked Sekh about her mace.


    ¡°It is my Divine Armament, given to me along with [Tyranny Control] when I ascended to being the Dark Lord of Tyranny. It struck total fear into the hearts of my enemies.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying the moniker of ¡®Tyranny¡¯ was a coincidence? It didn¡¯t have anything to do with [Tyranny Control]?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± Sekh¡¯s sparkly eyes seemed overshadowed by something like doubt and regret, but I knew she wasn¡¯t lying to me.


    ¡°Why? Just how powerful was your mace?¡±


    Sekh gave me a small, yful grin. ¡°If you¡¯ll allow it, I¡¯d like for that to be a secret. If you really desire to know, then I¡¯ll tell you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be looking forward to it when we find it,¡± I said.


    ¡°Master. If we find my mace..." Sekh started to say something with a lowered voice, but I interrupted her.


    ¡°<i>When </i>we find it. Not if, but <i>when.</i> A tablet mentioned Amos was researching a way to seal it.¡±


    ¡°Can that be one of our goals? I share your desire to take revenge, but my mace¡ª¡± I hugged Sekh and stared into her quivering eyes. She was so afraid of disappointing me.


    ¡°I need you at your strongest, Sekh. To make sure I can crush Meruria and her shitty warriors, I can¡¯t leave anything to chance. I¡¯m not so foolish to believe I can get revenge so soon after bing a chimera.¡±


    ¡°Master¡­ I promise your enemies will fall! I swear it!¡± she said, her eyes shining with tears. She embraced me and reaffirmed her loyalty to me multiple times. I thought back to the tablets. Murag had emphasized Sekh¡¯s mace. If it was <i>that</i> powerful to make the strongest warriors tremble with fear that they had to resort to treachery to get it away from her... It only made sense for her¡ªthe strongest Dark Lord of her time¡ªto carry some affection for her greatest partner. Even if it was a mere weapon.


    ¡°I know they will, Sekh. Now, it¡¯s time for us to leave this ce behind.¡± I wiped Sekh¡¯s teary eyes and kissed her lovely lips. After she gave me a confident nod, we walked across the soft, warm grass. She reached out to grasp my hand. I felt her nervousness through her fingers. After being imprisoned inside a crystal for a thousand years, it only made sense she was a bit apprehensive about finally tasting that freedom she had yearned for.


    I opened my Status Menu onest time.


    <b><i>Lyudm Springfield</i></b>


    <b><i>High Elf</i></b>


    <b><i>Lv. 1</i></b>


    <b><i>SP: 0</i></b>


    <b><i>Title: ve Master (I)</i></b>


    <b><i>Sub-Title: N/A</i></b>


    <b><i>Skill Menu [+]</i></b>


    <b><i>Mastery Menu [+]</i></b>


    The information visible to Scan Stones was what I saw in my Status Menu. I didn¡¯t see it before, but there was a button at the bottom which opened another window that contained my true Status Menu. I was satisfied with what I had, but Sekh rmended I hide Mastery Menu from the false Status Window. That made enough sense, so I made a few changes, waited for the ok, and we stepped into the teleportation circle.


    Whiteness filled our vision, and I had no idea of where we would end up.


    <hr>


    ¡°Where¡­is this?¡± I asked, dumbfounded. Sekh was also at a loss of words. When sight returned to my eyes, we found ourselves at what must¡¯ve been the remains of temple ruins. Everywhere I looked I saw aged stone that had been reimed by nature. Green, verdant vines slithered up brown and silver rocks, curling up thick, tall posts that must¡¯ve stretched up at least twenty feet. The ground below us was made from a crudely cut, ashen-colored stone, but weeds and grass had swallowed about 3/4ths of it. But for the area surrounding Sekh and me?


    Beautiful green forests with trunks so brown it was like I was staring at mud.


    But there was the clear blue sky...


    And there was the blinding sun...


    A pleasant breeze tickled my cheeks, sending golden strands shing across my eyes. Sekh, who was standing still, tears in her eyes, reached a trembling hand towards the sun.


    She was locked up for over a millennium. I assumed she had hundreds of years to think about the darkness holding her captive. I couldn¡¯t im to share her emotional reaction to seeing the sun since I¡¯d never been that enthusiastic about the bright bastard.


    However, now it looked wonderful. In the past, I had only cared about it in rtion to how it could be used in military tactics like blinding your enemies with mirrors, but I couldn¡¯t solely focus on my past hobbies anymore.


    I was wronged.


    I was fucked over.


    I had been abused, abandoned, and assaulted. I was literally thrown into a hellish void as a human sacrifice because of my goddamn 0-Star curse.


    The road to revenge was sure to be long and treacherous, but this new me, Lyudm Springfield, was ready to travel down it. And I wouldn¡¯t be alone; the Dark Lord of Tyranny would be with me every step of the way.


    I remembered an old saying I¡¯d heard in my old world: ¡®Before you embark on a journey for revenge, make sure to dig two graves. Thinking about how I¡¯d already wed my way out of one grave, I chuckled darkly at the thought.


    By the time I was done, I¡¯d need to dig a lot more than two.


    And none of them would be for me.

 Chapter Eleven: My First Assimilation (Arc 2 – Start)

    Chapter Eleven: My First Assimtion (Arc 2 ¨C Start)


    Sekh shook her head and looked around, pensively staring at the odd ruins when I asked if she knew where we were. ¡°When I was brought to the dungeon, I was already temporarily sealed within a crystal. I don¡¯t see anything that looks like an entrance, though.¡±


    I asked if the teleporter would have brought us outside since the dungeon was a closed circuit.


    Sekh shook her head as we walked forward, our eyes staring at the extended struggle between nature and civilization, and nature was clearly winning. ¡°In a dungeon, there is a clearly defined entrance leading to a room called the lobby. It¡¯s a safe zone. It¡¯s also where the teleporter at the end of a dungeon spits you out. And we aren¡¯t standing in one.¡± She remained in deep thought as the feeling of stone beneath our toes turned to soft, warm grass.


    We continued walking in a straight line since we didn¡¯t have a better idea of where to go. The sights of bare stone and carved pirs had beenpletely reced by greenery like trees, grass, vines, and a sea of leaves. I had never been there, but it felt like we were trekking around the deep jungles that used to be so prevalent in the Caribbean Inds. Nothing odd happened for about thirty minutes, but then Sekh¡¯s ears wiggled. Aftering to aplete halt, she reached out and grabbed my arm, pulling me back behind her.


    <i>If she heard something, why didn¡¯t I? Wait? I hear it now. Is that an animal?</i>


    Quietly, we waited. From the distance, I narrowed my eyes and spotted a brown-furred beast asleep on its back just past where the forest came to an end.


    <b><i>[Lesser Forest Boar ¨C Lv. 1]</i></b>


    ¡°If the monsters around here are this weak, then odds are good there should be a town or vige nearby¡­¡± she murmured under her breath.


    ¡°If your dungeon hadn¡¯t ever been conquered before, I presume it was in a ce full of dangerous beasts?¡± I asked.


    Sekh nodded. ¡°Dungeons rarely ever stay the same way for long. When one closes, theck of dungeon mana means there won¡¯t be any new monsters to rece dead ones. Monsters can spontaneously spawn if there is enough raw mana in an area. The strength and type of mana determines the level and type of monster produced. Some monsters can breed with each other. Goblins, for example, can forcibly reproduce through parasitic means by forcing their victim to receive theirrvae.¡± Sekh¡¯s exnation was helpful, but I was more focused on trying out my Chimera abilities inbat for the first time


    The furry beast was too busy scratching its back after waking up to notice my approach. Sekh and I emerged into a clearing, leaving the forest behind us as it felt like the humidity dropped by a good bit. The creature was alert and ready. It rolled over to its four legs and huffed, aiming its ivory-colored tusks towards me. I didn¡¯t have to worry about anyone seeing this fight, other than the remaining boars around us, because the road was devoid of people.


    We drew our respective weapons, and Sekh¡¯s hand started to glow ck. Under her breath, she cursed and canceled [ck Fire]. She couldn¡¯t wrap it around wood without scorching it.


    I took a quiet breath to steady my nerves while holding my spear. I was a bit nervous before this first battle, but I didn¡¯t feel any anxiety about being ready to kill the boar. The goblin had been humanoid, and Amos¡¯s warriors actively begged me to seal Sekh, but I still ended their pathetic lives. After all I¡¯ve been through, I couldn¡¯t hesitate for another second, not if I wanted to get my revenge. The experience from the boar wouldn¡¯t help, but I could add its strength to my own.


    Sekh looked to me for instruction, but I didn¡¯t have anything to say. The moment I turned my head to shake it, the boar rushed forward in a mad dash. Sekh immediately pushed me away, then threw herself out of danger. We both recovered, but I remained on one knee and took careful aim with my spear raised. In the activity log, [Deadeye] became active. Instantly, my stance altered itself.


    I flung the spear, and it struck the boar in the neck, draining its HP by a good 44%. It loudly squealed in anguish. In the activity log, there was a notice that the boar was affected with the bleeding status¡ªit would continuously lose HP¡ªand a small icon of a bloody teardrop appeared underneath its floating name. Sekh came running in with her mace held high, and she brought it down so hard upon the beast¡¯s side that she knocked the stout bovine onto its belly.


    Sekh¡¯s mace broke from the attack, the spiky head lodged deep within its side while acting like a tumorous cancer of pain and despair.


    Yet the foe was barely alive with 3% of its HP left. Sekh formed a fist and wrapped it with ck mes, content with straddling the boar andunching a flurry of fiery punches towards its snouts. I rushed up and retrieved my spear, then ended my opponent¡¯s suffering with a thrust to the head.


    <b><i>New Title: [Boar yer (I)]</i></b>


    <i>And there it¡ª Wait¡­ I didn¡¯t level up from the first kill? And what¡¯s that feeling... Why am I starving... I¡¯m...drooling?</i>


    When my hand touched the boar¡¯s bloody fur, a notification appeared in my sight.


    <b></b><b><i>Would you like to use [Assimtion] on Lesser Forest Boar?</i></b>


    When I thought of an affirmative response, a set of instructions filled my mind. Crimson blood poured onto my fingers as I tore into the boar. When I managed to get a big enough hole, I reached in and ripped off a chunk of meat before stuffing it into my mouth. Despite being raw and covered in blood, it was one of the best things I¡¯d ever tasted. I tasted a savory sweetness on my tongue, and there was a nutty, almost fruity aftertaste. Without really thinking about it, I tore off more chunks and continued to devour the raw meat.


    Sekh joined in, using her nails to cut open arger incision. For every piece of meat she handed to me, she scorched one for herself with her mes to sate her growling stomach.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Master. I didn¡¯t mean to destroy your gift to me,¡± she said with her mouth full.


    <i>Yeah, it has been a long time since she¡¯s had anything to eat. She¡¯s cute when she¡¯s smiling like that...</i>


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± I replied. ¡°It¡¯s something I can easily rece.¡±


    ¡°About that... I¡¯d like to use my fists and mes for the time being.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense. They¡¯re far stronger than what I can make with [Nature¡¯s Workshop].¡±


    <b><i>You¡¯ve assimted Lesser Forest Boar.</i></b>


    Those words shed me by as I swallowed one more mouthful. It wasn¡¯t much, but I felt¡­<i> stronger.</i>


    Even if it didn¡¯t grant me any SP, I still took the boar¡¯s power for myself.


    It was tangible proof I could survive in this world. That I could get around this 0-Star curse.


    Ah, but I was soaked in blood. There was probably ake or stream nearby. If not, I could wipe myself clean with some of the clothes we had brought. There wasn¡¯t any use in doing that now because I had more prey to hunt.


    While I was in a daze over finally gaining some strength, Sekh was kneeling and rummaging through the boar¡¯s mutted corpse. She was searching in its empty abdominal cavity when she suddenly smiled and pulled out a cloudy crystal about the size of a golf ball. She held it out to me,pletely ignoring how we were both soaked in blood.


    She exined that what she held was called a core, and every monster had one. It was akin to a second heart, where most of a monster¡¯s magical abilities and skills drew their power from. Cores could be sold for money or used to create or enchant equipment with beneficial effects.


    <i>If I had the rest of [Hermes Trismegistus] initialized, that core would¡¯ve been automatically collected.</i>


    ¡°Normally, we¡¯d sell them to the guild, but a boar core like this won¡¯t get us much. The bigger and clearer they are, the more they¡¯re worth. Though some can be entirely one color, and those are worth a good bit, too.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s save them,¡± I told her. We stood up while she plopped it in the bag on her back. We turned to face down the road near us. I couldn¡¯t see anything that looked like a vige or town but did see those boars I¡¯d spotted earlier.


    <i>Well, I¡¯ll have to think of something.</i>


    I took one look at my bloodied self and sighed. Staining myself with crimson wasn¡¯t the way forward if I wanted to remain incognito. After briefly walking into the forest in search of a pond, I heard rushing water. Sekh and I jogged in that direction.


    A babbling brook gently danced by us. The water was so crystal clear that the dirt and rocks were entirely visible in its calm flow. The sun blessed it with its warm rays. Before I knew it, I had stripped naked. The squelching blood soaked the leaves and grass, leaving a gross crimson mark on the tops of my tits.


    Sekh mentioned she would wash my clothes, so she did that downstream while I slipped in. It was about knee deep, so the refreshing coolness was so pleasant that I found myself lightly moaning. I kneeled and sshed some water up to my chest, covering about half of my cock in the process.


    That¡­was a strange feeling, but it was one I enjoyed. I wiped every part of my body, including the entirety of my cock, until I was as clean as I could without soap.


    ¡°Wow! That looks dangerous.¡± A voice rang out from nowhere. Sekh and I froze in our tracks.


    We both looked around to spot this intruder. I stood up and felt something touching me.


    I hastily looked down and spotted an unknown pixie-like creature. She looked up at me with her tiny eyes while a hand remained firmly on my shaft. She pushed it back and forth, watching it swing like a clock pendulum. ¡°Something this big could kill a lesser girl, but it¡¯s just too small for me. I think I can take it,¡± she said while grinning.


    <hr>


    Sekh reacted fast, but I was quicker. Raw instinct flowed into my mind, granting me the secrets of [Chimeric Transfiguration]. Before I knew it, my penis had transfigured into the head of the boar I¡¯d assimted and tried to devour the fairy alive.


    <i>What the fuck?! Why did that feel so¡­normal? And that yellow bar dropped by 10%, and it¡¯s slowly draining.</i>


    The fairy flew back, barely missing death by milliseconds.


    ¡°Heh...¡± she nervously chuckled. ¡°Maybe it can hurt me? WHA!!¡± While the fairy was distracted, Sekh came up from behind and smacked her down, her bodynding with a sickening snap. Wounded and disoriented, she didn¡¯t know what hit her when I summoned Reina¡¯s gun and shot a bullet. The 9mm round pierced her back and cut her in half. Her little guts and blood soiled the ground.


    Sekh rapidly handed me my clothes and pointed to my cock.


    Yeah, she didn¡¯t need to speak to get the point across. I somehow returned my penis to normal but couldn¡¯t do much more than that when a spark of dark energy shed nearby. It left behind a fairy with ck hair and a void-like dress. Her wings were the color of darkness, yet crimson energy pulsed within them like arteries.


    ¡°Okay... Maybe I can¡¯t take it,¡± said the same pixie I had killed. ¡°It¡¯s small, but it¡¯s dangerous. Keep that thing on a leash, yeah?¡±


    Without hesitating, I pulled the trigger a second time, shooting the intruder in the stomach and blowing her to bits. Blood exploded out, covering the emerald-green grass with proof of her demise. A bit of her internal fat and guts spattered a particr slice of verdant, dying it the color of gore.


    ¡°HEY!!! Why the hell did you do that??!!¡± In a sh of dark light, the same fairy I had just killed twice reappeared, looking none the worse for wear. Her clenched fists grabbed the hem of her dress, and her body shook with indomitable rage.


    <i>Bang!!!</i>


    I sent another bullet her way, draining more of my mana as I became tired and out of breath, and watched as she died a third time. Like a bad itch, though, the flying pest reappeared. I killed her again, and again, and again. Her crimson blood and tiny organs coated a ratherrge area¡ªespecially whenpared to her tiny stature. When she suddenly materialized again, she went off like a firecracker.


    ¡°Goddamn it! Are you finally finished? Stop fucking killing me, alright?! Is that too much to ask for? I¡¯m too goddamn cute for you to keep killing me! For fuck¡¯s sake!! Can I talk, please? Just for a fucking minute?! I have something to say!¡±


    I narrowed my eyes and kept the gun trained on her body while trying to catch my breath. ¡°Speak. Say what you want and hope I like it. If not...¡± I looked at Sekh. She nodded while activating [ck Fire] around her nails.


    This seemingly immortal fairy hovered in front of my gun. She stared into my eyes, fully aware of the wary Dark Lord nearby. If I gave themand, she¡¯d rip the fairy¡¯s head off. ¡°I¡¯m no fan of long introductions, so I¡¯ll get to it. I am the Conduit of the TDL Training System. TDL is short for Transcendent Dark Lord, mind you. So, the full name is the Transcendent Dark Lord Training System,¡± spoke the ck-dressed fairy.


    That seemed incredibly farfetched. When I focused on this fairy, I realized she was telling the truth because TDL Training System was her name. Even her level had it.


    ¡°TDL? Tadle? Tidle? Toodle? Tilde? Condy? Yeah, Tilde. It¡¯s easier to say,¡± I said. ¡°Now speak. Exin this Training System.¡± I had my gun pointing at her little body, but she flew up and straddled the barrel. It must¡¯ve been warm on her thighs because she quivered and bit her lips. Sekh had no idea what this ¡®Training System¡¯ was.


    <i>Conduit...? It sounds so familiar...</i>


    ¡°If you give me a chance, I will. Oh, I know I¡¯m sexy and mature, but you need to listen to the wordsing from my mouth, Future Master! And don¡¯t fucking shoot me again, okay?¡±


    Sexy and mature? I didn¡¯t see that, but the foul-mouthed fairy started exining. ¡°Fine. You know what a map is, right? The Training System has a skill called [Map]. You can search for whatever you want wherever you¡¯ve been. Want to find someone? Just search their name and hope they¡¯re in an area you¡¯ve been to. Find them on the map? p a waypoint on them and never lose track of them. Want to analyze them? Use [Analysis]. Or¡ª¡±


    ¡°Or I can use [Radar] or [Storage], right? Yeah, the training system is really called [Hermes Trismegistus].¡± Yeah, it was alling back to me. I had those weird skills that needed to be initialized.


    Tilde narrowed her eyes and looked downtrodden. ¡°Really? You had to go there? Do you know how long I¡¯ve been waiting to do this whole lecture? I finally had my chance to put into action what I''ve practiced for a long time, and you take it away from me? Oh, the humanity...¡± She spoke in a monotone voice of depression. She leaned to the side and fell off, tumbling through the air until she smacked into the ground in a bloody red paste.


    ¡°Did you really have to kill yourself again?¡± I asked when Tilde materialized for what felt like the 1,000th time.


    ¡°YOU¡¯RE DAMN RIGHT I DID! This was my one shot! My one opportunity that I couldn¡¯t blow! You¡¯re despicable, Future Master...¡± Tilde crossed her arms and turned around, her wings fluttering rapidly to keep her hovering.


    ¡°Master, can you trust her?¡± Sekh asked.


    ¡°I think I can. She¡¯s knowledgeable about [Hermes Trismegistus], and she doesn¡¯t seem surprised that I know about it.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Is that the Dark Lord of Tyranny? Huh, it¡¯s been like a thousand years, right? Don¡¯t know how you convinced her to enve herself, but that¡¯s some damn fine work. Oh, I was alive back when you were ughtering the world. I didn¡¯t have anything to do with your defeat, however. I spent most of your final months living it up on an ind to the south after tricking some sad sap into pampering me.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re that old? Never mind.¡± I went back and forth with Tilde about how Sekh wasn¡¯t my ve. It was a conversation thatsted way too long. Eventually, she sighed, fluttered her wings, and flew to my head, touching it with her own.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m searching through your memories before we get on with the ritual. Shit, your life isn¡¯t enviable, is it? Beaten, raped, abused, pped, punched, and vited? Hung up naked to dry... And betrayed? It¡¯s no wonder you didn¡¯t just off yourself. Ah, so you saw the words in the void? Wait, void... You¡¯re really telling me you were in there and you didn¡¯t go insane? [Wrath, mes of Inexhaustible Indignation]? Who gave it to you...? That would exin why you didn¡¯t be one with the winds after nearly losing yourself. You were literally too angry to die. Oh, okay. That''s how you met that monster.¡±


    I snatched the fairy with my free hand and nearly squeezed the life from her. A secondter, she stared into the barrel of my gun. ¡°Give me one good reason why I shouldn¡¯t blow your brains out and see how many times it takes until you stay dead.¡± This little flying pest vited my memories!


    Tilde remained silent and muttered to herself. She didn¡¯t even register the immediate threat. Tilde finally looked up and shed a smile, pushing the gun away with all her strength. ¡°Hmm... You¡¯re going to be an interesting one... Look, I want toe with you and help you on your journey to kill Meruria. You can probably aplish that with [Chimeric Mastery]. Hell, Big Tits of Tyranny over there would be a fine ally, but I¡¯ll be the belle of the ball! Without me, you won¡¯t be able to use [Hermes Trismegistus] to its fullest extent. Tell me what I must do, and I¡¯ll proudly do it.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t read my mind or thoughts without express permission. Do nothing to harm us, whether by action or inaction.¡±


    Tilde cracked a smile and saluted me. ¡°Yes, Future Master! I heard your demands, and I promise to abide by them. I should say this before we get started with the ritual. You¡¯re actually the first person to be blessed by me in 11 gazillion bazillion trillion million billion years. Feel free to kiss my feet to show your thanks.¡± Tilde changed her tune after I transfigured my penis. She screamed and hid behind Sekh for safety, only barely peeking out her head.


    ¡°Yeah... I¡¯ll get started... Oh, one more thing. Bing your Conduit will intertwine our life force. Not memories or thoughts, though. I will respect you on that unless you want me to pick at your mind. My ex-boyfriends tell me I¡¯m really good with my hands, hehehe...¡±


    Sekh grasped Tilde and stared daggers into her eyes while shing her sharp canines. She growled a warning against doing anything stupid to put me in danger.


    ¡°Yeah... Fine... Whatever. I promise, Tyrannical Tits, that I won¡¯t do anything stupid... You can let me go now!¡± Sekh waited a few extra seconds before sighing in frustration and loosening her grip. She walked over to me while Tilde kneeled and chanted.


    <b><i>Error! [Schr¡¯s Tongue] cannot trante Tilde¡¯s speech.</i></b>


    ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± Sekh asked. Truthfully? I wasn¡¯t, but the advantages of acquiring the rest of the skills locked within [Hermes Trismegistus] were something I couldn¡¯t deny. Besides, these skills were different from the others, I think. If so, then Tilde had a connection with the system. When I told Sekh andpared Tilde to an admin on aputer, she said she trusted my judgment but didn¡¯t know what aputer was.


    <i>That¡¯s right¡­ Maybe I¡¯ll talk a bit with Sekh about my world. She might be curious about it.</i>


    Soon enough, the air started to crackle and vibrate as Holy Mana swirled from my left hand. Its counterpart, Dark Mana, gathered in my right. As if they hade alive, the two balls of energy floated into the air, then swirled around my body. The wind produced nearly knocked Tilde over, but her wings fluttered to keep her upright. Water from the stream began to cascade together and formed a miniature tornado, which sucked in the hundreds of falling leaves and uprooted grassy des.


    The fairy continued her words without a single pause. Eventually, the water funnels exploded, sending down thousands of droplets, leaves, and grass. Through the misty water vapor, I saw a hundred little rainbows spring into existence.


    The two circling sparks of energy gathered overhead, mmed into each other, and exploded, showering me with gray particles, which probably reflected my dual nature. When they touched my skin, I felt a slight sizzle, almost like a burn, but that ufortableness faded away in a hurry.


    <b><i>New Title: ************ ****** **** ******** ********</i></b>


    Tilde raised her head and smiled, her crimson-infused wings fluttering just a bit. ¡°Master, I¡¯ll forever remain by your side. I have waited eons to be called to action, and like hell will I ever disappoint you! Whatever you ask of me, I will aplish it.¡± After she spoke, sheunched off the ground and flew to my shoulders, where she gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. ¡°The whole song and dance with the water and stuff was a deration to the world that they better watch out. I would have made it stronger, but we¡¯re kinda close to Ria. Oh, that¡¯s a vige nearby.¡±


    I asked about the unreadable title, and Tilde said it would be unscrambled the more I progressed through her training system. ¡°Besides, you¡¯re a 0-Star. Titles are useless to you, so just ignore them, yeah? Pretend it doesn¡¯t exist.¡±


    ¡°Master...¡± Sekh seemed restless and frowned a little. ¡°I... I¡¯ll pledge my loyalty to you as well!¡±


    <i>Was she jealous? Of Tilde? Really? That¡¯s kind of adorable... </i>I rubbed her head and smiled.


    ¡°I, Sekh, the Dark Lord of Tyranny, hereby dere my undying loyalty towards my Master. I will be the de of vengeance to rend reality from its clutches, should you desire. Those who wish to see harm befall you will die at my hands, and I will present you the heads of those who betrayed you...¡± The nails on her hands glowed a fierce ck. It was like she was waiting for me to give amand.


    ¡°Prove it,¡± I said. Sekh¡¯s arms sped around my neck. The nocturnal mes on her nails dissipated the moment before we connected. Our lips touched, and her tongue made way for mine to investigate her mouth. We swapped saliva for well over a minute, and I greedily devoured whatever I could. When we finally separated, her face was warm and flushed, and the thick strands of spit proved our lips werefortable with each other. We remained hugging for a little bit longer before separating, but we still held hands.

 Chapter Twelve: [Hermes Trismegistus] in Action

    Chapter Twelve: [Hermes Trismegistus] in Action


    "[Storage] and [Auto Loot] are upgradeable. For thetter, upgrading it will broaden the type of item selected. So, it¡¯s monster cores at first. Then it¡¯ll go to monster materials, like tusks, fangs, nails, hides, and scales. Then it¡¯ll start to include humanoids capable of using SP, so you can yank their shit without worrying about it when you kill them. At the same time, the range will increase by a bunch. Wanna know how to do it?¡±


    We were walking out of the forest and back into the road while Tilde answered my questions. The hot sun had dried me off, and I felt confident. When Tilde spoke, I focused solely on listening to her because I needed to learn how to use these new abilities she initialized for me. ¡°I kinda need to,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Think of my skills as muscles. The more you train it, the stronger it gets. The skill marked ¡®?????????? ??¡¯ will unlock when you¡¯re more ustomed to the system. Spoiler alert: it¡¯s the heart and soul of [Hermes Trismegistus]. And I mean that literally.¡±


    Tilde then said it was time to look at the mini-map located to my upper right. I saw a white triangle that indicated me, but there were two green dots. Those were Sekh and Tilde, my allies. When focusing, I could zoom in and out, but the further I went, the cker everything became because I hadn¡¯t been there.


    But I discovered I was in the country of Dirge, which was nice to know.


    Unfortunately, [Map] did note with a function to scan the surrounding areas. Well, that wasn¡¯t entirely the truth. There <i>was</i> a scanning feature constantly happening, but it had a range of about 20 feet from where I was standing.


    After a few minutes of walking, we ran into another boar sitting off to the side of the road. It showed up on the map as a white dot because it had no reason to help or harm me.


    Using [Analysis] on it gave me a detailed report of the monster, including its name, its level, and if it had any skills, of which it didn¡¯t because it was Lv. 1. A little button allowed me to ce a waypoint, which was a blue beam of light. It pretty much appeared from nowhere and marked the Lesser Forest Boar. It was tall enough to pierce through the clouds, shimmering so clearly as to be seen from anywhere. To share it with Sekh, I just had to think about it.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never encountered anything like that before,¡± she said, gasping. I gazed to the right of my map and noticed the time, which was 11:31. It wasn¡¯t that interesting, but what blew my mind was when I opened the map and zoomed out as far as I could. The countries on the two continents I saw were clearly outlined and defined. And on the far left one, there was a little bit filled in, which must¡¯ve been where Meruria summoned me, but that was it. On the eastern continent, the westernmost country had a little icon indicating me. Dirge was oddly shaped, and it shared a border with two others.


    When I said the map reminded me of a satellite feed popr web mapping services used, Tilde snickered and told me to press a button I had missed. When I did, it was literally like I was staring down at myself from above. I jerked my head up to stare down¡ªto stare up¡ª at myself, and it was so simr to what an out-of-body experience would feel like.


    The me I saw followed all my movements. With the other map mode, everything was like a standard paper map. Green would mark grass and trees, blue for oceans,kes, and ponds, and deep brown for mountains. But satellite mode brought reality to it. When I spoke my astonishment, I heard myself twice. Because sound could transfer. And that made it even more powerful.


    This satellite mode, true to what Tilde said, did not make me a stronger fighter. It would make me a smarter one, though. Using this mode caused a lot of strain after a small headache automatically reverted map the back to the basic mode.


    I searched Ria upon Tilde¡¯s instruction, but nothing popped up because I hadn¡¯t been there. ¡°Well, if we keep following the road, we¡¯lle to it. The good thing about majorndmarks is that you don¡¯t have to get super close. I think the range is something like a mile or two. ¡®New Location: Ria¡¯ or something like that will pop up in your activity log.¡±


    I turned back to the lone boar sitting still to test [Storage] and [Auto Loot]. The blue waypoint still dangled over the beast, who had no idea it was about to die. I tried to see how many I could have. But after finding out 60 wasn¡¯t the limit, I had to remove them.


    It was like I was staring at an orgasm of colors.


    It was almost sickening.


    I aimed Reina¡¯s gun and fired while jogging ahead, watching the white dot turn red when the first bullet struck it. My arms remained in something simr to a stance used to hold a teacup, except my left hand was cupping the pistol¡¯s grip. This stance provided more support to handle the recoil. Two head shots weren¡¯t enough to kill it, so I asked Tilde. ¡°In this world, the materials used in crafting a weapon influences how much damage it does. Using better quality metals and finer firesalts¡ªah, that¡¯s the equivalent of gunpowder in this world¡ªmatters a lot as well. Remember, the more you assimte monsters that carry dexterous traits, the more damage your bullets are going to do. Like, to put it into numbers, you¡¯re dealing like 30 damage right now. After assimting 1,000 flying bat monsters or Elven archers, you¡¯ll end up doing like 3,583 with the same gun. But if a gun has {Mana Link}, the damage depends on the strength of your mana, so you''d want to assimte mages and magical beings,¡± Tilde said as Sekh ran to finish off the wounded beast.


    ¡°But once I¡¯m stronger...¡±


    ¡°Yep! Right now, using a standard gun with regr ammo is the way to go. It¡¯s easier said than done because firearms are not popr. Even if you can find one, good luck getting the bullets for a reasonable price if you can''t make them. Don¡¯t use Scorpion¡¯s Bite more than you must because that¡¯s just asking to get robbed.¡±


    I nodded and looked to the lower left of my vision. My activity log notified me of the automatic gathering of cores and their cement in [Storage], which was essed with a new button added to my Status Menu and heads-up disy. I went ahead and stashed my spear in there as well. I took off my left glove and transfigured my hand while walking to the corpse, watching it take the head of the beast that was my penis about 15 minutes ago. Controlling it felt so natural.


    But it was time to experiment.


    Sekh shuffled her eyes to my new hand and happily pped. ¡°I knew you¡¯d get the hang of it! Does it feel weird?¡± she asked me with a smile.


    ¡°Surprisingly no. I see a percentage bar, though: 9% out of 10%. That must be my current limit for transforming. And that yellow bar was drained by a chunk when I transfigured. It¡¯s slowly draining right now.¡± I turned the head around and stared into its dead eyes. After focusing, I made them blink. The next test was to make it squeal, and that took about half a minute. After that, it panted like a dog and stuck its fat tongue out. Tilde exined that transfiguring required an initial cost, then a steady supply of biomass to maintain it.


    I was surprised to find myself enjoying this, smiling as I practiced using the boar head hand. After a few short seconds, I found myself growing noticeably hungrier than before when the yellow bar dipped below 50%.


    It wasn¡¯t like using a hand puppet. Despite being connected to my wrist, I could see out of its eyes. It was like staring into a world of monochrome. I started getting a headache as my mind was trying toprehend the two different types of vision and different senses at the same time. Sekh put a hand on my shoulder to keep me steady. ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­ Just¡­trying to get used to it¡­¡±


    It seemed I could use assimte while transfigured, so I did just that. The sharp teeth ripped through the tough sinew and chewy fat, and the taste and texture of bone, blood, and meat drowned the boar¡¯s tongue in so much crimson. When I ate my fill, my hunger was sated, and both my mana and biomass were refilled.


    <i>Guess this means I¡¯m a bonafide monster¡­ That¡¯s fine. Whatever I need to kill Meruria and those fucking traitors.</i>


    I looked at my boar head hand.


    <i>How did the meat reach my stomach in the first ce? There¡¯s nowhere for the food to travel, but it disappears when the boar head ¡°swallows¡±. ¡­Do I actually care? No, I don¡¯t think I do.</i>


    ¡°The fuck are you doing?¡± Tilde asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m done eating,¡± I replied, walking away.


    She angrily pointed to the half-finished meal and shook her head. ¡°Finish your te. You can¡¯t leave any evidence behind that would suggest the presence of a chimera. Come, listen to your super cute instructor and eat.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ That makes sense,¡± I said, using my boar head hand to swallow the rest. It was fine if it became bloodied because it disappeared when I canceled my transfiguration. I was left with a pristine, dark-grey hand that betrayed my true form. But since I left the very first boar behind, I marked it on my map and ran back with Sekh and Tilde.


    Most of my other skills seemed to be rather easily exinable except one, so I asked about [Artificer¡¯s Arsenal].


    ¡°Okay, so it goes like this. Let¡¯s say you take two rocks and bash them together until you have a stone knife. You can register the knife in the arsenal, and it will never degrade or dull. If it breaks, ites right back. If you manage to improve this knife by making it sharper, you can overwrite the current knife with the new one. And it¡¯s not limited to just a knife. Things like pickaxes, scoops, and molds for making ingots. Even something as simple as homemade coal can be registered, and they would forever burn without any sign of stopping. That would pair well with a stove, right? Maybe a furnace? But once something is registered, it cannot be used to cause any sort of harm or damage. Speaking of that, use [Nature¡¯s Workshop] to make something,¡± Tilde said. I did what she said, but...


    Nothing happened. The screen from before, the one with a list of craftable items, refused to appear.


    Tilde mentioned that the race-exclusive boons were erased when [Artificer¡¯s Arsenal] was initiated. If I wanted to make Sekh another mace, I¡¯d have to do it all by hand with the knowledge given to me by the skill. Sure, that was annoying, but I wasn¡¯t upset. Making something one time and never worrying about it breaking? That was totally worth it. Ah, but there was a catch.


    I couldn¡¯t just buy or steal tools and store them in the arsenal. Like, I could buy the materials and tools used to make a pickaxe, and as long as <i>I </i>made the final product, it was storable, and therefore, infinite.


    I then asked how dangerous it was around here. Tilde replied it was peaceful since Ria was considered a haven for newbies who wanted to get a jump start on leveling. With a steady supply of adventurersing and going at nearly all hours of the day, any bandits were swiftly dealt with.


    ¡°Adventurers?¡± I questionably asked.


    ¡°Yep! The guild is¡­¡± Tilde lived up to her role as my instructor and lectured me on what Meruria failed to teach. As she did, I followed her advice and picked up some stones, intending on using Yaekira¡¯s daggers to roughly shape them into a knife.


    <hr>


    In short, the guild was where you epted quests. These could range from killing a certain number of monsters, bringing back an item, or escorting a person from location A to location B. Since there was an office in the smallest viges and the biggest cities, there was always one around. The guild had ranks from ¡®I¡¯ to ¡®S¡¯.


    Next were titles, and they came from everything. Some gave bonuses when equipped. For example, equipping [Boar yer (I)] gave the user extra damage against boar-type enemies, but my 0-Star curse would not allow that to help me. Sekh could use them, so it was in our best interest to gain as many as possible because some skills required certain titles before you could buy them with SP.


    Tilde then spoke about the three tiers of what she called ¡®end game¡¯ gear. As in, the most powerful equipment in the world.


    Exalted Armaments was a fancy word to describe equipment or skills that required specific non-Lord titles to be usable. Often, you needed to have something like [Hero] or [Dark Champion].


    There were Royal Armaments that required royal blood or a title like [King] or [Queen] to wield some skills or weapons without consequence. For all intents and purposes, they belonged to the category of Exalted Armaments.


    The equipment could be forged, though it was an involved and difficult process. The skills, on the other hand, were very rare drops from dangerous dungeons in the form of a Skill Orb. Once a Skill Orb was used, its empty vessel could extract a skill from someone else. These orbs, along with the other Exalted Armaments, were passed down as family heirlooms. But a Skill Orb was not infinite. Eventually, it would shatter, and another orb needed to be found or created, which was not easy.


    Lord Armaments were much of the same as Exalted Armaments, but it required a Lord-rted title to be used without suffering the consequences. The acquisition of equipment or skill was different. When a person became a Holy or Dark Lord, the released energy always amassed itself into a skill. But if the energy was potent, it could manifest into either a weapon or piece of armor that only improved upon their strength. As for how to be one? You needed to reach the cap of Lv. 99 and max out either [Holy Infusion] or [Dark Infusion]. Seemed simple enough, but at a certain point, it took months or literal years to increase your level unless you fought monsters way above your paygrade. And those two skills required either a lot of training since Holy Mana and Dark Mana were the strongest types of mana. Oh, and you couldn''t cheat and use SP, either.


    Some Holy and Dark Lords often used an incredible amount of wealth and resources tomission an extremely skilled cksmith to forge multiple Lord Armaments just for them. However, the process was many times more difficult and strenuous than creating an Exalted Armament, and there was a high chance of failure.


    That was one way. The second was to find a Lord Armament lost away to the world. And the third was to kill a lord and take their gear as their own, which was possible since a Holy Lord could use a Dark Lord¡¯s Lord Armament. Lord Skills could not be found in Skill Orbs hidden deep within dungeons, but they could be inserted into one.


    When someone became a Holy or Dark Lord, if they were especially powerful, the resulting skill or equipment born from their mana would be known as a Divine Armament. Only the absolute strongest equipment and skills held the distinction of ¡®Divine.¡¯ Sekh¡¯s mace and [Tyranny Control] belonged to this group. [Chimeric Mastery] and [Wrath, mes of Inexhaustible Indignation] were members too. Divine Skills did not have levels, so they had to be improved upon manually without the aid of SP.


    Divine Armaments could not be forged, and the skills could not be stored within an orb. In fact, most people even didn¡¯t know of Divine Armaments because they were just so incredibly rare. Even as powerful as they were, Divine Armaments had the same requirements as Lord Armaments. Those that knew about them even theorized there was an evolution beyond bing a Holy or Dark Lord.


    When I asked about [Hermes Trismegistus] and how it was a ¡®**** Skill,¡¯ Tilde said I had to be worthy of it before it became revealed.


    Tilde effortlessly switched topics to dungeons. Some had requirements, like needing a certain amount of people in your party, an average level, or even an item to enter. Depending on the size, a group of people would have to take anywhere from a few hours to a few years toplete them, but the multi-year-long dungeons were extremely rare.


    Inside, you could find treasure chests with items respective to the dungeon¡¯s difficulty. They regrly respawned, so it was possible to farm them at the ire of others. Dungeons could have traps to make exploration harder, and each one had a boss at the end. This monster dropped the most loot, but unless it was a raid boss, only one group could fight them at a time. If multiple parties wanted to challenge the boss, they would have to wait outside the boss¡¯s chambers. From here, two things could happen.


    If victorious, the challenging party had time to loot before stepping into the teleportation circle to be warped to the lobby. It was optional since they could always just walk out of the dungeon the way they came in.


    If defeated, the boss¡¯s chambers would open for anyone toe in and remove the corpses. Sekh chimed in and said it wasn¡¯t rare for someone to follow a group to a boss and wished for their death to steal from their corpses.


    Either way, once the boss¡¯s chambers closed, something was going to die.


    I was going to survive. I¡¯d w myself out of hell if it meant spilling Meruria¡¯s blood.


    But speaking of items, some equipment dropped in the dungeons automatically came with enchantments. And of those, Tilde said some examples were {Flight}, which allowed you to fly, {Aegis}, an almost mystical enchantment that nearly made you immune to all types of damage, and {Mana Regeneration}, an enchantment that increased the rate your mana regenerated. Thatst bit was self-exnatory, but Tilde said if someone had enough resources, they could get the Lv. 10 version of that enchantment on all their gear, and they could cast magic indefinitely without even a millisecond of rest.


    She wanted me to imagine an assault rifle with {Mana Link} while wearing equipment that basically allowed me to never pull my finger off the trigger.


    <i>That sounds powerful... Just what I need to take down that bitch Holy Lord.</i>


    I had a quick thought about monsters, and Sekh told me about the Ancient Elder Dragons. She had a toon of them under her control, and she fondly reminisced about the fight since she had to overpower them. They had an average level of 170, just 29 away from the cap. Something virtually impossible to reach because it took so long to level up when you broke the barrier of 99. Even bringing down one required a hundred warriors of the same level that specialized in killing the winged menaces.


    <i>And Sekh enved them all? She was so powerful.</i>


    That segued into monster cores, but I already know about them. But what I didn¡¯t know was that a monster could eat the core of another monster to grow stronger. Tilde referred to this as ¡®Bootleg Chimerism,¡¯ and I had to agree.

 Chapter Thirteen: Death’s Close Encounter

    Chapter Thirteen: Death¡¯s Close Encounter


    ¡°How¡¯s that?¡± I asked, holding a pair of stone knives in my hand.


    <b><i>New Title: [Novice Stonesmith]</i></b>


    ¡°Eh? They¡¯re pretty shit. The de¡¯s lumpy, the handle isn¡¯t straight, and the point isn¡¯t a point,¡± Tilde said, criticizing me. ¡°But that¡¯s good for someone totally new to it. Keep practicing, but don¡¯t forget to register it with the arsenal.¡± I did what she said, but I wasn¡¯t angry. I knew the first attempts would turn out like shit. After registering both knives, I ced them in [Storage] and smiled because it felt good to make something. I was actually being productive with my time. But I knew I couldn¡¯t becent and rely on this sparse sess to impart false confidence.


    My sharp ears picked up the ugly buzzing of maggots disgustingly feasting on my first prey, which broke me from my thoughts. A boar was snooping around, and I ordered Sekh to restrain this sacrifice because I wanted to experiment.


    The lowly lesser porcine was no match for her grip. She mmed into the beast from behind and used her strength to break its hind legs. Next came the front, and I slowly approached the trembling thing as my hand morphed into the head of its kin. The mouth opened wide, saliva falling in anticipation of devouring my prey as the powerful jaws bit down on the squirming boar¡¯s head.


    It desperately cried out as I increased the biting force. The skull cracked, removing any resistance I was facing. It didn¡¯t take long after topletely chop through a quarter of the animal¡¯s face, and I smoothly started to assimte it.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re taking to your abilities quite rapidly. It¡¯s a good omen,¡± Sekh said. She simply watched as I ate, the smile on her face as bright as the sun until it suddenly resembled a wilted flower.


    ¡°MASTER!!!¡± Sekh and Tilde cried out at the same time. Right when her voices left their lips, something rammed into me from behind, piercing my wooden chainmail and goring me through my lower abdomen. I was thrust forward, barely missing Sekh¡¯s head as I tumbled through the grassy in. A stream of thick, dark blood trailed behind me as Tilde and I screamed until our throats were raw. I slowly came to a stop; my blood smeared all over.


    <i>What?! GAAAHH!!! It¡­ It burns!!!! What? Tilde? Fuck! It hurts so goddamn bad¡­ Is she feeling this?!</i>


    ¡°RRRAAAHHHHH!!!¡± I heard Sekh shout as a series of loud, dull thuds rang filtered in my ears. It was like someone was punching a mattress filled with flesh. In a painful daze, I tried to push off the ground and turn around, but my hand was still transfigured. In this panicked state of mind, it wouldn¡¯t revert to normal.


    <b><i>New Title: [Boar yer ¨C Protector (I)]</i></b>


    <i>Is it dead?</i>


    A set of hands soon grabbed my back as the emerald grass was reced by a sky of blue. Sekh¡¯s bloody face stared into my eyes,manding me to use biomass to heal myself.


    ¡°GODDAMN IT! DO IT ALREADY!!! IT FUCKING HURTS!!!!!¡± eximed Tilde.


    <i>It...hurts?</i>


    My thoughts were strangely slow and calm. My eyes closed since it hurt to open them, but Sekh shook my shoulders as a pair of small, weak hands touched my cheeks. ¡°Master! Think of your body as viewing it from an outside perspective. Focus on the area where you feel the pain! Please, hurry! Your HP is dropping fast! It¡¯s almost gone!!!!¡± she shouted, shaking me even more. Her voice was dull. Very dull. And quiet, like the whispers of a dying mouse.


    <i>My...HP? That...green bar? It¡¯s empty... No, almost... I... I don¡¯t want to die...</i>


    But¡­ I had to do what she said. Keeping my eyes open, I did my best to view myself from above. There was the long honey-blond hair¡­ The set of nearly lifeless eyes nkly staring up at an emotional Lionfolk¡­ The hole in¡ª


    <i>Hole? No, that¡¯s not right. Fill it with biomass.</i>


    Something warm bubbled up. Then something snapped into ce, extending out¡­


    <i>Muscle? Sinew? Fat? Blood? Stomach? Abdomen?</i>


    ¡°Eh?!¡± Sekh eximed. Her gaze moved from my face to my stomach and stared hard at a startling sight. I couldn¡¯t see it, but I felt my stomach repair itself like magic. The yellow bar drained faster than the green one filled up.


    ¡°The pain¡¯s disappearing¡­ Keep it up, Master,¡± Tilde said, her voice far less coarse.


    The organs were fixed first. The skin regenerated second and enclosed the wound. As I felt that happen, the color, rity, and audible noise returned to my eyes and ears. I transformed my hand back to normal, then sat up and touched the healed wound, but my hands encountered Sekh¡¯s head.


    She kissed my stomach and rubbed her cheeks, endlessly apologizing for forgetting to mention the protectors. ¡°What attacked you,¡± she whimpered. ¡°It was the Protector of Forest Boars. Wildlife monsters have a system to prevent overhunting. It suddenly spawned behind you... I¡¯m sorry!¡± Sekh cried and wiped her eyes on my bare flesh, but I grabbed her shoulders and pulled her up for a hug.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I told her. My hands went to her back and softly rubbed. ¡°I was going to be hurt eventually, so I was going to have to learn how to heal myself. Sekh, look at me.¡± Her tearful eyes nced up, meeting my own as a pair of hands caressed her cheeks. We touched our foreheads together, and that was enough to calm her down. I took the lead in standing up, and together, we walked back to the protector as Tilde berated me harshly for not keeping an eye on my map.


    Yeah, I had no excuse, and I apologized. She lifted her dress to show her healed stomach, and she said it was no big deal since this was literally my first day on the job. I asked if she realized she just shed me, and she smugly grinned and said if I wanted to see more, I had to pay for it. I just groaned and looked at the dead animal Sekh had killed.


    Her viciousness was on disy. Therge beast¡¯s stomach was brutally carved open, and the smell of singed meat permeated the air. ¡°Lv. 3?¡±


    ¡°It was,¡± Sekh said, her voice back to its normal tone. She wiped her runny nose and spoke about fighting things above your level. The difference wasn¡¯t as extreme at lower levels, where you could fight without much risk. But a Lv. 99 dragon against a Lv. 80? Not a chance. But fifty Lv. 80s against that same dragon? That was more of a fair fight.


    After assimting most of the boar and filling my biomass from 17% to 100%, I refrained from eating the tusks because I had ns for them. I also realized the protector and its wards were considered different species.


    <b><i>New Skill: [Piercing Thrust (Lv. 1)]</i></b>


    I wanted to test out the skill the big pig used to gore me, but my torn clothes came first. Since we were near the temple ruins, we walked over there. After gathering some vines and arge handful of crispy leaves, I began to poke a small hole in each to weave the vine through until I made a patch. I stripped down to my leafy bra, retrieved some sticky sap, and did the repairs. The knowledge gained from [Nature¡¯s Workshop] worked wonders, but the overall result was amateurish and sloppy because I didn¡¯t have any supporting skills to draw knowledge from. To make up for my inexperience, I created about four more patches to assure the hole was fixed. While I did that, Sekh took some water from my canteen and washed away the dried blood on my skin and pants.


    The chainmail was fucked, but that was fine. I used my stone knife from [Artificer¡¯s Arsenal] to cut off long, thin strips of wood, then sliced those down to size while using the sap to keep the repairs in ce. The problem was that the other links were round, and I was using straight pieces to fix it.


    But I didn''t care. If it looked a little weird, it didn¡¯t bother me.


    After getting dressed, I looked at my map and found two boars not too far away. They looked to be crossing the road, and I figured they would be the perfect test subjects for my next experiments.


    Upon transfiguring my hand into the protector¡¯s head, I was ready to try out my first skill. Mastery Menu finally had something popting it, and [Piercing Thrust] had a small bar that measured my progress. As we walked to the boars, Tilde told me something interesting.As a chimera, I was a monster, and they had the innate ability to use skills wordlessly without chanting.


    For some reason, something told me to take aim with Reina¡¯s gun. When I did, I was alerted to something very interesting.


    <b><i>New Skill: [Chimeric Armatization]</i></b>


    Reina¡¯s pistol shimmered a glowing silver, changing its appearance to suit the color scheme of a simple iron spear. The front sight went from a silver rectangle to the pointy tip of ance, and the cherry wood grip became a deeper shade of brown. Power resided within the barrel when the trigger was pulled, draining me of mana and biomass while sting a bloody hole through my closest target¡¯s side.


    Rushing forward, I stored my pistol within my mana and used [Piercing Thrust] with my transfigured hand.


    The tusks glowed white, and I brought my arm back and punched forward, lodging them into the second pig¡¯s head to puncture the skull and destroy the brain. I hastily transitioned into devouring them in a smooth movement.


    Sekh asked about my gun changing forms, and I really didn¡¯t know what happened. I just had that new skill to go on, so I told her about it. Tilde was drawing a nk, so I opened the Skill Menu.


    <ul>


    <li>Chimeric Armatization


    <ul>


    <li>When the user uses a skill while wielding the same type of weapon that is their Soul Weapon, it will change form to empower and enhance the skill. [Chimeric Armatization] requires biomass in addition to mana. If the weapon uses ammunition, the user must provide it if {Mana Link} is not avable.</li>


    </ul>


    </li>


    </ul>


    Tilde dove into another lecture, citing that Soul Warriors had protections preventing them from turning into a chimera when the conditions were met. Since I was a 0-Star soul, I had nothing like that. It was extremely rare, but [Chimeric Mastery] must¡¯ve done something to my Mastery Menu and [Soul Armatization] to produce [Chimeric Armatization], a Divine Armament. Sure, it was nice to have, but if I used Reina¡¯s gun, mana and biomass would be drained from me. If I had a regr gun that used ammo, both would still be used, the former at a lesser rate, until the skill was mastered. At that point, mana was the only resource if I used real ammo, not biomass. At least, I thought it worked like that.


    <i>That¡¯s just another thing I¡¯m going to have to think about. It¡¯s no use trying to dive right in when I¡¯m clearly wading through the deep end. Just take it one step at a time.</i>


    ¡°And with that, I¡¯ve tested everything out,¡± I said, swallowing thest mouthful of boar meat. We walked back towards the main road while setting off towards Ria. Tilde led the way as she sat on my shoulder.


    We spoke about my new skill and how best to use it. Until I had [Piercing Thrust] mastered, I had to transfigure into the boar to have its mana flow through me. Eventually, I believed I could remain in my current form and channel [Piercing Thrust] through my gun without needing to transfigure. But transfiguring made the skill more powerful because the mana from the monster the skill came from flowed through me. The question was this: was the additional biomass worth the added damage? Sekh said figuring that out would be the key to reaching my full potential.


    Along the way, I stopped to cut off a branch and started to whittle it into a general spear shape with my stone knives. Sekh and Tilde silently observed as I stored that in my storage and retrieved a tusk. With Yaekira¡¯s daggers, I straightened it out and sharpened it as best as I could before I used some leftover vine to tie the tusk to the spear. I was having trouble, so I hollowed out the bottom innards of the tusk and thinned out the top of the spear to make the two pieces fit better, and I tied it all up. Once done, a disy appeared, and I named my new creation.


    <b><i>Boar Tusk Spear (0/0)</i></b>


    I handed the makeshift, shoddy weapon to Sekh, and she took it with a smile. I knew she would rather have a mace, but I didn¡¯t have the skills to do that. Still, she appreciated the gift and kissed me on the cheek as she stored it on her backpack. After picking up a few more rocks, we walked the rest of the way in idle conversation as I tried to craft a better version of my stone knives.

 Chapter Fourteen: Adventuring Basics (Illustrations!)

    Chapter Fourteen: Adventuring Basics (Illustrations!)


    After what felt like hours of walking, the trees to our left were reced by a cliff, and I was introduced to the ocean. I couldn¡¯t help but smile because I¡¯d never seen it in person. The water just looked so fantastically blue, and the strong waves rocked the boats and ships with such ease that I thought they were about to flip over.


    I was so mesmerized I kept staring out the wide blue yonder for another thirty minutes with wonder in my eyes. When Tilde tapped my head to get my attention, I looked ahead and took in the outline of Ria. The foul-mouthed fairy said it was a vige, but it looked more like a town. At this distance, I was close enough for it to appear on my map, so I opened it and used [Analysis] to get some information. Then I realized I could use it on Dirge, the country we were in. I didn¡¯t have that option before, so I probably had to find andmark before that became avable. I was rewarded with information about the country, but it was mostly restricted to the climate until I explored more of it.


    Huh... It even used knowledge from my world to help me better understand it because it said the weather here was most simr to the Caribbean Inds. Ria had a poption of about 18,000, which was a good bit big, I supposed.


    After canceling out of the information screen, I scrolled my map around the city and saw three streams of water flow from the north before turning west. Since it was a coastal cliff-side city, there was obviously a harbor. Turning on satellite mode revealed a somewhat long downward path near the middle of town that you had to travel to reach the docks. But it was bigger than a simple vige.


    ¡°Good afternoon,dies. Wee to Ria! May I see your identification documents?¡± spoke the guard standing beside the eastern entrance to Ria. He was a Lizardfolk with gray scales covering his forearms, legs, and tail, but everything else was flesh and blood. Really, other than the tail, he looked like a human.


    ¡°Yeah... sorry about that. We lost our papers after a few pissed-off boars rammed our cart. Scared our horses, and they ran off with everything. You got a Scan Stone around here?¡± asked Tilde, who lied as easily as she breathed.


    ¡°That isn¡¯t a problem at all. Terkos, take over while I take them to the office!¡± the guard said, turning his head to another Lizardfolk that stood some distance away. He lifted azy hand, and we followed our escort to the office.


    Tilde climbed to my head and peeked down, staring into my eyes for a second or two before falling over. I caught her even as she screamed her head off. Our escort turned around in a sh, but Tilde meekly apologized and rubbed her head.


    As we followed the guard, I looked around and familiarized myself with Ria. It didn¡¯t seem to be divided into separate districts or portions, but it wasn¡¯t entirely mixed. Most buildings seemed to be built of stone and brick instead of straw or hay, and the roads were mostly paved and well-maintained. Men and women of all shapes and sizes walked amongst us. Not all of them were armed with weapons or armor. Some were just dressed in somewhat normal clothing that would be worn in the Middle Ages. Some of the women were even taller than me, with skin the color of dirt and muscles more defined than what Murag had.


    Amazons, they were called.


    They wore only panties, loincloths, and protective metal bindings over their chests while carrying powerful warhammers and battle axes. Power was everything to them. One caught my gaze and smiled, so they weren¡¯t without any manners, I guess. I also saw Ice Elves with their blue skin, Steel Dwarves with their steel-colored skin, and Deerfolk with the tall, imposing antlers stretching off their heads. This world really had it all. Humans seem to be a minority, though.


    As our guard escorted us, he also acted like a tour guide. He rmended the best ces to eat, the best ce to grab a drink after a hard day¡¯s work, and so on. We soon reached the guild, and our guide exined that the guild and government offices were in the same building. He escorted us in after ascending the stairs, and we encountered something like a post office.


    A few desks separated the open lobby from the space behind the counter, which held ss cases with red and blue colored bottles. A set of stairs led to the second floor. A steady amount of people wereing and going, so it looked like this ce was fairly popr. A few doors in the back behind the desk probably led to the back offices. Smartly dressed employees, mainly humans and elves, patiently spoke to adventurers who held papers from a quest board nearby.


    ¡°Okay, so let¡¯s get your documents. If you like, you could also sign up with the guild at the same time if you aren¡¯t a member.¡± I looked to Tilde, and she nodded, so I nodded right back at the guard.


    We waited in line until it was our turn. A few wordster, the elf receptionist excused himself to go to the back room, and he emerged with a circr stone. All I had to do was ce my hand on it. After a second, it glowed, and the light produced from the stone transformed into my identification documents. The guard scanned them over, then said everything seemed to be in order. He did the same for Sekh and Tilde. After wishing us well, he left to go back to his post.


    If I want to be honest, the whole interaction felt weird and awkward. Firstly, he didn¡¯t say anything about Sekh and her cor, though it wasn¡¯t his ce to involve himself, so that point was moot. Secondly, he actually treated me like a person and not as an afterthought. He wished me well, and that just didn¡¯t sit right in the pit of my stomach.


    I turned back to the receptionist and handed him my papers, and Tilde went off to look at the avable missions on the quest board. The process didn¡¯t take that long, either. The receptionist ced my papers under a metal registration card, and I had to add a drop of blood to the top.


    Secondster, Sekh and I walked away, but I wasn¡¯t happy. The bitch behind the desk said something about how a prissy princess like me had no ce on the battlefield, but he changed his tune when I summoned Yaekira''s daggers and danced them around my fingers. Equipment with {Mana Link} was rare, and my having one meant I was either strong or had powerful connections.


    ¡°Lyudm Springfield...¡± I said, joining Sekh. The silver ID card was physical proof of our rank with the guild. <i>We¡¯re rank I... That determines the difficulty of quests we can take on... Tilde said you get additional perks when you rank up. Is it worth it? Probably.</i>


    ¡°Here, take the one about the boar cores,¡± she told me. The fairy flew to my shoulder and rested against my head. ¡°The Mines of Gamor is an hour north of Ria. It¡¯s the perfect starter dungeon, so we don¡¯t have to overly prepare for it. It doesn''t even have any requirements. It might be a bit cramped, but whatever.¡±


    ¡°A dungeon already?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Uh, yeah? You want to get stronger, right? You can¡¯t do it just sitting around and jerking off. Besides, you''re still Lv. 1. We gotta pump those levels, girl."


    ¡°That does seem like a good option.¡± Sekh looked at me expectantly while gripping the weapon I made for her. It looked like she was raring for a fight. I honestly couldn¡¯t me her; I was almost craving battle myself. Could it have been my beastly instinct? Possibly.


    We left the guild, intending to leave through the northern gate to head to the dungeon, but I had other ns. I walked around Ria with Sekh and Tilde while using my map to locate any nearby firearms. Without a scan feature, I was limited to where I had gone.


    ¡°We¡¯re poor, so it¡¯s not like you can buy it,¡± Tilde said when I told her what I was doing. ¡°Wait¡­ If you had a skill like [String Shot] then maybe¡­ See, you have to be touching something to store it, but that something could be something that stretches really far.¡±


    ¡°So... Would a spider have that skill?¡±


    Tilde nodded. ¡°Yep! They can spawn in the mines. So, let¡¯s head there.¡±


    ¡°In just a second. I don¡¯t know if there are any guns around here. Let me find them first.¡± We continued to walk around, and I would do another search for guns, and it always returned with an error stating the target couldn¡¯t be found in the indexed areas.


    But it was working. I did a search for males, and about 10,000 results came back. From there, I could filter out the information by name, race, gender, and level. And I could see if those 10,000 had a specific skill. Or even what kind of weapon they held in their right hand.


    I also used my map to discover something interesting. The average level of all the guards was about 44, which wasn¡¯t that high, but Tilde said that 44 was pretty good. Most humans never progressed past Lv.65 because of their life span. Those dedicated could break through the first cap at 99, but they¡¯d be in their twilight years by then. Of course, there were outliers. There were rumors of a middle-aged human who was Lv. 150, and he was only 39.


    But gossip was gossip, and even if it was true, why did I care? I was too busy using my map to find a firearm, and after about twenty minutes, I got a hit. Immediately, I ced a waypoint on it because the gun wasn¡¯t on a person. It was inside a store


    I had Reina''s gun, but it took the wind out of me after a couple of shots. I''d rather have one that used bullets for the time being. At least until I could fire off a few dozen without passing out.


    We were in the town square, which seemed to be very popr. Benches and water fountains stood in the very middle, which held a statue of Gloria, the Holy Lord that ruled over Dirge. I couldn¡¯t make out her features, but she shared the same title as my mortal enemy.


    The store I walked into must¡¯ve been extremely popr since my map was full of white dots, and all of them were inside.


    And it was a tight fit. I had to raise my arms and squeeze past a few people to stop inside what looked like a general store. A sign on the wall said weapons and armor took up the third and fourth floor, so that was where I went, bypassing clothes, rope, oil,nterns, torches, canteens, backpacks, tents, and much more.


    The stairwell was awfully cramped to the point where we were almost shoulder to shoulder, but we finally made it. My target was hanging behind the counter, and to get there, you needed a key to open the door that led behind the counter if you didn¡¯t want to jump it. There was just one gun. It looked like a G19 9mm pistol, but [Analysis] just referred to it as a 9mm handgun. It even had the safety lever incorporated into the trigger.


    <i>I mean, Beretta and Glock were brands from my world. They might look like them, but they aren¡¯t them. I suppose there are only so many ways to make a gun.</i>


    It was all ck with nary a hint of color, unlike Reina¡¯s Scorpion¡¯s Bite. Four boxes of ammunitionid right under it. [Analysis] indicated each box held twenty 9mm rounds, and the gun had a 15-round magazine.


    <i>Why do I even need [Appraisal]? [Analysis] does everything better.</i>


    Strangely enough, there was no ss separating the customer from the employee. And in this case, the employee was a girl named Erin Bary. She was a 15-year-old Catfolk, and she was hard at work tending to the needs of the other customers. Her eyes were full of determination, and that violet tail, which matched her hair, never took a moment¡¯s rest.


    Spoiler


    [copse]


    ¡°We¡¯ll returnter,¡± I told Sekh and Tilde as we left. ¡°If she¡¯s still working by herself, it¡¯ll be easy to steal.¡±


    It took a while to leave that crowded store, but with the side missionplete, it was time to head to the dungeon.


    <hr>


    ¡°Okay, so the reason you haven¡¯t leveled at all isn¡¯t rted to your chimerism. It¡¯s because it¡¯s just a slow process,¡± Tilde said when we left out of the north gate. She made sure we were alone before she started talking.


    ¡°Why did I level up after killing that goblin?¡± I asked.


    ¡°The most logical exnation is that Meruria took the monster from a dungeon undergoing an event known as experientia. When that happens, the experience gained from a monster birthed from the dungeon is dramatically increased. There¡¯s no real rhyme or reason why it happens, but it just does. Okay, these are your goals! One: get to Lv. 2. Two: if you find any corpses, slurp them up. Three: find enough cores to sell so we don¡¯t have to sleep outside. I need luxury to maintain my adorableness. Four: find a spider monster and eat it. Eh, while we¡¯re kinda on the subject, I can talk about Bellerophon.


    ¡°Back in Big Tits¡¯ time, they weren¡¯t all that impressive. Really, they were little more than a guild that suddenly put on their big boy panties and fought like hell to carve their name in history. Don¡¯t really remember when it happened, but they aren¡¯t a joke anymore. Seriously, don¡¯t fuck with them. They''re outright experts at ughtering chimeras. They have an office in nearly every Divine Country and outposts in the Mortal Countries. Ah, that refers to countries that don''t have a Lord leading them.¡±


    ¡°How often are chimera made?¡± I asked. I looked back and made sure we had the road to ourselves. Then I realized I could use my map to aplish the same thing if I zoomed out just a little bit. It didn¡¯t work for what was ahead of me because I hadn¡¯t yet been there, but I could see if anyone wasing up the rear.


    ¡°It used to be one every four or five years,¡± Sekh answered. ¡°Has it increased?¡± Tilde nodded.


    ¡°Yep. Based on what I heard, there¡¯s a new one every year. That¡¯s on ount of how violent the world is. Seriously, you¡¯d think it¡¯d be more peaceful a thousand years after you, but it¡¯s not. Without amon enemy, people revert to their old ways.¡±


    ¡°It sounds like you didn¡¯t care if Sekh seeded or failed.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± Tilde remarked. She sat on my shoulders and cursed the sun before continuing. ¡°I was pretty much immortal. Even if the world went boom, I¡¯d have been fine. But now things are different. After I found you, I became kible. If I die, I stay dead. That¡¯s why you don¡¯t have to worry about me being in the way during fights.¡± Tilde jumped to the top of my backpack. It was sturdy enough to support her weight. She tapped my head and hummed a little tune.


    When she got tired of that, she realized she needed to speak about skills, but there wasn¡¯t much left for her to cover. She just said that using skills over and over again was an alternative to leveling them up, so I wasn¡¯t required to use SP to enhance anything. It was the same with gaining skills, so if Imitted myself to many months of hammering away at an anvil, I would soon learn [cksmith.] It seemed like SP was a shortcut¡ªone I was happy to take as long as I had some.


    <i>But I¡¯m a 0-Star¡­ Can I even learn skills naturally? </i>I asked that, and the answer was a no. It seemed like spending SP was my only path.But why could I learn titles? Sure, I didn¡¯t get any of the effects of using them, but it still seemed weird I could learn one but not the other. Tilde and Sekh didn¡¯t have an answer to it, so all three of us were confused.


    Somewhere along the way, I noticed that it wasn¡¯t just us traveling out to the dungeon. Wagons filled with supplies and people passed us by, and I kinda spied on them until they were out of my range.


    I thought it would be a Herculean task to assimte even the smallest thing without being caught, but I ended up only being partially right about that.

 Chapter Fifteen: The Mines of Gamor

    Chapter Fifteen: The Mines of Gamor


    ¡°Sekh!¡± I shouted, keeping a safe distance from the foe in front of me as it tightly gripped its spear and shield.


    <b><i>[Lesser Goblin Spearman ¨C Lv. 1]</i></b>


    Its gross green skin seemed to have cancerous boils. ¡°RRRAAAHHHHHH!!!¡± Sekh screamed, thrusting her spear forward, but it was blocked by the only remaining goblin. It was surrounded by four corpses after we hadunched a surprise attack against them. I didn¡¯t want to use Reina¡¯s gun because it was going to be myst resort, but I had a hunch. You see, people and monsters in this world really did not like the sound of gunfire. It was loud and attracted a ton of attention, but it worked well to sow confusion amongst our foes.


    None of them knew what was happening when I fired my initial salvo of bullets, taking down three foes with three precise shots to the head. Like a bolt of fierce fire, Sekh took full advantage of this opportunity and raced forward with a grin. Her first attack was lethal, finishing one of the two I had spared with a thrust through the back of the head. Then as she was facing thest one alive, she purposely had her spear blocked so she could grab the goblin¡¯s shield and scorch it with [ck Fire], which then spread to the goblin at lightning speed. It burned to death¡ªan agonizing scream erupted from its mouth until it no longer made a sound. Cooked flesh wafted up from the charcoaled corpse, but I smelled something delicious.


    <b><i>New Title: [Goblin yer (I)]</i></b>


    With the fight over, Sekh cut into the corpses to obtain their cores, stopping when she remembered I had [Auto-Loot]. I looked around this torch-lit room inside a dungeon.


    The Mines of Gamor was true to its name. After entering through the entrance that looked like a regr mine opening, we immediately ended up in something that looked grimmer than I expected. Thenterns and torches lining the walls did little to illuminate the surrounding areas. Even therge lobby was dark when not ounting for my night vision. It was all but required to carry personal torches so you could see more than a few feet in front of you. Admittedly, it didn¡¯t seem like theyout was thatplex. There were side rooms and hidden corridors, but everything connected to the main path that stretched from the lobby to the ramp leading further below. An aged dwarf in the lobby said the mines had two floors, so it was conquerable in a few hours at most.


    When I entered the dungeon, my map morphed into a 3-D model of theyout to better keep track of my position and location. Unfortunately, most of it was cked out because I hadn¡¯t filled it out. It traced my steps, though, making it hard to get lost.


    Sekh and I were in a side room near the beginning. The number of people we saw out front and inside the lobby suggested we were going to be around others, but I had a deterrent. People in this world really didn¡¯t like the sound of gunfire. The same went for the monsters, but like I had just proved, we could use that to our advantage.


    But I had to be conservative with Reina¡¯s gun. Three shots were enough to make me woozy, and four would almost certainly put me on my ass. Granted, assimting refilled my mana in addition to biomass, so if I had enough targets in front of me, I could, technically, shoot for hours without any repercussions. But I couldn''t count on that. Especially when inside a public dungeon. Sure, my map showed me everyone''s locations at all times, but 90% of it was cked out at the moment. And what about teleportation?


    Like the horny fairy said, it was better to be safe than sorry, especially when I was at the bottom of the totem of power.


    ¡°Tilde, go keep watch.¡±


    ¡°Got it, Master! Remember, don¡¯t leave anything left on your te. You have to eat it all,¡± replied the fairy. She flew from my backpack over to the doorway and hovered in ce like a sentry drone. With the coast clear, I assimted the corpses with my boar head hand after removing a glove, not stopping until they were nothing more than a bloody patch on the ground. Bones, fat, sinew, guts¡­ I devoured it all.


    <i>Mmm¡­ It tastes like chicken¡­</i>


    <b><i>You¡¯ve assimted Lesser Goblin Spearman!</i></b>


    <b><i>New Skill: [Shield]</i></b>


    <b><i>New Skill: [Spear]</i></b>


    My new additions were weapon skills, not active skills, meaning I didn¡¯t have to master them to use them since they were always on. In theory, I was a slightly stronger, more experienced fighter than someone without [Spear] or [Shield], but if I were to fight someone, victory would not be certain. More than likely? Yes, but not assured. I took out my spear from my storage and twirled it around my hand after putting my glove back on. The movements and motions came easier to me than before, and it felt like I had a bit of instinctual knowledge of how to more effectively stab something with it. Since I had the skill associated with the weapon type, it only made sense to fight with it. If I came across another shield, I was going to take it for myself


    ¡°Sorry, Master. If I had known they had that skill, I¡¯d have killed it differently,¡± Sekh said, looking slightly downcast. I just rubbed her head and said it was fine. She equipped [Goblin yer (I)] because it was almost certain we would fight more of those green bastards. As we walked back to Tilde, who waved at us, Sekh¡¯s tail wagged adorably from side to side.


    ¡°Stop using that fucking gun!¡± shouted a Dogfolk with green hair. She stared daggers at me as she walked down the dungeon¡¯s primary path with her party. We just ignored her, her teary eyes, and her folded ears as we entered the room across from us. The dungeon became somewhat moreplicated as progression was made. That was where most of the others went because the monsters there were more varied, like a Lesser Scatter Bat, Lesser Araneae, and more diverse goblins. The chests were more likely to spawn the deeper you went.


    Ah, that was another thing. When I had the dungeon mapped out, I could search from anywhere and anytime to see if the chests were avable for plundering. It was honestly quite amazing that there wasn¡¯t a range limit to searching. Even hours away, I could still open my map, scroll over to Ria, turn on satellite mode, find that shop with the gun, and observe. In real-time, I could basically spy on them, listen to their conversation, and track them with a waypoint. However, if they stepped in a ce I have not been, the waypoint would vanish until they appeared in an indexed area.


    ¡°Ignore them, Master. Her nunchucks are clumsy and prone to breaking. A gun is a much more sophisticated weapon. You can¡¯t pop a cap in someone¡¯s ass with a nunchuck, that¡¯s for sure,¡± Tilde chirped, shooting the Dogfolk a bird after threatening to whoop her ass.


    This new room was empty, save for a dead goblin in the middle. A cracked spear was stabbed through his head, probably the result of someone with a grudge. Sekh said most people became adventurers out of a desire to obtain fame, power, or fortune, but they often died young because of overconfidence. Some chose to embark on a crusade against monsters, the mostmon one being the goblin.


    They were an invasive species, and viges always put in an extermination request when a nest was discovered. These situations often ended with the overzealous fools bing hosts for the goblins and their parasitic seed. Yes, goblins reproduced by forcing their seed inside a male or female, and the parasitic offspring grows until it bursts out them, killing their host in the process.


    If that happened to someone¡¯s mother, her son, more than likely, would feel that it was his cause to rid the world of all goblins. A noble goal, you could say, since they were vile creatures.


    We had walked down a small corridor nearby and into a third room right as a group of spearmen spawned into existence. Magical energy welled up, creating their bodies from mana before my very eyes. Their bulging eyes and gross, sickly skin became solid. Spears and shields materialized, appearing to be gifts from the dungeon. Upon seeing Sekh and me, the little bastards pulled their loincloths to the side and exposed their reddened, inmed cocks. One even dropped his shield and stroked himself, a thick tongue hanging out the side of his mouth as he ran towards me with a crazed, lustful expression.


    ¡°Gg!!! Gue Gue Gue!!!!¡± chanted the ones in the back. It seemed they knew this was a dungeon meant for beginners and foolishly thought they had a chance against me.


    <i>[Deadeye], grant me uracy...</i>


    With a focused mind and determined spirit, I materialized Scorpion¡¯s Bite and channeled [Piercing Thrust] after growing tusks from the corner of my mouth. In my other hand, I held my spear. Surprisingly, it didn¡¯t hurt at all. I just needed the transfiguration energy flowing through me to ess the unmastered skills. I aimed and pulled my trigger, destroying the goblin from any raping it had in its future. The shot didn¡¯t kill it, but it sure sent a message.


    Dematerializing the gun, I used [Piercing Thrust] through my spear and threw it, finishing off the one I had wounded.


    <b><i>You¡¯ve mastered [Piercing Thrust]!</i></b>


    Sekh danced a ballet of death, sending the remaining goblins to the afterlife by alternating between [ck Fire] infused punches and deadly thrusts. Most of it was due to her overwhelming power, even considering she was a level 1 Dark Lord against level 2 goblins, but again, fear was instilled into their bodies by my gunshot. They hadn¡¯t yet recovered from the intense ringing in their ears.


    ¡°Can¡¯t believe they died with their hands on their cocks.¡± I spat on their corpses while retrieving my spear. ¡°Tilde, get on standby.¡±


    ¡°Goblins are disgusting creatures,¡± Sekh said, picking up a shield for herself. She gathered a second one for me to use after I devoured the nasty pests. I groaned when my arm shrunk, turned green, and started to smell. I shook away the transfiguration and slipped the glove back on.


    <i>Reina¡¯s arms are much preferable¡­</i>


    ¡°They knew [Spear] and [Shield], but mine didn¡¯t increase in level. Why?¡± I asked Tilde when she flew back over.


    ¡°If you could gain Lv. 10 in a skill by assimting a being with the skill ten times, chimera would rule the world with an iron fist.¡±


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s understandable. But let¡¯s say I assimte like 700 goblins. Would it increase then?¡±


    "Yep! I mean, you have [Timeless Existence], so there isn¡¯t any reason why you couldn¡¯t assimte those with [Spear] and [Shield] until they¡¯re maxed out. Just know that training is faster than that, and using SP is even faster because you get the results instantly. Oh, you¡¯re also really close to leveling up. A few more kills will do it for you. Too bad you won¡¯t get any SP. Being a 0-Star must majorly suck,¡± Tilde said as we retraced our steps and emerged into the room with the dead goblin. It wasn¡¯t alone, and there was a vtile Catfolk with a dagger. I recalled he was with that green-haired Dogfolk, earlier. Did they split up? He gave the corpse a postmortem execution, going so far as to curse the dead while stabbing into its stomach, sshing gore and guts everywhere.

 Chapter Sixteen: Another Dance with Death

    Chapter Sixteen: Another Dance with Death


    We left the angry Catfolk behind. I couldn¡¯t tell the color of his hair or tail since he was thoroughly covered in gore and guts.


    Upon turning to go down further, we walked through the empty mineshafts and found nothing interesting until we found a hidden path behind a stuck mine cart at a dead end. Sekh and I entered through the narrow opening to reach a small room.


    <b><i>[Lesser Araneae (*) ¨C Lv. 3]</i></b>


    A speedy invertebrate slithered across the ceiling to an immobilized humanoid-shaped figure wrapped in webs. Green venom dripped from its sharp fangs to the ground below. Tilde said the star symbol after its name signified it was an alpha member of its species. It was harder to kill, but it gave more experience. Some could even have unique skills.


    <i>A spider?! Jackpot! Since it¡¯s an alpha, it might be enough to level me up.</i>


    Sekh ran forward and attempted to get its attention, roaring as if she was a challenger vying for the right to rule. The spider slithered down off the walls and reared when it was close to Sekh. It was about 80% of her size and as ck as night with skinny, sharp legs. The only color was the nuclear waste-colored venom dripping from its fangs.


    Its leg thrusts were fast and true, breaking the shield Sekh held with a single powerful attack. I responded bying in from the back, using my newfoundbat knowledge to stab at its abdomen with my spear. Anguished hissing emerged from the front, and it hastily turned towards me with its two legs reared up. I raised my tatterdemalion shield to block the attack, but it wasn¡¯t up to the task. The spider¡¯s eight eyes stared me down as the fangs leaked gross venom, but I held my ground and raised my spear. I knew that it was a strong possibility I was going to get hurt, so I was ready to bear the pain and flood the wound with biomass.


    The enemy was pissed off enough to forget about Sekh, who engulfed her spear with [ck Fire]. She used all her strength to press it through the spider¡¯s wounded opisthosoma, which was enough to get it to turn around again to face the bigger threat. Painful hissing, almost like a mournful cry, echoed out from its mouth. I thought its fight or flight instinct was about to kick in, but I was totally wrong because this spider was an alpha.


    It was more than capable of deductive reasoning, which made it very dangerous.


    Momentster, the web balls itunched from its spinneret glued me to the wall behind me. Tilde had enough sense to crawl out of my backpack before we entered.


    The back of my skull bounced off the dirty, grimy wall, and I was desperately trying to fix the damage as my sight went blurry. Tilde¡¯s pained groans reached me. Then she cursed my name and told me to fight better.


    <i>Our pain is shared¡­ And that took off 20%?! Shit...</i>


    ¡°MASTER!!¡± Sekh cried. She growled and formed a tight fist that glowed with pure ck mes, connecting with the spider¡¯s head after dipping low to avoid a thrust aimed at her neck. Suddenly, the oversized bug skittered backwards and crawled over me, its sickening, burning fangs inches from my cheeks as the ming abdomen threatened to scorch me alive. Blood dripped down, covering my clothes as green venom follow behind.


    Was it using me as a hostage?! Sekh¡¯s fury increased because she had to be touching [ck Fire] to cancel it. She ran forward with a scream, but the monster called her bluff. Its sharp fangs pierced through my cheeks, injecting vile poison into the bloodstream while also melting my skin with the mes that transferred to me. It hurt so goddamn much gritted my teeth and implemented a n only a chimera could pull off even while my body was threatening to turn to ash.


    <i>Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! </i>Four blisteringly loud pops canceled the screaming, and Sekh froze and looked around for the shooter. She finally stared at me. ¡°What did you do?! Master?!¡± Sekh ran forward when the spider fell, dead. Bullet holes riddled its cephalothorax. She touched a hand to the spider and me to cancel her mes while apologizes endlessly flowed from her mouth.


    <b><i>New Title: [Araneae yer (I)]</i></b>


    <b><i>You¡¯ve reached Lv. 2. You¡¯ve gained 0 SP. You¡¯ve gained 3 SP from Sekh.</i></b>


    ¡°Aaaaahhhh--- Uuuuooahhhhh------¡± Even if the mes were extinguished, the damage was still there. The venom still circted through my bloodstream, making it hard to breathe. It was impossible to even formte a one-syble word, so speaking was out of the question.


    Tilde¡¯s wounds mirrored mine, and she was doing all she could to bear the pain. It was hard to focus since she was far away, but it looked like her skull was partly leaking down what little skin remained on her face.


    <i>It¡¯s the same for me...? Fuck... It hurts so goddamn much... My HP... It¡¯s so low... Twice in one day...</i>


    Sekh acted fast and ripped the spider in half, taking its meat by the handful and stuffing it in her mouth. She chewed it up finely and kissed me, forcing the meat down my throat because I couldn¡¯t even move my lips anymore.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for this,¡± Sekh whispered. She moved her head back and stuck her fingers down my mouth, pushing the meat down even more, and she repeated that a few more times until it was easier to move.


    <b><i>You¡¯ve assimted Lesser Araneae!</i></b>


    <b><i>New Skill: [Poison Fang]</i></b>


    <b><i>New Skill: [String Shot]</i></b>


    <b><i>New Skill: [Web Bomb]</i></b>


    <b><i>New Skill: [Poison Resistance]</i></b>


    Immediately, I navigated to my Skill Menu. For three SP, I could get [Poison Resistance] to Lv. 2, so I did that. Literally, the moment I pressed confirm, it felt like death¡¯s grip on my body vanished, and breathing was easier. My activity log also confirmed that I wasn¡¯t affected by the poison anymore. In the next instant, I pumped biomass through my body and felt my skin and skull regenerate along with the HP bar filling up. The agonizing burns, the aching head wounds, thecerations to my cheek from where the spider had bitten me...


    Biomass fixed everything up. I had gotten lucky with the mes because they didn¡¯t spread to my clothes, which was a blessing. They damaged my hair, but that grew back.


    ¡°To answer your question, I transfigured a goblin hand from the back of my neck and summoned Reina¡¯s gun to it. I don¡¯t have to rece things on my body. I can add to it,¡± I said, bringing out Yaekira¡¯s dagger to cut through the webs sticking me to the walls.


    ¡°MASTER!!!!¡± Sekh rubbed her hands over my already healed injuries and apologized a thousand times. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry!!!! Master, I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. See? It doesn¡¯t even hurt anymore. It¡¯s good you used your mes because it allowed me to attack it from behind.¡±


    ¡°But I swore to never hurt you! And I went against¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t. If you hadn¡¯t done that, the spider probably would have used its hind legs to pierce me through the heart or stomach. You scared it enough to use me as a hostage, and that¡¯s how I surprised it. Sekh, I¡¯m going to get hurt sometimes. I don¡¯t know the limit, but remember that I can heal myself,¡± Sekh had adverted her gaze, but upon my words, she finally nced up.


    The trembling Lionfolk met my gaze, and I hugged her. Her heart was beating extraordinarily fast. We remained like this for a minute or so¡ªenough time for Tilde toe over and chastise me for being an idiot and not using the gun from the beginning. But she didn¡¯t grind my faults and errors into the ground because she was pretty reasonable. She knew my past, so she understood I was the furthest thing from perfection. I was from a world where none of this existed, so it was all very brand-new to me because I hadn¡¯t even been Lyudm for more than 12 hours.


    <i>She¡¯s oddly pleasant for having a foul mouth.</i>


    ¡°From now on, you¡¯re strictly fighting from range. No more close-range bullshit for you. Pain hurts, alright? That¡¯s the second time in a thousand fucking years that I came close to fucking death,¡± Tilde said, putting a small hand to my wound. Her words were harsh, but her actions meant well.


    ¡°Master, I won¡¯t fail you again. I promise you.¡± The tears falling from Sekh¡¯s eyes dried up, and she broke off from the hug after apologizing for destroying the spear. I told her that was fine because the spear was a useless hunk of shit. She was far stronger with her fists, so she said she would remain unarmed and only use shields until she found a mace.


    <i>If I can find one at that shop, might as well steal it. Wait, or I can make one. Hmm... I have an idea.</i>


    After hours of fighting, we were finally Lv. 2. I announced I used my 3 SP gained from Sekh to level up [Poison Resistance]. Speaking of that subject, Tilde said that, in the best-case scenario, it took about 55 SP to level a skill to 10. But that was if you devoted your entire life to constantly train and improve that single skill. For most people, that wasn¡¯t happening. So, it was usually about 200 to 300 SP to get it to Lv. 10, which took many, many levels. Sekh used her SP to learn [Taunt], [One-Handed Mace], and [Shield]. It took 1 SP to learn and 1 SP to make it Lv. 2. The cost to level it up increased exponentially. Her ''experience¡¯ as the Dark Lord of Tyranny remained. If I had it right, she would require less SP than others to max out her skills, but the stronger a skill was, the more SP it needed.


    Once I made sure no one wasing this way, I decided it was time to test my new skills. [Web Bomb] was just a collection of webs packed together into a projectile, and I could shoot it from anywhere on my body. To have the spider¡¯s mana flowing through me, I just added a spider leg to my forehead to act like a temporary horn. When fired from Reina¡¯s gun, the weapon became covered with spider motifs. It seemed decent. It wasn¡¯t meant for heavy damage unless you mmed someone into a hard surface. [String Shot], though¡­


    ¡°Master? What¡­¡± Sekh watched as I aimed my gun up and shot into the ceiling. I came up with it. When I released the trigger, the skill canceled while leaving the web behind, but if I aimed and shot another one¡­


    I could swing across the ceiling like a certain superhero Greggie once raved about.


    ¡°Sekh, I¡¯ll leave thending to you!¡± My protector gracefully caught me.


    After thanking her, she put me down. I ate the rest of the spider to regain my spent mana and biomass, sparing the legs because I had ns for them. With no more enemies around us, I couldn¡¯t test out [Poison Fang], but that was fine. We walked over to the web cocoon stuck to the ceiling, and I pulled it down with my new web abilities. It cracked on impact, sending up plums of gray dust.


    The webbing broke to reveal a person whose blood and organs had been sucked dry by that spider. The corpse had no hair, and the skin was stretched to its limit, but from the pelvis area, the corpse looked female.


    ¡°Mira¡­¡± I said while my boar swallowed what was left of her. Sekh looked confused, but Mira was this girl¡¯s name. That was all I knew as the taste of chalk invaded my mouths. When the deed was done, I felt different in a good way!


    <b><i>You¡¯ve assimted Mira and acquired 10 SP.</i></b>


    My hand soon became Mira¡¯s. Her nails were long and pretty, sparkling with some type of nail polish with small crystals. Her fingertips and palms didn¡¯t have a single callous, but they were the same color as my tits. Tilde exined that when I assimted a person, I acquired all of their SP¡ªeven the SP that had been used. Unfortunately, I did not receive their skills, but that was fine because I obtained the actual skills from monsters. The activity log actually made mention of this refund by disying what skills Mira did have at hermand. She was a mage, with [Fire Magic], [Water Magic], [Sewing], [Calligraphy], and [Mana Perception], which allowed her to see the mana within the world. Maybe it was a mage thing, but I didn¡¯t care about that. What I did care about was that I felt more powerful assimting her than I did all those monsters. It seemed that eating humanoids were the fastest way for me to grow stronger.


    But now that I had SP to spend, not counting when I hastily upgraded [Poison Resistance], I opened my Skill Menu and saw about 14 skills avable for me to learn, including the ones Mira had known. Tilde said there were far more than 14, but the rest wouldn¡¯t appear because one or more requirements had to be met. One: I needed to have at least half of the SP needed to buy before it would show up. Two: for some skills, I needed a rted title. Three: you had to have attempted to manually learn the skill. Four: you had to be a certain level. Five: as a chimera, if I assimted someone, all of their skills would be avable for purchase without satisfying any requirements. That was how I had magic avable to me, which usually needed months and years of training to learn how to chant in thenguage of mana. As a chimera, I could ignore that requirement.


    When someone learned a skill, it was engraved into their soul by the system that governed this world, and the body was responsible for using the skill. For someone who was able to reincarnate their physical body while keeping their soul, Sekh¡¯s Skill Menu was a direct 1-to-1 copy of the skills she had avable at the end of her previous life. For obvious reasons, this was very good. But it wasn¡¯t like Sekh could buy something like [Ice Immunity] without buying [Ice Resistance] first. Most of the extremely powerful skills had other skills that needed to be learned first. And that was fine. The important thing was that Sekh could clearly see them within her Skill Menu without going through the incredibly tedious effort of making the skill show up to even buy them.


    That also meant arge portion of the work was done should she want to manually learn them. Her ascension to her former status of power <i>would not</i> take as long as it did the first time.


    I decided to save my SP for a rainy day, which Tilde said was a good idea. I moved my attention to the eight spider legs and got to work on my next weapon. Yaekira¡¯s daggers were used to cut two literal chunks of stone from the wall. The first was longer than the second, and after a few minutes, I carved it into a suitable handle to support the mace head I was making with the second. I couldn¡¯t quite cut it into a perfect sphere, but it was good enough.


    All that was left was to make a small, hollowed hole for the handle to go into, and I was done. Well, I was after I used a ton of my webs both in the hole and on the handle to make a secure connection. Next came the spiky bits, and the spider legs came in handy there. It was just a matter of cutting off the tips, making a few more holes, and using my webs to stick everything together. Once it was done, a window appeared, and I named my weapon.


    <b><i>Stoney Spider Mace</i></b> <b><i>(0/0)</i></b>.


    <i>Not that I can, but I can¡¯t put any enchantments on any of my weapons...</i>


    Sekh hugged her new mace to her chest while I snacked on the remaining spider legs I didn¡¯t use. ¡°I don¡¯t know how long my webs will act like glue, but hopefully that works well enough until I can something better.¡±


    "That¡¯s two weapons I¡¯ve destroyed that you¡¯ve made for me. Master, there won¡¯t be a third.¡±


    ¡°If you need to break it, that¡¯s fine. I can whip another one up, alright?¡± Sekh wordlessly nodded.


    We made our way back to the lobby by following my map. We had ventured further than I thought we would have, so it was something of a walk. Once there, people did not look happy to see me. That green-haired Dogfolk was talking to the same Catfolk that brutalized that goblin corpse. When they weren¡¯t bad-mouthing me, I¡¯d learned the girl¡¯s name was Ginnie, the goblin stabber was Chax, and those two and three others formed a party of five. Their average level was 6.


    <i>Well, I don¡¯t care.</i>


    Tilde flew to my head and flipped them off right when we emerged outside. The fresh p of clean air felt heavenly, and Sekh alerted me that it was night. I had a clock in my vision, but I rarely looked at it.


    Some aged adventurer cooking meat over a campfire nearby gave me a stern warning about using guns, but I ignored him.


    <hr>


    ¡°HA! Didn¡¯t you hear me?! I¡¯m Noelia goddamn Carpenter! The 1-Star Soul Warrior summoned by Holy Lord Gloria!¡±


    The guild was in a tizzy because some drunk bitch had to make a scene. I told Sekh we should have stayed a little bit longer in the dungeon so we could have avoided this. Noelia spun in ce in the middle of the guild, merrilyughing her head off. Her skin was the color of olives. The sleeveless shirt she wore didn¡¯t seem suitable to fight in. I had thought it was a simple casual outfit, but she had elbow and kneepads with armored boots covering her feet. Her ck hair was super wavy.


    But Noelia wasn¡¯t alone. As she retrieved a hammer from her belt loop and waved it around, I saw a hooded figure in the corner. They gripped their wooden staff as if it was theirst ally. Every time Noelia came closer to them, their long sleeves flinched. As Sekh and I were waiting to turn in the quest and monster cores, the hood eventually came down.


    ¡°She¡¯s part cyclops and Lizardfolk," Sekh said, staring at the girl¡¯s red eye. ¡°A half-breed.¡± Her skin was simr in hue to a lightened baby blue. In fact, it almost reminded me of powdered ice. Deep purple scales covered a part of her neck. I couldn¡¯t see her arms or legs, but she probably had a few there. And there was a purple lizard-like tail peeking out from her backside, but it was very still and motionless. It seemed her hair was a mix of white and ck, yetrge portions looked like they were yanked out. Almost like she had been tortured. If the robe came off, would she have the wounds, scabs, and scars that I once had? But who did it? Her parents? The bitchy Soul Warrior? Was she the one who sped that cor around her neck? Or was it Gloria?


    <i>Eh, it doesn¡¯t concern me.</i>


    It was none of my business. We eventually made it to the front of the line,pleted the requests we had taken, and sold the rest of the cores. I didn¡¯t want to expose [Storage], so I used my backpack as a proxy. We managed to gain some coin, but Tilde said it wasn¡¯t a lot because the monsters around here are weak with worthless cores. She exined we could buy a week in a cheap inn fancied by prostitutes or a single day in a marginally better ce.


    And that began our next mission. We had to find a ce to stay. Somece with enough privacy, for obvious reasons, of course, but also a ce that didn¡¯t break the bank.


    <i>Well, I do have those clothes. Those are bound to be worth a pretty coin, so let¡¯s see if we can find a ce that¡¯ll buy them. Ah, but I need that gun first. Okay, so do that, and it¡¯s time to find shelter.</i>

 Chapter Seventeen: Finding Shelter

    Chapter Seventeen: Finding Shelter


    It was all so easy to steal something when you could shoot web from your wrist and stash whatever it touched in a dimension away from space and time. Especially when the only employee was overworked, tired, and suffering from exhaustion. Add in a hyperactive fairy with a foul mouth to further distract the Catfolk, and I was able to walk out with that gun, 80 rounds of ammo, and a backup mace for Sekh. I held the weapon and ammo within my storage because I didn¡¯t want to be seen with them. Especially if High Elves were supposed to be disinclined to firearms. Seeing one with a gun was like spotting a blue moon. But with that aplished, it was time to find shelter.


    For the next two hours, Sekh and I went from shop to shop to barter for a ce to stay. The clothes Amos made for his warriors wereworth a lot, and from the shopkeepers I talked to, perhaps that was too true. Not even one could afford it for my asking price. I didn¡¯t have [Estimation], so the information didn¡¯t show up, but one of the shopkeepers did, and he nearly passed out. ording to him, if I were to get full value for it, I would have enough money to, theoretically, start my own country. Realistically, only heads of nations and the wealthiest merchants would have enough coin to buy it outright. When I mentioned selling it for about half its worth, the merchant kicked us out and told us not to return.


    But all was not lost. During our travels around Ria, we overheard word of a ce called the Gecko Swap Shop. It didn¡¯t have a fantastic reputation, and people avoided going there, but that gave me an idea. If people refused to go there, then it was struggling for money. If so, then wouldn¡¯t they be desperate enough to take my offer? And if they were, would they be willing to offer a girl, her Lionfolk, and a rude fairy shelter and food? Especially if she added a second garment worth thousands of gold coins?


    I¡¯d like to think so. But that was myst choice because of the troubles that came with staying with strangers. I¡¯d prefer to stay alone. I spoke my worries to Sekh and Tilde, but the fairy said beggars couldn¡¯t be choosers. ¡°You can stay out in the wild, I mean. That¡¯s always an option. I thought I saw a farmhouse down the road, so you can ask to stay in their stables with the animals. Maybe you can think about that if we get rejected from this shop, but seriously, you don¡¯t have that many options. It¡¯ll be different if you had [Base Body], but that¡¯s not in the uing schedule for a fledgling like you. You just gotta be vignt and take precautions to make sure no one finds out about your secret.¡±


    It turned out [Base Body] was a skill all chimera received when ranking up from Lesser Chimera to Minor Chimera. That was yet another goal to set our sights on. ¡°Yeah, I suppose you¡¯re right. Still, it¡¯s only normal for me to be a little bit wary, right?¡± When Tilde nodded, I searched for the ce and found it. A quick waypoint and a few minutes of walkingter, we crossed the area where there were three streams of water. The town had been built around them, so it was like three separate walkingnes with little bridges every few meters to walk from onene to the other.


    It was oddly idyllic.


    ¡°Thank you for shopping at the Gecko Swap Shop! Pleasee again!¡± I looked towards a soft voice at the base of the waypoint and spotted a green-skinned girl with two ck horns jutting out from her forehead. I couldn¡¯t see where they began because her ck hair covered them, but she waved at the old man walking away with a cane.


    <i>There¡¯s a lizard curled up within the ¡®o¡¯ in Gecko.</i>


    ¡°And there it is,¡± I told Sekh. We hustled over the nearby bridge and jogged down the streets to the shop. A small bell signaled our arrival as we packed into the store. It seemed to be more like a general store in the sense that it had a little bit of everything. Clothes, armor, weapons, rope, matches,nterns? It was all neatly organized in the little space avable to them.


    ¡°Hello! My name is Irisa! How can I help you?¡± said the girl with the two horns as she emerged from a room behind the counter. ording to what Tilde and [Analysis] told me, this girl was an oni¡ªthe second stage of the Ogre Evolution Path. She was a little bit taller than me, so I pegged her to be about 6.5 feet tall. She wore a loose-fitting shirt that showed off her muscled abs while supporting her busty chest. It didn¡¯t seem like something merchants usually wore, but whatever. It was almost 8 PM, so the shop was probably about to close.


    ¡°This is a shop, right? Do you buy things?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°Yep. Unfortunately, we¡¯re limited in what we can take right now,¡± Irisa said. She sounded kind of dejected, but she folded her hands on the counter and kept a smile.


    ¡°Then how about a trade?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s more likely. What do you have?¡± I took off my backpack and sat it on the counter while taking out Susize¡¯s shirt. Tilde fluttered near Irisa and stared at her tits.


    ¡°Umm... Yes?¡± she asked the flying menace.


    ¡°You¡¯re stacked, aren¡¯t you?¡± Tilde blurted out. ¡°I bet you use a lot of fabric to support those puppies. Gotta be hard to carry the mountains.¡±


    The oni started tough. ¡°I¡¯ve never met a fairy like you before. Oh?¡± Irisa held a pensive look in her eyes as she felt the fabric with her hands. Sheid Susize¡¯s shirt t and took a magnifying ss to examine thecy holes. I noticed a small twitch in her eye, and something told me I was about to get scammed.


    "They aren¡¯t worth that much... I can tell you that. I can offer you a trade, though.¡±


    ¡°That''s a load of shit. I know they¡¯re worth a lot because they were made by Holy Lord Amos.¡±


    She froze and stammered. ¡°That¡¯s the understatement of the century. [Appraisal] says these were made over a thousand years ago. And they¡¯re in such great shape, too. Honestly, I don¡¯t think anyone in the world has enough money to buy this for what it¡¯s worth. And I knew I couldn¡¯t get one over on a High Elf. Your eyes are way too sharp... Mom¡¯s gonna kill me...Is it too much to hope that there¡¯s something I can do to smooth things over?¡± Irisa frowned for a moment, but she shed a mncholic smile a moment after. I was always decent at reading between the lines. Acquiring these eyes only ameliorated my perception.


    The hardwood floors were dusty and unkempt in a few spots. With [Analysis], the average quality, while better than what I could make, was something to be desired. And when that old man walked out, he didn¡¯t have anything with him. Irisa¡¯s aggressiveness¡ªno, it wasn¡¯t that. It was almost something like desperation that caused her to try to take advantage of a customer. A merchant¡¯s reputation determined if their business would thrive or die.


    <i>Seems like the rumors were true. This ce is going through hard times. I can probably snag a room to stay in. There are two bedrooms on the second floor that I saw with my map¡¯s satellite mode. The stairs are behind that door with the employees only sign. But staying with two strangers in a small house that functions as a shop is precarious. I don¡¯t want to risk it, but the alternative is staying in a shabby inn with no privacy, camping in the wild, or staying in a barn that might have others in it. </i>


    ¡°Barter,¡± I simply said. Sekh remained quiet as she looked around the store. She was gone a thousand years, so I was sure there were things here she hadn¡¯t ever seen before.


    ¡°Barter? There is nothing in here that evenes close to being what that shirt is worth.¡±


    Tilde looked at me, and I began to weave a tale of lies. I may have been a warrior summoned by Meruria, but right now? I was Lyudm Springfield, a young High Elf who left her vige to begin her training. I only had Sekh and Tilde as mypanions, and somewhere along the way, my horses were spooked and ran away with my cart. The only thing I could save were these heirlooms passed down from mother to daughter for over a thousand years. As I was the owner of them, I could do whatever I wanted. They were to be a source of fast money should something horrible happen.


    <i>In situations where I can¡¯t steal ammo, I need money to buy some bullets. Then there¡¯s the maintenance on my guns. Not to mention sharpening Yaekira¡¯s daggers until I¡¯ve made quality knives of my own. Yeah, they¡¯re fantastically made, but even the sharpest knife will dull with use. And we need more clothes. Preferably armor, but clothes at the least.</i>


    ¡°Irisa, here¡¯s my offer. If you let us pick out two or three outfits each while giving us a ce to stay until we have enough money to rent a room at the inn, you can sell that shirt and keep 10% of the proceeds.¡±


    ¡°10%?¡± Irisa repeated. ¡°M, that¡¯s still a lot¡­


    <i>M?</i>


    I remained quiet for a moment, and Irisa quickly corrected herself. ¡°Lyudm, that¡¯s still a lot.¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s fair. Do we have a deal?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have permission to ept or reject that proposal.¡± Irisa ced the shirt on the counter. Then she excused herself while slipping inside the employees only door.


    <i>Does she trust me not to steal?</i>


    My ears picked up Irisa¡¯s hasty footsteps as she went to the second floor. ¡°Mom! You have toe downstairs!¡± I could have spied on them with my map¡¯s satellite mode, but I refused.


    ¡°Sweetie? What is it? I¡¯m almost done with dinner,¡± said a voice that I presumed belonged to Irisa¡¯s mother. There was a delicate sip of spring in her calming voice.


    ¡°There¡¯s a girl with a proposition for us!¡±


    ¡°Honey, can¡¯t you take care of it?¡±


    ¡°This is bigger than me, mom. I don¡¯t know what to do. And I messed up and did something stupid¡­¡±


    Irisa¡¯s mother inquired about her daughter''s mistake. After asking if she apologized, I realized she hadn¡¯t. Tilde then turned to me and admitted she didn¡¯t think I had it in me toe up with a creative lie.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t all lies¡­ I feel Reina¡¯s memory through me. She was attacked and left for dead. With only a few jewels to her name, she sold her mother¡¯s gift to her only daughter to quell her rumbling stomach.¡± I couldn¡¯t go into much else about that story because a door suddenly swung open. Irisa walked out first and introduced me to Ichiha, her mother, who came second. Like her daughter, Ichiha had two ck horns, but hers sprouted off from the side of her head and arched upwards. Ichiha was the taller one, but like her daughter, she had ck hair.


    ¡°My daughter mentioned you had something to discuss?¡± Ichiha asked as she walked behind the counter. She wore a pink apron over clothes simr to what Irisa wore.


    I nodded and told her my name.


    ¡°Ms. Springfield, what do you have for us?¡± Ichiha inquired. Irisa moved a bit closer and stood behind side her mother. I simply told the apron-wearing oni of my situation by exining that I needed clothes and a ce to stay.


    ¡°In exchange, I will give you a shirt created by a Holy Lord. When you sell it, you can keep 10% of the proceeds,¡± I said. Ichiha remained quiet and looked at the shirt, finally appraising it. The moment she learned the creator was who I said, she stiffened up like a board while subtly sweating.


    ¡°Sweetie, please apologize to our customer for trying to deceive her.¡±


    ¡°M¡ª Lyudm, I¡¯m sorry. Trust is hard to earn and easy to break, and I broke it when it wasn¡¯t even there...¡± There she was, using a nickname as if we were close friends. It was the second time now, but at least she corrected herself.


    We were just strangers. I wasn¡¯t in the mood to makepanions at this point.


    ¡°Now, about your offer¡­ Is that what you want? Even ten percent of what it¡¯ll sell for is a lot. For something like this, the standard is a bit lower.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not one to overly indulge in wealth. I¡¯m a girl who knows my limits. More than that, I require new clothes and a ce to stay because I do not have much money on me.¡±


    Ichiha lightly bit her lips. I didn¡¯t know why she was hesitant.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll sign a contract. Will that work? Or what if I throw in something else? You keep 10% of this,¡± I said while pulling out Susize¡¯s panties. ¡°Or you can wear them. Technically, these aren¡¯t mine. Lord Amos gave them to an ancestor. I¡¯m not really feeling connected to her, so it doesn¡¯t concern me at all what happens to them. If I can get some use out of them, I¡¯m happy.¡±


    ¡°Lyudm, are you sure you¡¯re fine with this? Once the contracts are signed, you can¡¯t take this back.¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± I said determinedly, locking eyes with Ichiha. We stared for what felt like hours, but ten seconds passed before she extended an arm. We had a deal, and Ichiha asked Irisa to hash out the finer details of the contract while she prepared three more seats at the dinner table. Irisa and I easily agreed on three outfits each for Sekh and me. Oh, and she also had me sign my name four times on each page of the document she drew up to make it clear I was consciously allowing Gecko Swap Shop to sell two items on my behalf, and that they were to keep 10% of what it sold for.


    Once that was done, it was time to do a little bit of shopping. The small selection of armor Irisa had for sale didn¡¯t fit, but the clothes did. Clothing could still be enchanted to provide defensive buffs. If enough effort was put in, a simple bikini top could be stronger and tougher than a suit of armor. But the bikini top needed far more resources, so enchanted clothing was reserved for nobles who had the money to show off their wealth.


    Irisa offered to measure me, but Sekh followed me behind the changing curtains. I stripped down and stared at my reflection in the mirror as the measuring tape tickled my skin.


    <i>Even in this situation, I still can¡¯t get hard. Maybe that¡¯s a good thing...</i>


    She left with the measurements written down and came back with clothes like what maidens wore back in the medieval ages. She also had a pair of ck boots and gloves. My three new outfits were of the same design, but the colors were different. They each consisted of a padded bodice, a canvas blouse, an ankle-length wool skirt, and a mattis belt. I had never worn anything like this before, so Sekh had to help me get dressed. There weren¡¯t any panties to fit my circumstances, so my dick went back within the leafy loincloth.


    Honestly, it was quitefortable, so I didn¡¯t mind at all. And when I looked at myself in the mirror, I smiled at the reflection staring back at me. These clothes were cute, far better than anything I''d ever worn before in my life.


    <em>I feel...pretty.</em>


    ¡°Lyudm? Is everything okay?¡± I finished tying my boots while slipping the gloves on. They weren¡¯t long like Reina¡¯s, but they were fine. But to be extra secure, I asked for six pieces of strings to tie my sleeves down to my forearms to prevent any wayward wind from exposing my secret. After storing my Elvish clothing, I put the spare sets in my backpack and walked out with Sekh. Tilde and Irisa pped and smiled. Sekh grabbed a crimson tunic from the counter and got changed. Secondster, she walked out with the hood pulled up over her ears. It wasn¡¯t armored, but Sekh, like me, still had on the wooden chainmail under our clothes. The stuff I had made for her was in her backpack. Since the rest of Amos¡¯s clothing was within my storage, she had plenty of room for it.


    ¡°You two really look good! Tilde, I¡¯m sorry, but we don¡¯t have anything in your size.¡±


    ¡°Eh, that¡¯s fine. I just got this a couple of months ago, so I¡¯m good,¡± Tilde said. She flew up to my shoulders and sat down.


    Then Irisa turned to me. ¡°You do know it gets hot around here, right? High Elves are supposed to be fair and maidenly, right? Being a sweaty mess goes against that, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± I told her.


    <i>That¡¯s a lot of rights.</i>


    ¡°Are you sure? Last week, it was so hot that I cooked an egg in a pan on the sidewalk. Oni like me have a passive resistance against it, but we still feel it.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the warning, but I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    <i>[Heat Resistance] worked wonders. I didn¡¯t sweat at all when we were in the mines.</i>


    I almost wondered if myckluster response ticked her off, but she didn¡¯t seem that annoyed. She asked us to go up to the second floor while she finished closing the store.


    <hr>


    Aftering upstairs, Ichiha was just about done setting the table when she asked me if the deal was done. I nodded and told her I had already signed the papers. The clothes were with Irisa, and I believed she was putting them up. I couldn¡¯t help but notice Ichiha was¡­nervous? No, I almost wondered if she regarded me as a child.


    <i>She couldn''t be worried about me, right?</i>


    I was tumbling around my thoughts when Ichiha offered to show me a tour. Looking around, I realized this living room and kitchenbo was mostly it. My prior thoughts about their financial stability were correct, it seemed. The Gecko Swap Shop wasn¡¯t doing very well.


    Ichiha started with the kitchen, but there wasn¡¯t much to see other than a table with five tes and a wood-fire stove with pans and pots. Oh, she had candles andnterns to provide some atmospheric lighting. If lightbulbs and electricity existed in this world, the shop didn¡¯t have them.


    She exined dinner was going to be Irisa¡¯s second favorite, which was a simple dish of mashed potatoes and baked fish with garlic and rosemary. From Tilde¡¯s lectures, Ilearned oni favored meat, but they wouldn¡¯t ignore a sd if it was covered with beef or chicken. Even with the few ingredients, she had managed to make something delicious. Unfortunately, I was unable to eat the meat because High Elves were vegetarian. Tilde mentioned my chimerism removed that restriction. Still, I had to abide by it to keep up appearances.


    <i>It isn¡¯t that bad¡­</i>


    Next, Ichiha took me to the bedroom that would be mine. It was normal and nice, a major upgrade to what I used to have. I would have been fine sleeping on the ground, so I wasn¡¯t going to act like a brat and demand something better. There was just the bed and a dresser, but the only door led to the bathroom. I peeked inside and saw a circr basin on two cement blocks. A small stove-like contraction was set up underneath it to heat the water. She told me there was one in the room she and Irisa would stay in, and from that phrase, I realized I was taking someone¡¯s room. I didn¡¯t feel bad because I didn¡¯t ask for a bed. Sekh and I just needed a ce to stay. Ichiha had filled the tub earlier, but we were responsible for it starting tomorrow. I didn¡¯t see anything wrong with that, and the hasty tour came to an end faster than it began.


    We returned to the kitchen right as Irisa wasing out of her mom¡¯s room. After a quick little chat and the growling of Irisa¡¯s stomach, it was time to sit down and enjoy an awkward dinner with strangers after I negotiated into staying at their house.


    <hr>


    Dinner went as I thought, but it wasn¡¯t all that bad. Conversation was tense and brisk when we sat down, but the atmosphere loosened somewhat, even with my short answers to their queries about my life. Irisa asked a lot about where I grew up, and Sekh spoke for me, speaking of a ce she knew didn¡¯t exist anymore. The topic of being Sekh¡¯s and Tilde¡¯s master came up, but Susize¡¯s face was just so innocent they believed me when I said I didn¡¯t have a choice.


    Neither pressed that subject more, which was good.


    A couple of small lies started stacking together, but I wasn¡¯t nning on staying here for that long. A few days? Yeah. A few weeks? Possibly. A few months? If I could help it, no.


    A social recluse like me knew the dangers of mping up and remaining quiet. Basking away in the shadows of society may have been who I was in the old world, but Shuuta Fenton was dead. He was killed and sacrificed, and Lyudm Springfield took his ce. I would have to learn and avoid those awful mistakes, even if they made me ufortable.


    But that was difficult because I couldn¡¯t trust anyone that wasn¡¯t Sekh or Tilde. Irisa and Ichiha were temporary stops on my journey to gain power. Logic dictated that I couldn¡¯t fight against Meruria and her army alone. As much as I wished Sekh and I were enough to bring Cridia to ruin, the two of us could not destroy an entire country within the foreseeable future by ourselves. So, I needed to eventually gather some allies somewhere along the way, but I didn¡¯t have a diplomatic bone in my body. I figured I could practice on this oni and her mother, right?


    Rome wasn¡¯t built in a day, so I could take it slow to be more social. You couldn¡¯t break free from a lifetime¡¯s worth of trauma after just twenty hours.


    <i>Twenty hours? Does dying almost twice after dying once count towards that? I should be shaking out of my boots, yet I find myself wanting to throw myself back into the fire and devour my way to strength. Is that the chimeric part of me? Or is it the Ashen Orc¡¯s lust for violence?</i>


    ¡°Lyudm, do you have any ns for tomorrow?¡± asked Irisa. Her te was almost literally licked clean. She didn¡¯t make a scene when her favorite fish had to be divided another way for Sekh. She refused and said potatoes were fine with her, but Ichiha mentioned Lionfolks needed meat more than oni. Fairies like Tilde had small appetites, but that didn¡¯t stop her from pigging out. Biomass had me covered, so I wasn¡¯t hungry.


    ¡°I don¡¯t feelfortable sharing that,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Oh, well, that¡¯s fine. Are you a fighter? I know Elves like to use bows, but I didn¡¯t see one on you.¡±


    ¡°Does it matter? I¡¯m going to be out of the house most of the time because I just have things to do.¡±


    ¡°Ah, so you¡¯re a go-getter? That¡¯s cool,¡± Irisa said, finding a hint of positivity in my true feelings. ¡°I bet you probably use a bow. Hehe, would be kinda funny if you¡¯re one of the only High Elves that prefers to use guns. Sekh, what about you? Are you a fighter?¡± Before Sekh answered, I looked at Ichiha¡¯s face and noticed the smallest frown on it.


    <i>Did I mess up? Shit...</i> Whatever. I just ignored it and ate a potato or two from Sekh¡¯s te after having finished my own. <i>Like I said, I¡¯m not nning on staying here for long. It doesn¡¯t matter if I screw it up a few times because I can always try again in a new town.</i>


    Sekh reached into her bag and pulled out the weapon I had made for her. Hours after its creation, the web I used was still super sticky. ¡°Woah... I¡¯ve never seen someone use a literal chunk of stone and spider legs. Is it heavy?¡±


    ¡°Master made it for me after we ughtered a spider. It is the spoils of our victory, but no, it is not heavy.I can wield it without trouble.¡±


    ¡°You made it?¡±


    ¡°I did.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s awesome. Hey, I got something to show you!¡± Irisa ran to a storage room and rummaged about beforeing back with¡­something. It was vaguely mace-shaped, but it was crooked. The handle had dents, but were they supposed to be spots for your fingers?


    ¡°I made this for someone when I was starting out. I know it isn¡¯t the prettiest, but you can have it to use as a backup in case something happens to that one,¡± Irisa said. Sekh looked at me and nodded. She returned it and grasped the present. Her hands gripped the handle hard. For a second, she smiled and gave her thanks to the oni.


    ¡°Irisa¡­¡± Ichiha whispered. She looked longing in the eyes, almost like she was reying a memory that involved the weapon. Neither of the two had said anything about a father or husband in the family, so it was presumably made for him.

 Chapter Eighteen: Truth Behind Tyranny (R-18)

    Chapter Eighteen: Truth Behind Tyranny (R-18)


    Eventually, a series of yawns traveled around the table, marking the end of dinner. ¡°You three have had a hard day. Why don¡¯t you go wash up and head to bed? When you¡¯re ready to drain the tub, turn the wooden knob on the left side. It''s connected to a pipe that leads to the backyard.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll do just that,¡± I told Ichiha. Sekh, Tilde, and I walked to our room, and my sensitive little ears picked up something that made me smile.


    ¡°They¡¯re kinda interesting, aren¡¯t they? It seemed like Lyudm was a bit annoyed, but she did just lose a bunch of stuff.¡±


    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s not taking it well. For her sake, I do hope I can find a buyer within a few days. It¡¯s going to be hard, but I think I have some connections I can still rely on. I¡¯ll send some letters tomorrow. But all things considered, I thought tonight was lovely.¡±


    <i>Was it lovely?</i>


    The mother and daughter continued to talk as Sekh opened the door, and they were still in a chatty mood as I locked it behind me,id By¡¯s shield against the door, and ced two waypoints on Irisa and Ichiha. I could see them on my map, and the waypoint had an option where it could appear through solid objects. While I didn¡¯t think anything would happen, I wanted to take precautions to minimize the risk of them discovering I was a chimera.


    Sekh walked to the dresser and ced her backpack and two maces on it, then began to strip down. Her fantastically enjoyable breasts that I loved to lick, kiss, and rub were really a treat. As I joined her in a state of nakedness, I kept fondling my testicles and penis. But that was all for naught because nothing happened. Perhaps the displeasure showed on my face, but Tilde hovered around me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to force yourself to feel something you can¡¯t. When the timees, that little pecker is going to jump awake. Remember, you lived a shit life. I don¡¯t need to remind you about it. And it¡¯s kinda funny how trauma works like that. Like, let¡¯s say you were bitten by a dog. It¡¯s a traumatic event, so you might be afraid of them. You know your feares from that incident, and you know that not all dogs are biters, yet you still can¡¯t take that risk to pet a dog you¡¯ve known for all your life.¡±


    Sighing, Sekh walked over and held my head against her chest, and I nearly drifted off to sleep with just the beating of her heart alone. My mouth went from her breasts to her neck, licking her all over until she pressed her lips against mine. Her hands rubbed my back and ass while I yed with her tail and stroked it. Our kiss became more intense when she put her tongue in my mouth, and while I didn¡¯t quite know what to do, I slowly broke off from the kiss while tightly wrapping my lips around her tongue. Sekh started to pant, her lovely little moans attacking my heart directly. In a desperate attempt, I grabbed myid cock and held it against my stomach, then tightly hugged Sekh. I had hoped the pressure and her warmth would do something...


    And nothing happened. I didn¡¯t get hard. I didn¡¯t get an erection. I wanted to have sex with Sekh. I wanted to make love to her. I wanted to finally be a man and fix what had been broken about me for almost a decade!


    ¡°Master...¡± Sekh whispered. I backed away from the hug, and while I was still disappointed, I wasn¡¯t totally upset because Sekh wasn¡¯t the type of woman to make fun of me for my condition. ¡°Let¡¯s go get cleaned, okay? I¡¯ll heat up the water with my mes.¡±


    I nodded, grabbed Sekh¡¯s hand, and we walked to the bathroom. Tilde was struggling with the handle, cussing up a storm because she was too small to turn it. We rescued the day and went in, and Sekh walked across the tiled floor to the tub. She wrapped her weakest mes around her nails and warmed the water.


    But then my eyes turned to her delicious ass. Sekh really did have wless skin. It was smooth and warm, and caressing her sent a joy up my soul that I had never felt before. ¡°Master?¡± Sekh turned around and watched as I touched myself and wondered what it felt like to be inside her... What it felt like to be surrounded by her warmth. ¡°Master, why don¡¯t you hug me? I don¡¯t know if it¡¯ll help, but you can slide your penis between my thighs if you¡¯d like. You can y with my tail, too.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ I feel like I¡¯m just using you as an object¡ª¡± I had my hesitations about using her to satisfy my urges, but she cut me off.


    ¡°Nope! Don¡¯t say that,¡± Sekh briskly replied, cutting me off. ¡°If I didn¡¯t want to do this, then I wouldn¡¯t have said anything.¡± She closed her eyes, smiled, and wiggled the adorable ears sitting atop her beautiful head.


    She took my silence as my confirmation, and I used a hand to grasp her waist. The other one held myid penis, and after sticking it between her dripping pussy lips, Sekh squeezed tightly. I felt her sulent juices coat my shaft as I moved my hips. Her tail made its way to me, and I rubbed the base, scratching the area around where it left the skin. I especially loved how she arched her back when I applied a bit more pressure.


    It was exhratingly sexy.


    <i>Why isn¡¯t it making me hard?</i>


    ¡°Hhmmm¡­ That¡¯s it¡­¡± Sekh moaned. Her erotic breaths were something else. I put a bit more effort into it, going so far as to fondle her tits while going a little bit faster. Having her juices all along my cock? It dripping down to moisten my testicles? The squeezing of her thighs as she came, increasing the pressure I felt?


    <span ss="TextRun SCXW251260464 BCX0"ng="en-us" xmlng="en-us"><span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW251260464 BCX0">It <span ss="TextRun SCXW251260464 BCX0"ng="en-us" xmlng="en-us"><span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW251260464 BCX0">should<span ss="TextRun SCXW251260464 BCX0"ng="en-us" xmlng="en-us"><span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW251260464 BCX0"> have felt amazing, but I was just d she was enjoying it. And maybe I was too. It warmed my heart to hear her cute voice. Even if I couldn¡¯t satisfy her with my penis, I knew I could rock her world if I used my mouth and fingers. Suddenly, Sekh quivered, going a little bit weak in the knees as she squirted on my dick.<span ss="EOP SCXW251260464 BCX0">


    ¡°Ahhh¡­¡± Tilde moaned, closing her eyes as she enjoyed the fruits of Sekh¡¯sbor. She had already gotten in the bath while we were in our own little world.


    ¡°Are you ready, Master?¡± Sekh asked, turning to stare at me. I nodded and took a step backwards, removing my penis from her glistening, soaking thighs. She got in the basin first, then turned around and extended her hand for me to hold as I slipped right in. It was deeper than I thought, and I didn¡¯t expect the hot, rxing water to reach my breasts when I sat down. And it was simply divine. The stresses of the day washed away with every passing second. Sekh sat right beside me, resting her head against my shoulder as we took in the events of our first day of freedom.


    ¡°Did you enjoy dinner?¡± she asked.


    ¡°It was¡­fine, I think. The food was good, but I have no intention of bing buddy-buddy with them. We¡¯re only staying here until the clothes sell. After that, we¡¯ll leave for a more popted city where I can find bullets on the regr. What about you, Sekh? Did you have fun?¡±


    ¡°I... don¡¯t remember thest time I had a conversation that didn¡¯t end with someone dead. Before we met, I mean.¡± As I stared at the distant countenance on Sekh¡¯s face, my thoughts went to Greggie, Keeth, and Will. My expression must¡¯ve gone sour because Sekh soon cupped it with the palm of her hand and kissed me on the lips. She asked what was wrong, and I told her of the bullshit trial. Her face contorted with anger when I brought up Que¡¯s true feelings. She only wanted to save me because she would have the satisfaction of pulling it off, not because she didn¡¯t actually want to see me die. And Greggie, Keeth, and all the others¡¯ values had changed. Sure, they only wanted me to die out of pity, but goddamn, it hurts.


    Sekh remained quiet, but I knew she was thinking about killing them.


    I argued with myself about what I would do if I ever met them. For Meruria and the others? Yeah, they¡¯re going to die. But Que? Keeth? Greggie? That bastard Will was going to swing from the trees, but everyone beside him probably wanted to save me. And yes, it shouldn¡¯t shock me that they thought that death would be a benefit for me because I was naked, strung up by magic, and everyone saw my scars and bruises.


    <i>But still... Having hope snatched away after seeing it hurts the most... I¡¯ll never forgive them for that.</i>


    I scratched Sekh behind the ears and listened to her purrs. She leaned over the tub and grabbed a cloth. I looked for soap, but it appeared that was somewhat of a rarity. ¡°Let me wash your back,¡± she said. I stood up, and she got behind me. Both hands held the cloth as she scrubbed my fair skin. Even without soap, her soft touch and the water felt pleasant andforting.


    ¡°Okay, you know what? I need to stop this. Do you guys know how weird it is to have the greatest threat this world had ever seen speak like a lovesick schoolgirl?¡± Tilde asked. Sheid on her back and floated around the bath. ¡°Have you even forgotten what ¡®Dark Lord of Tyranny¡¯ even means?! How are you the same woman who killed hundreds of thousands by forcing a volcano to erupt? Remember the public execution of those monks? Didn¡¯t you order a mother to skin her crying child?¡±


    Sekh started to shake, but was it from anger? Something told me it wasn¡¯t. A warning left my mouth, but Tilde kept speaking. ¡°I¡¯m saying this for your benefit. Look, you¡¯ve read the tablets Murag left behind, but think about it. You have the real deal behind you. You know, the one who caused the world to band together for the sole reason of defeating her? You were busy earlier, I get that, but now¡¯s the best time to ask her about it. Also, remember the whole bullshit about Lionfolk born with red and blue fur? Uhh, her fur¡¯s ck. Aren¡¯t you kinda curious about that?¡±


    ¡°Master¡­¡± Sekh wasn¡¯t crying, but her voice had taken a turn for the worse. I turned around and looked at her saddened eyes. She dropped the cloth, touched her forearms, and avoided looking me in the eyes. ¡°I need to tell you the truth...¡±


    <hr>


    The girl fated to be existence¡¯s enemy had a normal start to her tumultuous life. Her father was an experienced adventurer, having retired to marry his childhood sweetheart after reaching the guild¡¯s third-highest rank. Together with a maid, the husband and wife lived a blissful experience while the Dark Lord was nurturing inside her mother¡¯s womb.


    The long-awaited day arrived and went without any problems. Her father danced and sang merry songs with hispanions while his wife¡¯s family took turns holding what they thought was a newborn gift to the world. The red and blue fur wasn¡¯t something of an omen or curse, but it was a pleasant surprise that meant she was surely blessed by fire and ice.


    On this day, the moment of her birth, an unseen curse was working with none the wiser. For you see, the girl was cursed with a terrible existence. She was ill-fated to destroy the world and kill everything living thing on it, or she would die trying.


    For the first four years, nothing out of the ordinary happened.


    Her fifth birthday?


    <span ss="TextRun SCXW34407637 BCX0"ng="en-us" xmlng="en-us"><span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW34407637 BCX0">That was when the voices began to speak and revealed the horrible truth. Every few centuries, a terrible monster in the form of a <span ss="NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW34407637 BCX0">Lionfolk<span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW34407637 BCX0"> was brought into the world by <span ss="NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed SCXW34407637 BCX0">parents<span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW34407637 BCX0"> unknown of the danger they had conceived. Resistance was futile, for the voices would never stop hounding the <span ss="NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW34407637 BCX0">Lionfolk<span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW34407637 BCX0"> until she started to spread despair. If she <span ss="TextRun SCXW34407637 BCX0"ng="en-us" xmlng="en-us"><span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW34407637 BCX0">continued to fight against it, the voice would flood her <span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW34407637 BCX0">mind<span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW34407637 BCX0"> with the dark abuses her past incarnations suffered through. <span ss="EOP SCXW34407637 BCX0">


    At just six years old, the Dark Lord of Tyranny endured the feelings of being raped, tortured, killed, strung up, skinned, buried alive, and boiling in a vat of bubbling oil. It was all she could think about when she was awake, and it was all she dreamed about when she was asleep.


    At the age of seven, the Dark Lord managed to kill her mother, father, and maid by subtly drugging the pot of coffee with a poisonous aphrodisiac the curse had told her about. Her father had resistance to it, but the other two did not. Ironically, he believed he was nurturing their wombs with his seed to create more life, but he was killing them with his love. By the time the Dark Lord revealed she was behind it with tears in her eyes, the funeral was over. Her father took up Bane¡¯s Edge¡ªhis most powerful de¡ªand slit his own throat. The Dark Lord wanted to believe she was crying and begging her father to heal himself with a potion, but all he saw was the snarling face of a child with the soul of a demon. She had hoped he would kill her to bring an end to this curse, yet the father couldn¡¯t bring himself to strike down his daughter.


    From there, the Dark Lord was resolved to end her own life. She rushed back home and set it aze while hugging her trembling knees. Her voice shouted that she wouldn¡¯t kill anymore, but the curse inside fought back. Like a movie, it reyed a thousand scenes of wretched abuse suffered by her previous incarnations. The only way to stop the pain was to leave, but that didn¡¯t work this time. Her little screams echoed that night while in front of a burning inferno. Pain and disgust filled her mouth, difort warmed her belly, and invisibleshes covered her arms from shoulder to fingertip.


    What did she do when the pain stopped? The innocent girl who loved her family wasn¡¯t there anymore. She had been reced with a shadow of her former self. With a determined goal inside her mind, she devoted herself to the acquisition of terrible power for the next two decades. The harbinger of despair ughtered her way to the fearsome Dark Lord of Tyranny by leaving a trail of bodies in her wake.


    But it wasn¡¯t all without trouble. Before her ascent to power could start, the Dark Lord was kidnapped by vers who tended to the twisted whims of the wealthy. One such disgusting pig liked to see children dominate each other, and she lost her virginity to a boy one year younger than her. The disgusting pig found herself smitten by the Dark Lord, thus she dressed her up in exquisite undergarments and naughty lingerie because she liked to watch corruption swallow what she considered ¡®beautiful.¡¯


    A chance soon came for the Dark Lord and her fellow ve to escape, but the injured Lionfolk tripped in the mud and was recaptured as the boy managed to acquire his freedom.


    She suffered another three years of being chained to a pillory, holes always avable for whoever wanted to unleash their sexual urges inside her. When the weekend rolled around, she would be ¡®married¡¯ off to one of the bandits, who would have exclusive ess to her. The women of the camp would do her makeup and dress her in the finest lingerie they could find, which only made the humiliation worse.


    It was no wonder she came to hate dresses, underwear, and anything else girlie or feminine.


    To avoid the risk of pregnancy, she was force-fed a gross concoction to render her womb incapable of supporting life. The Dark Lord only escaped when a band of traveling knights attacked the camp. She only remained sane because the curse kept her mind clear and focused.


    It was this mindset that allowed her to soar through levels and conquer dungeons at a blistering pace. Her sights turned from monsters to people as she took in undesired criminals to be the bulk of her army. She grew, and her name spread far and wild as a tyrannical, murderous force of nature.


    And then it happened¡­ During a scene of such excessive violence and tyranny that gave even the curse pause, the Lionfolk finally ascended to her true form as the Dark Lord of Tyranny. It was also during this time that [me Nails] and [Ice Nails] were pushed to their ultimate limit and forcibly contorted into something terrifyingly powerful. Upon its first use, the Dark Lord could not control its power, and her skin found itself scorched the very color of light ash. The cursed voices and whispers continued, increasing her overwhelming ruthlessness by a factor of ten.


    Expressively gory ounts of her [Tyranny Control] began to spread far and wide. Details of how she would drug fathers and sons to sexually assault their daughters and sisters to break their spirits sent a stone into anyone¡¯s heart. But word of her awful torture? Using a red-hot, serrated de to forcibly cook pregnant women from the inside and forcing those rted to eat them? Using heads as battering rams to break spines and legs? Splitting a child down the middle with a dull de and forcing his mother to eat his heart?


    She was the Dark Lord of Tyranny, a title that simply needed no exnation as to why she did anything at all.


    All that was left was for her to destroy the world. Unfortunately for her, Holy Lord Amos was on a journey to find his Soul Warriors. When he had his five, he learned word of the Dark Lord¡¯s ascension and saw fit to end her.


    What followed was a bloody war that ended with over 30% of the world¡¯s poption dead. Entire countries fell to the Dark Lord and her fearsome Tyranny. Any kind of armies the surviving countries mustered together were destroyed by a legion of Ancient Elder Dragons and their Elemental Meteors. The Scorch Giants of the far south were as big and tall as four adult human men, and their ming fur renderedmon weaponry naught.


    Every other month, the amount ofnd devoted to the alliance shrank. The price of food and water increased dramatically, riots and war broke out in cities that never felt the scourge of hunger. Thanks to a rumor the Dark Lord had spread about Lionfolk with red and blue fur being her special forces, it led to a genocide of those very Lionfolk. It was all for the desire to further spread a nket of Tyranny because it was not true at all.


    It seemed as if she would have finally aplished the goal she had set out for, but fate had a weapon up its sleeve. The young boy that deflowered the Dark Lord as a spear pressed into his throat? He was alive. After seeing an image of the Dark Lord against the bounty hunter¡¯s board at the guild, he spoke aloud her name. Susize Vredi, the first Soul Warrior of Holy Lord Amos, happened to be present. Within weeks, the n to send the man who had a special connection to the Dark Lord of Tyranny was formted. It would involve sacrifice on his part, considering he had to leave his children and wife behind to gomit unspeakable acts of violence to slowly gain the trust of the Dark Lord¡¯s captains. It was no small wonder the insanity of forcing mothers to throw their newborns into the roaring mouth of a volcano didn¡¯t lead to suicide, but he knew that if he passed away, all would have been for naught.


    Thus, he worked tirelessly and eventually gained the very audience he desired. Upon seeing his face, the Dark Lord howled an anguished roar and began to torture the man who had left her behind all those many years ago. No one knew how his words extinguished the inextinguishable fury within her breasts. For the first time in her life, the Dark Lord of Tyranny willingly gave her body to a suitor and experienced a touch not unlike anything she had felt before. The night was long and full of passionate moans and heartfelt cries of relief, but when the sun came to take over the sky?


    The Dark Lord of Tyranny did not wake up to a continuation of the night before. No, she woke up to a brutal assault on her stronghold. She thought the foolish army had learned her lesson, but when she went to summon her mace, the man had a n. With a powerful yell, he tore a chunk of meat out of his left arm, crushed the bone, and retrieved an enchanted chain hidden within. When he wrapped it around the mace¡¯s handle, it sealed its dark energy.


    And for the first time? The Dark Lord was utterly powerless. The mace was connected to the magical defenses around her stronghold, and with it cut off? There was nothing to stop a specialized strike force from teleporting in.


    An act of love from a misguided and abused dream was the cause of her demise. Upon realizing she had been betrayed again, by the same man, no less, she elicited a howl of anguish that even breached the closed-hearted Murag, who had many reasons to hate the Dark Lord.


    The moment Susize Vredi was to remove the Dark Lord¡¯s head from her body, Lord Amos halted her de. He revealed a startling truth about a curse affecting her. Killing the Dark Lord wouldn¡¯t end it. No, it would only send her soul back into the cycle of reincarnation until it was time for her to be born anew. Ending the Dark Lord would guarantee a few centuries of peace, and then the world was going to be endangered once more.


    The Dark Lord had spread this truth to inflict more fear. Even if she was killed, she¡¯d eventually be back to finish what she had started.


    The ¡®savior¡¯ went back to his family as the man who brought an end to the Dark Lord of Tyranny, but the cruelties he hadmitted to achieve that forced his heart to sink into darkness. Not even a yearter, his wife found him swinging from the chandelier in the dining room.


    The Dark Lord was escorted to her resting ce. None of Lord Amos¡¯s Soul Warriors would return, and they knew that.


    A thousand yearster, a human who had experienced the depths of despair was summoned to this world, betrayed, and thrown into the void. The wrathful mes of their soul sent a resurgence of passion into the Dark Lord''s cold, nearly dead heart.

 Chapter Nineteen: Experiencing My First Time (R-18)

    Chapter Neen: Experiencing My First Time (R-18)


    ¡°I¡¯m a cursed existence. My only purpose in life is to spread tyranny and end this world. It¡¯s written in my soul to be a Dark Lord, but most incarnations don¡¯t make it that far.¡± Sekh started her story in the bath, but she finished it in bed. She had her head in myp as I rested against the bed¡¯s backboard. I lovingly scratched her ears, giving my loyal Dark Lord my support while assuring she was warmed by the crimson nket.


    <i>If Sekh¡¯s soul remained the same over the ages, then she¡¯s bound to have thousands¡ªmaybe tens of thousands of skills avable to learn.</i>


    ¡°Do you regret it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t. Someone stronger would have stayed within that inferno and died. I was too weak to even end my life, but because of that... I met someone who held as much fury within their heart as rage filled mine. Master?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± Sekh rolled over and stared at me. Even in this darkness, I saw just how silver her eyes were.


    ¡°I don¡¯t hear the voices anymore,¡± she said with tears falling. ¡°I may have tricked it with my reincarnation, but the curse wille back when I¡¯m born anew. The only way to rid myself of it is to destroy the world. If I don¡¯t live with that goal in mind, I...¡±


    I calmed her worried, muffled cries with a hand to her cheek, then turned to Tilde. ¡°If I¡¯m the Transcendent Dark Lord, then can I do something about this?¡±


    ¡°That you do, but not right now,¡± said the sleepy annoyance. She had found two clean handkerchiefs on top of the dresser. She folded one to act like a pillow, thenid done and covered herself with the second. She went on to say she knew nothing about a curse but once I was the Transcendent Dark Lord, I¡¯d have dominion over all Dark Lords.


    I told Sekh I would end this curse. I expected her to get emotional, but Sekh cried like I had never seen before. In a sh, she jumped to my chest and wailed between my tits. She was so powerful in her prime, but her back was trembling so much I thought she was about to break when I rubbed her.


    I remained quiet and stroked her hair and tail. I did all I could tofort her, but until I had the power to free her, I was limited. Even if the power never came to me, I believed I was willing to destroy it all. After I achieved my revenge, what else did I have to live for? Ending it all seemed like the perfect swan song for two existences hated by the worlds they came from.


    ¡°Master¡­ I¡­ If anyone could understand my plight, it would be you. We were betrayed, thrown away, and left to fend for ourselves.¡± She foundfort in my heartbeat, and something felt strange about my body.


    Sekh scooted up off my chest andid on the pillow. I joined her, staring into her eyes as my arms wrapped around her back. She was so warm and soft. ¡°Master, to tell the truth¡­ I¡­had nned on killing whoever freed me. After that betrayal, I was more determined than ever to baptize this world with my tyranny by myself. But then I felt your fury. It was a starling, deep crimson in a world where color does not exist. Yet it reached me, even while the seal locked my senses in another dimension. But your wrath was a wonderful thing. I never thought there was someone else like me in the world. And then I had a thought¡­¡±


    Instead of speaking, I just rubbed her back and nodded.


    ¡°I need you, Master. I need your desire for revenge because it eclipses even mine. I will be your de of vengeance for as long I take breath into my lungs.¡± Sekh put a hand to her cor and thumbed the metal charm that mimicked the tattoo under her belly button.


    <i>I need you? That¡¯s the first time anyone¡¯s said that. I¡­</i>


    ¡°I need you too, Sekh. I need you so much.¡± A strange phenomenon urred around my crotch when I scooted closer to Sekh and gave her a big hug. She looked so cute and adorable, and her body was soft and warm. Her fur was immactely easy on the touch. My hands traveled down her back to her tail, then I affectionately rubbed her ass.


    ¡°Master...¡± Sekh¡¯s breath was caught in her throat when something long, thick, and hard brushed against her stomach. I rolled to my back and saw an object protrude from my crotch. Sekh pulled back the covers to expose my erection. It was less like a penis and more like a dark gray tower. It was about 12¡± in length, but the foreskin was still covering the tip.


    A cute blush warmed Sekh¡¯s face. She scooted closer and pressed my right arm between her breasts, then cupped my cheeks and whispered into my ears while licking the tip. ¡°I want my first time¡ªmy genuine first time¡ª to be with you, Master.¡± Sekh asked permission to touch my penis, and when I nodded, she slowly moved her hand down my chest and to my crotch. When she peeled my foreskin back and stroked me just a few times, it seemed as if decades¡¯ worth of built-up pleasure exploded from my dick. There was so much force behind my first ejaction that it nearly doused the ceiling in my thick, white seed. I gripped the bed sheets with both hands and moaned, my hips convulsing. Loud moans threatened to break free from my lips, but Sekh sealed them shut with her own, and her semen-covered hand continued to stroke my entire shaft up and down.


    ¡°<i>Haa... Haa... Haa...¡± </i>I moaned into her mouth and allowed my tongue to go wild. Her inner cheeks? Her teeth? Her tongue? An orchestra¡¯s worth of lewd and sexually charged noises came from our sloppy kiss as salvia dribbled down our chins. Her slimy hand moved down my shaft and onto my balls, where her gentle grip softly yed with them. She gave them a very light squeeze, and it didn¡¯t take long for me to send more semen up into the air. Because of how my penis was aimed, the hot seed sshed over my chest.


    ¡°Master, did that feel good?¡± Sekh asked. She was panting, a lewd expression overcame her face as she licked my cheeks and lips. Her tongue trailed down to my breasts and nipples, and shepped up the seed. I was still dumbfounded by the pleasure. It was literally not like anything I¡¯d ever experienced before. Sekh continued to lick my nipples when she brought her semen-covered hand to her mouth and sucked her fingers cleaned.


    ¡°Hmm... That¡¯s kinda hot. I was about to go to sleep, but how could I when you¡¯re about to fuck the shit out of her? Still, those Ashen Orcs have the whole damn kitchen in their trousers, don¡¯t they?¡± Tilde said, stripping off her dress and spreading her legs. Her tiny fingers approached her small pussy. I just ignored her and took in deep breaths.


    ¡°Sekh... I want to lick you too,¡± I managed to squeak out, moving my right arm closer and closer to her crotch. It was soaking wet, leaving a small stain on the bedspread weid on.


    ¡°Mmnn...¡± Sekh moaned, and I scooted down the bed. She turned around and straddled my face, then pressed her body against my stomach and licked my shaft with her hot tongue. I was face to crotch with her dripping pussy. I didn¡¯t know if it was raging hormones or Murag¡¯s instincts, but her lewd scent did <i>everything</i> for me. I kissed her inner thighs first, and Sekh ced her cute lips on the tip of my penis to return it. She raised her hips just a little bit, just far enough so that I could spread her open again, and her inner folds surrounded my tongue.


    ¡°Ahhh,,, Master, you¡¯re so good at this...¡± Sekh said with her mouth full. She swallowed the tip, her tonguethering it all over with her warm saliva. Immediately, the pressure in my crotch began to build, and I found myself even raising my own hips just a little bit more to shelter more of my penis in her throat.


    Yet I never forced anything at all. And it was the same for Sekh. In fact, after spreading her open and enjoying her sulent juices on my lips, I ced my hands on her hips and wanted her to put more weight on me. She seemed hesitant to do so, but the sincerity in my voice won her over.


    ¡°I can¡¯t get enough of this smell... Of this taste...¡± I confessed. I didn''t know how it happened, but we altered positions by rolling over. So, I was on top, and Sekh was on bottom. In a reverse of y, she grabbed my ass, and with a muffled voice, told me I could move how I please. I was afraid at first of hurting her, so I moved slowly moving my hips forward and back very slowly so that there wouldn¡¯t be a repeat of the dungeon incident. Sekh had tried to suck me off, and she managed to put my entireid penis in her mouth at the time. The threat of her choking was real, but I didn¡¯t want to say anything to ruin this moment.


    Not when I had a different view of her glistening pussy. She was absolutely so wet, and yes, there was a stain on the bed from her fluids and delicious vor. We continued to lick and suck each other, and as the seconds turned to minutes, I slowly increased my thrusts. It wasn¡¯t like I was humping her face, but at a certain point, I thought it turned into that because the absolute feeling of an ejaction was approaching fast. I moaned Sekh¡¯s name each time her tongue slid along my shaft. Her lips tightened, and the pressure was incredible. I didn¡¯t want to be the only one about to orgasm, so I stuck my face back between her crotch and slurped her as hard and as fast as I could.


    And then it came. My hips moved faster and faster, continuing to move even as I shot my semen down her throat. She squirted at the same time; our pair of synchronized moans fluttered out from passion-fueled voices. Six thick ropes of sperm propelled out from my penis. I raised my hips and rolled off of Sekh. I was going to turn around to check on her, but she leaned up and coughed a few times. Her eyes were red and watering, semen dripped down from the corner of her mouth, and she spread her legs and started to touch herself.


    She looked absolutely divine and beautiful, and I immediately got another erection. I jumped towards her, easing her back onto the bed while I forced my lips to hers. She seemed slightly rmed, but we shared a deep kiss¡ªour deepest one yet that was proof of our immediate connection. She sucked my tongue while I fondled her sweaty, slippery chest. ¡°That... That was incredible...¡± She whispered when we broke off from the kiss. Her forehead still touched mine, and we deeply gazed into each other¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t hurt you, did I?¡± Sekh shook her head and licked her lips once more. ¡°I¡¯m d... Sekh... I want to put it in.¡±


    ¡°Here you go, Master...¡± She seductively opened her legs, spreading herself open for me. Her delectable delight dripped even more than before, which sent a thrill down my penis as I moved into position. I grabbed her legs and dragged her towards me. I pressed my cock against her tummy, and my testicles hugged her dripping, slimy entrance. Even if she just had it in her mouth, she still marveled at just how thick and long my penis was against her soft stomach. With one hand peeling back my foreskin, I used the other to brace myself against the bed while moving my hip backwards to drag my penis along her stomach. The glowing seal shed a vivid pink.


    I came the moment the tip brushed against her drenched vagina, prematurely basking her crotch with my white paint.


    ¡°Mmn¡­ Even after four times, it¡¯s still so thick and hot. I can¡¯t wait to feel you inside of me¡­ Master, I¡¯m ready for you¡­¡±


    I remained hard, though, and started to enter her. It was tight¡ªtighter than her throat. Her fascinatingly sexy body tensed up, but her lustful moans continued to make love to my ears. But the warmth coating my rod couldn¡¯t be described. Each one of her folds continuously hugged and licked every part of my cock, even though only the first two inches were in. When I felt that she had rxed a bit, I started to lean forward, plunging inch after inch. Moans erupted out of my mouth as heat swelled within my body. My hands moved to her hips, grasping them while enjoying her warmth and softness.


    I spurted my next load after four inches were inside her. Seeing just how much I had left to go strangely excited me. Before I knew it, our breaths were in sync almost as if our pleasure were mirroring each other. ¡°Master, It¡¯s so hot!!!! Your seed... It¡¯s filling me up... Master!!!!!! More!!!! I can take more!!!! Give it to me!!!¡±


    Apparently, that was all I needed to hear. Even while shooting out my seed, I plunged my penis deeper until it was physically impossible for me to continue, causing about 7¡± to bepletely enveloped by her warm embrace. ¡°Ahhh¡­. Aaahhhhh¡­ It¡¯s so hot¡­ Why does it feel so good¡­?¡± I moaned out in a voice I never knew I had. It was so passionate, consisting of utter sensuous pleasure.


    ¡°AAaaahhhh!!! AAaAAAAhhhhh!!!! Master!!!!¡± cried the Dark Lord. Her legs started to spasm, inadvertently wrapping around my back and preventing me from pulling my cock out. She raised her arms, inviting me into a blissful embrace, which I promptly epted. The fur on her forearms was the very definition of softness.


    Our breasts rubbed together as our mouths connected. Tongues intertwined and danced a simple waltz, sharing our vors. Just like her crotch, the Dark Lord¡¯s saliva was the sweetest thing I had ever tasted. While kissing, I started to gyrate my waist back and forth, the best I could since her legs were locked around my waist.


    Chimera and Dark Lord, human and Lionfolk, master and ve, lover and lover¡­ Different words could describe our current rtionship, but I was rather fond of calling her ''my happiness.¡¯ She allowed me the chance to experience pleasure and feel alive.


    If she was going to hit me, she would have.


    If she was going to belittle me, she would have.


    If she was going to demoralize and brutalize me like so many others, she would have.


    She would have¡­ She would have¡­ She would have¡­


    A near infinite amount of ¡®would haves¡¯ hade and gone, yet the only thing she had given me was gentle kindness¡­


    ¡­


    Our kisssted three minutes, with very little time wasted on taking breaths. I moved down and started to lick her wonderfully bouncy breasts, which had long been calling my name. I almost expected sweet milk toe out when I sucked her nipples, but all I tasted was ourbined sweat. I had my left hand around her cheek. I didn¡¯t expect her to open her mouth to suck on my thumb, but it was erotic. She lewdly licked it all over, sucking and slopping against it while looking at me with those cute, adorable silver eyes.


    Her pussy tightened, gripping my cock in an embrace so tight I thought it was about to snap off. I removed my mouth from her nipples and kissed her deeply. She had her hands palm up by her head. As she moaned into my mouth, I interlocked our fingers together. Shocks surged throughout our bodies¡ªthey both trembled with pleasure while I shot my thick, hot seed deep within.


    ¡°Aaahhhh~~~¡± we both moaned, lustful cries purred from our mouths in sync.


    Our lustful cries purred from our mouths in sync. The strength in her legs vanished, allowing me a chance to pull my cock from her tantalizing hole. A gulping sea of white flowed from her hole, coating the bedspread in semen.


    But a shard of weakness burrowed up from the depths of my heart once more... We hadn¡¯t known each other for a day, yet our rtionship had progressed faster than a rocket ascending to the final frontier.


    She hadn¡¯t tried to break me down.


    She hadn¡¯t tried to convince me it would be better if I wasn¡¯t born.


    Why hadn¡¯t she¡­


    My fractured heart couldn¡¯t understand why she wouldn¡¯t treat me horribly¡­ It was frankly unfathomable¡­ Sekh leaned up to kiss me. Her hands slithered down my back. Her touch triggered a painful memory, and I flinched.


    <i>I¡¯m so fucking pathetic! If she would have done any of that bullshit, she would have done it when you were in the dungeon! Good things can happen! Stop crying! Stop feeling like this!</i>


    ¡°Master,¡± she whispered into my ear. The Dark Lord continued to lean up until I fell to my ass. She approached me, taking up a position on myp as she slowly guided herself back down on my penis. She leaned in close, moaning into my ear while her hands embraced me.


    Her hug was¡­so warm¡­ Her touch was¡­soforting¡­


    She pushed her lips to mine. This kiss¡­ It was so much more powerful than the ones we shared before. My heart fluttered with something positive, and perhaps that overloaded it because I¡¯d never felt like this before. She started to grind her hips, then took my hands and ced them on her jiggling breasts.


    ¡°Touch me all you want... Do whatever you want to me...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m...sorry,¡± I whispered, apologizing for my meek behavior. Sekh pressed her hands to my chest and, through those passionate breaths, said I had nothing to be sorry for. I leaned up, she remained in myp, and I wrapped my hands around her waist and licked her sweaty neck. She moaned into my ears, resulting in me getting even harder, which I thought wasn¡¯t possible at all.


    My semen and her delicious fluids made lewd sounds when our crotches smacked into the other.


    <span ss="TextRun SCXW73091859 BCX0"ng="en-us" xmlng="en-us"><span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW73091859 BCX0">And for the next hour, the two of us allowed our moans and bodynguage to do the talking. When I became used to her in myp, she rolled to her stomach and lifted her hips, and I eased myself inside of her as she loudly moaned into a pillow. I especially loved this position because I was able to hug her adorable stomach. It also allowed the chance to tickle and y with her puffy clitoris while sealing her lips with mine when she turned her head.<span ss="EOP SCXW73091859 BCX0">


    Our night of passion ended after the 11th round. I peeled my sweaty chest from her back and remained on my knees. Looking down, I saw a never-ending river of white flow from her pussy after removing my penis. I couldn¡¯t deny the pleasure it gave me, and looking at my adorable Lionfolk, it seemed she rather enjoyed it as well since she was trembling and moaning. The strength in my body failed me. I copsed beside Sekh, content and happy. The sandman snatched me away from consciousness the second I hugged her from behind.

 Intermission — Sekh — A Moment to Myself

    Intermission ¡ª Sekh ¡ª A Moment to Myself


    ¡°Uugghh...¡± I groaned in pain once Master had fallen asleep. The difort between my legs was bearable when we were making love, but after regaining my reason, it was nothing but agony.


    It took a lot of strength to push myself off the bed and to my feet, and even then, I copsed to my hands and knees and vomited out the contents of my stomach. With hazy eyes and shaking hands, I reached between my legs and grunted when I pulled my fingers away because I saw proof that this body was just a virgin. That was to be expected because Master¡¯s penis was that of an Ashen Orc. Even if the pain reminded me of the various hells I endured, it wasn¡¯t the same because Master never intended on hurting me. If anything, it was my fault because I made her body


    ¡°Yeah, just to let you know, that¡¯s a shitty idea,¡± said Tilde. She flew over and hovered above Master, doing nothing but staring at her.


    ¡°What would you even know about that, fairy?¡± I replied. I held little affection for this flying pest, but she was instrumental in strengthening Master¡¯s [Hermes Trismegistus].


    ¡°I have about 6,000 years under my belt. When you live that long and see so many people, you start to fit them into different archetypes. You¡¯re thinking of hiding the pain, aren¡¯t you? Master fucked you raw, so I¡¯m sure you having a hard time even moving. You need her, and she needs you, and you don¡¯t want this to turn into a situation that would be harmful for our Master. I bet you imagined the horror of her realizing she hurt the first person to have needed her. That shock would probably render her impotent for the rest of her life, and you could not have that because it would be another strike on the board against our Master. A board, I¡¯ll add, that has two marks of failures already on it. Then again, not telling her isn¡¯t much better. You¡¯d be deceiving her and creating doubt in a rtionship where the clouds of uncertainty have no ce. Either way, you fucked up by not saying anything earlier.¡±


    I barred my teeth, yet my anger vanished. Ignoring Tilde, I stumbled over to the closet and took out a clean bedspread and nket, then worked to clean up our mess. It was hard to move Master to the bath, where we luckily had the foresight to not drain the water. I just had to heat it with my mes, then worked to scrub ourselves clean of sexual fluids without the luxury of soap. It didn¡¯t take long for the bath to turn slightly red. Looking at the crimson I loved to spread hurt my heart because of Tilde¡¯s words.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you be useful¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. I was already going to do it,¡± Tilde said, interrupting me while flying over to the ruined nket and bedspread. In a sh, it vanished, and I dragged Master from the bath and dried the two of us off. I only needed to remake the bed, and once that was done, I put herdown on it. A secondter, I crawled over her, got under the cover, and hugged her head to my chest, because she was my Master.


    That was the only reason I needed to do what I just did.


    I was only freed because she suffered a tumultuous life. If she hadn¡¯t been abused, beaten, and raped, then paraded in front of her ssmates naked before being thrown into the void, her fury would not have burned as bright.


    Her suffering was my salvation.


    ¡°Hey, when Master was fucking you with that thick cock, how did it feel? I know it hurts like a bitch, but I, honest to goodness, thought you were about to be split open like a walnut. Oh, and I was impressed when you swallowed it. Didn¡¯t think your throat was made for that, but damn. Hey, did you ever hear the story of the Ashen Orc that practiced celibacy?¡± Tilde spoke just because she liked to hear her own voice, and I wasn¡¯t about to indulge her. I just held Master close to my chest and rubbed my arms down her back because I knew she loved how my fur felt.A few kisses to her head caused her to speak in her sleep.


    ¡°Sekh... Mmmnn... Sekh, I need you,¡± whispered my Master. I squeezed her a little tighter as my heart beat faster. That annoyance of a fairy kept speaking as if she valued the sound of her voice that much.


    ¡°Alright, so there was this Ashen Orc priest, right? Well, he was an odd one that practiced celibacy. One day, a subus heard about him and made a bet that she could make him sleep with her. He epted, and like four dayster, the subus was found dead. How? She was very good at her job, and I guess it pissed the dude off, so he literally stuffed her throat with his dick. And I mean literally. Like really literally. It¡¯s just a story becausee on, there isn¡¯t an Ashen Orc out there that would give up free pussy, but what do you think the meaning is? Like, is it a warning to not fuck with Ashen Orcs? Or is it an allegory against not taunting someone with the very thing they are abstaining from just because you want to find pleasure in forcing them to break their vow? Take it as you will and think about how that can apply to our Master. That¡¯s all I¡¯m going to say on that subject.


    ¡°Alright! I¡¯m just going to say it. Acting the role of a meek little sex ve just doesn¡¯t suit your character. It pisses me off, honestly. If Master appeared before you a thousand years ago, you¡¯d have slit her gut open andmanded an ogre to fuck her stomach. The Dark Lord of Tyranny I knew would never debase herself and allow a mere chimera to stuff her throat. This weird dichotomy doesn¡¯t make a lick of sense. I can¡¯t get over it. The you of the past would¡¯ve strung up that Dogfolk and Catfolk by their entrails just for looking at you. When we walked into the mines, I half expected to walk out covered in blood because I thought you''d have ughtered everyone for our Master to feed on.


    ¡°Huh... Maybe that curse was the reason you were such a murderous psycho bitch. Without it, you¡¯re just a submissive little kitten wanting to suck Master¡¯s cock and drink her milk. You just want to get petted and adored, even if it meant forcing [Tyranny Control] to take the form of a cor because that¡¯s your deepest desire. And maybe there¡¯s not anything wrong with that. I¡¯m not one to kink shame. Even without the curse, I bet you were going to still be a great and powerful warrior. One that¡¯s submissive, but whatever. You know what? This back-and-forth gotta have a little bit of back to go along with the forth if we¡¯re going to have some good-natured banter. If I¡¯m pissing you off, then it means I¡¯m doing my job right. I¡¯ve waited an ufortable amount of time to finally live out my purpose in life. It falls to me to make sure Master is protected and nurtured until she blossoms into the perfect Transcendent Dark Lord, and that includes surrounding her with the right allies. Alright, I¡¯m about to hit the hay. Make sure you don¡¯t hurt our Master in your sleep with those nails.¡±


    ¡°You talk too much. Just go to bed.¡±


    Ufortable realizations flowed around my mind when Tilde finally shut her mouth, but I could not deny her words.


    I had changed from my time as the Dark Lord of Tyranny. I was still her, yet the target of my destruction had temporarily changed from the world to Master¡¯s enemies. My true nature was one of chaos and death because that was written into my soul by the very curse I was now temporarily free of. But after being an agent of it for so long, it felt like it was a central part of what made me up. And now that spot in my soul was free to be filled with whatever I desired.


    Maybe I wanted to be loved on... I¡¯d never felt that before, and Master¡¯s touch was as gentle as the spring breeze. I loved it when she patted my head and fluffed my ears, and I very much enjoyed the sensation of having my breasts massaged by her soft hands. I loved her smell and taste...and her moans and voice. I knew her feelings about being a ve owner, but I wanted to be hers. I wanted to follow hermands and bring ughter to her foolish enemies...


    When we met with the ones that had done her wrong, I¡¯d rend their lives from their bodies and eviscerate them from top to bottom.


    Even if it required my life, I¡¯d give it up for her dreams toe true.


    <i>Death is nothing but a temporary cure to the disease of destruction festering within my soul. Until the end of the world, I¡¯ll alwayse back.</i>


    The curse prevented me from thinking about how my life would¡¯ve turned out if I was free of it. It considered such fleeting dreams as heresy and flooded my nerves and mind with memories and feelings of past abuse. But now?


    An existence like me was free to dream of whatever, but did I deserve that? I couldn¡¯t begin to tell you how much hope I snatched away during my many, many reincarnations. Since Tilde talked about it, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder how my life would¡¯ve yed out. My parents were fond of the maid. The poisonous aphrodisiac only helped the three recognize the feelings, so a little sibling was probably expected even if I hadn¡¯t done anything.


    <i>Me? As an elder sister?</i> Try as I could, I had trouble recing my previous war-torn, sadistic lifewith one of love and affection towards a little sibling... Especially since I was no stranger to killing them in front of their parents. The quickest way to break the spirit of someone was by destroying their greatest treasure. But I was thinking wrongly. If things had yed out the right way, I wouldn¡¯t have been responsible for any deaths. My hands would¡¯ve been clean, right?


    I wouldn¡¯t have any memories of my past life because I would just be a simple child. A daughter of a great warrior with connections the world over. My mother was perhaps a bit in, but I can¡¯t even remember her face or her touch.


    Would she teach me to cook? Clean? Instruct me on how a noble should act? Throw tea parties with the other women of the vige? Take me to see her parents?


    And my father... Would his favorite sword be passed to me when he became feeble and unable to wield it? Would he teach me how to swing a sword? Or how to hunt? Or fish? Or how to nurse minor wounds.


    When I became of age, would they be insistent on making me marry someone? Would they choose amon boy from the vige, a noble from my mother¡¯s side, or allow me to choose my partner? Would we fight because of it? Or would I run away? With my potential partner? Or would I leave in the middle of the night?


    Would I choose the guild and follow in my father¡¯s footsteps? Or perhaps join the army? Or even a mercenary?


    <span ss="TextRun SCXW162061593 BCX0"ng="en-us" xmlng="en-us"><span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW162061593 BCX0">Were there friends and closepanions in my future? Would I have found someone to adventure with for twenty or so years? Someone to be more than just a simple friend?Someone to be there for me when I needed them when the passing of my parents eventually happened? Or someone to hold my baby when I eventually performed a woman¡¯s duty?<span ss="EOP SCXW162061593 BCX0">


    <i>Me? Being a mother? Even with an open mind, I can¡¯t imagine that. The womb of this new body isn¡¯t destroyed, but who would want to have children with the Dark Lord of Tyranny? Someone with a reputation for ughtering newborns?</i>


    Or would I be betrayed by them and forced to fight for my survival? Kidnapped and forced to live a fate like what I endured?


    It wouldn¡¯t all be sunshine and rainbows, but it wouldn¡¯t be all vulgar and horrific.


    Master shifted slightly in her sleep, breaking me free from my daydream.


    <span ss="TextRun SCXW28519440 BCX0"ng="en-us" xmlng="en-us"><span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW28519440 BCX0">¡°Will I ever find love?¡± I whispered, looking at her. ¡°<span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW28519440 BCX0">You¡¯re<span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW28519440 BCX0"> too far special a person to love me. <span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW28519440 BCX0">You¡¯re<span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW28519440 BCX0"> the Transcendent Dark Lord¡ªa being that rules above all other Dark Lords. <span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW28519440 BCX0">I¡¯m<span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW28519440 BCX0"> content to be your de of <span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW28519440 BCX0">vengeance<span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW28519440 BCX0">. <span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW28519440 BCX0">That¡¯s<span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW28519440 BCX0"> the most a monster like me could ask for, but <span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW28519440 BCX0">I wish<span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW28519440 BCX0">to remain by <span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW28519440 BCX0">your side<span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW28519440 BCX0"> until the end of time...¡± I kissed her head once more and reluctantly closed my ey<span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW28519440 BCX0">es. I <span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW28519440 BCX0">didn¡¯t<span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW28519440 BCX0"> want this moment to end because a part of me feared this was another delusion the seal tormented me with.<span ss="EOP SCXW28519440 BCX0">


    But I wanted this to be real.


    I yearned for this to be real.


    <i>Please, let it be real when I wake up...</i>

 Intermission – Quella – Isolated Together – Part One

    Intermission ¨C Que ¨C Isted Together ¨C Part One


    <i>¡°Where am I?¡± I asked, standing on a tform located in the middle of a gigantic abyss. One moment, I was shouting for Shuuta, and then I suddenly found myself here. It was like I was trapped in space, yet there wasn¡¯t a hint of stars or gxies in the distance.</i>


    <i>It was all ck.</i>


    <i>Totally ck.</i>


    <i>Just like...</i>


    <i>¡°Just like the void...¡± I whispered, turning around to find what looked like an entrance to a maze orbyrinth. It was only then I realized the tform and maze were bleeding since everything looked to be made of skin.</i>


    <i>¡°You¡¯re an utter failure, Que. You couldn¡¯t save me. You left me to die. I hope the scorn you feel from your parents scars you to your core.¡± My heart sank to the pit of my stomach as I turned around to find Shuuta¡¯s skinless face inches away from me. His wounds were engraved on his crimson flesh, his eyes wide open and peering deep within my soul.</i>


    <i>¡°I¡¯m dead now, you know. And it¡¯s your fault. And it¡¯s Greggie¡¯s fault. And it¡¯s Keeth¡¯s fault. And it¡¯s Elly¡¯s fault. And it¡¯s Ami¡¯s fault. And it¡¯s Ms. Mary¡¯s fault. And it¡¯s Will¡¯s fault. You¡¯re all to me...and I hate you all. But you? YOU LED ME ON!!!! YOU NEVER ACTUALLY WANTED ME TO LIVE!!! YOU JUST WANTED TO MAKE YOUR FUCKING FAMILY HAPPY!!!!!¡±</i>


    <i>¡°That¡¯s... That¡¯s not it!" My breath froze solid when I heard the irritating noise of a bell. The being standing before me opened vertically like a bloody iron maiden. Thick tentacles grabbed my arms and legs, pulling me inside and mping shut not even a momentter. Blood covered me from head to toe. My mouth was filled with the taste of hot crimson...</i>


    <i>And then I drowned, dying a painful death. I wanted to wake up, but no...</i>


    <i>Before I knew it, I was back in front of that thing. It started to say something in Shuuta¡¯s voice, but I turned on my heels and rushed into the maze. His face appeared on the walls and the floor, taunting and shouting and crying, spewing his utter hatred like vicious venom. I begged him¡ªreasoned with him¡ªtried to do what I could, but my answer end with a bell ringing. The ground before me vanished, and I fell into a pit of sharp spikes. They skewered me from all over, bringing me to my second death.</i>


    <i>Suddenly, I found myself standing back on that tform. Only this time, Shuuta¡¯s form had grown triple in size. It towered over me, the blood dripping off his exposed flesh like fat raindrops.</i>


    <i>¡°You¡¯ll never escape!!! I¡¯ll haunt your dreams!!! YOU¡¯LL FEEL WHAT I WAS FORCED TO LIVE THROUGH, YOU FUCKING TRAITOR!!!!!! YOU¡¯LL LIVE WITH THIS FAILURE FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!!!!!!¡± He grew bigger with each curse, and I started to run.</i>


    <i>I ran, I ran, and I ran.</i>


    <i>I never once escaped his wrath, but I always begged for forgiveness.</i>


    <i>It was never enough.</i>


    <hr>


    ¡°SHUUTA, I¡¯M SORRY!!!!!!¡± I screamed a name I hadn¡¯t known before today and leaned up. Something hard was awaiting me as I bashed my head into it, knocking thest remnants of that nightmare from my mind.


    ¡°Wah!!!¡± A girl with blue hair fell backwards a bit and rubbed her forehead. ¡°Qutie!¡± Elly eximed. She hugged me with tears shining in her eyes, but I remained sitting. She whimpered while I searched my new surroundings.


    We weren¡¯t in Shuuta''s room. Instead, it looked like I was in a room with six beds, which reminded me of themunal living bunks I once saw on a tour of a military base. It was designed to increase camaraderie between new recruits.


    It also functioned as a punishment because it removed any sense of privacy. Each bed had antern above it, seemingly controlled by a nearby knob. Within this windowless room, the cool glow of a faint, flickering light was all that staved off the encroaching darkness. Even the walls were as dark as coal, and that was on purpose.


    ¡°Shuuta! Where¡¯s Shuuta?!¡± I cried out. Hazy sweat found refuge on my face and arms, but I didn¡¯t focus on that difort.


    ¡°Qutie¡­ He¡¯s gone...¡± Elly whispered. She pulled back from the hug and stared at me with reddened eyes. I rubbed my head and refused to believe it. Greggie and Keeth walked over while Elly helped meto my unstable feet. They exined I had lost consciousness while shouting his name when the portal closed. Once Meruria lifted the restraints on us, she mentioned there would be consequences for anyone who attempted to get revenge for the ¡®failure.¡¯


    Greggie didn¡¯t care, but Keeth and Ami were the ones who kept him from making things worse in a moment of anger.


    Elly said Meruria didn¡¯t waste any time in summoning another Soul Warrior. His name was Carter Armlet¡ªthe pilot of the ne we were on. With a 3-Star Soul, he was immediately granted several skills, one of which created a drone-like object he could control. Whatever the drone saw and heard was transferred to him, but he could share that with others by creating a visual disy. Elly said it was like a TV.


    Meruria was so impressed she left with him to train. ¡°She even said recycling Shuuta was the best idea she ever had,¡± Elly whimpered.


    ¡°We¡¯re in the room assigned to Team Que. That¡¯s us, by the way,¡± said Greggie, who had a pensive look of sadness. He pulled a wooden key from his pocket and handed it to me. ¡°Meruria said we were to stay here until further notice.¡±


    After the trial, Meruria teleported us back to the bloody building with the rotting goblin corpses¡ªpossibly to remind us of our fate if we chose to go against her. There was a maid there, and after Ami picked me up, they followed her through the courtyard and into the building we weren¡¯t summoned in.


    Ms. Mary said we entered a ballroom with elegant flooring and expensive-looking diamond-tipped chandeliers. The maid had continued through arge door and turned left, leading the team down a hallway that emerged into a wee hall. Elly said there were two sets of stairs that nked a doorway into the nave of a church.


    <i>That makes sense.</i>


    Ami had effortlessly carried me up the stairs. Greggie said the wide windows gave him a glimpse of this new world, but it was hard to decipher anything through the red and blue stained ss. At the top of the stairs, they took a left and walked for a few seconds. Keeth unlocked the door with our name on it with a key, and Ami gently dropped me on the dark gray, lumpy mattress with ease. A few minutester, I struggled in my sleep, and Elly tried to wake me up.


    ¡°It sounded like you were having a nightmare,¡± Ms. Mary said.


    I nodded and recalled the ufortableness but didn''t say what it was about. ¡°You should all be upset with me.¡±


    ¡°For what?¡± asked Ami. She sat on the bed and tilted her head.


    ¡°Remember what Mia said? She spoke the truth. Deep down, I knew I wanted to challenge her viewpoint. And when I saw Shuuta¡¯s injuries, I thought it would be better if he died. I can¡¯t even imagine what he went through to look like that, and this world is far more dangerous than the one we came from. But he trusted me... And I... And I let him down... I couldn¡¯t save him...¡± I stood up, not knowing the right words to say, but Ms. Mary wrapped her arms around me. She held a hand to the back of my head and softly petted it.


    ¡°The reasoning doesn¡¯t matter. You were the first toe to his defense and speak up. Deep down, you wanted to prevent his death. So, no, Que, we aren¡¯t angry. Don¡¯t be hard on yourself...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!!!! I¡¯m sorry!!!!¡± I repeated my apologies and whimpered, whichter upgraded to a wail.


    <i>Mother and father never permitted me to cry... Not even when I was a child. Failure is the greatest sin we canmit¡­ Please... Let me have this... My heart hurts too much to keep this all in...</i>


    I thought I had cried all I could, but I discovered a hidden cache of tears when Elly and the others joined in on the hug. The six of us were all crying for an abused boy who lived a hard life... No doubt the reveal of his scarred body affected Greggie and Keeth more than me. After all, they were the ones who knew him. I was just a stranger. My heart still hurt all the same, though.


    <i>Regardless of the reason, I wanted to save him... I really did...</i>


    <hr>


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen you around lots of times, Greggie. Why haven¡¯t you talked with me before?¡± asked Elly, who went back to her bed after our crying session. She wiped her red eyes and runny nose.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been focused on my cooking all my life that I found it hard to have friends,¡± he replied. He sat on the gray nkets, leaning hisrge back against the wall. ¡°I swear I wasn¡¯t trying to ignore anyone.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the same,¡± Keeth said. I knew he spoke lightly, but it looked like thatwas changing. ¡°I¡¯ve...only known y.¡±


    ¡°Before today, I never knew Shuuta was in our ss,¡± I confessed. I sat on my bed and hugged my knees. ¡°Even if we were strangers, I want to learn about him. That way, I can keep him alive in my memories.¡±


    ¡°We chatted with him a few times,¡± said Elly. ¡°He was always quiet, though. Really brisk when talking.¡±


    Ami sat beside her cousin on the same narrow bed. The perpetual smile she usually wore wasn¡¯t there. ¡°Yeah. But he was easy on the mouth.¡± No one bothered correcting her. ¡°It was like talking to a dog, but it was fun for me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s almost funny you say that. We could be talking about cooking or sculpting, and he would barely listen. But bring up something about history and war? He would perk right up. Really, he could talk for hours about the Second Punic Wars and Hannibal, the Carthaginian general who used war elephants.¡±


    ¡°He was a history buff?¡± I asked.


    Greggie nodded. ¡°History, war, and guns.¡±


    ¡°How did you all be friends?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I wanna know too,¡± Ami added.


    Greggie fondly smiled. ¡°It all started when I was hungry. Mr. Rhamsaey kept me after ss, so I waste getting to the cafeteria. He let me use a spare kitchen to make my lunch, and I went to the roof to eat. There was a nice, shaded spot, so I sat down and ate my spaghetti and meatballs. The door opened a few minutester, and Keeth walked out. He was working with a chunk of y because of a job he had. Later, Shuuta walked through and took a seat away from us. Then Will... He showed up with a few books to work on a math theorem.Two weekster, the rooftop became our meeting ground. I don¡¯t remember who said what, but we began to talk and chat. That friendship continued until...Meruria happened. If I knew what he was going through, I could¡¯ve helped him. <i>We</i> could¡¯ve helped him. I¡¯m just...a little upset he didn¡¯t trust us enough.¡±


    ¡°Greggie...¡± Elly whispered his name, then walked over to give him a hug before returning to her bed. We talked a little bit more about Shuuta until our teacher had something to say.


    ¡°On the ne¡­¡± Ms. Mary sighed and rested her face in her hands when I said her name. She was starting to cry again. ¡°If I knew this would happen, I would have acted like a teacher for the first time in my life.¡±


    None of us knew what she meant. When asked to exin, Ms. Mary said she was destined to be an instructor from the moment of her birth. She had a tattoo of ¡®M15H37¡¯ on her upper shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m the 37th unit of production order M15H, paid for by the academy,¡± whispered our teacher as she dropped a bombshell. She pulled her sleeve up to show us.


    ¡°Mary Mishel¡­¡± I whispered, realizing where herst name came from. Our teacher then talked about her life.


    She was born in a hiddenb operated by apany named Scientia Doctrinae. Publicly, they were known as the inventors of the learning chambers. Ms. Mary was forced to live inside a chamber for 24 hours a day. By the age of 6, she hadpleted Mekka Academy¡¯s entrance exam and scored the highest on her aptitude tests.


    Someone asked about the obvious bodily functions we couldn¡¯t ignore, and Ms. Mary just said it went as we might think. It was disgusting, dehumanizing, and horrifying.


    A scientist responsible for her well-being couldn¡¯t handle the cruelness of producing knowledgeable livestock, so he faked her death and made ns to stash our instructor with a friend of his. This man took Ms. Mary in and taught her what it meant to live. What it meant to cry,ugh, and even yell, destroying the shell cast around her heart.


    It was ironic that those at the Club Domme brothel had more humanity than the ones who created her. Everyone there treated her like a daughter or little sister. She ended up helping with tracking finances and other clerical work. Ms. Mary didn¡¯t have a name at this point, so her adoptive father fixed that when he helped her with physical therapy to learn how to walk.


    She found safety for ten years. Eventually, Scientia Doctrinae captured her. She watched as the scientist who helped her was skinned alive for his betrayal. With a cruel warning, Mary was told the same fate would befall Club Domme if she didn¡¯t fulfill her assigned role.


    A few dayster, our teacher introduced herself to ss 2-F as Ms. Mary after being granted permission to use the name her adoptive father gave her as a first name. ¡°If I had intervened, dad and the others would have died¡­ I sacrificed one of my students so they wouldn¡¯t be killed.¡±


    When Ms. Mary finished her tale, tears flowed from our eyes. None of us had a single clue she had such a history. Ami and Elly rushed off their bed and nearly jumped on her, burying their heads in her ck hair. I felt rather emotional, and I went to join the pile. Greggie and Keeth soon joined in after Elly told them to, and all of Team Que shared our teacher¡¯s pain while engaging in the second group hug of the day. When the emotions simmered, we went back to our beds, but not before making sure she was okay. With her eyes red and raw, she asked us if we could drop the ¡®Ms.¡¯ from her name because she felt she didn¡¯t deserve to be a teacher.


    Something about the timeline didn¡¯t add up because Mary told us she was in herte 20s. She saw my confusion and told us she was 19. She had medicine to regte her elerated aging, the one w Scientia Doctrinae hadn¡¯t yet been able to fix.


    ¡°I always carry the pills on me. I have enough for 8 months,¡± she said, showing us a bottle she pulled from her skirt pockets. ¡°But I feel fine. It might have something to do with being a Soul Warrior.¡±


    ¡°Umm... Can... Can we talk about the bell?¡± Elly asked, changing the subject and crossing her legs. It was an ufortable topic¡ªone I¡¯ve been dreading to discuss. ¡°As much as I want to believe it, I don¡¯t think Meruria was manipting the bell. When I saw Shuuta¡¯s injuries, it felt like I was looking at my dog when its kidneys shut down. You don¡¯t want it to suffer, so you put it to sleep. It can die peacefully that way. That¡¯s...the first thing that came to mind, but he''s not a dog. He¡¯s a person.¡±


    ¡°I think it was the same with me,¡± I replied. ¡°He looked so pitiful... Like a cat we used to have. It broke its back, and mother and father put it to sleep. What I felt then was what I experienced when I saw him. Just like a stake being driven through my heart... I wanted him to feel at peace. No matter what, I wanted the hurt to stop, but I also wanted to save him. But I couldn¡¯t do both...¡±


    ¡°Wait? It happened to you too?¡± Greggie suddenly asked. ¡°In my case, it was a turtle. I had one when I was a kid, but he passed away after getting sick. Now that I¡¯m thinking about it, the feelings I felt were the same when the doctor told me Turtley had to be euthanized.¡±


    ¡°Did...we all think of him as an animal that needed to be put down?¡± Mary inquired. ¡°In my case, it was a gerbil we used to keep at Club Domme. We all took care of it, and it was my first animal. A yearter, we had a vet put it to sleep because it couldn¡¯t walk anymore. But ignoring that, what we experienced isn¡¯t natural behavior. Perhaps if two of us thought like that, then yes. But all six? Something doesn¡¯t feel right.¡±


    ¡°Hold on...I didn¡¯t think what I wanted to think?¡± Ami asked. ¡°But my feelings are my feelings, and I felt like I did when my goat was run over by a truck. My feelings didn¡¯t want Shuuta to die, but if they did, then it wasn¡¯t me while also being me? But why did the bell sing? I¡¯m confused,¡± Ami touched her head and slowly closed her eyes.


    ¡°It was a bird in my case. Pierty broke his wings, and he was put down when the vet couldn¡¯t fix him,¡± Keeth said, his eyes bing cloudy with water.


    "Then... Someone made us feel what we felt when our childhood pets passed away? You think it was Meruria?¡± I asked.


    ¡°The bell still rang because what we said didn¡¯t match our feelings, but our feelings from our childhood were brought forth from our subconsciousness. Do you think she has the power to do that?¡± Mary replied.


    ¡°Like, if we ask her, I doubt she¡¯ll be honest with us,¡± said Elly.


    ¡°Wonder if she¡¯ll lend us the bell? Maybe I can talk her into it... But I need to know if she¡¯s behind it. If I¡¯m being honest, though. I¡¯m...almost d this is the case. I hope that¡¯s not¡ª¡±


    ¡°I get what you mean,¡± replied Greggie. ¡°It means I never wanted Shuuta to die.¡± Everyone¡¯s moods improved somewhat after we really, genuinely wanted him to live. Silently, we all agreed on Meruria being our foe. How could we not after realizing the likelihood of her rigging the trial? But what could we do against her? Talking out loud about her in the middle of her church was a foolish mistake, and one we did not make.


    It wasn¡¯t long before someone knocked on the door. When I opened it, a tall maid bowed her head and left, leaving us with six crates that held our names. We grabbed them and started to open them.


    ¡°Clothes?¡± Ami quizzically said. She dumped the contents of her box on the bed and stared at a perfect recreation of the outfit she had on. Everything from the shirt down to the socks was a match, and there was a rough, brown towel with a bar of soap wrapped inside. It was obvious we were meant to change. I grabbed my box and walked to the only other door that wasn¡¯t an exit.


    It was a bathroom with a toilet. The ¡®shower¡¯ was a metal pole with a hole at the top. A knob ¡®controlled¡¯ the temperature, but only cold water came out. A thousand and one thoughts ran through my mind when the door mmed shut behind me. I stripped naked and started to clean myself free from the dried crimson and sweat. The room was nearly dark, but antern with a weak me struggled to provide illumination.


    The water was nearly freezing, yet the difort didn¡¯tpare to what <i>he¡¯d </i>felt. <i>He¡¯d</i> felt an unenvious torture. <i>He¡¯d</i> felt his lifeing to an end. I was still alive.


    This world was a dangerous one, but I still had the blessing of feeling my heart pump to circte blood through my body. In my beloved books, there was sometimes a scene of the main protagonist witnessing the death of someone close to them. After a bout of depression, they be determined to live for the recently departed.


    I wasn¡¯t like them. This wasn¡¯t a book. I couldn¡¯t turn back to the prologue and relieve the times before chaos ruled the world. And I couldn¡¯t flip to the end and hope <i>his</i> death was a temporary setback.


    Reality wasn¡¯t fiction, and happy endings were a myth...


    I could still try, though... I could face this world... I could...


    <i>I could...</i>


    The rough edges of the shower tile nearly scratched my butt as I sat down, allowing the cold rain to fall over my red hair. The noise it made pping into the floor overpowered my quiet whimpers, but I couldn¡¯t stay here. I had to stand up, scrub the dried blood off, and get dressed.


    <i>I¡¯ve cried enough... If I¡¯m the leader of Team Que, I must be strong... Not just for me, but for them... And for him, too...</i>

 Intermission – Quella – Isolated Together – Part Two

    Intermission ¨C Que ¨C Isted Together ¨C Part Two


    ¡°Eh? Qutie, I just sent you something,¡± Elly said, with a towel wrapped around her hair. She stared towards the wall, but she was really looking at her Status Menu. With nothing else to do but wait, we decided to do a little bit of investigation after getting clean.


    Having something to upy our minds made it easier to focus on the present rather than <i>him</i>.


    ¡°It looks like a party request,¡± I replied, staring at my activity log. After focusing on it, a message box appeared and asked if I wanted to ept. I did, and then Elly¡¯s information appeared below mine. It looked like a way we could track the others¡¯ HP and mana, so we all partied up. ¡°Should we talk about our skills and abilities? If we¡¯re gonna be a team, that should be our next step.¡±


    Everyone agreed, and Greggie began by exining the skill [Butcher (Lv. 6), which increased his damage against monsters when using butcher knives. His [Cooking (Lv. 10)] was as high as it could go, but he had [Master Chef (Lv. 5)], which increased his overall skill in food preparation. [Fishing (Lv. 7)], [Farming (Lv. 8)], [Hunting (Lv. 8)], and [Harvesting (Lv. 7)] were supportive skills that just made things easier in those respective areas.


    [Mana Marinade ¨C Physical (Lv. 5)], [Mana Marinade ¨C Magical (Lv. 5)], and [Mana Marinade ¨C Dexterous (Lv. 5)] allowed him to infuse his food with mana to offer temporary buffs,but he could only use one marinade skill per food item. ¡°I also have [Heat Resistance (Lv. 7)]. It makes sense because a kitchen gets hot. Oh, and something called [Thermal Check (Lv. 10)]. It allows me to determine the temperature of something from sight alone,¡± he said.


    Keeth stood up and ced a palm against the wall. ¡°I have something called [Material Metamorphosis (Lv. 4)]. It allows me to do this,¡± he said with a quiet whisper. He spoke the skill¡¯s name a second time, and his fingers had an ethereal glow around them. They passed through the wall, and when he closed his hand and removed it, there was a fist-sized hole in the wall. And in his grasp was the ck concrete-like material the wall was made from. ¡°I can take a chunk of material and sculpt it. I think the mana cost is determined by the size, strength, and properties of what I take. For example, this took 60% of my blue bar.¡±


    Ms. Mary asked if it needed mana when it was in his hand, but he shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s like I have a toggle in my mind. When it¡¯s on, my mana starts to drain, my materials be malleable, and I can shape them to whatever form I want. When I turn it off, it bes hard again, and my mana stops decreasing. See?¡±


    I watched Keeth¡¯s blue bar closely as it started to slowly drain. He squeezed off a thumb-sized piece of concrete, sat the rest on the bed, and sculpted it into a spear about two feet long. Once he was happy with it, his mana stabilized and slowly regenerated. ¡°There¡¯s a limit, though. This concrete can only be used nine more times. When that happens, it loses its malleability. I can always grab another handful from the wall, though. Or anything else, really, if I have the mana. At least, I think that¡¯s how it works.¡±


    Elly asked if Keeth would get another use if he returned the spear to the concrete it came from, and he shook his head. Perhaps the limit would grow with the skill¡¯s level? I noticed his smile as he answered another question from Elly. When it came to something he was passionate about, Keeth almost changed into another person. One that spoke with more passion in his voice instead of wanting to hide away and speak in whispered voices. I suppose he was like Shuuta in that way if the stories I heard about him were true.


    Next was Mary, whose skills all revolved around [Monster Tamer (Lv. 1)]. When used on a monster, it would be loyal and follow her orders, but there were various factors at work, like the level difference, the skill¡¯s level, the monster¡¯s remaining HP, which determined the sess rate. [Monster Growth ¨C Physical (Lv. 1)], [Monster Growth ¨C Magical (Lv. 1)], and [Monster Growth ¨C Dexterous (Lv. 1)] were passive skills that affected her monsters when they leveled up. [Monster Growth ¨C Evolutionary Theory] was awkwardly worded. It almost sounded like it gave Mary¡¯s monsters evolutionary paths they normally didn¡¯t have.


    ¡°It¡¯s my turn!¡± Elly said. She stood on her bed and started to sing, shaking her hips in rhythm to the fiery lyrics. There was an icon of a sword with a sharp glint under my name, and I felt empowered.


    <b><i>Physical Resolve: Increases physical damage.</i></b>


    ¡°It looks like your singing makes us stronger. Do you have any other songs?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yep yep! Here, I got two moreing your way!¡± She brought both hands to her face, formed a peace sign, and switched over to something a little more somber. An icon of a staff appeared next to the sword, which vanished after about twenty seconds. When I listened to her slow lyrics, my soul felt prepared and rested, and my mind found a resemnce of peace.


    <b><i>Magical Resolve: Increases magical damage and mana regeneration.</i></b>


    When that song ended, she took a second to catch her breath before starting again. This time, her voice was a little bit higher pitch, and she bounced around the bed like a rabbit in between the incredibly hyper-fast lyrics that eclipsed even [Physical Resolve]. I almost became dizzy looking at her, but the feeling of wanting to run and jump like a bunny came over me.


    <b><i>Dexterous Resolve: Increases speed, agility, and uracy with ranged or thrown weaponry.</i></b>


    ¡°And I also have [Musical Notes (Lv. 3)]. When I sing, my voice takes the form of flying music notes that m into my enemy. I don¡¯t wanna hurt people with my music. I wanna sing and bring joy to everyone, but...¡± Elly sat with a sigh and hugged her knees. ¡°I have no choice, I guess. I don¡¯t want anyone else to die... I want us all to survive,¡± she whispered.


    Ami was next to exin her skills, which all revolved around hand-to-handbat. She had [Aura], which built up as she inflicted damage and dodged her opponents¡¯ strikes, which could be used to improve the damage of her unarmed skills like [Arm Bar (Lv. 2)], [Palm Strike (Lv. 3)], [Tiger w (Lv. 3)], [Running Punch (Lv. 3)], [Grappling (Lv. 1)], [Retaliate (Lv. 3)], which was a counterattack ability, and [Uppercut (Lv. 4)]. She had [Unarmed (Lv. 4)]. The description said it worked with gloves but holding a sword or shield or any other kind of weapon canceled the effect. She also had [Aura st (Lv. 1)], which enabled her to use all her aura at once to inflict a devastating attack. ¡°There was this bipedal blue jackal in this game dad and I yed that used the same abilities. That one was always my favorite pocket creature.¡±


    ¡°What about you, Qutie?¡± Elly asked, causing everyone to turn to me.


    ¡°It¡¯s... It¡¯s a lot. There¡¯s a stark difference between a 4-Star and a 5-Star Soul,¡± I said as I listed my skills.


    <ul>


    <li>All Magic Affinity (Lv. 5)


    <ul>


    <li>Improved Proficiency - Grants the user increased proficiency for all types of magic.</li>


    <li>Chantless Casting¨C Grants the user the ability to cast magic by speaking the spell¡¯s name.</li>


    <li>Reduced Mana Consumption ¨C The user requires less mana to cast magic.</li>


    <li>Multi Chain Casting ¨C Grants the user to chain multiple spells together in a single breath.</li>


    <li>Magic Circle Casting ¨C Grants the user the ability to etch magic into magic circles to either dy or remotely trigger the spell within.</li>


    <li>Increased Spell Duration ¨C The spells the user cast willst longer.</li>


    <li>Overcharge ¨C Grants the user the ability to overload their spells with more mana to increase their effectiveness.</li>


    </ul>


    </li>


    </ul>


    <ul>


    <li>All Magic Resistance (Lv. 5)


    <ul>


    <li>Grants the user resistance to all types of magic.</li>


    </ul>


    </li>


    </ul>


    <ul>


    <li>Magic Catalyst: Tome (Lv. 5)


    <ul>


    <li>When using tomes, the user¡¯s spells are more effective.</li>


    </ul>


    </li>


    </ul>


    <ul>


    <li>Mana Recovery (Lv. 5)


    <ul>


    <li>Increases the rate at which the user¡¯s mana recovers.</li>


    </ul>


    </li>


    </ul>


    <ul>


    <li>Meditation (Lv. 5)


    <ul>


    <li>When the user meditates and focuses their mind, their mana recovers at an extraordinary rate.</li>


    </ul>


    </li>


    </ul>


    <ul>


    <li>Magic Hijack (Lv. 5)


    <ul>


    <li>The user may attempt to forcefully steal control over magic that they did not cast.</li>


    </ul>


    </li>


    </ul>


    <ul>


    <li>Copy: Magic (Lv. 1)


    <ul>


    <li>The user may attempt to copy a spell to forcefully learn it.</li>


    </ul>


    </li>


    </ul>


    <ul>


    <li>Mana Perception (Lv. 4)


    <ul>


    <li>The user may see the flow of mana in the world.</li>


    </ul>


    </li>


    </ul>


    ¡°Umm... Yeah, that¡¯s a lot, Qutie. But that¡¯s good, right?¡± Elly asked. Mary and the others nodded.


    ¡°My only spell is [Fireball], though. And we¡¯re just Lv. 2.¡± I was about to say I didn¡¯t know how to do most of this, but upon thinking of magic circles, the knowledge I needed to create one filled a gap in my mind. It was the same with meditating. Crossing my legs and closing my eyes after folding my hands on myp, it was like my mind became devoid of all stresses. The flow of mana circting through my body like a river in ake became something I felt, and I tracked it as it flowed from my brain to my toes and back again. When I opened my eyes, I asked Elly to sing [Physical Resolve].


    She did, and I activated [Mana Perception]. It had to be toggled on, but once it was, my vision became monochrome. But red energy radiated from the singing girl and traveled to everyone in the room. She switched songs twice more, and the color changed from blue to green. It was just a guess, but the first thing I saw was probably mana infused with fire. The second was ice or water,and [Dexterous Resolve] probably imparted mana affiliated with nature. It was almost like those stories I read when I was a little girl wasing to life before me.


    The one to y the heroine role? That would not be me. You couldn¡¯t be a heroine if you were a failure.


    <hr>


    ¡°How marvelous you are to join us!¡± Meruria said, raising a golden goblet to a short servant with steel-colored skin. He poured something from a wine-shaped bottle into it.


    <i>He looks like a dwarf from my story.</i>


    A couple of minutes ago, a knock hade at the door. We had followed the butler with pointy ears throughout thisvish church and its pristine wooden floors. From outside the windows, the cruel moonlight of an unknown world suffocated the town. We walked until we came to a dining hall filled with tables. All but one was filled, and the servants were ferrying away the remains of what must¡¯ve been dinner.


    Meruria was at the back. Her staff floated behind her. Tokko and Mia sat to her right with Lori and Ann to her left. Damon, Shiku, and Will were at the table closest to Meruria¡¯s. A clean-shaven man wearing a pilot¡¯s uniform was seated at the same table. He looked so at ease.


    <i>That¡¯s who reced Shuuta.</i>


    ¡°Please, take a seat! I would say enjoy the meal, but it seems you were unable to get here on time,¡± the Holy Lord said with a wide smile.


    We soon found our table. There was a single rickety chair, and the wooden legs seemed nearly ck with the amount of rot. Thick gashes and scarred the top. And unlike the others, this one didn¡¯t have a candle or a cloth. I felt all eyes turn to us as Elly tried to sit down. The chair broke under her, causing her skirt to fly up in the front when she bonked her butt on the ground. Wooden splinters half-heartedly followed her panicked yelp.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, my dear, but that was thest chair we had in storage. If you had gotten here earlier¡­¡± Meruria said. Sheughed like an arrogant noblewoman. Ami helped her cousin up, and we stood around the rotted table.¡°A prior Soul Warrior of mine was a chef from your world, and she happily shared her favorite recipes. It is too bad you couldn¡¯t try this French onion soup, but your gut, Greggie, could benefit from restraint.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Elly shouted. ¡°Stop that! It isn¡¯t nice!¡± Greggie just growled. Meruria hummed, and I was getting angry.


    ¡°We are all here, yet there is one missing. Sister, have you seen Shuuta?¡± Ann asked. She had her hands neatly folded in herp.


    ¡°I have not, sister. He did not arrive with thest group,¡± Lori answered. They dressed differently, but their personalities came from the same mold.


    ¡°Huh? You two lovely, sisterly, busty beauties didn''t get back until noon, so you missed the trial,¡± said Damon. He went on to summarize what had happened, but I jumped in to rify a few things.


    ¡°Shuuta is dead?¡± the conservatively dressed Ann asked. She looked at her sister.


    ¡°So, it seems, sister. How shameful. It appears he found his resolve in his final moments.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is a shame. A cornered prey with no escape is often the most dangerous.¡±


    <i>The twins weren¡¯t here, so they didn¡¯t have anything to do with it. I wondered if they would¡¯ve argued for him?</i>


    The smile on our summoner¡¯s face vanished, reced by a frown and a re in those piercing, golden eyes. And Damon shared the same look.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you all upset?! You basically plunged the sword into his heart!!! He¡¯s dead because you all sentenced¡ª¡±


    ¡°Again?¡± Mia shrugged her shoulders and scoffed, citing that no one would morn a ¡®useless sack of shit¡¯ when he had nothing to offer. I wasn¡¯t the best at reading expressions, but it looked like a haze of...not so much ¡®uncertainty¡¯ but ¡®uneasiness¡¯ was slightly visible on a few of my ssmate¡¯s faces. ¡°Listen to me, Que. If only you knew the endless hardships he caused my family, you¡¯d want him dead. A decade ago, I was ready to kill him myself to purge the stain he left on the Fenton name before we finally found a small use for him. Amusingly, it was just before the state attempted to step in and remove him from our family¡¯s custody, so we couldn''t let them take him away from us when he was finally useful. I had to make a few calls to put a stop to that, but it wasn''t particrly difficult. You can imagine the irony I felt when I had to act to keep that worthless trash in my family''s control when I''d just been nning on getting rid of him. But why do you even care? His sole purpose in life back on Earth was to be a sacrifice for my benefit. That remained the same here.¡±


    I was so mad I couldn¡¯t stand it.


    Greggie red at Will with a snarl. ¡°He was our friend. He died right before us¡­ He won¡¯t ever talk to us again¡­¡± He gritted his teeth and forced out the words. ¡°Will, I won¡¯t ever forgive you. The four of us spent so much time together.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s in a better ce. Be honest. He wouldn¡¯t havested a few days here, let alone a week. And don¡¯t put this all on me. Deep inside, you wanted him to die, too. You want his anguished suffering to end. I wager we all did. It was a mercy killing, and if Shuuta¡¯s spirit was alive to know that, I believed he would thank us.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you say his goddamn name!¡± Keeth had an outburst, his eyes glistening with tears.


    Meruria downed her wine ss, told everyone to stand up, then summoned her staff. A sh of light filled the room, and when it vanished, we were standing inside some sort of training room. It was big and wide, almost reminding me of Mekka Academy''s gym, yet weapons of both wood and iron of all different types lined the walls.


    The only ones not surprised were the ones that managed to eat dinner. Mary, myself, and the others had no idea what was going on.


    ¡°Before I move on with your team¡¯s punishment,¡± Meruria said, pointing her staff towards me. ¡°Mia and Tokko have something they wanted to show me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct, Lord Meruria,¡± Tokko said. He walked to the middle of the room with Mia. Both raised their hands to the sky. White energy cackled around their palms, and I quickly used [Mana Perception].


    That was a mistake.


    The mana gathering around them was so bright my monochrome vision was filled with a blinding void. In just seconds, I felt a throbbing pain right above my eyes that made it hard to keep them open even after canceling the skill.


    ¡°Oh my!!!¡± Meruria eximed. After a few seconds of building, the energy condensed into a pair of crystals, then floated in front of them. They reminded me of a Soul Crystal, but it felt distinctively different. When Tokko touched his, it shimmered, sending a wave of pressure that nearly knocked all of us over while covering the room with thick mana. I struggled to remain on my feet while watching it, twist and morph until it took the shape of a greatsword. It was in iron with nothing decorative, but when he grasped the hilt, the overwhelming pressure vanished.


    Before Meruria could speak her praises, Tokko¡¯s weapon changed into an iron tower shield four inches shorter than he was. He mmed it into the ground, sending out a shockwave that traveled up the wall. It crashed into the ceiling, causing it to shatterpletely. As the debris rained down, Mia touched her crystal, and the pressure released sent the falling roof scattering to the high heavens.


    She grabbed the bow that appeared, but it quickly morphed into a staff with a floating bronze orb on the end. She held it high to the sky, the orb shining bright like a diamond. ¡°[Astral Beam]!¡± she said when the falling debris came into view. Hundreds of thinsers shot from the tip of her staff, mming into each piece. It took less than a second for them to explode, turning from what looked to be concrete into thin pieces of crystalized remains that fell like falling snowkes. The exposed full moon cast a radiant glow upon them, sending sparkles all around this naked room and onto the surprised faces of everyone within it.


    I attempted to copy it, but I received an error message in my activity log stating it was too powerful for me to use.


    ¡°How...utterly...incredible!!!!¡± Meruria rushed to Tokko and Mia and held their hands. She bounced up and down like a rabbit, her constant praises knowing no end. She exined that their souls were so powerful they weren¡¯t limited to just one Soul Weapon.


    They had two. And theyplemented each other.


    In Tokko¡¯s case, he carried the ultimate offense and defense, and he could switch between the two instantly. For Mia, Meruria said her staff, once it evolved and her soul grew more powerful, could control this world¡¯sws of physics. And her bow could eventually rend the¡¯s crust and cause earthquakes whenever her arrowsnded.


    <span ss="TextRun SCXW143685713 BCX0"ng="en-us" xmlng="en-us"><span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW143685713 BCX0">Tokko¡¯s sword may have been mere iron, but that was its <span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW143685713 BCX0">initial<span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW143685713 BCX0"> state. It wouldevolve and alter forms. ording to <span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW143685713 BCX0">Meruria<span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW143685713 BCX0">, an average Soul Weapon had about 150 forms, but it was likely Tokko¡¯s and Mia¡¯s Soul Weapons would have about 600. And eachcarried a different skill, ability, or spell that could be <span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW143685713 BCX0">permanently<span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW143685713 BCX0"> learned.<span ss="EOP SCXW143685713 BCX0">


    ¡°That¡¯s...the power of a 6-Star Soul? They already have their Soul Weapons at Lv. 2?¡± I heard a guard whisper. Even in his silver te armor, he shivered noticeably in his boots at the power disyed. My own skills were outrageous, but the difference between a 5-Star and a 6-Star Soul had to be greater than the distance between a 1-Star and a 5-Star Soul. When Meruria stepped back from her constant praise, Mia lifted her staff to the sky once more and used a spell called [Material Rejuvenation]. The roof broken by Tokko phased back into existence. It almost looked like time was rewinding in just that localized area, and Meruria confirmed my thoughts by exining the power of [Time Magic]. It was rare for any Soul Warrior to acquire such strong magic from their Soul Crystal, but that just led to more praise.


    <b><i>Error: You are not strong enough to copy [Material Rejuvenation].</i></b>


    ¡°But that is enough. O Warriors of mine! You¡¯ve all witnessed the power I want you to obtain. I desire the strongest to defend the greatest country in the world, and you have been shown what happens when you cannot meet my standards.¡± With a raise of her staff, Meruria thumped it against the floor and teleported us to yet another room filled with tables. Each one held a bag of money, a ring with the gift of {Trantion}, a rare enchantment that went for hundreds of gold, and a map of Cridia. Shemanded us to walk to the ones with our names on them, and as I expected, we didn¡¯t have one.


    ¡°Que, your punishment is as followed. Tomorrow morning, I will teleport you to a dungeon located 200 miles away. Within 25 days, you and your team shall return to me, and you will not disappoint me with your growth. Know this: abandoning your summoner is the gravest sin a Soul Warrior canmit. Now, begone. Get out of my sight and return to your room.¡± Meruria flicked her wrist, gave us a disappointing scowl, and began to address the other students that hadn¡¯t fallen out of her favor.


    We left, feeling the piercing stares of the others drill holes in our backs. I knew Mekka Academy was a cut above the rest, but it felt like Tokko managed to get everyone over Shuuta¡¯s death. He always had a way with words. When the feeling struck him, he could chat up anyone and be their friend because he always knew just what to say and when to say it.


    <i>We¡¯re in a world with skills and abilities. I¡¯d put money on there being some sort of leadership ormander-type skill. I was free to read what I wanted if I aplished the milestones my mother and father put before me, and some stories had things like that. It¡¯s surreal to think that information is going to help us, but I must remember...</i>


    <i>This is real life, and this is a dangerous world.</i>

 Intermission – Quella – Isolated Together – Part Three

    Intermission ¨C Que ¨C Isted Together ¨C Part Three


    After returning to our room, Mary gently closed the door and broke the silence by suggesting we¡¯d be starving in the morning, which led us to another issue.


    We were totally alone. With no help from Meruria or Cridia, Team Que just had Team Que. We couldn¡¯t speak thenguage of this world. How would we buy supplies or food? If we had an emergency, how would we get help? If we wanted to stay at an inn? How could wemunicate that?


    We talked about this for a little bit before we had a sudden realization...


    None of us ever demanded the truth from Meruria.


    I knew we all had it on our minds, but after talking it over, it was like it vanished from our memory and only reappeared when we weren¡¯t near our summoner. More than ever, we knew she was involved. She had to have been. It was unnerving. Sure, we could¡¯ve demanded answers by marching back to her, but would that work? Or would she threaten to throw one of us into the void like she did Shuuta?


    <i>Even if I¡¯m a 5-Star, I can¡¯tpare toMia in terms of magical strength. I wouldn''t win in any kind of fight. I need to get stronger...</i>


    Greggie and Keeth started to push their beds to the other side of the room. ¡°We thought you wouldn¡¯t feelfortable--¡± Greggie started to say.


    ¡°NOPE!¡± Elly jumped over the bed and grabbed the chef by his thick hand. ¡°In this new world, we gotta stick together. Purposely making a divide between us feels wrong. Besides, you two aren¡¯t the type to feel up a girl when she¡¯s asleep, are ya?¡±


    ¡°Sleep touching?¡± Ami asked. She had trouble with the syntax of Elly¡¯s question and groped her breasts through her yellow shirt. ¡°Greggie sleep touching?"


    ¡°Not in a million years!¡± Greggie hastily replied. Keeth echoed something simr, and Elly gave them each a big hug.


    ¡°Qutie? Mary?¡± Elly asked us our thoughts.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have anything to worry about. Really, you¡¯re the only two guys in our ss we can trust,¡± I said, giving a small smile. ¡°In this world, we only have us. It¡¯s best to stick together when we can.¡± The boys¡¯ stiff expressions softened, and they returned their beds to their original location. Mary said she had read the files on them. The ¡®worst¡¯ Greggie had done was break curfew because his truck''s battery died. For Keeth, he had once fallen asleep inside a pottery store because he had just finished a 13-hour job. The security guard thought he was a thief.


    "But I don''t have any problems with it," Mary added.


    Another series of yawns spread around, and it was time to go to bed. Thenterns soon turned off one by one, and we slipped underneath the coarse excuse for a nket andid on the stone-like pillow.


    Elly groaned that she hated falling asleep with a shirt on and preferred to sleep in her panties, which her cousin echoed, but even she knew that it was dangerous to strip her clothes off when we could be summoned at any time. Greggie and Keeth remained quiet, but I also shared Elly¡¯s sentiment. But that was because I never cared about people seeing my bare body. After all, it was just that.


    A body.


    We all had one. Perhaps my breasts wererger than normal, and my mother said I was blessed in the hips, but so what?


    I suppose it didn¡¯t matter. Only a fool would strip when in the heart of the enemy¡¯s army.


    The past two days had changed the course of my life, and it wouldn¡¯t ever be the same. I was utterly exhausted, but I couldn¡¯t find it in me to sleep after cing my sses on thentern above my bed. <i>His</i> face appeared in my mind. But when I eventually fell asleep?


    I was forced to endure that awful nightmare, and I died.


    Again, and again, and again...


    Each time I met my end, I heard my mother¡¯s voice disowning me for not living up to her standards.


    It was a double nightmare, but this was my sin to bear.


    <i>Once I perish from this world, will I see him in the afterlife?</i>


    <hr>


    Before the sun was even a spec in the sky, Team Que stood in the nave of Meruria¡¯s church, which did not skimp out on the luxuries. From golden curtains to shining chandeliers, it was like most of her wealth was dedicated tovishness. Earlier this morning, a dwarf in a suit came to fetch us, but we were already up. It was hard to sleep with growling stomachs, especially if you knew you were going out into the unknown for the next 25 days.


    ¡°The Aquatic Caverns of Melusine. That is where I will be sending you,¡± Meruria said as she appeared from a pir of light, still wearing the same skimpy dress. She wasn¡¯t alone, though. There was a white-eared beastfolk¡ªprobably a Wolffolk, if I had to guess, standing there.


    She was dressed in a purple nightgown, but her blue eyes and tail were dead to the world. Without warning, Meruria put an arm around the beastfolk, slipped down her gown, and started to grope her bare breasts in front of us. She squeezed as if we weren¡¯t there, but the girl didn¡¯t react. She waspletely stoic, but Meruria showed no signs of stopping. In fact, she even grinned and never broke eye contact as if this was a power move to intimidate us.


    ¡°I know what you did,¡± I stated, stepping forward. I stared down the perverted Holy Lord and spoke my piece, never once breaking eye contact. ¡°You think you¡¯re slick, but you aren¡¯t. We know you did something to our feelings to make us think of our childhood pets when you paraded Shuuta around. That trial was rigged, and you know it. And when we tried to confront youst night, you did something to make us forget it until we returned to our room.¡±


    Meruria snickered and broke into a hearty chuckle. ¡°What? Do you think you cracked the code? That you have it all figured out? For your information¡ªNo, I will do this instead.¡± After a spark of light shed around her palm, she held her staff in her free hand. A second after that, the same bell she used in the trial appeared in front of her. Instead of grabbing it, it flew to me. ¡°Go ahead, pick it up. Just to let you know, Que, you won''t see a list of aspects you can change because that doesn''t exist. The Kingdom of Aquanis manufactures that artifact to impartially deduce truth from fiction. It is impossible to alter."


    Like she said, I didn''t see anything even resembling a settings menu. Still, I tested it out by stating a lie and truth to confirm it worked.


    ¡°Did you use some sort of ability, spell, or skill to tamper with our feelings during Shuuta¡¯s trial?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, I did. I, Holy Lord Meruria, tampered with your feelings during the trial.¡± The bell didn¡¯t ring, but Meruria didn¡¯t stop. ¡°Even had I not acted, you all would¡¯ve wanted Shuuta to die out of pity because that is what you subconsciously wanted. Is it not human nature to want something on the verge of death to die to end their suffering?"


    The bell...


    Did not ring...


    It remained totally silent. Hastily, I stated a lie about something only I would know, and it made noise. Frustrated, I asked Meruria thrice over before Elly¡¯s shaking hands took the bell. She asked, it didn¡¯t ring, and we passed it around while almost begging for what Meruria said to be a lie.


    ¡°My dear warriors, surely you want to end this farce, yes? It does not matter how many times you ask because my answer will not change. I am speaking the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, and I¡¯ll do it again to prove it. I, Holy Lord Meruria, once again confess that had I done nothing at all, the oue would not have changed. Your desire for Shuuta¡¯s death was out of pity, but nheless, it is what you desired in your subconscious. If you don¡¯t believe me, ask the bell yourself because the power I used is not active. Ah, but I will admit to using itst night after you arrivedte to dinner."


    The bell didn''t ring.


    "Fine! I will. I did not want to see Shuuta die out of pity because I wanted him to be at peace. I wanted him to live! For whatever reasons that do not matter, I wanted him to live!¡±


    Almost immediately, the bell started to ring, and my heart sank once more.Mary and the others stated the same thing, but the bell never remained silent.


    We didn¡¯t want to believe it. We refused to believe it. The only thing worse than Meruria¡¯s annoyingugh was the person who entered a few momentster.


    ¡°Lord Meruria, you really love my sister, don¡¯t cha?¡± said a voice from behind. I turned around and saw that insufferable, brown-eared scum of a woman casually walking down the aisle. She was dressed in a suit with a white buttoned-up shirt and a red tie. A pair of daggers sat on her hips, and she woreheeled boots that nosily echoed on the marble flooring. ¡°Aww, you¡¯re still angry at little ole me? Don¡¯t worry, Lady Que, I made sure to give Lord Shuuta the riiiddeeee~~ of his life before his passing. Oh~~ He probably thought of me until the end...¡± Her furry ears twitched, but it wasn''t cute. It was despicable.


    ¡°You¡¯re an insufferable bitch!¡± Greggie growled, mming the bell against the ground. It simply bounced without any scratches or blemishes before disappearing in a sh of light. The beastfolk giggled a second time, then teleported beside Meruria. ¡°And so are you! Meruria, you¡¯re a monster! We know you put those feelings in our hearts! We know it!!!! The bell is broken! It must be!¡±


    ¡°You may want to calm down, Greggie, lest your heart decides to croak and enacts its gluttonous revenge. Now, onto your task... The caverns are full of water and ice monsters, and the average level is 18. Really, if you die here, you¡¯re just as pathetic as the sacrifice. I expect great things, you know. Exceed my expectations, or you¡¯ll face the consequences. A 5-Star you may be, you have shown me nothing I should be impressed by. Que, I shall see you and your team in 25 days. Perhaps you¡¯ll be more mature by then. It saddens me to see you me others for your own feelings because you cannot understand them.¡± While continuing to grope that girl, Meruria raised her staff. A magic circle appeared on the floor, and our eyes were filled with white.


    And then it felt cold and chilly.


    Our sight returned to our eyes, and we were there...standing in the middle of arge cavern with ice-blue walls. A moat of extremely cold water, filled with stgmites, surrounded us, and there were just four bridges that led to four rooms. Icy stctites threatened us from above, and they slowly leaked water. Elly yelped when it a dropnded on her bare neck. There was a hole in the roof above us that let in some amount of light, but it wasn¡¯t a lot.


    And then the realization came, and it struck like a speeding truck.


    ¡°It¡¯s not true... Elly, say it isn¡¯t true...¡± Ami whined. She wrapped her arms around her cousin and cried. ¡°I didn¡¯t want him to die!!! I didn¡¯t want that!!! Elly!!!!!¡± She wasn¡¯t the only one. Hearing the truth hurt us, and we all showed it. Mary wiped the water from her eyes with the back of her hand before crouching and hugging her legs. Greggie couldn¡¯t keep the anger in his heart. He turned to Keeth for support, who couldn¡¯t hold back the sadness in his heart.


    I wasn¡¯t an outlier. It was hard to see through the teardrops cascading down my cheeks. I wanted to do nothing more than drop to my butt, hug my legs, and wait for death to take me. Because that was what I deserved, right? If Shuuta died, then it made sense for me to follow that fate since he trusted me.


    The six of us were broken. The one link that could¡¯ve kept us sane turned out to be a mirage, so did it matter if we survived?


    ¡°Grrrrrrrr...¡± Suddenly, a lowly growl sent fear through our sadness. Instantly, I stood up and watched a pair of crimson eyes in the far distance down one of the pathways. The thing it belonged to approached us with cautioned steps, but it didn¡¯t see us as a predator because it came close enough for <i>us</i> to see it.


    <b><i>[Snowy Bipedal Leopard ¨C Lv. 16]</i></b>


    Standing on two legs, it had nothing but fur covering its body and an icy club in its other hand. Its mouth was stained with crimson, and it probably saw us as a cheap meal. Everyone else stood up. Keeth used his special ability to snatch a chunk of the ground, pricked off a piece about the size of his thumb, and fashioned it into a spear, but that took 90% of his mana. In a sh, he kneeled and groaned while beads of sweat sshed to the ground with salty tears.


    The leopard chuffed as ifughing at our party¡¯s weakness and approached menacingly. It continued when I raised my hand, but its tone changed when a ming sphere wasunched towards it. Ducking under my attack, the monster howled and charged in, but I had mana to spare. With a war cry to fuel me with a false sense of bravery, I defended my friends and let loose a dozen orbs of pure fire until I finally managed to score a hit to its foot.


    <i>Its HP dropped by 9%? That was a lucky strike.</i>


    ¡°We have to fight!¡± I yelled, trying to get my breathing under control while my arms shook. The fight or flight reaction circted through my sympathetic nervous system, and it leaned towards thetter. But running away? No, I couldn¡¯t do that. How foolish was I to think throwing away my life would be any better than fighting in this unjust world?


    The leopard tried to stand up, but it couldn¡¯t. It red its teeth and went down on all fours to run on its three good legs, but it was met with another [Fireball]. It sshed its face, draining another 12% while burning the beast, and that was when Keeth gathered enough strength to run forward with the spear raised.


    ¡°AAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!¡± he screamed, bringing it down upon the beast¡¯s back, which took an additional 22%. Elly broke into song with a mournful voice, but we were energized with [Physical Resolve]. Greggie rushed forward to grab the club the monster had dropped. Hisrge body slowed him down, but his arms were surprisingly muscr from years of constant cooking under the most hectic conditions. He endured the coldness of his armament while breaking the leopard¡¯s hind legs. It roared in pain and writhed; the awful snapping of its bones was another reminder that this was real.


    Meanwhile, Ami put her hands up and used its head as a punching bag, taking care to dodge before the leopard¡¯s paw had a chance tond a strike. She had a green bar under her name, which represented her aura. When it was full, Ami jumped backwards, put both hands together, andunched a green orb from her palms. ¡°Move!!!¡± she ordered. Keeth and Greggie nodded and slipped while making distance, which was good because the energy ball exploded, leaving behind half a head. Raining chunks of flesh, due, skull, and brain fragments poured around this room, with mostnding in the water around us. But the monster¡¯s innards were hot enough to produce steam.


    <b><i>[New Title: Snowy Bipedal Leopard yer (I)]</i></b>


    <b><i>[New Title: Novice Fire Mage]</i></b>


    <b><i>[New Title: Team Leader]</i></b>


    <b><i>You¡¯ve reached Lv. 5. You¡¯ve gained 64 SP</i></b>


    The empty HP bar under its name signified it was dead.


    We¡¯d killed it. Proof of that was in the titles and my new level staring at me from the activity log.


    Much like that goblin...


    Much like Shuuta...


    It was a harsh truth to face, but reality was rarely ever gentle.


    I tapped my frigid cheeks with my hands and shook the jitteriness from my heart. Fearful goosebumps covered my arms, but I couldn¡¯t give up. I was going to lead my team back to Meruria, and I wouldn¡¯t allow anyone to die. It was awkward to say, but I was the most experienced. Not just in terms of power but because this situation was like the adventure books I loved to read. It didn¡¯t matter if I was the heroine. I was never going to get that role, and I was fine with it.


    Even in this cold abyss, sweat still traveled down my cheeks. Even more so after staring potential death in its bloodstained mouth and ending its life before it could kill us. Vomit traveled up my throat, but I forced it down.


    ¡°We can¡¯t keep acting like this,¡± I said to my team. ¡°We must move on. We must fight to survive. We had our time to mourn him, but our survival is at stake. We¡¯re in a dangerous ce, and we¡¯re on a time limit. If we''rete, we might die. And... I don¡¯t want that. I think the best thing we can do¡ª¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to say it, Qutie,¡± Elly wiped her eyes dry. ¡°I know what you mean, but I¡¯m scared. I think we all are, but we still gotta move forward, right?¡±


    ¡°Killing that monster made me realize something. This isn¡¯t a dream. I wanna wake up, but I know I won¡¯t,¡± Ami added. She looked at her bloody hands and formed a pair of fists. ¡°I was a luchadora because it made people happy... But now I want to fight so all of us will survive.¡±


    ¡°I...don¡¯t want to be useless anymore. I¡¯ve been a coward my whole life,¡± Mary whispered. She was the only one who remained still during the fight, and she was probably the most scared. ¡°I couldn¡¯t protect Shuuta, but I want to change that!¡±


    ¡°I guess this means he¡¯s really gone. We won¡¯t ever see him again. I¡¯m sad, of course, but it¡¯s the truth. He¡¯s not hurting anymore. I hope he¡¯s in heaven, though. I hope he¡¯s having the time of his life, but I¡¯m sorry, Shuuta. I¡¯m going to have to ept your death even if it hurts me,¡± Greggie cleared his throat and ran his ice burnt hands through his hair before slightly yelping from the pain. I couldn''t do anything to heal him. Healing magic has to exist in this world, and I need to acquire it.


    ¡°Shuuta¡¯s never held a 1903 Springfield before, and I never had the chance to sculpt him one out of y. Greggie, I hope you¡¯re right. I hope he¡¯s having fun up there.¡±


    <i>Same here. Meruria said Shuuta''s fate was to be tortured endlessly in the void, but I choose not to believe that. Wherever he is, I know he''s happy. He has to be...</i>


    ¡°Then it¡¯s agreed,¡± I said, raising my voice just slightly. ¡°We¡¯re going to get out of here and survive!¡± Once I had my team¡¯s affirmation, I continued. ¡°I¡¯ll take the lead since I can attack the fastest. Finding shelter is our top priority. Keeth, keep an eye out for any material you can use to make a tent.¡± He nodded.


    I looked down the closest passageway and saw almost total darkness. It felt like my shoes were crafted from lead, but this new determination forced my legs forward with my hands and mouth at the ready to strike first at whatever wanted to kill us.

 Chapter Twenty: Learning from Mistakes (R-18)

    Chapter Twenty: Learning from Mistakes (R-18)


    Sekhid her pretty head across my stomach. We had woken up together only a few minutes before the birds started to sing, alerting everyone to the dawn of a new day. Faint sunlight flickered in through the two windows, so most of the room was dark. To me, it was as bright as day.


    We talked for a bit, with the topic obviously being aboutst night. Sekh purred, rubbing her cheeks against me. She wasn¡¯t quite sure what she was feeling, but her heart thumped against her chest faster than ever. She told me about how she cleaned up after our sexual tryst, then Tilde chimed in and said the dirty items were stashed in our storage. I asked why she didn¡¯t wake me up so I could help, but she said I was sleeping so peacefully she didn¡¯t want to intrude. That was nice of her, but it felt like there was something else.


    ¡°Hey, did¡ª¡±


    ¡°Master? What¡¯s that smell?¡± Sekh asked, interrupting me. She looked up at me with a quizzical expression. I didn¡¯t know what she was talking about, but it did feel like there was a wet spot against my crotch. I lifted the covers and saw a load of semen messily sticking against the nket.


    ¡°Did I have a wet dream?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only logical, right?¡± Tilde sleepily said from her makeshift bed. She exined that I was going through something that shedescribed as ¡®emotional and sensual puberty¡¯ now that I had managed to ovee my trauma with Sekh¡¯s help. I didn¡¯t know if that made the most sense, but the slumbering giant between my legs started to wake up. ¡°Sex isn¡¯t something to feel shame about. It¡¯s just a natural process. Then again, there¡¯s no shame in not having any, either. Your inability to feel pleasure was not a defect. You weren¡¯t less as a person.¡±


    <i>Why is she so obsessed with sex?</i>


    ¡°Master, do you want me to take care of it?¡± Sekh inquired.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that. It¡¯ll go away on its own.¡±


    ¡°But I want to. I like to see you happy, and it warms my heart to see you enjoy it.¡± After I nodded, Sekh rubbed my thighs. I thought my erection would have destroyed this tender moment between us, but she didn¡¯t see it that way. And neither did I after a few minutes of thinking.


    Really, I think any moment between us was something to be cherished and fondly looked back upon because we had no one else. We were both pained existences¡ªthe world saw fit to sentence us to a life of suffering because we were simply born. We had each other and no one else.


    ¡°Does it hurt? It¡¯s so big and hard...¡± Sekh¡¯s hands slowly trailed to my testicles, and she gently fondled them. At its full size of nearly 12 inches, my penis was bigger than her head. Even two hands wouldn¡¯t be able to properly stroke its ashen-colored shaft, but she managed to peel back the foreskin. She marveled at it, slightly inhaling my scent and timidly sticking out her pink tongue to taste it. I reacted by moaning, and she knew she could continue. Sekh painted my shaft in her saliva.


    I wanted to massage Sekh¡¯s pussy, but she kept her legs closed and remarked that she just wanted to focus on me. That was a little bit strange, but I rolled with it. Her tail swayed over, and I fluffed and rubbed it against my cheeks because it was so soft and fluffy.


    ¡°Ahhh... Sekh...¡± I bit my lips. She progressed from simply licking to kissing before hiding it inside her mouth. Her tongue lewdly swirled around the tip. I felt a slim hand gently grasp my balls. Sekh worked her mouth, but her lips never progressed. The sensitive head remained there, enveloped in her hot, moist mouth. Suddenly, I felt the taste of cold air dry her spit. Sekh rolled out of bed and kneeled, her smile looking so cute and adorable. Drool dripped off her smiling lips.


    I knew what she wanted, so I crawled over to the edge of the bed and spread my legs. I stroked myself as Sekh crawled a bit closer with an open mouth. After easing myself onto her hot tongue, she closed her lips. I held her head with both hands and scratched her ears, gently caressing her cheeks with a soft brush of my palm. When she flicked her tongue against a certain spot, I arched my back in ecstasy.


    ¡°Master...¡± Sekh said with her mouth full. She looked at me expectantly, but I kept fluffing her ears and smiling. ¡°Are you feeling good?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so incredible...¡± I moaned. She increased her tempo, taking me a bit further and further into her mouth until about 6 inches were covered in her spit.


    She never looked away. Seeing half of my cock swallowed by her throat did something to me. It was just so erotic¡­


    The sensation of her mouth was one thing she had tried to make me feel pleasure back in the dungeon, but I couldn¡¯t appreciate it at the time.


    Now? I wasn¡¯t going to take any of it for granted.


    ¡°Sekh... I''ming... Sekh...¡± I panted. When the semen spurted out of me, these hips of mine thrusted forward, but Sekh never moved her head. Her throat contracted, attempting to swallow faster than my warm milk flooded her mouth. When the feeling ended, and I felt my dick return to slumber, only then did Sekh slide her mouth off my cock and panted like a dog in heat. Her eyes were so sparkly and silver, yet the corners were red and raw. I told her she didn¡¯t have to drink it, but she only replied by kissing my penis after cleaning it with her tongue.


    Tilde flew to my shoulder to whisper some words I needed to speak. I didn¡¯t want to say them, but she threw a fit and downright demanded it.


    ¡°Hmm... That¡¯s a good girl. You cleaned it well,¡± I whispered, saying what Tilde wanted while rubbing Sekh affectionately. Her fluffy ears twitched, her tail wagged even harder, and a beautiful smile blossomed on her face.


    <i>She¡¯s so beautiful...</i>


    ¡°Master...¡± A bit of my semen remained on her chin and threatened to drip down to her sulent breasts. When she stood, she didn¡¯t expect me to lick her clean like she had done for me back then. She was surprised, for sure, but she also didn¡¯t fight back and started to lick my lips when I was finished. I thought back to what Tilde had whispered to me. When it came to sex, people were either dominant or submissive, and she had analyzed our love-makingst night and concluded that Sekh was thetter. She loved to be coddled, embraced, and held tightly. Her goal of making my pleasuree first rubbed me the wrong way because I didn¡¯t want that.


    Our ¡®master¡¯ and ¡®ve¡¯ rtionship didn¡¯t exist because I had given her total freedom. I wanted us to treat each other like equals since she was my closestpanion, which was different than something like ¡®favored ve.¡¯


    ¡°You know, this feels familiar. I think Murag¡­ Yeah, I think I¡¯m getting glimpses of his memories. He used to fuck Susize like this.¡± I sat down on the bed, and Sekh joined me, sitting between my legs while I wrapped my hands around her stomach and rubbed it. She asked me to rify, and I told her of the things he and his fellow Heroes had done.


    Murag had many lewd fetishes. One thing that stood out was that he enjoyed picking Reina up from behind with his arms under her thighs and fucking her in front of Susize, who would touch herself and lick where they were connected. When it came to By, he would thrust into her from behind while Yaekira sucked her nipples as if she was a suckling baby.


    ¡°And during baths, he would stand up and have the four wash him with their chests. Then he¡¯d ask for a bed of tongues toy his cock upon. Ah, and during the night, he always liked filling Susize¡¯s mouth with his semen and having her kiss the others to share it. Oh, and he even had a favorite fairy that he allowed to sleep on his cock like it was a pillow. And that was after fucking the four others. He seriously had some pent-up fetishes. Don¡¯t even get me started on him asking By to fall asleep with his dick in her mouth. Or him slipping inside Susize while they cuddled. Yeah, she seriously slept with that thing all the way in.¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­¡± Sekh was quiet for a moment, her gaze fixated on the ground before turning to me. ¡°Are those the things you want to do to me? I don¡¯t mind¡­ I think I¡¯ll like it. Maybe not all, but some of them sound nice. Do you want¡ª¡±


    ¡°Sekh, tell me the truth. Did I hurt youst night?¡± I suddenly asked, throwing her off guard. I wanted to confirm something. Her shoulders trembled, and she stared straight ahead. The only confirmation I got to my query came from a single, weak nod. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±


    Sekh found it hard to speak, and I assumed the worst until Tilde fluttered in front of us. She sighed and rubbed her face, then sighed a second time and started to speak. ¡°The body she¡¯s using is not the one she was born with. Even though she was suitably wet, rxed, and ready to take you, she¡¯s technically a virgin. Her hymen broke, and she started to bleed. The only thing she felt was pain for a while, then it turned into pleasure for a little bit, but not as much as she would have felt had you taken it much slower.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡ª¡± I couldn¡¯t get a word in before Tilde spoke over me.


    ¡°You were just thrusting away without a goddamn care, and you didn¡¯t take her into ount, did you? No wonder you didn¡¯t see or smell the blood. And that first time excuse doesn¡¯t have an ounce of weight because you were selfish. You can¡¯t just bust a nut and fall asleep without checking on your partner. You can¡¯t smash it and pass it, you can¡¯t dump a load and hit the road, you can¡¯t knock it and rocket, you can¡¯t ramble and scramble, you can¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°Alright, I get it. You¡ª¡±


    Tilde shushed and spoke over me. ¡°If you took even a second, you¡¯d notice the dripping blood and slightly lowered HP bar. But no. You hit it, quit it, then selfishly went to sleep. Do you want to be a deadbeat lover? Because that¡¯s how you be a deadbeat lover. Have some fucking respect for your partner. But you¡¯re not the only one to me. Big Tits should have spoken up. It was selfish of her to keep quiet because it means she doesn¡¯t think of herself as an equal in the rtionship. Now kiss or make up or do something. We don¡¯t have the time for anyme drama toe between you two. That¡¯s clich¨¦, and I¡¯m not about that shit.¡±


    Sekh and I were totally dumbfounded by Tilde¡¯s strongly worded lecture. I turned my loyal Lionfolk around in myp and touched my head to hers. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I hurt you. I didn¡¯t do it on purpose, I swear.¡±


    ¡°I know, Master,¡± Sekh replied, her voice softer than silk. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t speak up.¡±


    ¡°If we have sex again, promise me that you¡¯ll speak up if you¡¯re sore, tired, hurting, or not in the mood. I feel like a total ass because I enjoyed it so much without thinking about you.¡±


    ¡°<i>When </i>we have sex, right? Last night really was amazing, Master. Yes, I¡¯m sore, but that doesn¡¯t change anything. Anyways, doyou want to do those things to me? What Murag did to his fellow Soul Warriors?¡±


    I kissed Sekh, and she just continued to gaze into my eyes. ¡°Only if you¡¯refortable with them. But my penis is too big. I looked over my chimeric skills again and realized I can shrink my body parts by 10%, but that¡¯s not enough.¡± Sekh leaned back and looked down, watching as my dick shrank by 0.7¡±. If I was erect, then there was a loss of 1.2¡±, but 10.8¡± was still much toorge for Sekh. She spoke about a skill called [Fleshcrafting], which was what she used to make my body. She used it to empower her army by fusing her ves together to create monstrous beings to send fear into the hearts of her enemies.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you figured this out, but whenever I¡¯m born anew, I retain the requirements for every skill I¡¯d ever learned throughout my multiple reincarnations. As of now, that¡¯s over 1,500, but I must still spend the SP or train to properly acquire them. However, it won¡¯t require as much effort or SP, which is a silver lining. Master, may I practice [Fleshcrafting]?¡± Sekh asked. I nodded. She gently wrapped her hands around my penis and entered a state of extreme focus. A second or twoter, she was out of breath after her mana drained by about 89%. I felt something warm around my cock, and she asked me to look. I did, and it was probably about 9¡±. That deduction wasn¡¯t something to scoff about, but it was still too big. Tilde flew around my penis andplimented it, then spoke about the differences between using skills when you have it learned and when you didn¡¯t.


    <i>Learning the appropriate skill just makes using the skill easier? It isn¡¯t required? It doesn¡¯t make the most sense, but whatever.</i>


    ¡°When you aren¡¯t sore anymore, can¡ª¡± Sekh interrupted me with a kiss and sensually rubbed my cheeks. We embraced each other. When our lips parted, thick strings of saliva connected us.


    I knew what her answer was.


    ¡°Good... Good... Now, we got to talk about something else,¡± Tilde announced, flying over to my shoulder to sit down. ¡°Stop being a cunt towards Irisa and Ichiha. Yeah, your life as Shuuta rendered you ineffective at basicmunication, but that¡¯s not an excuse because you¡¯re not him anymore. If you were smart, you¡¯d realize that being amicable would get you free breakfast and dinner because you¡¯re a guest. Stop with this loner, edgy shit. I¡¯m not saying you gottalet them into your heart. I wouldn¡¯t because they¡¯re total strangers, but you can still offer a modicum of pleasantness to a woman that¡¯s responsible for making you a shit ton of money. Don¡¯t give her an excuse to lie about how much she sold those clothes so she can keep a bigger chunk. Besides, living with someone isn¡¯t the same as trusting them.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s kinda harsh?¡± I replied, stunned by her brashness.


    ¡°Harsh? Ha! I''m your instructor, so I have to make sure you get this through your thick skull. Look, I sympathize with your situation. The people who hurt you aren¡¯t here. It¡¯ll be one thing if we were still in Cridia, and you were falsely used of some heinous crime by Meruria, exiled by her, and everyone looked at you like scum because they believed their Holy Lord over a Soul Warrior. If that had happened, you¡¯d have all the justification for acting like a cunt with severe interpersonal issues. Hell, I¡¯d have joined you.¡±


    Sekh and I remained quiet, and I couldn¡¯t deny that Tilde was making some excellent points. Even if she was brutal in her words, she was correct about manythings. She switched over to my other shoulder and continued speaking.


    ¡°In your memories, I saw you speaking of how you wanted to believe that being summoned was akin to having a second chance at life. Well? This is your second chance. Put everything associated with Shuuta to the back of your mind and focus on being Lyudm Springfield. I know telling you this is just as effective as telling a depressed person to be happy, but change starts with a single step, not jumping over a cliff. Take it easy and slow, and don¡¯t worry because the two of us will be right here with you. You fucked upst night, but High Elves have a reputation for being snooty, cold, and acting like they¡¯re better than everyone else because they live for tens of thousands of years. On top of that, they think we lost everything, so they could sum up your behavior as just being stressed out. That¡¯s your saving grace. Use it wisely because you won¡¯t get another one.¡±

 Chapter Twenty-One: Another Delve into the Dungeon

    Chapter Twenty-One: Another Delve into the Dungeon


    After hugging Sekh for a few more minutes, we dressed for the day in the clothes we had acquired the night before. I looked at my map while Sekh tied her boots and noticed Irisa was walking this way. She knocked right as I stored By¡¯s shield within my mana.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± Irisa cheerfully said as I opened it.


    ¡°Morning,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Are you guys heading out already? If not, do you want some breakfast? It¡¯s done.¡±


    ¡°That...sounds good,¡± I replied. Irisa¡¯s expression softened. She turned around and asked her mom to set three more tes at the table. A smile blossomed on Ichiha¡¯s face. If they heard what we didst night, they didn¡¯t show it on their faces. Perhaps they were keeping mum about it? I suppose it didn''t matter because I wasn''t going to bring it up.


    <em>They''re acting a bit skittish, though. Not much, but I can tell something''s up.</em>


    And so, we had bread and cheese with a family I had no intention of getting friendly with. The overall atmosphere was ¡®lighter¡¯ than the previous night, but that wasn¡¯t saying much because I was still a verbal recluse. Wanting to do something and doing something were different things. But at least I wasn¡¯t so ¡®rude,¡¯ so that was a small victory, I suppose. But I was trying. I really was.


    After some small talk, I learned Irisa had created about half of the items in the store. Ichiha ran it during the days her daughter went down to a ce called Smithy¡¯s Corner, an aptly named space with everything a practicing cksmith needed.


    A quick search found it, and it was a pretty big area.


    ¡°It¡¯s on the way to the guild, so we can walk together. Is that okay?¡± Irisa said, emerging from her room with a thick, ck apron. Her hair was tied back, allowing me to see the base of her horns. Her arms were powerful and muscr, too.


    ¡°I...don¡¯t see a problem with that,¡± I said after sipping a cup of water. I plotted a waypoint on the guild because I didn¡¯t know this town like the back of my hand while pricking off pieces of slightly overcooked bread. Tilde adjusted her dress and loudlyined about theck of eggs and sausage. Sekh told her to stop, and Tilde flipped her off.


    ¡°When ites to fairies? I think Tilde is one of a kind. You don¡¯t see too many that travel with a High Elf and a Lionfolk, much less one that¡¯s as ¡®unique¡¯ as her,¡± Ichiha said. She smiled with her eyes and apologized for thecking menu. Tilde groaned and demanded a cup of coffee. Ichiha was happy to prepare a little bit for her. She even managed to find a fairy-sized cup to pour it in. I didn¡¯t know what coffee tasted like since I wasn¡¯t permitted to have it.


    <i>That¡¯s another thing I must get used to, but it smells good.</i>


    Before we left the shop, though, Sekh and I drained the tub and filled it with fresh water gathered from the well in the backyard. Irisa was waiting at the door, and she escorted us down the street and across a small bridge.


    She turned and mentioned Smithy¡¯s Corner was a few minutes away. My golden hair scattered in the summer breeze.


    ¡°You know, I was afraid I¡¯d wake up to you being gone,¡± Irisa said. When I asked why, she just said she wanted to have breakfast with us since I was probably feeling lonely. ¡°I mean, you lost your horses and wagon, right?¡± I nodded. ¡°As small as it was, I hoped you enjoyed breakfast. My mom always makes my favorite whenever I¡¯m feeling sad, and it never fails to cheer me up.¡± Irisa smiled.


    ¡°It was...good. I enjoyed it,¡± I managed to say. Irisa quietly squealed and said tonight¡¯s dinner would be even better, and Tilde patted my head and said I was doing good.


    It was odd. If I thought about it logically, why couldn¡¯t I treat Irisa the way I treated that guard from yesterday? Or treat her like I did when we first met inside the store? Was it because I was now living with her? I didn¡¯t want to befriend her because I wasn¡¯t nning on staying here that long. At the same time, I was a chimera. Thest thing I needed was someone getting chummy with me and randomly barging into the room I was staying in.


    <i>But it¡¯s less likely to happen here than if I stayed at an inn. I just gotta keep the shield against the door whenever I''m in my room.</i>


    Friends were off the table, but acquaintances? That was more likely. Especially if I kept her at arm¡¯s length and never progressed to anything beyond that. I would still be getting some interpersonalmunication practice, so that would work. Right?


    Minutester, we reached the area collectively known as Smithy¡¯s Corner. Dwarves, orcs, amazons, and ogres repeatedly mmed their smithing hammers onto burning ingots. The roars of the furnaces were loud, and the nging of metal on metal didn¡¯t help my sensitive ears. ¡°Lyudm,¡± Irisa said as dusted off her cksmithing apron. Her hammer and tongs were in the front pouch. ¡°Be safe, okay? There¡¯s no shame in running away. You can alwayse back to fight a monster, but you can¡¯te back to life. Someone...I once knew told me that, and it¡¯s honestly good advice. Oh, and are you sure you¡¯re fine? It¡¯s crazy hot. It feels like I¡¯m about to sweat through my bra.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± The wool skirt covering my body should have made it unbearable, but [Heat Resistance (Lv.10)] was working overtime to keep me cool. I was getting odd looks for being the only one covered from head to toe, but I ignored them.


    ¡°If you say so... Still, drink a lot of water, okay? Dehydration is not something you want to experience.¡± Yeah, she had that right. My face sulked with memories of my ¡®parents¡¯ughing and taunting while my tongue felt like the sands of Arabia. Irisa didn¡¯t notice my expression because she left with a smile, turning and running over to a workstation with her name on it. Tilde spoke my name, but I was too busy trying to understand why both mother and daughter wished me well. It didn¡¯t make sense, especially because I was a freeloader until they sold those clothes. Besides, we weren¡¯t friends at all, so did it matter if I perished? I wasn¡¯t nning on it, but if I did pass, they wouldn¡¯t have to worry about only getting 10%. If anything, they should be actively wishing for my death because they had more to gain.


    <i>Or is that the wrong way to think about it?</i>


    ¡°Master?¡± Sekh¡¯s voice brought me back from trying to understand concepts that had no meaning to someone like me. I shook my head to clear my mind and asked her about manually learning skills to change the subject. Since her body was freshly made, it wasn¡¯t exactly ¡®umted¡¯. Forcefully learning skills too quickly would only cause her body to require a substantial amount of rest. I just hugged Sekh and told her not to push herself, and she replied she wouldn¡¯t because she didn¡¯t know how to protect me if she suffered from over-exhaustion.


    <hr>


    Our second day in the mines was drastically uneventful in terms of leveling, but it was fruitful because the actual ¡®experience¡¯ could not be overstated. After entering the dungeon and passing by the lobby, I used my map to locate a room with no one in it. It was somewhat early, so it wasn¡¯t that hard, but I used the privacy to pull out my stolen 9mm and a box of ammo. Sekh mentioned there were guns back in her time, but they looked different. When she described them, I imagined things like revolvers and lever-action rifles. Maybe it really did take 1,000 years for the firearm technology in this world to advance because they were that unpopr. When I was a better crafter, I¡¯d like to make my own rifle and revolver, maybe even a minigun, though I knew that was a long way off.


    <i>A long way off is an understatement. I can¡¯t even make a worthy mace for Sekh.</i> I thought while staring at the abomination I had created for her. I removed my gun¡¯s magazine and loaded 15 rounds. When I racked the slide after loading the bullets, an ammo counter revealed itself near my map, and it came with a small picture of the gun I was holding. That was useful because it let me know when I was running low, but I just had one magazine. The 9mm was stronger than Reina¡¯s gun because it didn¡¯t rely on my pathetically weak mana, so it rarely took more than 2 shots to put a goblin out of their misery.


    And it was louder, so Sekh and I spent much of our time in the dungeon without an incident, which also meant there was no one to interrupt my feeding. We just faced the goblins and spiders, and thetter¡¯s bite only inflicted physical damage. Its venom wouldn¡¯t ever seriously harm me ever again. Really, the only problem was dealing a decisive blow, which wasn¡¯t always easy because they were agile. Sekh¡¯s brutal mace was very effective in ending their lives if she could hit them with it. Since it was made from literal stone, it was very heavy, so she often had to use both arms to lift it. After a few encounters, we decided on a system of me providing the opening and Sekh finishing off our foes. Whenever she had a shield that wasn¡¯t broken, she¡¯d use [Taunt] to focus the attention on herself, so I could shoot from behind.


    <i>When they¡¯re under the effect of her skill, the enemies glow a slight red.</i>


    ¡°Oi! Master, I think it¡¯s time to spice it up a bit, yeah? You have some SP burning a hole in your skirt, so you might as well spend them on [Fire Magic]. You can¡¯t just strengthen your mana by assimting, you know. You actually gotta use it in different ways, whether that¡¯s with Reina¡¯s gun or a spell. It¡¯s like focusing on your arm and skipping leg days at the gym,¡± said Tilde when we stopped for a small break. She made sense, so off to the Skill Menu I went.


    It seemed spells were stored within something called a magic enhancer, which was how I learned [Fireball] immediately after purchasing [Fire Magic]¡ª an example of one¡ª with the SP I¡¯d gotten from Mira. Tilde told me of another reason why chimeras were so feared. Instead of spending years learning thenguage of mana, which was practically the prerequisite for any mage, a chimera just had to eat someone who knew magic since we had the innate ability to just ¡®use¡¯ magic. But there were outliers, of course. Mira¡ªthe girl I ate who died by that alpha spider¡ªwas one of them. It was less of a defined skill and more of raw talent that granted her this boon, but that didn¡¯t ount for much if you die to a spider. I didn¡¯t know if she was over-eager or ambushed, but did that matter? I didn¡¯t think so.


    Tilde told me you didn¡¯t need [Fire Magic] to use a fire spell. Acquiring the respective enhancer made it easier to cast, learn, and strengthen spells rted to that element. It also ¡®stored¡¯ the spell within the master element skill, which only benefited chimera like me. For example, if I assimted another mage, I would automatically gain all me spells located within his [Fire Magic] without spending any additional SP. If he didn¡¯t have it, but he knew fire spells that I didn¡¯t, I wouldn¡¯t get anything.


    When broken down to its simplest terms, chanting a spell was asking the mana in the air to take a certain form. For example, ¡®curl into a ball of fire andunch towards my enemies¡¯ was a rough trantion of the chant to use [Fireball]. If you had [Spellcrafting], you could effectively create your own spells, though those that were gifted could already do this. The skill just made it easier, but it was still challenging. On the other hand, those with a high level of [Fire Magic] could alter the properties of [Fireball] on the fly to make it burn hotter, alter its size, or turn one ball of fire into dozens or hundreds at the cost of using more mana.


    Regardless, there were a lot of limitations. You couldn¡¯t make a spell to revive someone from the dead. There were rules in this world, and you couldn¡¯t break them. Or you could, but even Holy and Dark Lords couldn¡¯t do that. Tilde was cryptic and didn¡¯t speak much more about it.


    On that topic of learning skills to make something easier, it worked the same withnguages. By putting in the effort to learn anguage, you¡¯d obtain the corresponding skill. But that wouldn¡¯t grant you total mastery of it at that very instant. Something like [Schr¡¯s Tongue] would be needed. However, obtaining the skill would make learning thenguage easier, so there was still reason to put in the effort to get it.


    <i>I¡¯m so thankful for Tilde and Sekh. Without them, I¡¯d be totally lost about everything.</i>


    Once we found our next group of enemies, I only had to think of [Fireball] to use it, which I could do in a few ways.


    I unholstered my 9mm and watched as it became a deep orange. Clouds of fire swam around the trigger and grip, but they didn¡¯t give off any heat. The front sight was slightly moving like the me of a lighter. I took aim at a goblin picking its nose while holding the trigger for one second. One bullet was drained, but during that second, crimson energy amassed in front of the barrel. Letting it loose send the fireball flying away. It smashed into a goblin that didn¡¯t notice in time, covering the nasty creature in a harsh congration and brightening the dark room. With no time to lose, I held the trigger down for as long as I could, going from 6 rounds left in the magazine to just 1. In return, the fireball was much bigger, but sweat just drowned my forehead when the skill automaticallyunched.


    It seemed the max level of charge was 5 bullets, but I couldn¡¯t be sure because I dropped to my knees and huffed for air since that drained me about 55% of my mana. The four other goblins were trying to extinguish the one goblin, so they didn¡¯t see the sizable ball of fireing their way. When it smacked into them, a scorching flood instantly disintegrated everything in the room that wasn¡¯t stone. Only the goblins¡¯ ashes were left, but the fire was running too rampant for me to get close. Still, I ate what was left to regain my mana and biomass.


    We left an hour or two after this and enjoyed the walk back to Ria. I had used 30 rounds and only had 50 remaining. That was almost half of my arsenal in a single day. Bullets were rare. Once I ran out, I had to get lucky and hope that store with the Catfolk would restock. After a quick search of my map, they hadn¡¯t yet done so. It was no guarantee, but that was fine because I had Reina¡¯s gun to fall back on. If nothing else, I could just walk to another town and try to find one there. If that didn¡¯t work, I could try to make one. I wanted to, but I was nowhere close to doing that.


    <hr>


    It was 9 PM when we entered the guild to earn our meager rewards for a hard day¡¯s work, and 9:33 when we finally got back to the shop. Irisa, who wore a buttoned-up shirt with a ck tie and pants, greeted us with a big hello and said we had arrived just in time for dinner. Before I knew it, she ushered Sekh and I up to the second floor, where Ichiha was pouring a pot of vegetable stew into four bowls and one small cup. It happened fast, but Ichiha said Sekh and I had to wash up.


    The bath was quick and hasty, but luckily, a fragment of a bar of soap was sitting on our bed for us to use. It wasn¡¯t big, so I needed to get some more. I wondered if I could make it? If not, I¡¯ll just have to buy some, so I hope it wasn¡¯t outrageously expensive. But after bathing and smelling like roses and honey, we dried off, got dressed, and sat down at the table for a meal. ¡°Lyudm? You seem kinda confused?¡± Irisa asked. She had changed into a cutoff shirt that seemed to be morefortable. Her pants had been switched for shorts, which showed off her long, green legs.


    ¡°Oh my, you aren¡¯t hurt, are you?¡± Ichiha asked. Like mother like daughter, they wore the same thing.


    <i>I wonder if that¡¯s a quirk of theirs? I guess it does lookfortable.</i>


    ¡°Er¡­ No, I¡¯m fine,¡± I quickly replied. I talked about the day wehad. Then for some reason, I spoke about the spider and the corpse from yesterday. Ichiha looked saddened, remarking that solo adventuring was incredibly dangerous, even more so when you were a beginner.


    ¡°An alpha? At your level, I didn¡¯t want to fight anything above me.¡±


    ¡°What level are you?¡± I asked.


    Irisa shed a smile and bragged about achieving Lv. 27, primarily through crafting, but she was not a stranger to fighting monsters.


    <i>From crafting? Huh¡­ I guess that¡¯s good to know.</i>


    ¡°Yes, little Irisa once saw a sword being made, and that was all it took. She wouldn¡¯t stop bugging me to let her apprentice to a cksmith when she was little. My, that must¡¯ve been 70 years ago¡­¡±


    ¡°70?!¡± My surprise was evident. Was it really that slow to level up? If it was through crafting only, then maybe?


    ¡°Is that weird? You¡¯re a High Elf, so it shouldn¡¯t be a surprise that I¡¯m 89,¡± Irisa casually answered. ¡°Mom¡¯s¡ª¡±


    ¡°Sweetie, it¡¯s rude to reveal your mother¡¯s age,¡± Ichiha motherly chided her daughter. The twoughed it off and swallowed a spoon full of stew. I ate it, but my Biomass was full, so it didn¡¯t do anything.


    <i>[Analysis] reveals you¡¯re 171, but you don¡¯t look a day over 22. Guess oni are long-lived.</i>


    I took a few more spoonfuls of this soup, and my mind wandered to the trash my parents forced me to eat.<i> This is delicious. It¡¯s only been a day, and I¡¯m already being treated so kindly by pure strangers. Fuck my parents for the abuse they put me through. The quicker they die, the better.</i>


    ¡°Lyudm, what are you doing tomorrow? I¡¯d like to know. If that¡¯s okay, I mean.¡± I looked up to see Irisa¡¯s smiling face. I didn¡¯t see any traces of a false smile or underlying plots ready to take me down several hundred pegs.


    <i>Telling her wouldn¡¯t make us friends... We¡¯re only going to be acquaintances, so that¡¯s fine, right? Tilde¡¯s nodding at me, so it¡¯s okay.</i>


    ¡°The dungeon.


    ¡°Again? You three were down there for a while, right? Just be careful, okay? And remember what I said.¡± Again, Irisa found it necessary to wish us well. I didn¡¯t understand it!


    <i>¡®Just be careful, okay?¡¯</i>


    For the rest of dinner, those words remained locked in my thought. Sekh and Tilde talked for me because I tried my hardest to decipher the true meaning of that phrase. I think Irisa believed I was mad at her because while we were cleaning up, she quietly apologized for prying into my life.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it,¡± I said, staring into her eyes. ¡°I¡­ I have a lot on my mind. I was thinking about something. Umm... Thank you for the soap...¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ Okay. I¡¯m d I didn¡¯t say something insensitive. We don¡¯t get a lot of High Elves around here. Honestly? It¡¯s kinda hard to approach High Elves because you¡¯re impossible to read. I was afraid I did something stupid. If I did, I¡¯m sorry. I hope I wasn¡¯t prying too much. And you¡¯re very wee! Think of it as a little housewarming gift to make your stay here a little bit easier.¡± Her stressed expression softened with a hearty smile and jollyughter. I didn¡¯t chuckle, but I did ease up as the night continued, eventually going so far as to reveal my weapon of choice, which carried us all into a round of surprisingly lively conversation. Ichiha was strangely fascinated by firearms. She knew far less than Greggie or Keeth, but it was fun teaching her. I didn¡¯t realize it at the time, but Sekh told me I had a cute smile on my face.


    <i>If I knew I was going to feel like this, I would have said something yesterday... It feels kinda good...</i>


    <hr>


    Not too long after that, I was sitting naked on the bed after putting By¡¯s shield against the door when I locked it. My 9mm¡¯s magazine was in one hand, and I plucked bullets from my storage with the other. Reloading was somehow soothing, and my mind wandered to what I would do when my ammo ran out.


    <i>I could always collect the casings. But then I¡¯d need gunpowd¡ªfiresalts, a primer, and the bullet itself. Wonder if I could find someone to teach me how to make that. I don¡¯t have any kind of skill to help with gunsmithing.</i>


    Meanwhile, Sekh pressed her chest into my back and wrapped her hands around my dick. She was practicing [Fleshcrafting]. I suppose a side effect was jerking me off, but I was seriously trying not to cum. It took time, though, and a lot of concentration. Sekh copsed and breathed heavily into my neck. Her hands fell to the cover and exposed my penis. When erect, I was now a suitable 6¡±, which hopefully wouldn¡¯t cause Sekh any more pain when we made love.


    When I turned around to hug her, she found it hard to keep her eyes open. ¡°I¡¯m...sorry... I¡¯m too tired...¡± Thick beads of sweat started to drip. Tilde flew around and poked Sekh¡¯s cheeks, then said nothing was wrong. She had just overstressed her mana by using more than she had, then likened it to overdrafting a bank ount. It was a dangerous technique that couldn¡¯t be categorized as a skill like [Piercing Thrust.] Using it wrong would result in the user¡¯s death, so I told Sekh not to push herself like this anymore.


    ¡°Don¡¯t apologize. Is there something I can do?¡±


    ¡°Hold me,¡± Sekh panted. Iid her on the bed and slipped in behind her. When my arms hugged her stomach, she said something that made me even harder than I already was. ¡°You can¡­ You can sleep with it inside me.¡± Her voice was slightly weakened from exhaustion.


    ¡°You¡¯re still sore, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Sekh nodded.


    ¡°No. I¡¯m not going to hurt you by rushing into it. But I will hold you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­let go of me,¡± she said with a weak breath.


    I rubbed her stomach and kissed her neck. ¡°I won¡¯t. Good night, Sekh,¡± I whispered, closing my eyes and nuzzling close. She was warm to the touch, and her fur was nice and soft. Especially when she moved her legs back a little bit, and they brushed against mine.


    <i>It¡¯s the very epitome of softness.</i>


    ¡°Good night, Master¡­¡±


    <i>This is my first real day in this world. I have apanion, shelter, food, and water. None of it¡¯s being withheld from me. No one¡¯s beating me for trying to quench a parched throat...</i>


    <i>It¡¯s odd that pure strangers take to me so easily, but it isn¡¯t a bad feeling... Would it be incorrect if I go so far as to say that it honestly feels like I was intended to be born here? Sekh¡¯s a go-getter. She¡¯s brilliant, bright, and I know she would¡¯ve excelled had she been born in my world.</i>


    <i>If so, would our positions have been reversed? Would she have freed me? How does fate work? Is everything decided from the beginning? Is life just following a set of instructions written before you¡¯re born?</i>


    <i>I¡¯m going to destroy my predestined path. The only thing I have in my hand is my life. I get to decide how I¡¯m going to live, and I¡¯m going to be in control until the end. It¡¯s finally hitting me like a truck, but this really is my second chance at life.</i>


    <i>No one can take this from me, and I will take full advantage of it.</i>

 Chapter Twenty-Two: Unwelcome Advances (R-18)

    Chapter Twenty-Two: Unwee Advances (R-18)


    I awoke this morning to a strange sensation. Once I realized Sekh wasn¡¯t in my embrace, I lifted the covers and saw that she was tending to my morning erection. Sshed against the nket were the signs of a wet dream.


    ¡°Master¡­ Mmnn, good morning,¡± she said with a stuffed mouth. I patted her head and rubbed her ears, saying it back while enjoying her tongue. Since I was smaller in length and girth, Sekh couldfortably fit all of me in her mouth. It worked out nicely because I wasn¡¯t choking her, so I could relish the pleasure without feeling anything less than pure bliss. I closed my eyes and grunted when the pressure in my penis foreshadowed an orgasm.


    ¡°You¡¯re tensing up, Master¡­ Go ahead, let it out inside my mouth.¡± Sekh wrapped her lips around the tip only and kissed.


    ¡°Sekh!¡± I cried her name and came in her mouth, shooting four or five thick ropes and falling to my back. She still sucked even after I had nothing left to shoot. After licking it from the base to the tip, she crawled up to my face and kissed my neck. With a sultry voice, she whispered something seductive in my ears.


    ¡°Master. Did you enjoy it?¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± I replied. I wrapped my arms around her and held her close, then rolled around until I was on top. She had her hands palm up, and I upied her fingers with mine as we stared at each other.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sore, Master. I¡­want to do it,¡± Sekh said adorably. I leaned down to kiss her lips, and she locked her legs around my waist. Her fur was irresistibly alluring.


    I wasn¡¯t going to keep her waiting because I wanted to feel more of her sulent warmth.


    I took her on the bed once, then we stood up, and I lifted her by the legs and pressed her against the wall while her arms wrapped around me.


    Thatsted until her grip grew weak from my pounding. When I let her down, she walked to the dresser, put her hands on it, and I grabbed her glistening thighs and thrust into her. All the while, she lovingly called me Master. It relieved my heart to know that her moans were elicited from a core of pure pleasure and not a source of disinformation.


    <i>I </i>was responsible for her sweet cries.


    Tilde saw it all, and the horny annoyance pleasured herself, her tiny fingers rubbing and flicking her pussy and clit. When she came, her voice was even somewhat sweet and pleasant. Her wings quivered and fluttered, lifting her a few inches in the air before gently easing back upon the dresser.


    I came inside Sekh onest time when Iid on the bed. She rode me like a bucking horse, mming her hips down and moaning each time I filled her vaginal canal with my slippery cock. I grabbed her bouncing breasts, greedily sucking them while crying out when my semen rushed to escape my penis.


    ¡°Sekh, be honest. Was it better this time than thest?¡± I asked when she pressed her chest to mine. I was still inside her, and she was licking my cheeks and mouth to show affection. Sekh waited a moment, then nodded, and I was just thankful it was more enjoyable for the both of us. ¡°I¡¯m d,¡± I whispered, sealing her lips with mine.


    As we washed up in the bath, Tilde mentioned chimera could not reproduce, which was a boon, I guess.


    <i>I¡¯d be an awful parent, and who would want to have children with me? It¡¯s for the best.</i>


    <hr>


    ¡°Why are your faces so red?¡± I asked Irisa and her mother during breakfast. It had been ten minutes since we sat down, but their tes remained untouched.


    ¡°Umm¡­ We¡­heard it, dear,¡± Ichiha said. She met my eyes but looked down. The tips of her and her daughter¡¯s horns were blushing. I asked what they meant, but I didn¡¯t get a clear response.


    ¡°They overheard you two fucking! Hahaha!!!¡± Tilde thought it was so hysterical she pped her knee and nearly cried from theughter.


    ¡°Umm... I don¡¯t mind such rtionships under my roof, but please exercise caution,¡± Ichiha whispered. ¡°Other people live here, so please be respectful of their privacy. And you¡¯re responsible for making sure your bedding is clean.¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t want to say anything yesterday,¡± Irisa said. ¡°But we... We heard <i>everything</i>. It...was pretty loud...¡±


    ¡°I see. I¡¯m...sorry about that,¡± I whispered, not exactly knowing what to feel. Tilde was stillughing her ass off, and Sekh looked a bit embarrassed. She had her hands in herp, her sweet, light gray skin blushing with the color of cherries. She looked cute.


    <i>Those sheets from my first time are still drenched in Sekh¡¯s juices and my semen. I gotta clean those.</i>


    The rest of the breakfast was kinda forced, but it wasn¡¯t like any arguments emerged from our early morning romp. Minutester, the mother and daughter pair waved us goodbye and told us to be careful as we headed to the dungeon.


    <i>Why do you always say that? I don¡¯t get it.</i>


    The guild was the first stop since we needed to make some money. Tilde picked out the quests for cores and flew them to Sekh and me when we were in line. I overheard nasty rumors about Noelia, Holy Lord Gloria¡¯s 1-Star Soul Warrior.


    To summarize them, she was a gigantic bitch. Someone who abused everyone around her, including the servants given to her by Gloria.


    They refused to travel with her.


    The cyclops was given to her in their ce. The blue skin beneath that robe was rumored to have gruesome scars and ugly burns. It was all hearsay, of course, but I knew the world had viins that actual monsters feared.


    After the guild, we stopped to get bread for Sekh to eat because she still had to do that. She wanted to refuse, but I went and paid the Cowfolk baker for two slices. It was kinda cute seeing Sekh sulk. As we walked out of the northern gate, Tilde spoke more about Bellerophon. Chimeras were more than capable of leveling skills through use like everyone else, but Bellerophon had used its surmountable resources to spread false rumors stating that we had to devour to increase our skill levels. It worked to sow fear and chaos amongst chimeras, so it was no small wonder they became amon enemy all over the world.


    Regardless, I was pumped up to spend the entire day grinding and chowing on monsters. And we did spend a day, but there was hardly any chowing. Rumors of a ¡®psycho High Elf¡¯ with a gun had spread, and people were wearing ear protection while giving me venomous nces. It was hard to be alone, so we often fought with others just a room or two away.


    By the time we left, our levels were the same, and I was down to myst 15 bullets. I only had enough for one more magazine. Luckily, I searched for more 9mm rounds and realized the store I stole from had restocked. Before getting home, we made a quick stop, and Tilde worked her magic while I stole another 4 boxes of ammo. The sole Catfolk employee was utter exhausted, so it was child¡¯s y to snag them. I doubt she knew I was in there based on the bags under her eyes.


    After eating dinner and bathing, I experimented with Mira¡¯s form. She was a regr human with green eyes and ck hair. My transfiguration limit upgraded to 11%, but it wasn¡¯t enough to channel her whole torso.


    Still, it was fun because I could rece my crotch with hers. Sekh¡¯s tongue was magical. I was able to experience what she felt whenever she came. A part of me wanted to transfigure her head onto my hand and lick myself, but I refrained from doing so because just thinking about it made me a little bit ufortable. I didn¡¯t know why, though. I guess I wanted to do it, but I wanted to wait until I was morefortable and familiar with sex.


    And the next day, we just cut our losses and went home earlier than nned because we had a miserable experience. Even the monsters were growing morefortable around gunfire. At least I got to y with [Fireball] a little bit more. A partly charged ming orb exploded on contact and scattered fire, but one that was packed with mana and 5 bullets?


    Those foul goblins only saw the warm glow of death before the ming sphere wiped out the entire group. Sekh rushed ahead during the screaming, taking advantage of the fiery panic to kill the one goblin very faintly hanging onto its life with the mace I had made for her. It was still going strong, though the spider legs attached to the head were starting to rot and dpose.


    Still, a chunk of stone would still hurt like hell if it smacked you.


    <hr>


    ¡°Lyudm? What¡¯s up?¡± Irisa asked one day after we returned early. She must¡¯ve been at Smithy¡¯s Corner because soot covered her apron and green cheeks.


    ¡°Master¡¯s pissy because leveling is slow,¡± answered Tilde.


    ¡°High Elves do level slower. In exchange, you live longer lives,¡± Irisa replied.


    Tilde had mentioned something like that. Holy and Dark Lords leveled slower after bing one, but it was different. Sekh was just Lv. 2, yet she used a title requiring the user to be over Lv. 99. The system governing this world had trouble understanding that, so it defaulted to putting her on the slowest leveling system. I didn¡¯t understand it, but I trusted Tilde¡¯s words. At least Sekh gained more SP topensate, so I couldn''tin.


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± I groaned. Sekh tapped my shoulders and told me everything was going to be fine.


    Irisa went to her room to take a bath and came out in something casual with a pair of pouches on her hips. ¡°If you don¡¯t have anything to do,e with me to grab some stuff for dinner. You¡¯ve been going to the mines for days. You gotta live a little!¡±


    I wanted to refuse, but an annoying fairy felt the opposite. ¡°Just go,¡± Tilde said. ¡°You¡¯re sulking way too much. Go get some fresh air.¡± I was too annoyed to say anything back, but maybe the fairy was right. Sekh and I followed Irisa downstairs. Her mother was scrubbing the counter clean with a rag soaked with a liquid that smelled of pinecones.


    Earlier, I had washed my clothes in that same liquid. Perhaps it was Susize¡¯s emotions, but the smell made me long for the warm embrace of a leafy forest.


    ¡°Oh, Sekh. If you don¡¯t mind, could I get a little bit of help?¡± Sekh turned from Ichiha to me, and I nodded.


    ¡°What do I need to do?¡± she asked after kissing and telling me to be safe. Thinking about it, that was the first time we had done something publicly. Irisa covered her mouth with both hands and blushed.


    ¡°Oh my¡­¡± Ichiha teased us a little as she handed a broom to Sekh and asked her to sweep the floor.


    So out the door we went, my golden hair still uncaged by dastardly hair bows or bands. It flowed freely like liquid honey pouring from the skies. We walked to the market some twenty minutes away, and Irisa happily hummed.


    ¡°That fairy of yours sure is something,¡± mypanion suddenly said.


    ¡°She¡¯s one of a kind.¡±


    ¡°Has she always been that way?¡±


    ¡°For as long as we¡¯ve known each other.¡±


    ¡°How did you and Sekh meet?¡±


    ¡°She saved me. We¡¯ve been inseparable since then.¡±


    ¡°I can see you¡¯re close¡­ You two act like you¡¯re married. That kiss from before was absolutely adorable.¡±


    ¡°Not married.¡±


    ¡°Could¡¯ve fooled me. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever heard a girl moan like her. It was¡­really passionate¡­and erotic...¡± The tips of her ck horns glowed bright red for a second. ¡°How did you be their master? You¡¯re a ve owner, yet you treat her as if she¡¯s equal to you.¡±


    ¡°We do not have that rtionship because I do not see her as a ve. She became one because the situation demanded it at the time.¡±


    ¡°Why not free her?¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t that easy.¡±


    ¡°Why not? Just go to a ver and have them break it.¡±


    ¡°...¡± I remained quiet.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ You keep giving these brusque responses. It doesn¡¯t hurt to talk a little bit more, you know?¡± I looked at Irisa. She whistled and turned her head, but I only sighed as we turned a corner.


    ¡°I¡¯m talking, aren¡¯t I? Never had a chance to really speak that much¡­ If I¡¯m honest, I don¡¯t know how to do it that often. There, is that better?¡±


    ¡°Eh, we can work on it. Hey, mom and I agreed to let you pick the vegetable dish. Whaddya feel like eating?¡±


    <i>Well, that¡¯s a first.</i>


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    ¡°Come on! Here, what¡¯s your favorite veggie? I like corn and cabbage, but potatoes are unbeatable. Especially if you rub roasted garlic and melted butter over it. One day, I¡¯ll make some for you,¡± Irisa dered.


    ¡°¡­¡± Irisa took my silence as a challenge.


    ¡°Fine, then ask me something. Anything. We really only talk at breakfast and dinner.¡±


    ¡°That mace you gave to Sekh... Who was it for?¡± I suddenly asked, stunning the Oni into being quiet. Irisa stopped walking and looked down, a sullen expression on her face that reminded me of Shuuta.


    ¡°Aha, you could have asked anything, and you picked the hardest topic¡­ Well¡­ I made it for my dad. Follow me, we gotta make a detour.¡± Irisa began speaking of a tale from the past, but the pain refused to leave her heart.


    Her father, Kokan, was a guild instructor. Considered one of the best, Kokan was asked to move to Ria to teach because it was growing fast. Ichiha was a merchant who wanted the chance to open a new store, and Irisa was excited to start selling her own wares and eventually make a name for herself.


    For the most part, things went as well as they could have until an incident urred. One day, Kokan had used his influence and authority to make a move on a young Catfolk in his ss. Irisa said the noble¡¯s guard heard her screaming and rushed in, only to find him with his pants down around his ankles.


    ¡°That one incident changed our lives forever. You see that shop?¡± Irisa said when we came to the city square. It was packed with carriages, wagons, and people all shuffling about into the various stores, but one ce was more popr than the rest. It was also the same store where I had stolen my gun and ammo.


    ¡°It used to be ours until Erin¡¯s mother wanted the shop as restitution for causing her daughter so much heartache. Word spread around, and most of our connections abandoned us. For the longest, I couldn¡¯t even walk around without someone cursing my name. It was the same for mom. We were pelted with tomatoes, potatoes, and other things until they realized we had no part in what dad did. We were forbidden to leave until things were settled, but we needed a ce to live.¡± She went on to say that the banks refused to loan them any money to buy another store. And the only ce willing to sell increased the price four times over.


    ¡°We rarely have any extra money,¡± Irisa continued. ¡°I hate him so much. Even if he did pay for me to apprentice under that cksmith and my membership to Smithy''s Corner, he¡¯s an awful person. He isn¡¯t in prison, but he¡¯s just a stupid drunk. He¡¯s not the same man who rocked me to sleep when I was little.¡±


    A search for Kokan revealed he was just about thirty feet behind me. Satellite mode revealed he was staring at us, but I didn¡¯t sense any hostility. He was Lv. 66. I wouldn¡¯t win a fight, but I had a feeling it wasn¡¯t going to turn out that way.


    <i>Besides, he has a lot of skills. But they aren¡¯t all forbat... Seems like he¡¯s a schr, but something¡¯s wrong. If he did that to a little girl, he would be in prison. Why is he walking free? If he was dered guilty by the court, he should have a title rted to his crime¡ªTilde told me that¡ª but he doesn¡¯t have any. If it was me, I wouldn¡¯t have let him go. It feels like something foul is at y, but it doesn¡¯t involve me, so I don¡¯t care.</i>


    Irisa scrunched her face and wiped her growing tears, but that didn¡¯t stop. She ran away, and I followed because...


    Well, I didn¡¯t know the reason. I ended up chasing her until she came to the entrance of the market.


    ¡°So, you do care? Hahaha! You wouldn¡¯t have followed me if you didn¡¯t.¡± Irisaughed. She wiped her eyes while smiling and looked at me, the smell of fresh produce wafting around us.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°How can you run in those clothes? You¡¯ve gotta be sweating bullets under there. So, whaddya want to eat?¡±


    I stared at the girl who held the strength and determination to not cry, but I knew that was a false front on the verge of copse. ¡°Cabbage¡­ If you¡¯re letting me pick, then cabbage.¡± I¡¯d never had it before, so now was the time to change that.


    ¡°Come on! I¡¯ll show you how to pick the best one!¡±


    Irisa grabbed my hand and walked, nearly jerking me along for the ride. We perused the stalls, starting at the vivid carrots and especially verdant broli. It was like a fruit and vegetable wondend. Thick bs of sausage and fat, sulent meat hung from hooks, but as a High Elf, I had to avoid being too into it.


    <i>It¡¯s sad. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever had anything fresh in my life beforeing here. And¡­ Am I having fun? This feeling... It hurts my heart a little bit.</i>


    Fifteen minutester, I had a bag of food in my hands. Irisa just handed it to me while she paid, and she didn¡¯t ask for it back.


    ¡°Hey, Lyudm?¡± The setting sun cast a crimson glow upon Ria, making the sky seem wounded. It foreshadowed something changing¡ªa new development within my heart. Was I going to follow through with it?


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re friends, right? We¡¯ve been living together for a while.¡±


    ¡°Are we? You tried to rip me off when we first met. And it¡¯s been less than a week."


    ¡°Mom really berated me for that after we went to bed. That was a stupid, stupid thing. I¡¯m really, really, really sorry for that.¡±


    We kept walking, one of the three streaming rivers to our left. The number of people we saw walking decreased as people turned off onto side streets and entered their homes. ¡°Once the clothes sell, I¡¯m taking the money and leaving with Sekh and Tilde. I can¡¯t stay here longer than necessary.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ That makes sense. You have friends and family waiting for you. We¡¯re working hard to find a buyer, but it¡¯s still a struggle. But we can be friends until then, right?¡±


    I remained quiet.


    Irisa was waiting for my reply even after her mother weed us back. She was on edge while we prepared the table and ate dinner. When I closed the door to my room, she still held an expectant look in her eye while speaking to her mom.


    ¡°Mom? I think I messed up again.¡±


    <hr>


    It was a bright, sunny day. Surrounding me were those familiar ruins Sekh and I had found ourselves in when leaving her dungeon.


    Only she wasn¡¯t with me. She was watching the store with Tilde because Ichiha had a meeting with a potential buyer for Susize¡¯s panties. <i>How does she trust us? We¡¯re still strangers¡­ Freeloaders, even¡­</i>


    ¡°Okay! M, thanks foring out here with me!¡± Irisa said, breaking me from my thoughts. She was all smiles as she tapped her armor. Forged by the oni herself, it was a set of chainmail reinforced by the hide of a porkypine, a type of pig-like enemy that had quills covering its body. Irisa said their sausage was delicious when smoked over apple wood chips.


    <ul>


    <li><b><i>Porkypine Chainmail (1/3)</i></b></li>


    </ul>


    <ul>


    <li><b><i>Physical Reflect (Lv. 1)</i></b></li>


    </ul>


    <i>Huh? If I can get that on a shield for Sekh¡­ We haven¡¯t encountered any porkypines, though.</i>


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I could say no,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Because I didn¡¯t give you a chance.¡± Irisa retrieved a wooden club from her back. It had a thick nail stabbed through it. ¡°It¡¯s for the best, you know. You¡¯re spending too much time in the dungeon, but you¡¯re just Lv. 4. It¡¯s been two weeks since we¡¯ve met.¡±


    <i>Two weeks? Has it really been that long? It feels like I''ve settled into a cycle. I don¡¯t know if I like that.</i>


    Leveling should have been a cause for happiness, but Sekh only received 4 SP. Luck was involved, and it refused to bless her.


    We were here for a simple reason. Irisa wanted to see me fight, and she needed a bunch of boar-type cores and hides for something she was working on. First, to share the experience, I had to invite her to a party. I didn¡¯t know how, so she taught me, and in just a few mental presses, I saw Irisa¡¯s information under Sekh¡¯s. For the hell of it, I tried to focus on her, but nothing happened, so I just used [Analysis] to check out her information. She knew a couple of physical skills, with most being passive to help her in cksmithing. And she had about two dozen titles rted to crafting with only about ten or so yer titles.


    Regardless, she was stronger than me by a long shot.


    The monsters around here weren¡¯t tough. Irisa and I walked untiling to a Lv.2 sleeping boar. Without even thinking, I used [Fireball] via my 9mm and sent the beast scampering in confusion until my next two shots put it out of its misery.


    <i>Better avoid using Reina¡¯s gun. Even if I must waste ammo.</i>


    ¡°MILA?!¡± Irisa eximed. Frozen by fear, I was only thawed out when Irisa gushed over me using magic. She asked if I had a skill called [Mystic Gunner], which allowed me to imbue my bullets with magic. After she talked about it, it sounded like it was a far weaker version of [Chimeric Armatization] because it didn¡¯t affect monster skills. I just nodded because that was the quickest way to change the subject.


    ¡°Woah, so you know magic? I tried to learn it, but it was too hard,¡± Irisa said while retrieving the core. I had turned off [Auto-Loot] beforehand because it would have caused trouble. I just said I knew [Fireball], and that was it. She then asked if I had [Mental Chant] or [Instant Chant], and again, I lied and just nodded. Once her questions were answered, we moved on, and I got to see Irisa in action.


    She said she wasn¡¯t a trained fighter, but her raw strength as an Oni was almost fearful. She deftly wielded the club with her powerful muscles. When I immobilized the boars by shooting their legs, she jumped at the chance to pierce their skulls with her nailed weapon. The disy of violence was gratuitous, yet it never progressed to something overly disgusting. It was simply a level of fighting that this world required to survive. You couldn¡¯t kill without death, and death was hardly ever gentle. Cutting, stabbing, shooting, piercing, slicing, poking, prodding, burning, freezing, shocking, drowning, crushing¡­


    Dying was ugly.


    Irisa said my name as she looked up. The gloves she wore were covered in guts and organs.


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, so I figured I¡¯d ask again. We¡¯re friends, right?¡± This was a sensitive topic, and my gradual silence reflected the truth in my heart.


    I couldn¡¯t ept someone at random. I just couldn¡¯t. Sekh and Tilde were an exception based on the truth about my existence. Irisa and her mother weren¡¯t. They were strangers. That was it. I was only living with them out of necessity.


    ¡°I figured it¡¯s too soon¡­ Eh, let¡¯s go.¡± She sounded upset, but I couldn¡¯t trust her. Even if she treated me like a friend, she wasn¡¯t one to me, and the reasons were obvious.


    Would she ept my Chimerism? Would she believe I was summoned by a Holy Lord? What about the winds of infinite void that killed me? The betrayal? Sekh as the Dark Lord of Tyranny? Tilde as the Conduit for [Hermes Trismegistus]? My need to eat those I kill to steal their strength?


    What about recing my head with a spider¡¯s? Could she look at me and honestly not be afraid? Even while my eight eyes all stared at her as venom leaked from my fangs?


    No. The answer was simple. This friendship would never work because I was a monster. She was not. It was that simple.


    ¡°Sekh¡­and Tilde,¡± I spoke their names as Irisa turned around. ¡°I can only trust them.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡± Irisa eximed. My quiet voice and sharp re forced her mouth closed.


    ¡°There is no one else I can trust. Stop asking this ridiculous question. I¡¯m only staying with you and your mom until I get my money. That¡¯s it. We won¡¯t be friends. We won¡¯t ever be friends.¡± She dropped her arms by her side, and all the excitement and energy she had vanished after my statement. I walked ahead of her and waited, finding her inconsequential whining to be annoying.


    <hr>


    Hourster, the atmosphere was tense and thick when we returned to the shop. After eating dinner and cleaning up, I was just about to go to my room with Sekh and Tilde when Irisa asked a startling question.


    ¡°Lyudm? Can you take off your glove for a second? I wanna see¡ª¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Come on. You¡¯re always wearing those things,¡± Irisa whined.


    ¡°Because¡ªHey! Stop it! Don¡¯t touch me!¡± I felt a single finger touch my arm, and I leapt away, mming into the wall and knocking down a small book from the nearby shelf.


    ¡°Lyudm?! I¡¯m¡ªI¡¯m sorry.¡± Irisa reached out a hand. I red, refusing to grab it when she suddenly yanked my hand. She had a grip on my glove, and it was about to be pulled off.


    I continued to pull away, but it was a struggle against her clutch. Sekh was frozen for a quick second. The same was said for Ichiha. It seemed like time only began to move again when I pulled Reina¡¯s gun from my mana and held it to my temple.


    ¡°Get your fucking hands away from me, or I¡¯ll blow my goddamn brains out all over this kitchen!¡±


    Sekh immediately pushed my arm down and helped me up. Irisa trembled and jumped backwards, looking at her hands like they were covered in blood. Ichiha went to move her lips, but by then, the only two I could trust had followed me down the stairs.


    As we sped through a darkened Ria, Irisa¡¯s crying voice managed to reach my pointy ears.


    ¡°I¡¯M SORRY!!! COME BACK, PLEASE!!!!!¡±

 Chapter Twenty-Three: My Reason for Existing (R-18) – Part One

    Chapter Twenty-Three: My Reason for Existing (R-18) ¨C Part One


    ¡°Alright, goddamn it! You''ve got some FUCKING exining to do!!!!¡± Tilde grasped my bangs with her tiny hands and yanked them.


    We left Ria in a mad dash and didn¡¯t stop running until we entered the mines. Even then, we sped past everyone untiling to a room with a single goblin, who soon died after Sekh had crushed its head with a powerful attack. The blood dripping down her stone mace was a silent listener to my short reasoning.


    ¡°I¡¯m not stupid. I know that dying means following me into the afterlife, Tilde. That was the only way to make her let go. She was about to find out about me! What should I have done?!¡± I grabbed Tilde. Her struggles against my grip were futile as I forced myself to turn my wrath down to 0. When you needed to make vital decisions, it was best to do so with an open mind. I couldn¡¯t have anger influence my next move.


    ¡°Gah!¡± eximed Tilde. She had no words other than to ask me why we came here.


    ¡°It¡¯s dark, we can be alone, and I can finally eat some goddamn monsters.¡± Sekh asked if I thought Ichiha or Irisa would get Bellerophon involved, and I just shook my head.


    <hr>


    Sekh once told me chimeras were feared because there was no limit to their growth, but after bing one, there was another reason.


    Adaptability. Reacting to rapidly changing circumstances had to be one of the most fearsome attributes of chimeras. Take a High Elf and herpanions fighting against a group of spiders that had spawned while investigating a corpse she found with her map. If she was pressed to the ground with her limbs disabled, what could she do? Nothing at all except struggle and wait for help.


    But what if she was a monster feared by the world over?


    Thergest one pinned me down with its legs and lifted two. The foolish creature thought I was helpless, but I opened my mouth and birthed a spider leg from the back of my throat. It pierced true, causing venom to sprinkle on my face. When the appendage vanished, a boar¡¯s head willed itself alive from my arm like a cancerous tumor and ate what it could.


    As Sekh dodged and directed a banquet of death towards the faltering arachnids, I fought back. Once my arm was free, I retrieved Reina¡¯s gun, aimed, and delivered a charged [Fireball] to its underbelly. It roared in pain and tried to scamper away, but I took my spear from storage.


    It wasn¡¯t much, but it was enough for me to poke and prod. The crimson inside its abdomen nketed my stomach in warm liquid. Like butter, I seamlessly switched to devouring it while turning the tide of Sekh¡¯s battle. All it took was a few uses of [String Shot] to unbnce the spiders attacking her by yanking them down. That was enough of an opening for her to crush their bodies.


    I went around this small chamber and ate a tidy meal. I did leave one untouched, though. But I grinned because [Web Bomb] and [String Shot] just became Lv. 10. I suffered minor wounds, but those were soon fixed. After assimting the corpse, I joined Sekh in sitting against the wall.


    <i>It''s just another overzealous fool who didn¡¯t even have a single skill. Congrattions, you died for nothing.</i>


    Sekh was busy downing her canteen while wiping the sweat off with a rag. Tilde flew over and crossed her arms.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been down here for three fucking days! I¡¯m starving! You¡¯ve been fighting for like 75 fucking hours!!!!!!¡±


    ¡°Stop lying. If I¡¯m full, you¡¯re full. We share feelings.¡±


    ¡°Then what about her?¡±


    ¡°I can still go on. The spider meat is more than enough to fill my stomach,¡± she said. Sekh had gotten extremely dirty. Thick dust and soot covered her cheeks.


    Almost like her¡­


    I threw that name out of my mind and brought the spider to Sekh with [String Shot]. I produced a ming orb in my gloved hands. Sekh ripped the meat off while I cooked it. She mentioned she had survived many days on spiders back when she had to travel through a forest filled with them.


    She reminisced on those times before brutally chowing down, causing sickening juices to stter across her lips. I wiped her chin and hugged her arm.


    ¡°Sekh¡­ Did I mess up?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Should we go back?¡±


    ¡°It is up to you.¡±


    ¡°I want your opinion. Should we just leave Ria and find somewhere else?¡±


    ¡°I¡ª"


    Sekh dropped her food and stood up because the dungeon produced a spider. Another red blip appeared on my map, but a group of white dots was moving this way.


    A couple of gunshotster, it was dead, but during the battle, I told Sekh to watch for trouble and wait for my signal. I stared as the dots turned red when a squad of undesirables snuck in during the bout. One put a de to my neck, and his nasty breath smelled disgusting.


    "Oi! It seems like the rumors are true. The Dirty Elf and ck Lion exist! Are you the ones that oni has been shouting after? Eh, it doesn¡¯t matter. Give us your cores, armor, and weapons, and we¡¯ll be on our way. I won¡¯t even tell that girl where I found you two since it seems you¡¯re avoiding her. Bwhaha,¡± said a square-faced man with an ufortable twinkle in his blue eyes. He seemed to be the leader of this gang of hooligans as he walked right in front of me. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t look like that, ck Lion. If you raise that mace any higher, he might be liable to slit your friend¡¯s throat.


    ¡°Martin, they¡¯re eating spider. Don¡¯t remember thest time I was that desperate.¡± The man who spoke to the one in front of me wore a leather helmet painted silver to match a ne around his neck. With one behind and three in front, that only meant four. And I had the advantage.


    I mentally prepared myself for the fight as they talked about some half-breed with a dick they wanted to go fuck at the local brothel.


    I opened my mouth andunched a [Web Bomb], blinding the man closest to Sekh. She went to kill him while I transfigured a spider leg tounch from the back of my head, striking my captor in the neck, but he did not die. His knife danced across my throat, but I had grown ustomed to the sharp pain as I healed my wounds. Martin uttered a sentence in a haunting tone.


    "Fuck... She¡¯s a chimera! The stories are true!¡±


    The fear in Martin¡¯s eyes weakened his spirit. I spun around and shot my captor twice in the face, watching as a bloody mist sprayed from his neck and head. Bits of his pink brain and white skull flowed out before he even mmed into the ground.


    <b><i>New Title: [Human yer (I)]</i></b>


    My mind was as clear as ever, even after realizing I had gotten experience points from killing this foolish thug.


    He was dead.


    Criminal or not, I had killed something that wasn¡¯t a phantom of the past or a monster.


    I turned back to face Martin, who tried to run for Sekh. She killed the man I immobilized, his head looking like a leaking bottle of grenadine syrup. Brutally,she ripped it off and threw it at Martin. He caught it out of reflex, stared at his friend¡¯s dead eyes, then frighteningly screamed, but I stuffed his mouth with a thick load of [Web Bomb]. Sekh then charged at thest member of Martin¡¯s gang and broke his arm, bringing him to me to decide his fate. I filled his mouth with web, half hoping he¡¯d choke on it. A quick check of my map told me no one was nearby.


    As I walked to finish off Martin, I reced my mouth with a pair of spider fangs. They loudly cked while green venom leaked. He looked so scared, but he was so confident in robbing me a few seconds earlier.


    Torturing him to death wasn¡¯t my style. The venom from a Lesser Araneae? That was well within my definition of killing. It was simple, really. I knew how painful it was to be attacked by these damn spiders, yet I hadn¡¯t used it before. Monster skills differed from standard skills because they were easier to level. I had [Poison Fang] at Lv. 10 without using it, which proved how many spiders I¡¯d devoured in thest three days.


    I didn¡¯t stop at a little bit of venom. No, I flooded the bastard with so much toxicant that his heart literally stopped in seconds. Rigor mortis instantly kicked in, freezing his face to an expression of total fear.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± I said, returning my face to normal and facing the man Sekh had restrained. ¡°I¡¯m not a torturer. Not now, but I might be er. Let¡¯s say you aren¡¯t worth the effort. I¡¯ll give you a quick death.¡± While devouring Martin and the two dead goons to regain some mana, I used a couple of Web Bombs to stick the survivor to the wall so Sekh could check out what they had for us to take.


    <b><i>You¡¯ve assimted Martin and acquired 10 SP.</i></b>


    <b><i>You¡¯ve assimted George and acquired 13SP.</i></b>


    <b><i>You¡¯ve assimted James and acquired 9 SP.</i></b>


    ¡°It seems the quickest way to acquire SP is from assimting pathetic goons like you,¡± I said, feeling better after recovering my mana after eating my meals. In total, I had 38 SP to spend as I pleased, and I used them to buy [Firearm], [Water Magic], [Weapon Creation], [Ammo Creation], [Sewing], and [Enchanting].


    [Firearm] was a weapon skill and my primary weapon, so it was obvious I needed to get it. Having more magic and the [Water de] spell avable would make me stronger, so that was another clear choice. Thest four posed no real help to me at this moment, yet if I wanted to get stronger, I¡¯d have to craft my own gear. I needed to eventually make my own ammo and sew clothes for Sekh and me while also using these cores we¡¯d been collecting for weeks.


    ¡°HHHHMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!¡± The restrained man struggled against his bindings when I used [Water de]. It worked by curling blue mana up my arm, and when I made a shing motion, the water formed a sharp edge andunched out. I aimed for the man¡¯s arm first, not because I wanted to torture him, but because I wanted topare how [Water de] worked when used with [Chimeric Armatization].


    Well, his arm wasn¡¯t severed, but it was barely hanging on. The sharp de of water vanished since it was just temporarily created of mana, so I pulled out Reina¡¯s gun. When channeling the spell, the grip became solid water¡ªclear water, by the way, that rendered the internals visible. It was cool to the touch. When I pulled the trigger, a miniaturized [Water de] danced around the bullet. When it impacted my target¡¯s head, the watershed out in all different directions, inflicting damage from inside the wound. Unlike [Fireball], which was great for area-of-effect attacks, Water de] seemed more useful for single-target damage.


    With my enemy¡¯s headcerated to the point where the individual pieces were like the petals of a flower, I devoured his corpse and left nothing.


    <b><i>You¡¯ve assimted Leon and acquired 9 SP.</i></b>


    After eating those dumbasses, I definitely felt noticeably stronger and more dexterous after feeding on them. My mana pool was alsorger. The blue bar was still the same, but it was just an internal feeling, and it was the same with my biomass. In fact, I thought the growth of power was too quick, but Tilde dashed that foolish thought by saying that was normal for a chimera since we assimte everything about a person. Should one y their part like a maestro, a Lv. 1 chimera could ughter a royal guard whose Lv. 50. Our power didn¡¯t depend on levels. I suppose it went doubly for me since I gained fuck all from leveling up. It was just, overall, the higher leveled person would usually win a fight. Being a chimera threw chaos into that equation.


    <i>I wonder if I could find someone that¡¯s Lv. 80 and on their deathbed? Yeah, like I¡¯m lucky enough to encounter that situation.</i>


    ¡°Is that your first time?¡± Tilde asked as we left that bloody chamber after Sekh collected some canteens, bread, and cores from those jackasses. I was getting close to my weight limit in [Storage], so I had to watch out.


    ¡°Killing a man?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Counting the one I shot in the face?¡±


    ¡°How do you feel?¡±


    ¡°Now you care? That¡¯s unlike you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be a smart ass.¡±


    ¡°I feel normal. Killing those four¡­ They¡¯re dead. I¡¯m not. They made the first move. I didn¡¯t start the fight. I didn¡¯t instigate anything. That¡¯s it. Nothing else.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Hey, do you know how long you were in the void?¡±


    I shook my head.


    ¡°In time rtive to us, you spent two months there before being summoned. But because time isn¡¯t stable in the void¡ªit can flow forward and backward¡ªlet''s just say you stayed in there long enough to imagine your revenge more times than there are stars in the sky. It¡¯s not wrong to say you became the literal personification of Wrath. Kinda like an extremely lucid dream. I was just curious...¡± Tilde whispered. She flew to my shoulder and hugged my ear. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get out of here, okay? We can leave this town behind us and move somewhere else.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s stay for a few more days. We have food and water,¡± I said. Tilde whined, but she never left my shoulder.


    ¡°I know, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°LYUDMILA!!!!! SEKH!!!!!!! TILDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I¡¯M SORRY!!!!!!!!¡± I cursed under my breath and watched the approaching blue waypoint on my map with wary eyes. Irisa had beening to the dungeon every day to search for us. If you knew where your pursuer was, you could evade them 100% of the time. I ran around with Sekh and Tilde to the furthest room I could find, which was blocked off by a minecart. There was a hidden corridor in the back that led to another room. We hid there until Irisa¡¯s waypoint started heading towards Ria.


    "I¡¯ll keep watch, so get some sleep.¡± Sekh nodded once, then sat beside me and leaned her head against my shoulder. Meanwhile, Tilde just hovered in front of me and put a small hand on my dirty cheek.


    ¡°I can still see the fight when I blink. I see the moment before and after their deaths.¡±


    ¡°Not feeling so fine, are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­not really feeling much of anything right now. In my world, murder was a heinous crime. Self-defense or not, taking a life is something substantial that changes everyone involved. Tilde?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Just how broken¡­can someone get?¡±


    ¡°Broken doesn¡¯t mean permanently ruined, you know. Things break all the time, and things are repaired all the time. You can lean on me, remember? I¡¯ll be your glue and nails.¡±


    What she said made sense, I guess, but... ¡°If I¡¯m so broken...then what part of me is responsible for feeling numb about killing? Is it me¡ªthe soul that was once endlessly abused by my family and betrayed? Is it me¡ªthis Chimeric entity that only saw those four idiots as meat to grow my strength? Or is it a mix of both? Or maybe I just want to me it on my Chimerism. Maybe I just didn¡¯t want to feel anything for them because I¡¯m trying to kill my sister, and I¡¯m practicing apathy. Maybe I... Maybe I¡¯ve been so engrossed in killing my family and those traitors in my dream that I can¡¯t feel anything when ites to death? Can you fix that, Tilde? Can you fix someone like me that¡¯s bing so numb to murder?¡±


    Tilde was shocked at my response, and her wings were droopy. She affectionately kissed me on the cheek and told me to get some rest. She would watch over us while we slept.

 Chapter Twenty-Three: My Reason for Existing (R-18) – Part Two

    Chapter Twenty-Three: My Reason for Existing (R-18) ¨C Part Two


    Two dayster, we were in a room with an empty treasure chest after evading Irisa again. The gaudy-looking thing was a source of much difort for Tilde. Her tirade about the overall design and color schemested well over fifteen minutes, with her biggest hatred lying in the shade of yellow used for the trim. One would usually need [Lockpicking] to crack it open, but it was also possible to break it at the risk of destroying what was inside.


    I suppose I was in a somewhat better mood. My Wrath was set to 0, but that didn¡¯t mean I couldn¡¯t experience difort or uneasiness, though. Perhaps I wanted to remain in this dungeon because I had fears of Bellerophon. There wasn¡¯t an office in Ria, but Tilde had told me some rumors of how they hang suspected chimera by their feet and skin them alive to see if they heal with biomass. This wasn¡¯t necessary because they had items to detect titles rting to Chimerism. [Status Cloak] took care of that.


    I asked Sekh how she was holding up. She gripped a shield procured from a dead goblin and swallowed some water from a canteen. The stone and spider weapon I made for her broke yesterday, so she was using Irisa¡¯s mace for the time being.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Rough situations aren¡¯t exactly unheard of, and I¡¯ve lived my fair share of them. Do¡ª¡±


    ¡°GET OFF HER, YOU BASTARD!!!!¡±


    Sekh and I exchanged looks after someone shouted at the top of their lungs. The sound reverberated throughout the mines. ¡°If you find someone attacking someone else, think of it like a free meal,¡± Tilde said. She stood on my head before jumping to the top of my backpack. We went off running. The screaming came from a room I¡¯d been to. ording to the map, five people and a gang of goblins were in there.


    ¡°FUCKING GOBLINS! GET OFF OF HER!! HEY, DON¡¯T LEAVE US!! GET BACK HERE!! JARED?! SWIMBA?! COME BACK¡ª¡±


    Sekh and I dashed around a corner, veering close to the ramp that led to the bottom floor. At the end of this long path, A group of three nearly skittered across the rocky, uneven ground as they frantically ran for their lives. The one in front, a Deerfolk with sses, had thick tears crawling down his face. Sekh and I ignored them, slowing down when we came to the target room. I took up position and peeked in.


    That Catfolk from before¡ªthe one with a grudge against goblins¡ª was being forced to watch a pair of green bastards take his Dogfolk friend from the front and back. A third was thrusting from below, monopolizing her three holes. Chax wasn¡¯t faring any better. The goblin mming its hips into him had scratched the Catfolk¡¯s lower back with its ck, diseased nails. There were two in front of him that were taking turns trying to suffocate him with their inmed cocks. He grunted from a source of anger and desperation while staring at his catatonic friend, whose eyes were nearly lifeless.


    Dark blood and semen oozed endlessly from her crotch as the goblins snarled andughed.


    Half a second after witnessing this, Sekh rushed in. She trusted me not to hit her. My bullets rang true and produced four corpses. Sekh brutalized the ones assaulting Ginnie while I ran in and dispatched the two sharing Chax¡¯s mouth. The uracy was impable, and bodies dropped in rhythm. One managed to run to a shield. I used [Piercing Thrust] to break through, and I was rewarded with its death groans.


    <i>It¡¯s a good thing I reloaded while running.</i>


    ¡°GRRAAAHHHH!!!!¡± Chax grabbed a spear and stabbed the one who destroyed his innocence, piercing the monster¡¯s stomach with so many holes I thought it was about to dete. He ignored Ginnie in his rage. Sekh used a cloth we had taken from Martin¡¯s bag to give her something to cover herself with, but she reacted with blind panic and thrashed around.


    Eventually, Chax ran out of steam and descended from yelling to mourning it all. His anguished wails as he held the unconscious Ginnie were louder than his cries for help.


    <hr>


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± I stared at Chax as he got dressed; a solemn cloud danced across his reddened eyes. After clipping the belt around his pants and putting on his ruined undershirt, he returned to Ginnie¡¯s side and held her hand. Sekh and I were like invisible strangers, even though we sat a foot or so away.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill those sons of bitches,¡± he growled, tearfully touching his friend¡¯s face with a rag to clean it. ¡°They left us alone to save their hides¡­ Didn¡¯t care that Ginnie¡­ That we were going to suffer so much. They knew the fate awaiting the prisoners of goblins¡­ Why did they leave us? Why abandon us?¡± He turned to me like he wanted me to respond, but I remained silent.


    Revenge was my ultimate goal, and I could certainly understand his desire to kill those traitors.


    Chax started to speak about Ginnie, proiming that he always liked her. It appeared he and her were from the same vige, and they hid in a chest when a nest of goblins attacked. He had to watch them vite her, enduring the pain while shielding Ginnie¡¯s eyes and ears. ¡°Is this revenge on me for having killed so many? For torturing them? For doing to them what they did to mom? For cutting off their heads with a rusty knife? Ginnie¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± a quiet, hoarse voice said.


    ¡°Ginnie?!¡± Chax eximed. He cradled her head and gently dabbed her arid tongue with a wet cloth.


    ¡°It hurts, Chax...¡± Her eyes faintly opened, and I knew she had lost the will to live. ¡°My first time... I wanted you to have it... I wanted to share it with you... I¡¯m defiled... I¡¯m dirty...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk like that!¡± he eximed. The salty water leaking from his eyes sttered against Ginnie¡¯s cheeks.


    ¡°Thervae... I don¡¯t want to die to it... Chax, you must kill me...¡±


    I thought back to what Tilde and Sekh told me. Goblins were parasitic. Their sperm was a milky substance filled with hundreds of microscopicrvae. They attach to a person¡¯s insides to steal their nutrients. After about a month, theybine, evolve, and burst free, eventually creating another goblin. They didn¡¯t discriminate against gender.


    ¡°No! Don¡¯t say that!¡± Chax responded. His shaky voice was unsteady. ¡°We can get it out of us! Please, don¡¯t speak like that!¡±


    In a frail voice, Ginnie revealed a bombshell about the betrayal. Swimba¡ªone of their party members¡ªconfessed to her a few weeks ago. She refused his affection. A few dayster, she overheard him drunkenly talking to another party member about stealing a brooch Ginnie received from Chax¡¯s mother before she died. She didn¡¯t put much heart into it because she didn¡¯t want to believe it. ¡°I should have said something, Chax...¡± It was hard to understand her between the crying and whispered voices. ¡°This is my fault... They¡¯re going to take our money... We can¡¯t...afford...to...¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter! I can get the money to get these things out of us! Trust me, Ginnie! I¡¯ll work myself to the bones¡ª¡±


    Using thest of her strength, Ginnie reached up just very slightly and pressed her lips to Chax. ¡°We...both know...we can¡¯t get enough...for both of us...in a month... Chax... Please... I can¡¯t...live with myself...like this...¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll die too!¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t--¡±


    ¡°Life isn¡¯t worth living if you¡¯re not in it. I can¡¯t go a day without you. We can die together, and we can enter the afterlife together.¡±


    Trembling all over like an uncontroble mess, Ginnie used thest of her strength to nod once more. She moved her hands from her chest and winced, preparing for the iing strike that would surely kill her.


    Chax¡¯s teeth chattered as his eyes darted to a nearby dagger. Water flooded his eyes while screams left his mouth. He held it up high, both hands quivering. ¡°AAHHHHHHHHHHHHH--¡±


    <i>Bang!</i>


    A sharp gunshotter, the would-be killer was left with a broken de. For a quick moment, pure anger shed through his sharp eyes while Ginnie yelped in pain when she suddenly jerked and leaned up.


    "What the hell are you doing?!¡± barked Chax. His knuckles were white from how hard he gripped the broken dagger. ¡°Just leave us alone!¡± A shattered weapon was still capable of ending a life, so I wasted no time in forcefully stealing it away from him by grabbing his wrist and lightly bending it back. He cursed me, of course. So did Ginnie, but I didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to die! One way or another, I refuse to let this thing live inside me!¡± The Dogfolk¡¯s eyes nced at the shimmering glint of the dagger¡¯s broken fragment lying right nearby. I saw it when she did it and leapt for it, but she was closer and faster.


    ¡°STOP!!!¡± I shouted, thrusting my hand in front of her neck as the fragment pierced my hand and drew blood. Pain was there, but it was inconsequential because it wasn¡¯t fatal. The warm crimson dripped down my palm and onto her bare skin. She locked eyes with me, and I gripped the weapon while using my other hand to gently pry Ginnie¡¯s fingers off it. From my peripherals, I saw Sekh carrying a scowl on her face, but she simmered off when I shook my head. She was mad because she hated seeing me injured, but I had to do this. Something inside me told me to do this.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t right, and you know it.¡± After removing the metal from my hand, Sekh handed me a red vial collected from Martin¡¯s goons and told me to drink it. Tilde whispered it was a potion, so I downed it in a sip. After ten seconds, nothing happened, so I used my biomass to heal, using the restorative drink as a proxy. Still, I had a cut on my dark gray hand, so I used my backpack as a proxy to retrieve a cloth, which I ripped and tore and wrapped around my palm to hide the exposed skin.


    All the while, Chax and Ginnie were nearly fuming. Emotions were already running high, and what I said pushed them over the limit. The two verbally ganged up on me, eximing they had nothing. Their vige was ravaged by goblins, and very few survived. Chax and Ginnie being two of them. They roamed thend for five years, stealing and fighting to survive. Until they met Swimba and his two friends. They took Chax and Ginnie in and cared for them while bing their allies in a brutal, violent world.


    But then that was nothing but an illusion since they were betrayed by those same three friends they thought they could trust. Such betrayal, mind you, that ended with a group of goblins forcefully inseminating them with theirrvae. Without even a single bronze coin to their name, it would take months to afford treatment for just one of them, but that would be toote since they had about 30 days left before death was certain.


    ¡°There¡¯s no future for us... Not here, not there, not anywhere. Life doesn¡¯t want us to live...and we feel the same. Everything''s gone wrong since mom died,¡± Chax whispered. He clutched his stomach and sat beside Ginnie after grabbing her hand. She echoed his statement in a weak voice, citing that they had nothing left to live for other than each other, but now that wasn¡¯t even the case. She pleaded with her big, teary eyes and asked me to kill them.


    <i>It feels like my stomach¡¯s churning itself into a knot. This whole situation rubs me the wrong way.</i>


    ¡°Death or not, thervae will feed on your corpses. Is that what you want? A pair of goblins resulting from choosing the coward¡¯s way?¡±


    ¡°COWARD?! What do you know about it? You¡¯re just a pampered High Elf born with a silver spoon in her mouth! You don¡¯t know the pain we went through! The anguish within our hearts! The pain of watching your mother get torn apart in front of you! The shame of being ythings for these ugly, disgusting goblins! Shut your mouth!¡± Anger also flowed through Ginnie, and she let me have it.


    During her tirade, I remained silent and just stared at her. As her hatred came to a fiery conclusion, it finally ¡®clicked¡¯ for her. ¡°You¡ªyour eyes... You do know what it¡¯s like, don¡¯t you... Staring up and seeing the disgusting lust looking down...¡±


    I nodded, barely enough to send a single strand of hair past my eyes. Sekh began to say something, but she became quiet when I held up my hand. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you given up? How can you keep going? What about the...pain...? I don¡¯t understand how you can live with¡ª¡±


    ¡°Revenge... Revenge for everything they inflicted on me... Revenge for being sacrificed and abandoned... That is what keeps me going... A revenge for desire prevents me from turning my weapon on myself and ending it all. It¡¯s all I think about, and it¡¯s my me,¡± I answered Chax¡¯s whispered, pained question with the truth.


    ¡°Ginnie¡­ I¡¯m...scared... I don¡¯t know what to do...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t die before getting your revenge. Don¡¯t die before finding that strength you harbor to push on. I did not say it was going to be easy,¡± I said. ¡°Finding the will to face each new day that graces you after experiencing...this? That¡¯s the part that seems insurmountable. I¡¯ve been at the base of the mountain before. Sometimes I still wonder if I¡¯m going to reach the top. It¡¯s a never-ending ascent with perils ced everywhere.¡±


    Chax shared a look with Ginnie. I knew adrenaline was the only reason they were acting like this... Once it wore off, the realization and pain would set in again. It would be worse this time. Way worse. Extremely worse. It¡¯ll feel as if the world¡¯s about to copse around them... As if the world had its sick ws jabbed into their lives purely for sick pleasure to ruin them.


    <i>They can¡¯t give up. They need to fight... I need to fight... We need to fight...</i>


    ¡°You have each other, and that¡¯s more than what I had. The people who wronged you? Fuck them over. Get your revenge. Take back your brooch. Don¡¯t let them shit on you.¡±


    Silence consumed the room as Chax and Ginnie tried toe to terms with their feelings. The former helped thetter get dressed in the remnants of her torn clothing, then ripped his shirt to help fill in the gaps in Ginnie¡¯s outfit to keep her decent.


    <i>Hmm...</i> Narrowing my eyes, I used [Analysis] on them because something was bugging me. The skill confirmed that they suffered from goblinrvae insemination¡ªamongst other injuries/ It was in stage 1 out of 30, which I presumed meantdays, so that was the limit. But thervae¡¯s location was also transmitted to me. For Chax, it was right near his left kidney, and Ginnie¡¯s was inside her womb.


    But that was it. Even if I knew where they were, it wasn¡¯t like I could perform surgery on them, right? I wasn¡¯t trained. The most I could do was cut my way in, burn the little bastards, and try to cauterize the incision. Blood loss was a real concern. Their HP bars were less than 30%, and in their current state?


    Death was watching with one foot in the door.


    <i>I wonder...</i> Recalling what Tilde said about how [Hermes Trismegistus] worked like a muscle, I put that to the test and used [Analysis] forty times as rapidly as possible.I was concentrating, but I still saw Tilde when she confusingly flew in front of my eyes. She tilted her head and blinked, then grinned when she figured out what I was up to. Sekh looked worried, and so did Chax and Ginnie, who almost seemed afraid at my piercing stare...


    But something happened...


    There was a voice I couldn¡¯t hear... One that I couldn¡¯t understand or perceive, but I knew it was there. And then there it was... A pale, microscopic blue dot no bigger than the tip of a pin. ¡°Do you two trust me to get thervae out of you?¡± I suddenly asked.


    ¡°What? You can do that?!¡±


    ¡°I have an eye skill that permits me to see mdies within the body,¡± I replied, telling a white lie while pointing out where the parasites weretched on.Sekh told me we had 4 potions left, while not strong, were better than nothing, and a few bundles of clean cloth we could tear for bandages.


    ¡°Master, we have two canteens left,¡± said Tilde. I told her that was fine. We would use them since I was nning on leaving after this. Chax and Ginnie still seemed hesitant on why I would help them, and frankly? I didn¡¯t know myself. If they died, that was free SP.


    And maybe I wanted to do that.


    Maybe I desired that.


    If I came across their corpses, I wouldn¡¯t give two fucks before slurping them down my gullet. But seeing them go out without a fight? To let the ones who fucked them over get away without revenge?


    That pissed me off. They had the fight within them. They had the desire. But most importantly...


    Looking at them reminded me of myself...


    Perhaps that was all the reason I needed?


    Both were taken back when Yaekira¡¯s daggers appeared from nowhere. Chax had questions, but he shut his mouth after I ordered him to lie on his stomach. Ginnie folded her hands across her heart while I washed the dirt and blood from the operating area. Sekh sat near me with two potions and cloths cut into square bandages. Tilde was in a serious mood, and she acted like an overseer of the whole arrangement. Following her advice, Sekh sterilized my tools with her nocturnal mes, then we waited until the des were faintly red. Having them too hot would, ording to Tilde, lead to necrosis of the surrounding tissue. She wasn¡¯t sure if the potions could heal that damage since they were weak.


    <i>No wonder the one I drank didn¡¯t fix my hand. But what can it do against what I¡¯m about to do?</i>


    ¡°There¡¯s always a chance of death,¡± I warned them. ¡°As soon as I¡¯m done, I¡¯ll force two potions down your throat. Sekh¡¯s in charge of putting pressure on the wound and wrapping it. It¡¯s going to hurt like hell. There¡¯s no way it wouldn¡¯t, but are you ready?¡± I held the daggers together with both tips less than a quarter inch above the skin. Chax nodded, his voice garbled because of the folded cloth we put in his mouth to bite down on. Thest thing I wanted was for him to bite his tongue and drown in his blood.


    Ginnie whispered her love, and I began when Sekh did her best to keep Chax from struggling too much.


    The moment the knives¡¯ tips pierced bare skin. It sizzled like a fatty steak on a ripping hot cast-iron pan. My chimeric nature nearly savored the smell of sweet, sulent meat wafting through my nostrils.


    ¡°AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!¡±


    Chax¡¯s bounded screams brought me out of a gluttonous dream. Ginnie cried, whimpering herpanion¡¯s name while Sekh kept a stern face. She was stronger than the Catfolk, so it was no trouble keeping him down while I pressed deeper until the tips were searing the hell out of thervae. I had [Analysis] running every half-second to keep a close track of his vitals. Chax¡¯s HP drained dangerously close to 0, his screaming never once stopping. The moment goblinrvae insemination vanished from his list of ailments, I quickly stashed the daggers. Sekh acted immediately and used the cloths she set aside to put pressure on his wound while I forced two potions down his mouth after removing his gag. He fought hard, even going so far as to clock me across the jaw, but I didn¡¯t hold it against him.


    ¡°Chax... Please...¡± Ginnie wept. He was still writhing in pain after we did his aftercare, but his throat ran so red and raw it could no longer produce any sound. [Analysis] indicated he suffered burns to his kidneys, but I didn¡¯t think it was fatal because the potions were slowly working to fix what I damaged.


    ¡°it¡¯s your turn,¡± I said, turning to Ginnie. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s passed out. I didn¡¯t burn his internals as much as I thought, but while he won¡¯t die, he¡¯s gonna feel it for months toe. As for you? Tilde told me you...might lose the ability to have children. Thervae¡¯s in your womb, so...¡±


    ¡°I...understand... Please, help me, Ms. High Elf... Please...¡± Ginnie pulled up her shirt and slightly lowered her pants and panties, thenid down and bit on the gag Chax had used. Her big eyes quivered like a tree in a hurricane.


    With [Analysis] at the ready, I tried to ignore her other wounds and focused on her HP and goblinrvae insemination. Sekh heated the daggers once more, and it wasn¡¯t long before there was another agonizing wail haunting the Mines of Gamor.


    <span ss="TextRun SCXW236344891 BCX0"ng="en-us" xmlng="en-us"><span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW236344891 BCX0">¡°And... it¡¯s done...¡± I whispered, slumping against the wall.I<span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW236344891 BCX0"> wiped my sweaty face and held Sekh¡¯s and Tilde¡¯s hands while we waited for them to wake up. Within my vision, I had two [Analysis] windows open to <span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW236344891 BCX0">m<span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW236344891 BCX0">onitor <span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW236344891 BCX0">my patients¡¯ health.<span ss="EOP SCXW236344891 BCX0">

 Chapter Twenty-Four: Edge of Death

    Chapter Twenty-Four: Edge of Death


    Chax and Ginnie were coherent and conscious about forty minutester, but they weren¡¯t out of the woods. Stable? Yes, but just barely. To my surprise, the potion was working more for them than me.


    <i>I wasn¡¯t that injured. Just a cut, really. Wonder if its effect varies based on the HP of the drinker.</i>


    Sekh helped Ginnie to her feet, and I took Chax¡ªlending them our shoulders as we slowly limped out of the dungeon. I took point with my gun pointed ahead while following the 3D map in the corner of my vision.


    The two were mostly quiet, other than some grunting from the agonizing pain. Along the way, Ginnie just lost all the strength in her legs and had to be carried. Sekh didn¡¯t mind it, though. Immediately after the surgery, I talked with her and Tilde about my feelings on the matter. I was thankful for the fairy¡¯s long life. As perverse and horny as she could be, her heart was kind. She was really the perfect teacher. She spoke sweetly and never once lost her patience. Her questions were leading and honest, and they let me draw my own conclusions while never once outright letting me know what the answer was.


    Without her and Sekh, I would not have gotten this far. I couldn¡¯t imagine life without them.


    ¡°Ginnie¡­¡± Chax whispered his lover¡¯s name and started the waterworks. We slowed down to just a step every few seconds. His strength was fading, but not his HP, which was good. It was hard to tell what flowed through veins? Anger? A desire for revenge? His love for Ginnie? Hatred for his former friends? Muddled feelings towards me? Confusion of it all?


    I remained silent because everything about him quivered. He struggled to turn his head towards Ginnie and stared at her weakened face and strained breathing. He watched her like a hawk. But then he¡¯d turn to stare down the mineshaft we were traversing. The torches lining the walls were like little fireflies fighting an encroaching shadow to someone like Chax, but it was perfectly illuminated for me. Sekh just expertly traced my footsteps as I led us through the ttest path with the least number of little obstacles.


    Progress halted when we saw a pair of Racoonfolk walk from a room with their weapons defensively raised. They were curious at the footsteps approaching them, and Chax recognized them. They knew him as nothing more than an acquaintance. But after he vaguely exined what happened, the two with bushy tails offered to take Chax and Ginnie off our hands. To be fair, Sekh and I were filthy and covered in sweat, blood, and dirt.


    ¡°Thank you, Ms. High Elf, for¡­ I promise... Ginnie and I won¡¯t ever forget it¡­ I¡¯ll take¡­your words to heart. I know what I must do¡­¡± Chax tearfully whispered. He couldn¡¯t meet my gaze for more than a few seconds before hastily turning away.


    Before leaving, the Racoonfolk offered us the contents of the chest that spawned in the room they emerged from, and I had no intention of turning it down even after they said it was probably a trap.


    Sekh cracked open the unlocked chest when we were alone, revealing something startling made from string, rope, and leather.


    <b><i>Makeshift Holster (0/0)</i></b>


    ¡°Huh... I didn¡¯t expect this. Now I don¡¯t have to keep it in storage anymore.¡± I grabbed the holster, put it on, and slid my 9mm inside it.


    It was a perfect fit. Secondster, the ground rumbled as goblins filtered through the back wall, which dissolved into goop. Sekh eximed it was a trap, but we remained calm and ready.


    The battle ended quickly, but I was dangerously close to running out of ammo. After reloading, I had 12 rounds left to my name. Tilde was on guard duty while I ate. Sekh stood beside me, and I hugged her to feel her touch.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Sekh asked a secondter when the ground subtly rumbled like there was an earthquake. She put her dirty ear to the shaking floor and ran to the room¡¯s entrance. I remained standing and zoomed out my map. From the end of the hallway came a lot of white dots. Using satellite mode, I spotted a group of four humanoids wearing robes running away from arge gang of spiders and goblins. They were all wounded, and the only girl amongst them held an unconscious animal in one arm. Her other hand waspacting mana in her palm.


    Upon further [Analysis], it was a spell called [Lure]. My heart fell to the pit of my stomach.


    ¡°Quick! Throw it in there!¡± shouted one of the guys. I hurriedly shouted for Sekh to return as I turned my map back to normal.


    ¡°That¡¯s a monster train!¡± Tilde eximed right after me. ¡°Run! Get back into the room!¡± She flew behind Sekh and yanked her hair, forcibly trying to drag her away. We huddled within the false wall that had dissolved to reveal the trap goblins.


    The sounds of running grew louder when the group hurriedly scampered by the entrance of this room, but not before throwing the umted energy our way. It seemed like time slowed to a crawl. In that fragment of a fraction of a second, the woman who threw it mouthed a hasty apology with fear filling her eyes.


    A secondter, no less than 10 Alpha Lesser Araneae, 15 Alpha Lesser Goblin Spearmen, and 5 Alpha Lesser Goblin Archers rushed into the room. Sekh and I were between a rock and a hard ce.


    <hr>


    The Dark Lord of Tyranny¡­


    My title alone was enough to strike primordial fear into the souls of anyone who heard it. Even mothers would abandon their children if it meant my rampage would be slowed for a second. I once had the power to tear mountains from the ground with a swing of my mace. The legendary Ancient Elder Dragons fell in line after I alone delivered the head of their strongest warrior.


    Which made it more shameful that I was struggling against a paltry force like this. My past self¡¯s [Tyrannical Madness]¡­ Oh, how I missed it so! Just a single nce upon me and my armor would flood these weaklings with enough insanity that they¡¯d have no choice but to slit their throats and end their life.


    Master stood strong and powerful as she barked orders with a royal voice. As I rushed to block the five arrowsing our way, her pistol became the embodiment of living fire. She aimed it past me and held the trigger. When she charged it to the max, arge, explosive ball of fire rushed to engulf the approaching foes. It was so bright that it looked like the sun was shining.


    But an Alpha Lesser Araneae stabbed two goblin archers to use as living shields, rendering Master¡¯s powerful strike ineffectual. The world turnedpletely ck until my eyes adjusted, and the dust still hadn¡¯t settled. When it did, every goblin and spider charged us at the same time.


    ¡°Sekh, hold the line,¡± Mastermanded. Even after her initial attack failed, she raised her gun determinedly and began to fire, quickly killing the remaining archers with expert marksmanship before the first goblin reached me.


    Those first few seconds were the closest thing to normalcy this battle had because pure chaos was born from the ensuing melee.


    I fought with all the power I had, blocking thrusts from spear and spider, but the shield soon broke in half. The opposing army had a numerical advantage. Individually, they were weak, but I was only a pathetic shade of a glimmer of what I was at my strongest. How shameful was it that the spears managed to taste my blood. How disgraceful was it that the weakest spiders in thend had pushed me to the limit.


    And how degrading it was that my Master had to suffer most of all.


    She fought with every bit of rage trapped within that beautiful soul, which shimmered brightly. She had taken to her life as a chimera with ease. After a few weeks, she effortlessly danced transfigurations up and down her body.


    But it wasn¡¯t enough. There were too many enemies. Master and I fought back-to-back, dodging and counterattacking when possible, but we weren¡¯t omnipotent. We couldn¡¯t see in our blind spots, especially when there were foes all around us to block our peripheral vision.


    We couldn¡¯t prevent the spiders from immobilizing and separating us with [Web Bomb]. The rapid spear thrusts into Master¡¯s stomach bypassed her wooden chainmail, causing her to cry out in a voice that hurt my essence. Even as she used a spider¡¯s head to cut the sticky thread, she was leaking so much blood from her chest. Her gut was sliced open, and intestines fell like a wave of gore. She hastily pushed them in, forcing her skin to close while erratically firing her gun. When she ran out of ammunition, she started to rely on her chimerism, but there was a problem.


    Transfiguration needed an initial investment of biomass to materialize, but sustaining it wasn¡¯t that expensive. However, this fight demanded rapid adaptability with very little time to assimte. Large chunks of her biomass were consumed nearly every second.


    I broke free and thrashed away the enemies piercing my tunic and armor with their spears, pushing my way past the pain since it wasn¡¯t anything I hadn¡¯t faced before.


    <i>It¡¯s almost soothing¡­being brought so close to death while killing. How long has it been?</i>


    I was soon at Master¡¯s side with Irisa¡¯s mace held high. I brought it down with so much force that it finally broke, but its death followed a disgusting goblin in the afterlife. In the same motion, I picked up its spear and swung it like a log, pointy side out, slitting four throats. Blood sprayed out as more lives fell at my hands.


    ¡°GGUUHHH!¡± A spider tackled me from the side, sending me skittering into a group of the remaining goblins. Before I had even slowed, I felt more wounds open all over me, showering the ground with more of my blood.


    My HP drained by a few more chunks.


    ¡°AAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!¡± I screamed, using [Taunt] while [ck Fire] engulfed my limbs. I grabbed a stick-like green leg and scorched it. The goblin¡¯s cries were weed and enjoyed, and as my mes spread up his body, I swung him around. Even as I stood and shouted, finally able to fear some resemnce of my past as the Dark Lord of Tyranny, Master¡¯s health was no longer regenerating.


    Her biomass was empty. Her death was a real possibility...


    I lost it.


    It was all a sh of gore, screams, ck fire, and so much death. The spiders were broken from the inside out. I scorched a leg freed and charged at my helpless Master. Her cries of anguish died. The snickering goblins cast their loincloths aside as was standard for these vile creatures when they believed victory was within their grasp. They tore at her clothes, ripping the skirt and bodice and exposing her wounded flesh after cutting through her wooden chainmail. Their sickening eyes of lust¡­ It filled me with so much malice.


    No. I would never let my Master face a hint of the humiliation I had suffered in my old life. For a moment, it felt like I was transported a thousand years in the past... Before that backstabber ended my reign of tyranny. My ck mes swallowed my limbs, and I delivered death to the creatures foolish enough to hurt my Master.


    I killed.


    I smashed.


    I ripped.


    I tore.


    I burned


    I ughtered.


    I thrashed.


    Amid battle, it felt like I was in my prime. The present and the past crisscrossed, taking me back to the harshest, bloodiest battles and wars I¡¯d waged over my eternally reincarnating life. No matter where I looked in this trapped room, I just saw a mountain of bodies. My violent desires elerated, and I stood as my Master¡¯s de of vengeance, fulfilling my pledge to destroy all who wished to see her harmed.


    When the battle was over, I stood alone as the victor. The ck mes covering my arms and legs had spread to my entire body. With onest powerful roar, I filled the dungeon with news of my victory before the mes subsided. I looked around, surrounded by the mutted, scorched remains of spiders and goblins. After picking up a goblin head, I stood over Master and squeezed the head dry like a sponge. The blood quenching her parched tongue filled her yellow bar by a minuscule amount, but it was used by her body¡¯s automatic attempt to survive by fixing one of her dozens of gruesome injuries.


    It was like she was starving. A chimera¡¯s biomass could remain empty for a few hours at most. Any longer, and her body would start to eat itself from the inside. The transfigurations would be the first to go, followed by the skills she had vigorously collected. The final barrier was the base body¡ªsomething <i>all</i> Chimera had. For Master, it was what I had made to enclose her soul. If that started to eat itself?


    That was the point of no return. I would never let her reach that state.


    ¡°Master¡­¡± I whispered when picking her up, noticing how severely close her HP was to running out. It was barely hanging on by a theoretical thread. She was effectively naked, breasts and cock exposed to the world. Her miscolored limbs-- proof of her monstrous existence as a chimera wasid bare.


    The one blessing was how ruthless I had been in my killing; she was drenched in blood, looking like a Crimson Elf. If I held her close and prevented anyone from getting near, I could still prevent her identity from getting out.


    ¡°Take her¡­to Ichiha¡­¡± Tilde¡¯s voice said. I looked in a crushed backpack and found a fairy a quarter of her size. Bruised and broken, she was leaking life in all the same areas as Master. ¡°Sekh...help...Master...¡± That was all she said before consciousness left her. Even in death¡¯s shadow, she had Master¡¯s best interest in mind.


    <i>She used my name for the first time...</i>


    I grabbed Tilde and rushed out with Master within my grasp. Soon, the lobby came into view as I kept running.


    ¡°Come on, man! We gotta go save them! We left them to fucking die!¡± said a man. He was right beside the woman who held a dying spirit. She looked past him to see the utter hatred on my face, yelping a momentter at just how bloody I was.


    ¡°Woah! Hey, are you okay? Look, we¡ª¡± The one who spoke before was obviously the leader. The cowardly bastard dared to approach me. I silenced his useless words with a kick to the gut, knocking him to the ground. Someone nearby eximed, but I turned to the noise and bared my fangs. When I sensed movement, I snarled and roared, never allowing a single person to get within five feet of me.


    Gods, I wanted to kill them all. I wanted to spill their blood and feed them to Master, but their deaths at my hand had to wait. I was racing against the clock, so I left them with a solemn promise of proper retaliation, which was just cruel enough to steal everyone¡¯s breaths.


    The Racoonfolks who took Chax and Ginnie looked fearful, but Chax, who was just barely awake, tried and failed to extend an arm.


    ¡°Master, hold on!¡± I shouted as I ran as fast as my feet could take me. The moon and sparkling stars hunted the only person to save Master was asleep to the world. I only hoped my words and actions could convince her to save Master¡­


    <i>Master¡­</i>


    She was dying. The one who freed me after a thousand years of total sensory deprivation. The one who survived the void as a force of pure fury, blessed with one of the seven deadly sins, was about to perish in my hands.


    I had cuts and wounds all over, and I left a trail of blood in my wake. The bleeding was severe, yet I cauterized them with my mes and continued to run.


    <hr>


    I kicked on the door to Ichiha¡¯s shop and shouted her name, my eyes cloudy with so much water it was hard to make out her and her purple robe when she swung the door open.


    ¡°Master needs help! Please, save her!¡± I begged. Since we parted on an awkward mood, I was more than ready prostrate myself in whatever humiliating position she demanded, but¡­


    ¡°Quickly, get in. Irisa! Ready the bath and grab my potions, ointment, and sewing kit!¡± She stood to the side and let me enter, then closed and locked the door before running to the kitchen. I tried to rush up the steps, but the strength sustaining my desires betrayed me. I slid an arm under Master¡¯s head and caught Tilde¡¯s motionless body. Even as I forced myself to stand on my knees, this weakened, pathetic body of mine couldn¡¯t handle that.


    ¡°Master!!!¡± That was the only thing I could say. Having her die here? While we were so close? Could there be any greater failure for someone like me?


    Ichiha stomped back down the steps and effortlessly lifted us using her incredible strength. She rushed us to her room.


    ¡°Lyudm?! Sekh?!¡± Irisa eximed in a purple robe. She had everything her mother asked for sitting on a dresser nearby. Her motherid us on the bed, and I struggled to roll over. Ichiha grabbed my chin and forced a crimson-colored vial down my throat. The salty, sweet restorative was working instantly after swallowing half of it.


    ¡°A high potion¡­?¡± I eximed in confusion after the wounds and exhaustion lifted from me with as much haste as a rat feared a cat. The wounds covering my stomach and back healed, and the gruesome scars leading a trail of crimson vanished like someone erased them. In seconds, my HP was full.


    I got to my knees and poured a bit on Master''s tongue.


    Nothing happened.


    I tried to force it down her throat with a kiss, but it didn¡¯t work. Why didn¡¯t it work?!


    ¡°Ichiha, Master¡ª¡± I watched in silence as Ichiha and Irisa both worked in perfect sync. One used a damp towel to clean the blood off, not caring if it collected on the bed sheets. The other rubbed ointment on and around the wounds, then readied a needle and thread.


    They clearly saw the mismatched colors of her limbs, and yet...


    ¡°A chimera cannot heal from a high potion. She¡¯d need something much stronger, like a mega potion or an elixir,¡± Ichiha said, speaking something I had ultimately forgotten. ¡°A powerful healing spell would do the trick.¡± She pressed the needle into Master¡¯s belly, carefully working it like a surgeon. Her speed and deftness amazed me.


    ¡°Then why¡ª¡±


    ¡°Because she needs us,¡± Irisa answered. She had gone through four towels, and the blood covering her upper body was mostly gone. She started on Master¡¯s legs and knees, unable to avoid smothering her crotch and inner thighs since that had to be clean. I hastily told Ichiha the reason why we left and what happened in the dungeon. Irisa seemed rxed to know the primary cause wasn¡¯t her, but something was amiss...


    ¡°Tilde?!¡± I opened my hand, finding the fairy in the same state as Master. Irisa went to grab the rest of the potion, but I stopped her. ¡°Her and Master are connected. That won¡¯t work.¡±


    Irisa and Ichiha nodded and returned to work. I held Master¡¯s dark hands. When her front was free from crimson, and her torso and appendages had dozens of stitches, I was ordered to press Master against my chest while Ichiha worked on her back. She told Irisa to get all the meat they had and crush it until it was liquid-like.


    ¡°Why are you doing this?! If Bellerophon finds out¡­ And how¡ª¡±


    ¡°We would be saddened by her death. My husband was an instructor at the guild. Everything I¡¯m doing now is what he taught me in case our daughter returned home wounded.¡±


    I was utterly speechless that someone would go so far for Master¡¯s sake. She often told me that we weren¡¯t going to stay here for longer than necessary, but one day turned into two, and that into weeks, and we were still here.


    Irisa returned with arge bowl of raw meat crushed into a goopy liquid. She exchanged that for another wet rag and continued to clean Master. Master and I weren¡¯t the friendliest, but Irisa and her mother were working hard.


    The sight was so beautiful. I held Master against my chest and prayed to whatever worthless god resided in the sky to take my life for hers, if needed.


    <i>Master...I need you... Don¡¯t die...</i>


    <hr>


    When thest bit of thread was snipped by a pair of silver scissors, Irisa told me to lift Master while they worked to change the bed sheets and pillow with a spare set. Master was as clean as if she had taken a bath, and now that her injuries were taken care of, I oversaw spooning the bowl of food to her lips afterying her down. Irisa did this task for me while I took a bath and changed into a fresh tunic at their insistence. Once that was done, I relieved her of her duties and noticed Ichiha had dressed Master in a simple shirt and shorts she had found.


    After a few minutes of feeding her, Master¡¯s biomass was finally umting. Ichiha sensed my hastiness and warned me to go slow and steady. I did, and delightful sighs purring out foreshadowed a positive end to this night. Tilde was lying on a pillow nearby. She woke up a few minutester and struggled to fly to our Master. Shended on her cheeks and hugged her nose, bemoaning she almost died.


    We watched in silence, finding it hard to say anything as the normally crude fairy showed such heartfelt emotion.


    ¡°Mmnn¡­¡± Master groaned slightly and shifted. Ichiha acted before I could and softly stroked Master¡¯s blond hair. That seemed to satisfy her because she murmured in a quiet voice. ¡°Thanks, mom¡­¡±


    Ichiha continued as Irisa walked in. She asked about Master, and Ichiha said she was perfectly fine. She only just needed to get some sleep. ¡°You two must be tired. If you boil some water, I¡¯ll make us some coffee.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± said Irisa. Before she left, she skipped over to Master and held her hand for a second or two. Then she went to the kitchen, leaving Ichiha, Tilde, and me alone.


    ¡°Florence...¡± We all three looked to Master¡¯s mouth when Ichiha removed her hand. ¡°Florence...don¡¯t abandon me... Lucas, stop... Why are you hitting me? I thought I was your son...¡± She started to squirm and groan, a look of utter pain on her sleeping face as she hyperventted in a heart-stopping panic.


    ¡°You poor child...¡± Ichiha said through her tears. She returned her hand to Master¡¯s head, and her expression rxed again.


    ¡°Mom¡­ I love you¡­¡± Master whispered as the moon allowed the sun to shine in the sky.


    As much as she wanted to, Ichiha couldn¡¯t stay by Master¡¯s side forever. When she removed her hand, Master started to groan again, her arm reaching out for whatever it could find. When she found my fingers, her panic gave way to peace. I slid into bed and held her head against my chest, hoping she would find additional sce in the beating of my heart. Before Ichiha left, she covered us with a crimson nket and kissed Master¡¯s forehead. When the door shut behind her, my exhaustion gave way to deep sleep, but not before making sure Master was still sleeping peacefully.


    <hr>


    Something soon pressed against my shoulder, and I opened my eyes to see Ichiha gently smiling at me with a cup of coffee in her hand. I leaned up, assuring my hand was still touching Master to keep our connection alive. Her HP was about 30%, and she was out of danger.


    "You and Irisa saved Master¡¯s life¡­ There is nothing¡­¡± Suddenly, I found my head pressed into her muscled, shirt-covered stomach. Then she kneeled, put the cup on the dresser, and held my free hand.


    ¡°If you were about to say, ¡®there is nothing I can do to repay you,¡¯ then I¡¯m d I stopped you. Chimeras may be feared, but M is no feral beast. When I look at her, I see a girl afraid to reach out and make connections because of what the world had turned her into it. Try to get some sleep, Sekh.¡± She then kissed me on the forehead, and this cursed existence of mine felt maternal love for the first time in a millennium.


    <i>How many mothers have I killed over my reincarnations?</i>

 Chapter Twenty-Five: Acceptance

    Chapter Twenty-Five: eptance


    The nightmares rolling around my mind were worse than anything my ''parents¡¯ had inflicted on me. That man¡¯s fists felt weak and paperypared to the dozen foreign objects tasting my stomach acid. That woman¡¯s attempted abandonment was like sweet words of summer when that goblin showed me what he wanted to stuff my mouth with.


    Even that girl¡¯s humiliating punch and constant need to make me walk around naked at home, just for her amusement, was nothing like having my clothes ripped away from my body. Having my tits and cock viewable for those infuriating monsters eclipsed what little power Wrath 15 gave me.


    ¡°SEKH?!?!¡± My closest ally¡¯s name was the first thing to break free from my lips when I woke up. My eyes expected to see the soot-filled, dirty ceiling of a mucky mine, but they were blessed by a room I was familiar with.


    ¡°Tilde?!¡± I rushed out of bed, wobbling like moist y during an earthquake. Unable to prevent myself from falling, I steadied myself with a hand against the wall and called out Sekh¡¯s and Tilde¡¯s names. When the hinges of the door leading to the kitchen cried out, my heart was filled with hope, but Ichiha¡¯s appearance stifled them before I had time to search my map for mypanions.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± she asked, dressed in a purple robe. She held a smile across those green lips. ¡°It¡¯s nearly 10 PM. You¡¯ve been asleep for two days.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Sekh?! And Tilde?!¡± I slowly shuffled to her and grabbed her shoulders, my mind wandering to my map.


    She hugged me to her chest and whispered softly. ¡°They¡¯re out on a small errand with Irisa. They¡¯ll be back soon. Here, let¡¯s go over to the bed, okay?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re safe?! They got out?!¡± I was all smiles and full of relief I hadn¡¯t felt since meeting Sekh. I trusted this woman but seeing proof with my map¡¯s satellite mode warmed my heart.


    Ichiha guided me back to bed and sat down with me. She asked me to turn around, and I did, and that was when she showed me a hairband. She hummed a soft tune with quiet bravado as she yed with my hair.


    ¡°What¡­¡± I started to ask something, but the words couldn¡¯te up from my nervous throat. They were forcibly stopped by this¡­scenario.


    ¡°You really do have such pretty hair. I¡¯ll put it in a cute ponytail for you, okay?¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­ O¡ªokay¡­?¡± I stammered.


    We sat there in silence, the only noiseforting humming. Ichiha started talking about the tune she was humming as she worked.


    ¡°When Irisa was little, I¡¯d hum the same song and style her hair like I¡¯m doing to you. She¡¯d bounce up and down with a big smile. Then once I was finished, she¡¯d run to her father and show off to him. Oh! It was the cutest little thing¡­¡±


    I didn¡¯t know why she was telling me this.


    ¡°M?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± <i>Why did I answer to that?</i>


    ¡°We know the truth, sweetie. When Sekh brought you back here, we tended to your wounds.¡±


    My heart dropped to the deepest bowels of my stomach as I leaped away. Scattering to my feet, I sprouted a spider leg from my arm. The only light in the night sky reflected off its sharp edge.


    It also shook uncontrobly. Even more so when I realized I was wearing a shirt and shorts. Even if I hadn¡¯t literally shown the telltale sign of a chimera, my body bared the proof of my monstrous existence.


    ¡°Stay¡ªstay back!¡± I shouted. ¡°I-- I¡¯ll kill you! Don¡¯t get any closer!¡±


    Ichiha stood up and walked closer. My panicked iling was halted when she gently grabbed the back of the leg and held it to the side with her superior strength.


    ¡°M, we aren¡¯t afraid of you.¡±


    ¡°I¡ªI know those words! You¡¯re just like her! You¡¯re trying to get my guard down. It isn¡¯t going to happen! HHHHMMM¡ª¡± Ichiha¡¯s hug eliminated my screaming. Any effort to escape her from her arms was squashed since she was just that strong. She walked me over to the bed and sat down with me in herp.


    ¡°Irisa isn¡¯t mad. Nor is she afraid of you, sweetie. She''s so relieved her friend is back and safe. While you were gone, she went to the dungeon every day to look for you, then she stayed up all night because she wanted to greet you when you returned. And at dinner? We always made a te for you, Sekh, and Tilde. Because we knew you¡¯d be back. And while I wish you hadn¡¯t had to get so hurt¡­ Wee back, M¡­¡±


    <i>Stop! Just fucking stop it! Why are you doing this?! Why now?! Why¡ªhow dare you do this?!?! It isn¡¯t fair to treat me like this! You just can¡¯t erase how she treated me with your words! You can¡¯t remove those fifteen years of pure hell under her reign! You can¡¯t act like¡­ YOU CAN¡¯T ACT LIKE A¡­</i>


    My emotions were inplete chaos, but there was one that rose above all the others. It stood proudly as it forced me to realize Ichiha had given positive connotations to a word that had never had any before for me.


    ¡°Mom¡­¡±


    <i>This¡­ This is the same feeling I felt when those nightmares were swatted away. It¡¯s so warm and loving¡­ I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m feeling sleepy¡­</i>


    <hr>


    When the next morning rolled around, I woke to an empty bed. The room was the same as the one I had dozed off in when Ichiha hugged me, but Sekh and Tilde were nowhere to be found. The map told me they were in the kitchen, just a few short steps away. A moment of regret rolled around my monstrous mind, but I knew I had to face the music. With great hesitancy, I got out of bed and slowly marched towards the closed door. The creaking of the knob was loud, and I knew all four were watching the handle turn on the other side. Dressed in a shirt and shorts, my arms and legs were exposed...


    <i>I¡¯m going to have to apologize...</i> <i>I messed up and put Sekh¡¯s life in danger because I wanted to act pathetic.</i>


    ¡°I¡¯m¡ª¡±


    ¡°Master!!!!¡± When I opened the door, Sekh was standing right there with a smile on her face and a wagging tail full of happiness. The dirty ck soot from the mines had been vanquished from her beautiful skin. She practically jumped in my arms and tightly hugged me. Behind her, Tilde was fluttering her wings and enjoying a cup of coffee with a grin. Ichiha had a hand on Irisa¡¯s head and rubbed it gently as they watched my reunion with Sekh. ¡°I¡¯m so relieved to see you safe and sound, Master! It does my heart well!¡±


    I raised my arms and embraced Sekh, whispering a quiet apology in her ears. Silently, Sekh ced her lips onto mine, and I¡¯d never tasted anything sweeter in all my life.


    Sekh walked me over to the table and sat down beside me while I apologized to them all. There was a cup of coffee in front of me, and I gingerly took small sips since it was steaming hot.


    ¡°I mean, I did almost die. And I told you to leave. And I told you to leave again. I guess everyone makes mistakes. As your instructor, the fault lies with me that I didn¡¯t train you well enough.¡± Tilde was serious in her tone, but the yfulness in her voice returned momentster.


    ¡°M¡­¡± Irisa grinned and walked over. She grabbed my hand¡ªmy bare hand¡ªand held it tightly between her own. ¡°I mean, Lyudm, we¡¯re friends, right?¡±


    <i>There¡¯s that name again... M... I guess I don¡¯t mind it...</i>


    I softly smiled and nodded. ¡°You can call me...M. I¡¯ve...not been the friendliest towards you, and I¡¯m sorry. I hope you can forgive me¡ªWhaa!¡±


    ¡°Hehe!¡± Irisa jerked me to my feet, embraced me in a warm hug, and lifted me off the ground. She spun in a few circles, all the while giggling andughing.¡°It¡¯s official!¡± She soon let me go and went to her chair, picked it up, and sat it beside me.


    ¡°M, sweetie, how do you feel? Are you hurting anywhere?¡± Ichiha asked. I shook my head and stared down at my arms. With my secret exposed, staying here would put the two in trouble. Before I could vocalize my worries and announce that Sekh and I would be leaving, Ichiha subtly shook her head and ced her hand atop mine. ¡°I know that look anywhere. M, I just want you to know that this will always be a haven for you.¡±


    ¡°But... I¡¯m a murderer. I felt nothing at killing those four robbers¡ªI was even happy when they started the fight because it gave me an excuse to assimte their power and make it mine. And... And...¡±


    ¡°Sekh told us about what happened in the mines, and it was self-defense,¡± Ichiha whispered. She gripped my hand just a little bit more. ¡°When I look at you, I just see a frightened little girl who never knew howforting the touch of a loving parent could be. You¡¯ve been alone for such a long time, so you must¡¯ve been scared and frightened."


    Ichiha stared at me, her ck horns seeming so imposing, but I knew she wouldn¡¯t hurt me with them. She kissed my forehead and stroked my hair. Ichiha shared the same offer to Sekh and Tilde.


    My heart howled, but my mind fought against revealing my entire life story to a family that went above and beyond what someone like me deserved. How could I tell them I was summoned from another world by a Holy Lord? Who then paid a whore to brutally take me against my will on her orders? And then saw fit to throw me into the void without giving me a chance to achieve Soul Evolution?


    That was one thing, but what about my life in my world? The life of Shuuta Fenton, a boy who was abused and harassed and beaten and abandoned at every turn just because he was a failure in a world that desired excellence? Did Irisa and Ichiha deserve to know that tidbit about me? The two Onis trusted me¡ªthey had to because they risked it all to nurse a Chimera back to health. If Bellerophon ever found out...


    No, I didn¡¯t want to imagine that possibility...


    But could I trust them? I trusted Will... Look what happened. I trusted Que... Look what happened. I trusted Greggie, Keeth, Elly, Ami, and Ms. Mary... The only ones that hadn¡¯t betrayed me were Sekh, Tilde, Irisa, and Ichiha¡ªcoincidentally, the only ones I¡¯de to know when I was living as Lyudm Springfield.


    <i>Should I tell them about Shuuta Fenton? Is it too soon? Is it fine if I wait before revealing my former life? I want to trust them... I do trust them... I know I can trust them, but...</i>


    <i>It¡¯ll be fine, right? You can¡¯t expect someone like me to open my heart all at once...</i>

 Chapter Twenty-Six: Showing Off

    Chapter Twenty-Six: Showing Off


    Irisa was strangely excited to see what I could do as a chimera. Ichiha couldn¡¯t hide her curiosity, either, and I had their apuse when I transfigured little spider setules on my fingers to climb up their wall and onto the ceiling. Then by shooting out some web from my wrists, I slowly descended until my feet touched the ground. That got the most reaction other than changing my hand into a boar¡¯s head with its undercoat, and Ichiha remarked on how soft it felt.


    The spider leg on my forehead received apuse¡ªIrisa even remarked that if I grew a second one and made it slightly smaller and cker, I could be an oni like her¡ªbut the araneae¡¯s heading from my wrist was unsettling. The topic of different senses when transfigured came up, and I exined it as ¡®seeing¡¯ from my wrist, but I could focus and align the sight from the spider¡¯s head and my eyes to get the best of both worlds at the cost of a headache. With the boar¡¯s nose, I could take full advantage of their incredible sense of smell.


    After disying my chimeric side, I tried to pull my 9mm from [Storage], but it wasn¡¯t there.


    <i>Yeah, it was probably knocked out of my hands.</i> With Reina¡¯s gun, I showed off [Chimeric Armatization] and said it was better than [Mystic Gunner]. I channeled fire and water magic through it so they could see the different forms, then did the same for [Piercing Thrust] and [String Shot].


    And since it had been a while, I figured I could look at my Status Menu.


    <b><i>Lyudm Springfield</i></b>


    <b><i>High Elf</i></b>


    <b><i>Lv. 5</i></b>


    <b><i>SP: 15</i></b>


    <b><i>Title: [Goblin yer (I)]</i></b>


    <b><i>Sub-Title: [Araneae yer (I)]</i></b>


    <b><i>Skill Menu [+]</i></b>


    <b><i>Mastery Menu [+]</i></b>


    <i>Lv. 5? There were a lot of monsters, and they were alphas. I had 9 SP before, so Sekh must¡¯ve gotten 12 SP when she leveled up. It¡¯s still slow, though. We need to pick up the pace...</i>


    [Piercing Thrust], [Web Bomb], and [String Shot] were at Lv. 10, while [Fireball] was Lv.4. All were mastered.


    I spoke to Irisa about [Hermes Trismegistus], and she found it absolutely incredible, even more so after I told her of [Map]''s satellite mode. To prove it to her, I returned to my room, turned it on, and watched a live feed of her holding up four fingers. I called that out, then she touched her mom¡¯s arm and asked what she was doing. I obviously answered right, and this continued for a few more minutes until the headaches came. Before I returned to the kitchen, I changed clothes. What I had on before was destroyed in the dungeon, but I''d received three outfits when I first moved in.


    <em>I can keep the gloves off, though. At least while I''m here... The shirt and shorts werefortable, but I love this long skirt.</em>


    Irisa skipped to her room and came out with something that made my jaw drop. ¡°M, we went hunting for those hides to make this for Sekh. I¡¯m not done with it, but I¡¯m close,¡± she said, standing beside aplete set of brown boiled leather armor.


    <b><i>Boiled Leather Armor (0/1)</i></b>


    It weighed about 12lbs. My storage was full of cores, so I didn¡¯t have the space. I¡¯d have to wait for it to naturally expand, but it wasn¡¯t like I was going to store the armor.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Sekh. It seemed she was struggling a bit to appreciate the gift. She experienced the same strain as I did when Ichiha hugged and talked to me, but it was nice to see her stiff expression melt into a lovely smile.


    <i>It''s growth for both of us... That¡¯s good, right?</i>


    ¡°You said you had something like a workshop, right, right? Can I see it? It sounds cool. And I still need to make a mace and shield for you, Sekh. I promise it¡¯ll be done soon.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s kinda like that, but it¡¯s called [Artificer¡¯s Arsenal]. If I make a knife or something, I can register it. If it breaks or dulls, I can summon another copy. The only restriction is that once something is registered, it cannot be used to cause any harm. But it isn¡¯t just knives. If I made a furnace or anvil, it could be registered and stored as well. Even coal, oddly enough, can be infinite if I somehow make it by hand. See?¡± I took out the first stone knife I had made and crushed it against Yaekira¡¯s dagger. It vanished from my hand, but I summoned two more copies and handed one to Irisa.


    ¡°That¡¯s so cool!!!!¡± Irisa eximed. She asked me questions about how experienced I was in crafting, but I only just had the stone spider mace I had made for Sekh. Now that I had [Weapon Creation], I was sure whatever I made would be hardly better¡ªbut better, nheless.


    ¡°Do...do you think you can teach me?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You wanna learn?¡± she said, helping Sekh put on her new armor. It had no effects because Irisa hadn¡¯t applied any cores to it. I asked what determined the number of slots, and the answer was [Enchanting]. Irisa had the skill at Lv. 1, but the armor she wore had 3 slots because she took it to an enchanter with [Enchanting (Lv. 3] in Ria to bless. That took resources, which varied depending on the material the equipment was made from. For Sekh¡¯s armor, Irisa needed hide and cores from boar-type enemies. Obviously, if she had [Enchanting] at Lv. 10, then the number of materials needed would be drastically higher.


    ¡°I do. Actually, I wanted to make Sekh¡¯s mace and shield.¡±


    ¡°Master? Really?¡± It sounded like Sekh was shocked. Her pretty silver eyes went soft, and a smile curled on her lovely lips. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said.


    ¡°That¡¯s great! Oh, and how about this? I¡¯ll make you a set of armor. I was thinking something with holes in the back for spider legs toe through.¡± Irisa stood back and admired Sekh. The boiled leather was mostly brown, with a few ck threads here and there to keep it all securely attached.


    ¡°Holes in the back? Hey, is there something that can grow and shrink without ripping or tearing?¡± I asked.


    ¡°There is. Some Beastfolk can take their bestial forms, which can involve drastic changes in size,¡± Irisa answered. ¡°Without {Auto-Size} enchanted on their equipment, it would rip. But that¡¯s an expensive enchantment, I don¡¯t know it, and I¡¯m not qualified. Oh, do you wanna head out to the mines? We need to get some iron for the mace. The shield requires boar hides, so we can pick some up along the way.¡±


    Ichiha held a worried look on her face. ¡°M, do you think you can fight? You almost died.¡±


    I looked at my hands. ¡°Even if I¡¯ve been gored by a boar, suffocated from a spider¡¯s poison, and had my intestines gush out from my stomach... I¡¯m scared, but it¡¯s a different fear. Once you¡¯ve experienced what I¡¯ve been through, death isn¡¯t something that frightens you in a stereotypical way. No, the way those goblins lusted after me... That¡¯s what scares me... I won¡¯t know how I¡¯d react until I see one, but I must get stronger... Wait, we?¡± I turned to a smiling Irisa.


    ¡°Yep! I wannae with you. Not just to protect you, but I wanna mine some ore. It¡¯ll be fun, right?¡±


    I contemted it longer than needed, but she sped off to her room to get changed when I nodded.


    Meanwhile, I sat and conversed with Ichiha, Sekh, and Tilde. I mentioned I was surprised she hadn¡¯t asked that many questions, and the motherly Oni replied that she had my privacy in mind. ¡°It¡¯s up to you to determine how much you want to share, but because of your circumstances, it is hard to not think about it since most regard chimera as nothing more than evil to be eradicated. But I trust you, M, and I hope you can trust my little Irisa and I. Now, is there anything I can do?¡± Ichiha crossed her arms and leaned onto the table, tilting her head slightly and giving me aforting smile.


    <i>She knows anguage I don¡¯t. Maybe I can learn it?</i>


    ¡°[Schr¡¯s Tongue]?¡± she questionably repeated after I exined the skill to her ¡°We¡¯re speaking Arezzian right now, but¡­¡± After taking a breath, Ichiha spoke Oni, thenguage she inherently knew because of her race. A few secondster, her previously unknown words started to make more and more sense. ¡°¡­ and if you can understand this, give me a smile.¡±


    <b><i>New Skill: [Oni Language]</i></b>


    ¡°I do understand it, Ichiha,¡± I replied in perfect Oni, giving her what she requested.


    ¡°Oh! Incredible!¡± She pped her hands once and almost jumped out of her seat.


    ¡°It¡¯s crazy. It feels like I¡¯ve known how to speak it all along¡­¡±


    ¡°M, sweetie, have you noticed anything about my darling Irisa?¡± Ichiha suddenly asked in Arezzian. Her voice grew heavy and her tone serious. I shook my head, and she continued. ¡°¡¯Mom, I think I messed up?¡¯ Remember that?¡±


    ¡°I do. Why?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ Irisa¡¯s always been a cheerful little girl. Always adventurous and wanting to get into everything since she was still in diapers. And she¡¯s grown into a very beautiful woman, but it¡¯s her mind¡­ She¡¯s oblivious to what we might call social courtesy. It is hard for her to notice social cues. She often does or asks something that might be inappropriate. It isn¡¯t something she¡¯s doing out of malice.¡±


    ¡°That exins a little bit, but... I like Irisa. You both epted me for what I am,¡± I said, slightly jumping when my heart started to feel warm and fuzzy. ¡°It¡¯s only right I¡¯m epting of her.¡±


    ¡°Aww¡­¡± Ichiha hugged me, pressing my head into her chiseled stomach while gently stroking my hair.


    <i>It¡¯s that same feeling¡­ Ichiha... Mom...</i>


    The next few minutes passed with some lively chatter. Then Irisa popped out with her porkypine chainmail over her casual outfit, a bat-like object with a thick nail hammered through it, and a pickaxe.


    ¡°Mom? Can we borrow some backpacks? And a mace for Sekh until M¡¯s made one for her?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Ichiha¡¯s kindness was off the charts. I tried to throw in another article of clothing, but she refused. ¡°Sweetie, that is worth more than a thousand people make in a lifetime. More so because Lord Amos specifically created it for a Soul Warrior.¡±


    We all went downstairs. Sekh found a suitable mace and thanked Ichiha a second time, then she slipped it through a loop on her belt.


    I was the only one without protection because my wooden chainmail broke, but Irisa was going to change that. After we took the backpacks and canteens the motherly figure so graciously offered us, Sekh, Tilde, Irisa, and I were out the door.


    We were just walking towards the northern entrance when Irisa said something that caught me off guard.


    ¡°You know, after mom and I cleaned you up, I saw the reason why Sekh moans so much when you two have sex. That thing between your legs is huge, even when it¡¯sid. Like, I almost thought it was going to attack me. It¡¯s hard to believe it gets even bigger when you¡¯re hard.¡±


    ¡°Eh?!¡± I eximed.


    ¡°You were stark naked when she brought you to us. Mom stitched the wounds, and I rubbed you clean with a dozen wet towels and rags.¡± After inquiring some more, it appeared Sekh¡¯s [Fleshcrafting] on my crotch vanished when I nearly died. Tilde said it had to do with my body automatically morphing back into its base form and canceling any alterations, including Sekh¡¯s handiwork to my penis, out of necessity and safety.


    So yeah... Irisa saw the gray tower between my legs...


    I uttereda soft apology in a quiet voice. Irisa soon pped me on the back with a heartyugh.


    ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. I¡¯ve seen one before.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not a virgin?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not. Mom¡¯s probably told you about myck of a filter when I speak, so I haven¡¯t had a potential mate in a while. And then there¡¯s that situation with dad. I dunno. It¡¯s kinda hard to exin, but I couldn¡¯t focus on finding a husband because my mom and I gottatake care of each other and the store.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    ¡°M? We¡¯re friends, right? And friends take baths together. Is that something you might want to do?¡±


    ¡°A bath together?¡±


    <i>The tub is big enough, but...</i>


    ¡°I...don¡¯t know about that.¡± If Irisa was disappointed, she didn¡¯t show it. Maybe I¡¯d want to do it in the future, but right now was much too soon.


    But I was <i>open</i> to the idea... I really was.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look so sorry, M. It¡¯s fine. Really. I won¡¯t pressure you into doing something you don¡¯t want to do. Life¡¯s been hard on you, and I don¡¯t want to add to that,¡± Irisa said. She gave me a smile and started talking about all the things she needed to teach me as it pertained to crafting. She had experience making clothes, armor, weapons, brewing potions, and building things like tables and chairs, and she was ecstatic that she had a student to pass her knowledge down to. Shecked experience in enchanting, so I would have to find someone else to teach me about that.


    Ignoring the stuff about second chances and having an opportunity to do it all over again the right way, I felt genuine joy flow through my heart. If this was what it felt like to truly look forward to something that would only enrich my life, then why did my ¡®parents¡¯ try so hard to take that away from me? To them, I wasn¡¯t worth the added effort when they already had a prodigy to nurture.


    <i>If they had tried to give a little bit of effort...</i>


    <i>Shit, I can¡¯t keep thinking about them. They were parents in name only, not action and motivation. The possibility of me meeting them here is nearly nil, but should that daye, I will end their lives without a moment of hesitation.</i>


    <i>They gave up on me, so I¡¯ll give up on them.</i>


    <i>It¡¯s only fair, right?</i>

 Chapter Twenty-Seven: Encounter in the Dungeon (R-18 Illustrations!)

    Chapter Twenty-Seven: Encounter in the Dungeon (R-18 Illustrations!)


    There they were. The gangrenous green bastards stood in a circle, cackling like they were natural-bornedians. It was four spearmen with two archers tucked away in the far back of the room. Sekh tapped my trembling shoulders, and I forcibly got my breathing in order. Tilde was standing on my backpack, and Irisa was waiting with her weaponready. Glimmers of that awful encounter shed through my mind.


    I was totally helpless once they had closed the distance. My strength reigned supreme at range, where I could pick off these detestable creatures with sharp, pinpoint uracy.


    <i>Shit... If Sekh wasn¡¯t here, those bastards would have used me like a whore and imnted theirrvae within me... It makes me sick to my stomach...</i>


    ¡°M.¡± Irisa crouched down and held my shoulders. ¡°You can do this. I know you can. I promise I¡¯ll protect you if they ever get close. And Sekh will too. Once youunch the opening strike, we¡¯ll handle the rest.¡±


    Sekh gave me an affirmative nod, and Tilde flew away to watch our backs. I nodded, then steadied Reina¡¯s gun and took a deep breath. With my finger on the trigger, I waited for the green deviants to line up so I could take out two at once with [Piercing Thrust].


    <i>Until I find another gun, I have no choice but to rely on this.</i>


    <i>Bang!</i>


    The earsplitting noise recoiled all throughout the mine, marking my return to harvesting this hunting ground. Sekh and Irisa ran forward, killing the surprised goblins with ease. The two at the back readied their arrows, but I sent them to the afterlife.


    The whole battle took just a few seconds, but goddamn if it didn¡¯t feel like a handful of minutes. I walked towards mypanions and their bloody weapons while storing my gun in my mana.


    Tilde said the coast was still clear, so I ate. I devoured these ruthless annoyances, chopping through their weakened bones and crunching their sorry flesh with thergest boar head hand I could make.


    <b><i>New Skill: [Bow]</i></b>


    <i>And that¡¯s another weapon skill. Maybe I should use Susize¡¯s bow? That¡¯s worth thinking about.</i>


    Irisa stared curiously, asking how it all worked.


    ¡°Truthfully? I have no idea. It just kinda¡­teleports to my stomach when I ¡®swallow.¡¯ And yes, I can taste every bit of it. I feel the bones when they break.¡± I searched my map for iron, and there were many hits. This side room was just the closest one, so that was our first destination.


    The pathetic goblins were guarding a couple of iron veins. Amongst the three of us, Irisa was the only one strong enough to wield Murag¡¯s warhammer with no issue, so she used that while I used the pickaxe she brought. Sekh relied on her mace. And so, we started to swing away. I lifted it up like Irisa showed me and brought it down. The angle must¡¯ve been wrong because the impact failed to break any ore off, and it sent a tremendous jolt up my arm, causing me to drop it.


    I rubbed my wrist and cursed. To my left, Irisa was nonchntly hammering away, and I was impressed by her sheer strength. She wasn¡¯t even looking, choosing to watch Sekh work in a smooth rhythm. It was supposedly hot inside the dungeon, and with that armor, including the hardbor, she sweated like a storm. Still, she looked so beautiful and powerful. After clipping her helmet to her belt, she retrieved a rag and wiped her drenched face.


    Sekh was inspiring, and I went at it until I was totally out of breath.


    ¡°Woah¡­ That¡¯s seriously helpful,¡± Irisamented on my unique abilities as a dozen chunks of ore were stashed away at once after I connected my webs to them. Tilde proudly hovered in front of her.


    ¡°Whahaha!!! I¡¯ll take your praise, and I¡¯ll take it some more. I¡¯ll even let you worship me if you keep gushing about my super helpful skills! Yes, Master only has them because of me! Bwhahahaha!¡± The flying annoyance let the praise get to her head, but it was cute seeing her in such a happy mood. I knew we all needed it after the disgrace I put the three of us in because of my stubbornness.


    As we started to leave, we saw the umtion of mana and prepared for a fight. And yes, it was a squad of goblins sent by the dungeon to kill us. I aimed my gun to deliver them a quick death, but it couldn¡¯t have been that easy. One of the bastards stared at me with a <i>look. </i>I had to<i></i>vent my growing displeasure. I approached them with a boar¡¯s head on my hand, bringing one of them towards me with [String Shot] like that web-slinging superhero Greggie liked.


    ¡°Guu!!!! Gue! Gue gue!!!¡± They wereughing, but the screams of that goblin being eaten alive quickly shut them up. But this wasn¡¯t enough. Assimting a live target was just a drop in the proverbial ocean of what I wanted to do these bastards that nearly seeded in filling my belly with their sickening parasitic offspring.


    <i>You fuckers¡­ You¡¯re better off dead¡­</i>


    I saw Sekh¡¯s ck hair rush past me when they charged at me, but I told her to stop because I <i>wanted</i> to personally kill them. Four quick uses of [Web Bomb] immobilized the rest to the ground. Their weak strength couldn¡¯t break my webs, so I had the perfect subjects to further test my Chimeric prowess.


    First, I produced a spider leg from my hand because I wanted to take their eyes. Tilde stood guard while I took my time caressing their ugly faces before finally popping those bulging things out of their socket. Eight eyes were stabbed on the end of my arm, and like they were grapes, I popped one into my mouth and chewed.


    Those blind, vile creatures produced the most unholy noise while staring up with those empty, bloody sockets. I had fun with them, though. From stomping onto their crotches and hearing the satisfying <i>pop</i> of their tiny testicles exploding to carving my name into their naked chests and ripping away the skin, I put them through hell.


    I even used my web abilities to hang one of them. Oh! How humorous it was to watch that little green body swing, seeing his stubby legs kick and il and fail to find any hard ground while blood from his mutted crotch fell. While the son of a bitch was on itsst breath, I went behind and jabbed my spider leg up its ass so hard and far the tip sprouted from its gaping mouth.


    I almost removed it, but I jammed it back in, forcing the goblin to experience what its kind did to the poor men and women that became their victims.


    I removed my arm and left the bastard bleeding while I used [String Shot] to retrieve thest living goblin. It grossly squirmed and struggled with all the strength its frail body had. Looking back, Irisa was spewing the contents of her stomach over the ground while failing to hold back her tears.


    ¡°You can¡¯t be crying for them, right?¡± I asked, not hiding my displeasure.


    ¡°This¡­ It¡¯s brutal, M,¡± Irisa whispered, her head angled towards the ground. She only vaguely stared at me out of her peripherals.


    ¡°They deserve this and far, far more than I¡¯m able to give them. Sekh, new order. If you see any goblins, end their wretched lives.¡±


    ¡°dly.¡±


    I strung up thest survivor while finishing off the one I impaled in the ass, and then it was time to eat it alive. Slowly, so very slowly, I used the boar head to eat an inch at a time, making sure to use the boar and everything this head offered me. The scratchy, coarse outer coat had a reputation for being rough, which made it perfect to rub against the exposed flesh and bloodied crotch.


    The tortured bastard <i>screamed</i>. For once, they felt the true despair their kin brought to men and women. They felt the torture of being eaten alive, bit by bit and piece by piece. From its nasty feet to the bloody legs and piss-soaked thighs, its scabbed-filled belly, and its scarred chest, I devoured every ounce of this inhuman monster.


    ¡°Irisa, this is what I am,¡± I said, turning my arm back to normal. I turned to find her motionless and crying. ¡°Can you ept a monster like me? I get revenge on those that fuck me over. I have to eat to grow stronger. Even if it means devouring someone alive, I <i>will</i> do it. Those fucking goblins came <i>this</i> close to raping me. In my eyes, they deserve something far, far worse than what I was able to give them.¡±


    I waited for a response, but Irisa just silently hugged me. I patted her back. We remained like this until she stopped crying.


    <hr>


    ¡°Holy shit! That was hardcore!¡± Tilde eximed. The gruesome, gore-loving fairy was flying in circles around me as l took aim with Susize¡¯s bow. Pulling back the string produced a magical arrow, and the strength was determined by my mana.


    In short, it was weaker than using a regr bow and arrow, but it used far less mana than if I were to use Reina¡¯s gun. With [Deadeye], I felt like an archer who had been training since birth. I probably couldn¡¯t outshoot my soon-to-be-dead sister, but I¡¯d give her a run for her money.


    ¡°Look, it¡¯s one thing to chop off someone¡¯s dick and choke them with it. But to chop off six and force them down one¡¯s throat? Then waiting for them to die and do the same thing to the other one? Even while forcing them to watch with Web Bomb to keep their eyes open? I didn¡¯t think you had it in you. d to be proven wrong, though.¡±


    We had been here for four hours, going from room to room to mine all the iron with the goal of not stopping until my map told me there was no more left. That was our focus, but our secondary objective was tomit genocide on all the filthy, green-skinned beasts.


    ¡°So that¡¯s what you¡¯re surprised about?¡± I replied, releasing the arrow to kill a goblin I had strung up by their gross legs via [String Shot]. It was riddled with cuts andcerations. The horrible existence bordered on death after watching me torture the five other goblins it had spawned with. ¡°You didn¡¯t react when I split that one goblin in half and drowned the other in its stomach acid.¡±


    <i>Besides, I didn¡¯t touch those gross things with my bare hands. I used [String Shot] because I can tense the string and make it stiff.</i>


    ¡°Surprised isn¡¯t the word I would use. Besides, it doesn¡¯t matter how the bastards die if they die, right?¡±


    I nodded towards Tilde as we walked to the iron ore. Sekh started to mine while I devoured. Irisa had stopped crying since she understood the goblins needed to die, but that didn¡¯t mean she was fine with my gratuitous violence.


    That was fine.


    Suddenly, Sekh¡¯s ears twitched, and she took off, leaving the pickaxe behind. After storing it, Irisa, Tilde, and I rushed to follow her as she darted out of the room and turned left. She ran past the following four rooms. She mmed on the brakes and quickened into a small chamber where I heard fighting.


    Four robed humans were fighting against a goblin. Sekh¡¯s weapon smashed into the green bastard from behind, hitting it so hard that her mace pierced its chest and came out from the front. She removed the corpse from her weapon, threw it down, stomped its head, and turned the crimson-soaked mace to the group.


    ¡°I made it clear that I would act on my promise,¡± she growled. She intimidatingly marched forward with a vicious snarl, baring her teeth and causing the party of four to slowly retreat.


    ¡°What?! Why are you¡ªit¡¯s you¡­ You¡¯re the bitch who kicked me!¡± shouted the leader of this group. He and the others wore dark blue robes, but I saw a sword and dagger hanging off two of them. The only girl amongst them held a weird type of animal. I wouldter be told it was a spirit summoned from the Spirit Realm using [Summoning Magic: Spirit]. The opposite of that was a demon, which required [Summoning Magic: Demon] to call forth their power from the Demon Realm.


    But demons weren¡¯t inherently evil, and spirits weren¡¯t automatically on the side of good. This world was painted in tones of gray rather than ck and white.


    ¡°You almost killed my Master and me!¡± Sekh rebutted. Irisa and I ran up. Even though my Wrath was 0, the difort of standing face-to-face with the ones who were the reason I stared death in the face filled my soul. Slowly, I raised Reina¡¯s gun and saw the fear of God sh through their faces. Irisa panicked and lowered my arm.


    ¡°M, you can¡¯t just kill them!¡±


    ¡°They tried to kill us, Irisa! Sekh had to fight to the bitter end to save us! And these bastards just had a leisurely stroll out of here and didn¡¯t care if we died!¡± I turned my head for one moment, and the girl with the spirit made a run for it. I shot at the space just immediately ahead of her. The bullet flew through her brown bangs, not even half an inch away from tasting her skull.


    ¡°Get the fuck back here. My next bullet? Well, you won¡¯t even feel it,¡± I said. The girl was teary. The feline-like spirit in her arms hissed and tried to bare its ws.


    Two of the guys had lost strength in their legs and dder. The other one trembled awfully hard on his trembling legs.


    ¡°M¡­¡± Irisa whispered. ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°Remember how Sekh brought me back? How I had my damn guts falling out? If there had been just a few more monsters, we wouldn¡¯t be here!¡±


    ¡°We wereing back. I swear we were!¡± cried the leader. He tried to walk forward, but Sekh kicked him in his stomach, causing him to m against the uneven, rocky wall. When the girl attempted to use a skill, I filled her mouth with my gun.


    ¡°Are¡­are you gonna kill us?¡± asked the two on the ground. Their voices quivered in different ways.


    ¡°I might¡­ It just feels right, doesn¡¯t it? I mean, you jackasses were too slow ining back. Sekh told me she ran to the lobby on death¡¯s door. Have you been bitten by an araneae? Have you felt what it''s like for its poison to travel through your veins, halting your extremities from moving before your heart freezes? Suffocating when you have all this air around you, and it''s impossible to sate your screaming lungs?


    ¡°Or how about experiencing a group of parasitic goblins wing and scratching your clothes off? Then they remove their loincloths and jerk off with lust in their eyes because they want to put their parasitic offspring in you. Have you imagined that? Do you know what that¡¯s like when you¡¯re on death¡¯s door, and being raped is a very real fucking possibility? I mean, there we were, minding our own goddamn business, and you fuckers throw a goddamn lure into the room? You really think someone can forgive that? Huh? Fucking answer me, goddamnit!¡±


    <i>I can still pretend to be angry.</i>


    I fired my pistol, making them yelp in fright. Sekh added to the fear when she swiped her bloody mace down, sending the wet crimson to stter on their faces.


    ¡°M, I don¡¯t want you to do this¡­¡± Irisa whimpered. She held my left arm and started to whimper. ¡°Killing them¡­ I mean¡­¡±


    ¡°Master,¡± said Tilde, who tapped me on the head. ¡°Our clothes and backpacks were destroyed, and we lost quite a bunch of cores. There needs to be repatriation.¡±


    I grinned, shing a hungry smile while continuing the small lie. ¡°Yeah, we lost it all. So, how much do you value your lives? Start stripping and give me everything you have. Hell, I¡¯ll be nice and let you keep your underwear. You won¡¯t have to experience the shame of walking out naked.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not doing that. I said I was sorry. Besides, you didn¡¯t even let us speak,¡± said the leader, who had found his voice. ¡°We didn¡¯t have a choice. If we hadn¡¯t thrown that lure, <i>we</i> would have died. We weren¡¯t about to let ourselves be killed. It was your bad luck that you happened to be in the room.¡±


    ¡°Bad luck?! The life of my Master is far more important than you miserable pissants!¡± Sekh snarled. She dropped her mace and punched the jackass in the stomach. He fell to his knees, vomiting the contents of his stomach while Sekh grabbed a handful of his hair. ck mes wrapped around her raised fist. ¡°Master, give me permission to kill him! These wretches are full of cowardice and deserve death!¡± Sekh demanded.


    ¡°No. We won¡¯t kill them. But who¡¯s saying they¡¯ll leave alive? With no gear, no money, and no fucking clothes. If you keep talking, you might die.¡± I fired my gun thrice in the air.


    <i>I still feel tired, but not like I used to be.</i>


    ¡°Oh no! If I keep this up, something awful mighte this way. If you don¡¯t want to nurture the next generation of those snarling bastards, you better hurry. Hmm, it would be a shame for you three to watch while three goblins go to town on her ass before doing to the same you. Is that what you want? Just tell me¡ª¡±


    ¡°Fine! We¡¯ll¡­ We¡¯ll give you what we have¡­ Just don¡¯t hurt¡ª¡± said the girl, who cowered and made herself seem smaller. Her eyes were full of tears.


    Sekh released her grip, but Tilde flew down to cuss them out. Sekh and I gathered their enchanted robes. They all came with a minor mana restorative effect. The sword and dagger weren¡¯t special, but they could be useful.


    The three men wore a pair of ripped shorts and torn shirts under their robes, andthey almost shared the same ck hairstyle. ording to [Analysis], the leader¡¯s name was Max, and his hair was longer in the front. The girl with medium-length brown hair was topless underneath it all, which was why she was hesitant when taking off the robe. She bared her t chest and string pantiesto the world with an embarrassing expression. Her hands and arms tried to cover herself.


    She started to cry harder, and green snot slowly trickled down her nostrils and onto her quivering lips.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make my sister do this!¡± Max said as traces of vomit dribbled down his lips.


    ¡°You¡¯re all family?¡± He weakly nodded ¡°I¡¯m not a hypocrite,¡± I said, giving back a robe for the girl to cover herself. ¡°As much as it would amuse me to have you run around naked, I won¡¯t go that far.¡± I handed my share of the uwfully gotten loot to Sekh while I delivered one more threat and collected their money.


    <i>I don¡¯t give a fuck if they¡¯re poor. I¡¯m taking all they got.</i>


    ¡°You almost killed us. It may have been an ident, but it still happened. With this, consider us even. But should you try to get retribution?¡± I made sure to press my gun against each of their temples, ring with a merciless smile. ¡°I will end your lives. And that little spirit.¡± It shivered and hissed, its white fur standing on end. ¡°I will wring its scrawny fucking neck, and you will watch it die before I disembowel you four fuckers. Now get the fuck out of here,¡± I said, waving my hand towards the only exit in the room. In seconds, they all scrambled to get as far away from me as possible.


    Irisa was relieved because it didn¡¯t turn into a bloodbath, but Sekh was upset. She avoided meeting my gaze. When I tried to touch her, she moved at thest second and sulked while leaning against the wall. The mes of violence were alive in her silver eyes, and she wanted to spill their blood.


    <i>Yeah, she¡¯s pissed. I know she wanted them dead¡ªI did too¡ª but we¡¯d be the first suspects because people saw Sekh kick him when she ran out of the dungeon with me. We aren¡¯t strong enough to deal with the trouble. My instincts tell me it¡¯s different than when we killed Martin and his cronies.</i>


    <i>But I know something Sekh doesn¡¯t... I¡¯ll have to talk to her about the different vors of revenge when I have a chance. Killing them offers immediate satisfaction, but destroying their world? Flipping it upside down? Causing strife and mayhem within a group to make suicide seem like the golden option? That¡¯s the revenge I want on these bastards. </i>


    Irisa grabbed my cheeks, stared into my eyes, and sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re disappointed,¡± I told the Oni. ¡°We almost died, and those four were responsible for it.¡±


    <i>If I¡¯m right, retaliation mighte very soon... I¡¯m hoping for it. </i>


    ¡°I know, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°I said it before, but this is who I am,¡± I said, storing the robes and weapons in my storage. Its limit was95lbs, which was nice. ¡°If it had turned violent, I would not have hesitated to put a bullet in their brains and eat them. I almost wished they were foolish enough to attack.¡±


    ¡°But what if they tell someone about this?¡± Irisa argued.


    ¡°So what? Everything is in a ce that¡¯s only reachable by my Master and me.Hey, don¡¯t forget to stash the money,¡± Tilde said.


    ¡°Are you stillfortable teaching me how to craft?¡± I asked while doing what the fairy wanted.


    Irisa didn¡¯t hesitate at all. ¡°We¡¯re friends, right? I know you suffered a lot, and I haven¡¯t experienced your pain. If I were in your shoes, I¡¯d probably want to get payback against the goblins and that group. I¡¯m sorry, M.¡± Irisa hugged me. She was half-a-foot taller than me, so it felt like I was a little kid.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m upset or anything,¡± I replied from Irisa¡¯sfortable embrace. After this, I tried to hug Sekh, but she was still silently fuming.


    <hr>


    Upon leaving the dungeon, we were stopped by a man you¡¯d find in the dictionary under the definition ofrge. The badge on the handlebar-mustached fellow¡¯s chest signified he was with the guild as an officer. The jackasses we robbed were standing behind him. Max looked smugly at us, but his sister jittered with anxiety. With a deep voice, the officer asked if we had encountered the four standing behind him, and I shook my head.


    ¡°Bullshit! Look inside those packs,¡± Max demanded. His mouth still had traces of vomit around his lips. ¡°You¡¯ll find our equipment!¡±


    ¡°Fine. Then look.¡± After a quick search that resulted in nothing but wasted time, the officer let us go and apologized, much to the dismay of Max. The fool started talking about how we must¡¯ve stashed them inside the dungeon.


    ¡°What? Are we really that petty to steal from you and leave it behind? It was your fault we lost everything. If I did have your gear, I''d try my hardest to sneak it out. We clearly don¡¯t have it, though. You already tried to kill us, and now you want us to me us for this? What did we ever do to you?¡± I asked, carefully keeping my faceposed. The leader¡¯s smug grin slowly vanished while I searched amongst my skills.


    <i>Yeah, there it is. I saw [Lying] earlier, but I might as well take it. It¡¯lle in handy.</i>


    <b><i>New Skill: [Lying]</i></b>


    It was their word versus ours, and evidence of the robbery didn¡¯t exist. Using my new skill, I lied just a little bit more to throw the situation even more in our favor. I told the officer that the four siblings were out of line because they threw a lure to send a horde of monsters after us. I exacerbated how awful it was for us.


    But only very slightly.


    He said he¡¯d heard about that and was about to start that investigation. Irisa mentioned the witnesses Sekh had told her about that saw Sekh leaving the mines with my unconscious body. Irisa also said she had helped her mother nurse our wounds, strengthening our case.


    ¡°Out of curiosity, what¡¯s the punishment for something like that?¡± I asked therge man.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t pretty, I¡¯ll tell you that. idents do happen, but even those aren¡¯t immune from justice. An idental death is still a death. Let me get your statements while I¡¯m here,¡± he replied.


    After spending a few minutes telling him our story and mentioning Chax, Ginnie, and the two Racoonfolk, he thanked us for our time and apologized for what we went through. The siblings were ¡®kindly¡¯ escorted back to Ria, where, ording to Irisa, they would lose favor with the guild, lose any points towards promotion, and even be sentenced to pay a fine.


    I didn¡¯t know if I would get a portion of that since I had all their money, but the bells of justice rang in my favor.


    But it wasn¡¯t enough for Sekh. She walked a few feet ahead of us under ims of wanting to protect me, but I saw her shoulders sag from a conflicted sigh.


    <i>It hurts me to see Sekh like that, but I don¡¯t think she understands what I put into motion. I definitely have to talk to her after she has a chance to simmer off. </i>

 Chapter Twenty-Eight: Forging Bonds (R-18 Illustrations!)

    Chapter Twenty-Eight: Forging Bonds (R-18 Illustrations!)


    ¡°Alright! Now, we¡¯re going to be making something simple to start. It¡¯s an iron dagger, and it just needs an iron ingot. If you want to add a grip, pommel, and cross-guard to make a nice hilt for it, or maybe you want a sheath, then you¡¯d obviously need some more material,¡± Irisa said. ¡°But let¡¯s start from step one, and we¡¯ll move forward from there.¡±


    When we returned from the dungeon, Iris and I stopped by Smithy¡¯s Corner to start my training. Sekh remained silent and chose to walk home. Tilde followed and said she would talk some sense to her. I wasn¡¯t mad or anything. Sekh was not required to always remain by my side because she had free will. She was her own person, not a ve obligated to follow my whims without regard for her well-being.


    If she wanted some time to herself, that was perfectly fine. Perhaps she¡¯d calm down once I exined why we couldn¡¯t kill Max and his siblings. I <i>wanted</i> to end their lives and take their SP, but I was thinking about the broad future and wanted to y it safe.


    There would be a time when it would be apt for me to make any risky moves, but I required the strength to defend myself from harm. Until Sekh and I had that power, we had to be cautious. In my defense, I had thousands of years of historical data to follow. I knew what happened to those who were too hasty or failed to consider that something could go wrong because everything had been progressing without fault. False confidence would not be my undoing, and unlike so many leaders throughout history, I would not be hoisted by my own petard.


    Knowledge was my primary strength, and I had plenty of examples to follow and not follow. I just hoped Sekh would hear me out. I was sure she would but giving her the time to cool down wouldn¡¯t hurt anything.


    Irisa¡¯s assigned spot was at the back right corner, and as she pulled a key to unlock the small shed that contained her tools, I used my map to investigate those around us. I didn¡¯t find anything surprising, but nearly everyone had [cksmith] and either [Weapon Creation] or [Armor Creation]. I had the SP avable, so I joined the club.


    <b><i>New Skill: [cksmith]</i></b>


    ¡°Where do we start?¡± I asked Irisa. I stood outside the shed while she went in and came out with a rectangr-shaped mold, two hammers, two tongs, a smelting pot, and two cksmithing aprons. She tied one around her neck and threw the other to me.


    ¡°We have to convert the ore into something we can use,¡± Irisa said. I sat my backpack down and used it as a proxy to hand her the ore, then she ced some in the pot, then sat that inside the brick furnace, which looked a little bit like a pizza oven. ¡°It¡¯s going to melt the ore down, and then we pour that inside the molds. But you see those bellows over there? You grab one, and I¡¯ll get the other, and we gotta pump air inside to increase its temperature.¡± Nodding, I stood behind one and started to pump.


    ¡°M?¡± Irisa said my name when she started to pump the second bellow.


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°If it isn¡¯t too personal, where did youe from? Like, how did you get to Ria? Or even Dirge? Because of your circumstances, I¡¯m not quite sure how to ask this...¡±


    <i>I can¡¯t tell her the truth, but...</i>


    ¡°There¡¯s a continent to the far, far north. Not many people know about it, and I found myself in Dirge because I stowed away after I became sentient because I was abused, harassed, and tortured simply for existing. I wanted to get a second chance, but even that was denied to me when I was thrown overboard and left for dead... But I''m here... I¡¯m alive, and as hard as it¡¯s going to be for someone like me, I have no intention of ever letting this opportunity go to waste.¡±


    ¡°Woah... I guess I never realized how hard it could be for you people... If you don¡¯t mind me asking, what was that continent like?"


    ¡°Well, it was very secluded. Its culture wasn¡¯t anything like what you have here. Do you want to hear about it?¡± Irisa nodded and smiled, relishing the chance to learn. I feltfortable telling the history of my world. Even though it was masked by a lie. I could tell she was really interested in what I had to say. We had to wait for the ore to get hot enough to melt, so I started from the beginning of recorded history for my ¡®continent¡¯ and skipped around.


    ¡°There probably were cksmiths before 4,500 B.C.E, but we wouldn¡¯t know about them since we hadn¡¯t found any information about them.¡±


    ¡°B.C.E?¡± Irisa questioningly asked. She was confused, but I managed to carefully pick my words because everything had to apply in a way that rted to this world.


    ¡°Before Common Era denotes the years before the Common Era. If you¡¯re a Christian, it¡¯s B.C, which means Before Christ.¡± Irisa had no idea what Christianity was, so I gave her a summary of it and A.D. to Irisa before continuing with my little lecture on the history of cksmithing in my ¡®continent.¡¯ ¡°It took another three thousand years or so for the Hittites to start messing around with iron. Schrs debated if it was first developed by them since there were iron tools believed to be made around 3,000 B.C.E. Once the knowledge of iron forging spread around, it practically took the world by storm wherever it went. In fact, the people of Ancient Greece had a god named Hephaestus, the god of metalworking and cksmithing.¡±


    ¡°Woah, that¡¯s a religion I¡¯ve never heard of.¡± Irisa¡¯s excitement was palpable. Everyone else was too busy hammering and shaping their metal to pay attention to me.


    I continued my little lecture. ¡°Christianity is but one of the thousands of religions from the continent where I was ¡®born¡¯, but there was never any actual proof of any gods existing. Quite a few gods and religions ended up spreading and being influenced by the cultures they ended up in, like with Ancient Romans sharing the Greek pantheon but having different names, such as Hephaestus being known as Vulcan.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that get confusing? I really want to visit it now.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you would actually believe me.¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I? You''re not exactly the type to lie to me about something like this.¡± Irisa gave a friendly smile. ¡°Honestly, it is hard to believe, but the world¡¯s a big ce. Along with being the best crafter in the world, I want to explore as well. I think it would be cool to live as a traveling merchant, a young oni on the prowl going from town to city to vige to sell her wares.¡±


    I finished telling Irisa about how the weaponry produced during that time was often poor because of theck of adequate heating and the inability to remove the impurities from their iron. ¡°Steel wasn¡¯t mass-produced until the 3rd century, but steel was used before when it was made by ident. But like I said, the quality varied until people understood metal and how to actually heat it. It wasn¡¯t until something called the Bessemer process was introduced to inexpensively produce steel for cheap. After that, railroads spread all over the world. But that¡¯s all I know about that. I don¡¯t remember how to actually put the Bessemer process into use, though. I know the name.¡±


    To exin trains and their importance, I used the United States Civil War as an example. Troops and supplies had to go from ce to ce, and walking was much too slow. Trains weren¡¯t all-powerful because they were useless if someone took out the rails or damaged them in a way that caused any iing trains to derail. Even with that said, the railroad won the war for the north.


    Irisa asked nearly a hundred questions while she poured the molten iron into the mold. I was surprised the concept of a train didn¡¯t exist in this world, considering that people were somewhat regrly summoned here. Coal was readily avable, but maybe no one with the knowledge to make one was summoned.


    Or was it necessary when magic was readily avable?


    And I thought the same about electricity. Sure, harnessing it was difficult, but Thomas Edison and Nik Te figured it out.


    <i>Ugh, Edison was a terrible person... That damn thief stole ideas from others.</i>


    On that same vein, I continued to tell Irisa about various substantial events in my ¡®country¡¯s¡¯ history. I only stopped when Irisa put on her gloves, pulled the pot out with her tongs, and poured the molten iron into two molds. She said it would take about six minutes for the ingots to harden and cool. Once that was done, we extracted them with our tongs to ce back into the furnace to heat it up because it was easier to work with. ¡°We don¡¯t want the metal to liquify again. We want it hot enough to hammer into shape, but that¡¯s it.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I replied, continuing the history of my world. Rather, I was nning on doing that, but how could I exin the two World Wars? Nuclear bombs? Drones? I didn¡¯t <i>have</i> to exin it all in grandiose detail as it pertained to my world. The wars could remain the same, but nuclear bombs could be Divine Armaments. The same with drones, the inte, and really, everything else.


    So, that was what I did. I was just at the second ¡®Continental¡¯ War when the ingots were ready and ming hot. We grabbed them and forged away with the cross-peen hammers, shaping the scorching metal into our desired shape. Sparks flew off with each strike. After a while, I was used to the sharp ngs.


    [cksmith] was helping me out because it allowed me to keep a somewhat steady pace with Irisa, whose skill was Lv. 3. Her strikes were more pronounced and defined, whereas mine were shallow and light. When Irisa needed one strike to do something, I needed four or five. Like clockwork, she raised her arm and brought it down. The ingot started off fat and rectangr, but it became closer to the shape of a rude dagger with each strike. Had it been at a higher level, the knowledge to expertly shape my ingot into a weapon would have flowed more freely. Regardless, I focused on my breathing and did my best to keep at it. The next subject to talk about was guns, but since this world had them, I decided to skip past that and speak of something a little bit more ¡®happier.¡¯ Mainly, the unique advancements I knew wouldn¡¯t be found on any other ¡®continent.¡¯


    Our daggers were nice and hot, so we took them from the furnace and continued to hammer them into shape while I talked about what many consider to be Man¡¯s greatest invention because of how it revolutionized nearly every aspect of the world.


    ¡°And with something called the inte,¡± I said while swiping an ocean¡¯s worth of sweat off my brow. ¡°The world¡¯s knowledge was avable at your fingertips. The device to ess it was called aputer, but some were small enough to fit in your hand. It was through this device that you could control a drone, one of those Divine Armaments I talked about earlier, from thousands of miles away and kill someone ten countries away without ever leaving thefort of pleasure.¡±


    ¡°Inte...¡± she whispered, adjusting her apron as her eyes kind of went wide with surprise. ¡°And you could just learn anything if you used this ¡®search engine?¡¯¡±


    I nodded. ¡°If I had one here, I could find a video on cksmithing. Oh, videos are moving pictures with sound added to them.¡± Irisa grinned and said something like that existed here. It used a mix of illusion and projection magic to record a series of events that could be transcribed onto disy crystals. ¡°Hehe, we may not be advanced as your continent, but we at least have that.¡± Irisa smiled and got back to work on her dagger.


    Before I knew it, we¡¯d been here long enough for the sun to set. I canceled my night vision for a moment and watched the vibrant sparks illuminate in the cool darkness as metal struck metal. It was oddly beautiful and surreal, but not a momentter, the furnaces began to shut off as people prepared to clean up their work area. I held my dagger up, and while I wasn¡¯t happy with how it looked, it was still my very first time creating something with [Weapon Creation] and [cksmith], so in terms of functionality, it would fare better than the stone mace I had made. Technically, it was usable, but it didn¡¯t have a grip or anything like what you would find in a proper store. But that couldeter when I had more experience under my belt.


    ¡°It¡¯s only your first day, M,¡± Irisa said as we left Smithy¡¯s Corner after we put everything away and she locked the shed. ¡°It took me a ton of time to even have [cksmith] avable to learn, and I had a whole bunch of failures to show for it. Compared to me, you¡¯re doing all right. When you get big and famous, be sure to remember me, okay? Ahaha!¡± Irisa¡¯sugh was joyful to hear as she removed the apron from her neck. She had nned on washing it because it was quite dirty. Sweat dripped down from her forehead, giving her gentle face a soft, ethereal glow I hadn¡¯t noticed before.


    <i>She¡¯s pretty...</i>


    The pain I had endured over my 20-ish years left me in a broken and battered state. Sure, I had only known Sekh for less than a month, but we shared amon background. We found sce in each other¡¯s arms, something I didn¡¯t think I could replicate if I ended up sharing a bed with Irisa. Yes, she and her mother were nice to us, but there was still an inkling of doubt in mind that this could all turn for the worse.


    Because it did in my world. My mind would sometimes go back to when my mother acted much like Ichiha. The fun and joy of going to the park after a week of beatings did wonders for my little heart, yet when she threw me to the ground and ran back to the car to speed off crushed any remaining hope.


    But I wanted to remove that doubt from my mind. Because I knew it wouldn¡¯t happen here. It just wouldn¡¯t, and I couldn¡¯t keep looking at the world from that angle. I knew it, Sekh knew it, and Tilde knew it.


    The problem was actually doing it, but I wasn¡¯t alone. I had help.


    <hr>


    ¡°Mom, we¡¯re home!¡± Irisa said when we walked through the door. I followed right behind to see Ichiha wiping down the counter.


    ¡°Wee home, girls,¡± she said with a smile. We chatted for a few minutes while I recanted the day¡¯s event. Ichiha wasn¡¯t ¡®happy,¡¯ I suppose, of the events that happened in the dungeon, nor was she pleased to hear that Sekh wanted to kill Max and his siblings. ¡°Is that why she¡¯s asleep? It¡¯s rare to see you two separated, so I was worried.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s very protective over me,¡± I replied. <i>Sekh can¡¯t see it, but we did get our revenge on them... And it¡¯s not over. It¡¯s only just the beginning.</i>


    It only made sense for Ichiha to be conflicted, but she didn¡¯t know that Sekh had only known death. She had no choice but to fall through life with violence and tyranny acting as her guiding hand. Or rather, all her lives. I couldn¡¯t forget that curse that kept reincarnating and driving her to insanity and barbarity.


    <i>If Sekh wants to tell them, it¡¯s up to her, not me.</i>


    Until then, as far as Irisa and Ichiha were concerned, Sekh was a Lionfolk I had found that didn¡¯t turn her nose up at finding out I was a chimera. I couldn¡¯t help but hope Sekh would trust them enough to tell them soon, though I understood her hesitancy and even shared it.


    To change the subject lightly, I spoke a little bit about the ¡®continent¡¯ I came from, mainly repeating what I told Irisa while we were forging. Somehow, that segued into alchemy. While I didn¡¯t have the skill, Ichiha had a mortar and pestle and a few crimson amita¡ªthe red mushrooms used to make potions¡ªin stock. I bought and stored them away in my storage because potions would definitely be useful.


    <i>I¡¯ll have to buy [Alchemist] eventually. I can still make potions without the skill. I¡¯ll try it tonight.</i>


    But that didn¡¯tst long because Tilde flew down the stairs and lightly waved at me. ¡°Master,e with me. We need to have a little talk,¡± she demanded.


    I nodded, following Tilde up the stairs. She didn¡¯t speak until we emerged into the kitchen. Something delicious filled the air, and I was looking forward to dinner.


    ¡°I did what I could,¡± reported the fairy. ¡°But there¡¯s something you got to understand. The world of 1,000 years ago is nothing like it is today. She¡¯s full of insecurity stemming from living in a reality where she was constantly tortured by the curse. I¡¯m not lying by saying this, but death is really all she¡¯s ever known, and I mean that literally. She¡¯s of the mind that everything can be solved with violence because that¡¯s what she had no choice but to practice. For her, if there¡¯s a problem, the only solution is death.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not mad at her, Tilde.¡±


    ¡°Well, you better not be!¡± the fairy eximed as we stopped in front of the door to my room.


    ¡°Yeah... I just said I¡¯m not.¡±


    ¡°Good! Oh, here¡¯s something you might not know. Or maybe you do. Without the curse affecting her, your little Lionfolk¡¯s able to experience all range of emotions. But she doesn¡¯t know how to process them, and they manifest as submissive tendencies. If I were you, I¡¯d take advantage of it... If you know what I''m saying, that is. Hehehe...¡± Tilde greedily rubbed her hands together and licked her lips. ¡°Be sure to make it sexy, okay? I need something exciting if I¡¯m going to get off.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so perverted it isn¡¯t even funny...¡± I sighed and knocked on the door. With no one didn¡¯t answer, I used my map¡¯s satellite mode to peek inside and realized she was still asleep.


    ¡°Eh, that¡¯s part of my charm. Either take it or leave it. Oh, wait, you gotta take it.¡± She stuck out her tongue at me. ¡°Anyway, go on and talk to her. I¡¯m going to find the big titty onis and see what¡¯s for dinner,¡± Tilde said, flying back downstairs.

 Chapter Twenty-Nine: An Expression of Love (R-18) – Part One (Illustrations!)

    Chapter Twenty-Nine: An Expression of Love (R-18) ¨C Part One (Illustrations!)


    Very slowly, I opened the door and walked to the bed, sitting beside Sekh to take off my clothes because I wanted to clean up before dinner. After retrieving my spare outfit from my storage and cing them on the bed, I felt a pair of hands wrap around my stomach. Then a set of breasts pressed against my back.


    ¡°Master... I¡¯m¡ª¡± Sekh¡¯s voice was weak and quivering.


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it tonight,¡± I replied, standing up. Sekh¡¯s hands weakly fell to the bed, but I grabbed her chin and kissed her lips, whispering that I wasn¡¯t upset to calm her potential fears. ¡°I¡¯m about to take a bath. Want to join me?¡±


    Sekh only nodded, but at least her face softened. We went to the bathroom, and I helped her undress.


    ¡°How long has it been since we did this?¡± I asked, cupping her cheeks when we were both naked. I stared at her beautiful body. She was full and rich in womanly charm. The fierce scent of sweat tickled my nose. She knew I was staring at her tits, so she pressed them against me and tilted her head to meet my eyes. Her eyes were so beautiful... Really, she was strikingly gorgeous in every way, and I was thankful she was in my arms...pressing her body against mine...


    ¡°A while¡­ I¡¯ve missed this,¡± Sekh whispered, slightly gasping when the inevitable erection came. I rubbed her shoulders while sprouting a hand from my leg to light the contraption that warmed the bathtub with [Fireball]. Sekh looked at me with her beautiful eyes and kissed my lips, her hands steadily descending from my face to my chest, where she affectionately massaged my breasts. Even if she was a warrior who sent countless souls to the afterlife, her touch was still incredibly gentle.


    And her lips were immacte. We licked each other¡¯s tongues, and my mouth weed hers in.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Master¡­ Your¡ªyour kiss¡­¡± Sekh tried to purr her sweet words, but I was more forceful. I grabbed her cheeks and went in more, enjoying the warmth of her lips and moist tongue. She responded by rubbing my stiff erection, which, due to my near death, was back to its original length. Slowly, it grew even more when she yfully cupped my balls with her left hand, which meant the fur on her forearm soothed my entire shaft.


    I began to gyrate my hips, rubbing my dick all over that illustrious fur. ¡°Do it, Master,¡± Sekh whispered. Her face was so flushed, her grip changing as she squeezed my testicles with just the right amount of force. ¡°Don¡¯t hold it¡ªAhhh!!!¡± Immediately she bit her lips because I slid my right hand between her legs. She was so wet my hands were instantly soaked, but her erotic moans sent happy thrills down my spine. I brought it back to lick her juices dripping off my fingers, then ced it back inside her moist cunt.


    <i>We haven¡¯t fucked in a while. I wonder if Sekh wants to have some fun tonight? Will she be in the mood?</i>


    ¡°It¡¯s the same¡­to you, Sekh¡­¡± I kissed her lips one more time as a finger slipped inside her pussy, instantly covering it in her warmth and juices. She cried out in a passionate moan and felt a bit weak in the knees, but she used my chest for support,tching onto one of my nipples and sucking. Her tongue violentlyshed around, and I replied with another finger.


    And then I did something that would change our sex life forever.


    ¡°AAAHHHHHH! Maaaasterrrrr!!!!¡¯¡± Sekh instantly quivered, reaching orgasm and squirting because I transfigured a <i>tongue</i> on the end of one of the fingers currently buried in her. I came at the same time, sshing her forearm, soaking pussy, and glistening thighs with my biggest orgasm yet. My thick semen doused her in my essence. The tip of my penis was sensitive, and humping her furry forearm was almost enough to push me over the edge.


    ¡°You¡¯re delicious,¡± I told Sekh after grabbing her for support and licking my lips. Her satisfied expression was just so cute that I had to kiss her, but I kept my tongue finger inside her. It wiggled something fierce, brutishly rubbing against her inner folds while letting me taste her delectable vor.


    I just couldn¡¯t get enough of Sekh. Whenever we had sex, she was all I could think about!


    ¡°Holy shit! Hahahaha!!! I was wondering when you were going to experiment. Didn¡¯t think it would be so soon. Guess you two horn dogs couldn¡¯t wait to get down and dirty.¡± A flying, 10-inch-tall menace to society flew into the bathroom while Sekh and I were basking in our afterglow. Her little eyes keenly observed the semen dripping from the tip of my penis as it remained semi-erect. ¡°You¡¯re a tongue-on-the-finger kind of gal, huh? Surprised you didn¡¯t go for a dick. Hey, is the bath ready?¡± With no time to answer, Tilde stripped in a hurry and skated along the top of the bath, her wings keeping her level. A tiny toe dipped in, and after smiling, she just dropped, sounding like a droplet of water hitting a pond.


    I grabbed Sekh, who was still in a daze from our little tryst and helped her into the tub. After feeling the warmth of the hot water envelop us up to our knees, we sat down and allowed it to swallow us to our chests. My legs were spread, and Sekh was sitting between them, my hands firmly on her stomach while I soaked away the soreness of the day.


    ¡°Go ahead, don¡¯t mind me. Have some make-up sex or something. Have fun. Or not. It¡¯s up to you. Don¡¯t mind me, though. I¡¯m just going to be swimming.¡± Tilde gave me a thumbs up and a wink, then started to paddle around the bath as if it was a pool.


    ¡°Master...¡± Sekh leaned back until I rested my chin on her head. She purred just like a lovable kitten and ced her hands on mine. I loved these little moments when we could cuddle and snuggle together. They always seemed to put me at ease simply because she was <i>relying</i> on me. I kissed the top of her head and began to massage her stomach. Whatever stiffness we had disyed on our faces and body melted from this rxing bath. My hands subtly moved further down towards her crotch, but I primarily focused on rubbing her seal while applying just a little bit of pressure. It wasn¡¯t anything too much, just enough to tease Sekh until she spread her legs and guided my hands further down.


    ¡°Master, it¡¯s growing big again,¡± Sekh said, her voice cut off by a moan that escaped her sweet lips. I licked her pretty neck and readjusted to allow my penis to poke through her thighs. Turning her neck, she met my lips and used both hands to massage the sensitive head.


    ¡°Fuck yeah, make it sexy!¡± eximed Tilde, who groped herself. She had this scious grin across her lewd face, but I remained focused on the lovely woman in front of me. Her tongue was wild¡ªadventurous, even, but notparable to her mood when we left the mines.


    I didn¡¯t know why, but pure lust flowed through my body. The texture of her tongue... The inside of her cheeks... Her smell... The cute noises she made when I gently nibbled her lips with all the pressure of a falling leaf...


    The feelings collected in my penis, and I spewed my love all over Sekh¡¯s hands, covering them in a thick coat of white. My hips buckled and quivered, sending more and more semen with each pulse of my penis.


    ¡°Haaaa...¡± Sekh panted, her face a pretty shade of crimson. We looked at her hands, and I watched while she sucked her fingers clean. Shepped my semen with her tongue, making sure to get as much as she could...


    And then it was too much for me. It was forceful, I admit, but I hugged Sekh even tighter while fondling her breasts. Focusing on her nipples, I let her moans guide my actions while her fingers returned to massage my raging erection that refused to go down.


    Her tits were putty in my hands, and I was a master sculptor. I squeezed them, teased them, caressed them, massaged them. Just holding Sekh¡¯s boobs in my hands as if they were a bra brought more pleasure to me than Sekh could ever imagine because it meant she trusted me implicitly.


    When I lifted my right hand away and told her to look at it...


    I transfigured a mouth within my palm,plete with lips, teeth, and a juicy tongue. Whispering her name and licking her ears, the potential pleasure flowed through her body via a series of cute quivers. She bit her lips, then squeezed my penis with her thighs while rubbing the shaft against her pussy. Even if we were submerged in water, she was especially wet.


    Well, I didn¡¯t want to keep her waiting.


    Itched my palm mouth onto a nipple and sucked like never before. Her breathing hastened in seconds. Perhaps it was because we hadn¡¯t done this in so long, but her whole body was seemingly at my mercy.


    ¡°Aaaaaa.... Mmmnnnn.... Maa--- Maaasterrrr...¡± her sweet voice cried. I attacked her neck with a series of kisses and licks while she experienced a symphony of pleasure. I didn¡¯t know how she had reason enough to continue stroking me off, but her hands made way for mine when teased her pussy. Pushing my transfiguration to the limit, I managed to branch off a small tongue off my middle finger, which licked her clit all over while my finger was deep inside her inner warmth.


    ¡°Maaaaaaasterrrrrrr!!!!¡± Sekh couldn¡¯t hold back anymore. She pressed her back against mine, spread her legs, and enjoyed the sensual pleasure flooding her mind, tits, and pussy. I ejacted as well, sshing her stomach with my semen and covering the seal. For a moment, it shed pink a few times before reverting to the color of blood. It did that sometimes whenever Sekh had an orgasm. I kinda liked it because I knew for sure she was getting off, which, in turn, only made me happier.


    ¡°Goddamn, you¡¯re crazy,¡± Tilde moaned. She floated on her back with her legs in the air in the shape of a ¡®V.¡¯ Her tiny pussy was spread open, and her fingers gave it a good pounding. The juices from her cunt sshed around her thighs whenever she squirted. The dying light of an evening sun filtered through the small window near the ceiling, her pretty body shimmered beautifully.


    Sekh and I remained in a rxed position for a few minutes. My palm mouth continued to suckle her nipple without pause, and my finger remained in her pussy until I spoke. ¡°Stand up, Sekh,¡± I said. ¡°I want to clean you.¡±


    She nodded, and with my help, managed to get to her feet. She was wobbly, but I was right there to keep her steady. Reverting my hand to normal, I grabbed the small bar of soap, stood up, and purposely poked her ass with my penis. ¡°Your skin¡¯s so soft,¡± I said,thering my hands. With them coated in suds, I started with her face and neck, then took my time to swipe my soapy fingers across her chest, making sure to get under her arms before going down to her wrist and fingers. All the while, my head rested on her shoulder. Next came her stomach and pussy, and I spent far more time down there than I needed.


    When it came to her ass, I spared no expense. She was blessed in the hips¡ªactually, she was beautiful all over. There wasn¡¯t a single inch of skin on her body I would consider ugly or out of ce. In my eyes, she was a divine beauty...


    ¡°Whaa!!! Master, that¡¯s my butt!¡± she eximed when I crouched down and hugged her ass. Her tail whipped around. It brushed my cheeks, but I knew it wasn¡¯t on purpose. In fact, I was ecstatic because I loved fluffing her tail. In my eyes, it was a reward.


    Yeah, the mood certainly changed.


    ¡°Hehe!!! It¡¯s so fluffy! It¡¯s the best in the world! Sekh, I love your ass!¡±


    ¡°Bwahahaha!¡± Tilde broke into a fit of boisterousughter.


    I chuckled along afterthering her alluring thighs, then stood up and kissed her on her embarrassed cheeks. ¡°See? Don''t you feel a bit better? I don¡¯t like this sad, awkward space between us...¡±


    ¡°But--¡±


    I shut her lips with a kiss and continued. ¡°I. Am. Not. Mad. I¡¯m not. I won¡¯t ever be mad. We can talk about what happened tonight when we¡¯re in bed. But right now? I want to see your smile. I want to see your happiness. I want to see my adorable Dark Lord of Tyranny having the time of her life. I know you like sex, Sekh. I do too. And I¡¯ve discovered I can do some pretty amazing things¡ªeven with my transfiguration limit. And I want to share those with you.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Remember what we talked about, Big Tits,¡± Tilde said when Sekh opened her mouth.


    ¡°Ah-- Yes.¡± Near instantly, the atmosphere changed for the better. It was more rxed-- easier going, in a way. She practically jumped into my arms and went for an aggressive kiss, wrapping her arms around my waist and ying with my ass while she lewdly and loudly sucked my tongue. It was hot seeing her on the attack. Suddenly, she started to lightly giggle with my tongue in her mouth.


    ¡°I take it you¡¯re feeling better?¡±


    ¡°I am... Master... I... No, that can wait... Right now, Master, I want you to fuck me. But more than that, I want to taste you.¡± Her kisses moved from my lips to my chin to my nipples, stomach, and finally, my ashen penis. Erect and waiting, it twitched when Sekh puckered her lips and weed it into her mouth. She focused on the tip, swimming her moist tongue around the engorged head.


    I wanted to tell her to slow it down because my dick was too girthy for her, but as she held it in her mouth, I realized it was shrinking.


    <i>That¡¯s another way to use [Fleshcrafting], I guess. Can¡¯tin about it.</i>


    ¡°That¡¯s a good girl.¡± I rubbed her head and scratched her twitching ears to show my affection for her. She looked at me with those beautiful eyes and started to move her head. Her lips tightly wrapped my shaft, which transitioned into a kiss to the gray tip when she removed my penis to catch her breath. Iid it on her face, right over her left eye. My hips thrust until my balls tickled her chin. ¡°I¡¯ve got something for you. I want you to look at my dick.¡±


    Sekh nodded. I moved back a step, causing the water in the tub to ssh against the side of the basin, and focused.


    The powers of a chimera excelled in adaptation, but it wasn¡¯t restricted to fighting or survival.


    It worked wonders in spicing up your sexual life.


    Right before her eyes, the penis she loved to suck on was given a twin. Side by side, Sekh gasped at the two shafts and four testicles, then looked to meet my gaze. Her stares were fixated on my cocks bouncing from my footsteps. As if she was fearful they would break, she gently grasped both. Her palms were soft, like silk, and she danced her hands up and down them. Jerking off both at once was hot¡ªexotic¡ªeven, and she moved further down until she cupped four dangling testicles. Moving forward, Iid both thick cocks over her eyes and rubbed them against her face.


    I heard her inhale, filling her nostrils with my bare scent. Moving my hips back, I dragged them along her cheeks and lips, then remained there with both tips brushing against the entrance of her mouth.


    While continuing to caress my balls, she kissed both tips and worked her way down the shaft, taking the time to give both her sweet love.


    And then Sekh surprised me. She stood up, walked behind me, crouched down, and began to jerk me off while cradling my testicles in her mouth. Shepped all four with her spit and worked her hands like magic. She even found the bar of soap floating in the tub to get her hands all slippery before continuing. Up, down, left, right¡ªher hands were like pure magic in how she aimed my penis.


    ¡°You''re about to explode, Master... But I...¡± she stuttered, almost like she was slightly embarrassed. Tilde just nodded, so I assumed she was looking at Sekh peeking through my legs. She crawled through them on her hands and knees, then lifted her ass in the air. Her tail was inviting me... ¡°I want you to mess up my... in...sides... Please, Master... It¡¯s been too long... I want to¡ªAhhhhhhh!!!!!¡±


    <i>Her insides? Tilde must¡¯ve told her to say that.</i>


    Without waiting for her to continue, I crouched down, grabbed a handful of her beautiful ass, altered my penises so they were up and down instead of side-by-side, pushed past her moist entrance, and finally relished in her wondrous insides once more. She mped down on my cock almost immediately, her lower lips gripping my shaft. Her pussy folds engulfed my penis from all sides, and we remained like that...


    But I had a second penis... Since it wasn¡¯t doing much, I got rid of that and instead used my transfiguration limit to produce a tongue that wrapped around the cock inside of Sekh. Right away, her sweet vor conquered my taste buds. She cutely yelped, almost losing the strength in her arms from the overstimtion. I didn¡¯t want her to fall, so I somehow managed to wrap my arms around her stomach, stood up, and fucked her from a standing position with my hands on her glistening thighs. Her pussy was exposed to no one, yet it felt so lewd.


    ¡°Ahhhaaa... Whahaaaaa... Mmmnnnnnn.... Maaaaaa.... Aahhhhhhhh....¡± Sekh drooled, then quivered as if electricity flowed through her when I licked her furry ears. My penis tongue condom added some more slipperiness to it. Slowly, I lifted Sekh until only the tip remained in, then I thrust my hips, jabbing my penis right back in. Nothing but pure love and ecstasy escaped her lips. ¡°Master... Master!!!! Ahhhh... More...¡±


    <i>More?</i>


    I kept my pounding steady, my ears clearly hearing the drips of ourbined juices sshing in the bath water below us. The tongue around my penis shrank in volume, but I transfigured a second cock that branched off the first. Sekh felt it rub against her clit because I added a small tongue. Her hands went to the new penis, and she jerked me off while I mmed into her pussy.


    It was a monstrous sight of love¡ªI dare believe it was full of debaucherous intent and a fetish for satisfying our lust. Or perhaps it was our way of talking about what happened today, but instead of words, we used our bodies and actions.


    Or maybe, since even after that small argument, the fact we could still indulge in the other¡¯s body was all the proof we needed. Or did Tilde have something to do with it? I didn¡¯t know what she said to Sekh, but I was thankful for the little horny annoyance.


    The pressure in my penises built up, and I felt my testicles constrict. Sekh must¡¯ve sensed it because her insides tightened. I elerated and leaned back, giving me a new angle to thrust from. With some more power behind my hips, Sekh¡¯s delectable, loving breasts bounced up and down. Seeing them jiggle about only made me harder.


    ¡°Master... Master!!! My insides.... Mess up my insides... Fill me with your semen.... I want it... Maaaaaaaa.... Ahhhhhh!!! Ahhh!!!!! It¡¯s flowing into me!!! Your semen!!!! Aaaahhhhhhhh!!!!!¡± We cried out simultaneously, both my cocks ejacting a liter¡¯s worth of hot, thick seed inside Sekh¡¯s pussy while covering her stomach. My ejactions reached her breasts and face, covering her in a beautiful shade of white.


    I kept her pussy plugged with my penis while I stepped out of the basin with Sekh in my arms. Iid her down gently, then turned her to her back. For a moment, that beautiful expression of lewdness and pleasure seemingly invited me for a kiss. Licking the semen from her gorgeous face, I kissed her, giving it to her directly while pumping my hips for a second round.


    She was still out of it, but her reason returned when she forcefully took my mouth for her own. We swapped it back and forth, finding it hard to care about anything else. Her breasts were conquered by my hands, the left nipple bing another victim of my palm mouth hand. It was awesome! in and simple.


    Her tits were delicious and enjoying that and her tongue and mouth without being forced to pick one or the other was almost more than I could handle. And it was probably the same for Sekh, too. We were in a hot room, with hot water, in a steamy situation. Sweat was all but assured, and we dissolved into a slimy mess of bodies thrusting, rubbing, licking, touching, and fucking.


    We went at it like ragged animals, trying to w our desires deeper and harder. The pressure built again, and I filled Sekh¡¯s pussy.


    It felt like my balls were drained, but I had a lot more in the trunk to ejacte because my hips kept moving.


    Sekh reached up with eyes flickering on the edge of insanity. Beautiful tears shimmered in the corners. With that lovely smile on her face, I felt my heart churn in a very good way.


    My remaining normal arm wrapped around Sekh¡¯s neck, while I kissed her, and I held her tightly as I could without hurting while going as fast as I could.


    I wanted to fuck her. Murag¡¯s essence... I felt his temptations appear via the cock stolen from him. I didn¡¯t understand it myself, but in a way, it was almost like he was coaching me. His voice wasn¡¯t there, nor could I see him as a mirage or imagine him inside my mind. But his techniques...


    The shape of my penis adjusted itself slightly, growing in one area and smaller in another. The difference couldn¡¯t have been visible, but when it was deep inside Sekh¡¯s squelching pussy, which leaked her juice and my semen with every thrust...


    Well, that was all it took to take it to the next level. I didn¡¯t know what came over Sekh, but she began to suck my ears. Licking the tip all over as if it was a penis, she covered it with her saliva.


    I knew she desired something more, so I stopped my palm mouth hand and transformed my pointy ear into a floppy penis. She sucked and moaned while I fucked and kissed. And the feeling of my testicles tightening reared its pleasurable head. But Sekh was so full of my sperm that I was honestly scared. That fear and fright overpowered my desire to fuck her the way someone of her beauty and grace deserved to be fucked.


    And perhaps our link as the creator of my body transferred that feeling. Or maybe she knew what I was thinking because we were so close.


    Or maybe it was just a coincidence.


    As the dick on my head was reced by an ear, I pulled myself out of Sekh and helped her to her knees. Without missing a step, she swallowed my penis and snatched the second one that appeared from nowhere in her sweaty hands. Jerking and sucking, it wasn¡¯t long before I filled her mouth with my hot milk while painting her face white. She couldn¡¯t swallow it fast enough, and a white waterfall formed at the corners of her lips.


    ¡°Seeekkkkhhhhhhh!!!!!¡± I cried her name, closed my eyes, and tried to remain upright. The strength vanished in my hips, and her passionate blowjob didn¡¯t make it any easier. I vigorously, yet softly, rubbed and patted her head while feeling her throat constrict. She forced what she could down her throat, and even after I had nothing else to shoot out...


    She didn¡¯t let go. Even after the second penis vanished, Sekh held my original cock in her mouth. She wasn¡¯t moving her tongue, nor was she bobbing her head. She only gazed up to meet my eyes while I looked down upon her beauty. She was the most gorgeous woman I¡¯d ever seen.


    It was a moment we shared, I thought, that would be key to tonight¡¯s talk. Or perhaps it marked a change in our close rtionship¡ªone that was for the better.


    Whatever it was, it was like I was in heaven. I really didn¡¯t want this moment to end. And for the most part, if I could help it, it would remain like this. When Sekh finally removed my penis from her mouth, she gave the shaft one more long lick before giving the tip one final kiss. She epted my hand when I offered it to her, and together, we walked back into the tub after heating the water once more. Only this time, I was between her legs, and she had her lovely hands wrapped around my stomach.


    Steam and erotic moans had filled the bathroom, with lust acting as the primary filler, turning it into a den of chimeric love with multiple tongues, mouths, lips, and penises as Sekh and I indulged in the other¡¯s body.


    But I believed that, through my own actions, I proved to her that she had nothing to worry about. I would never be angry or upset at her. I couldn¡¯t even fathom a situation in which it would be pertinent to act like that.


    She was my Dark Lord of Tyranny, and I was her Transcendent Dark Lord. We were equals, and we were lovers...

 Chapter Twenty-Nine: An Expression of Love (R-18) – Part Two (Illustrations!)

    Chapter Twenty-Nine: An Expression of Love (R-18) ¨C Part Two (Illustrations!)


    To say we had bathed would be correct in the simplest terms. The once pure water was just a clumpy mess of our bodily fluids, and we left sweatier than when we had entered it.


    At least we did get clean, though. The smell of roses and honey permeated our skin. If anything, we¡¯d have to hop in the tub tomorrow morning and keep the sex confined to the bedroom if we were going to that go hard at it. When Sekh, Tilde, and I emerged from our room to the kitchen, Irisa and Ichiha were smiling and humming while distributing the contents of a pot to the bowls set at the table. Tonight¡¯s dinner was a basic stew with more vegetables than beef, but it was still very delicious and filling.


    <i>Guess they didn¡¯t hear anything. That¡¯s good. We did get wild...</i>


    Specifically, the thick onions and buttery garlic broth cleaned my nostrils and warmed my stomach¡ªthe perfect meal to refill my biomass. Transfigurations like recing my fingers with a tongue or penis didn¡¯t require much, but I was starving after prolonged use. Other than the meal, the dinner¡¯s atmosphere was soforting. The topic of discussion was about the ¡®continent¡¯ I grew up in, and I was the center of attention. I¡¯ve never had that happen before. Irisa, her mom, Sekh, and Tilde all smiled and hung onto my next word as if it was a drop of liquid gold.


    Sekh looked downtrodden because I had to re-exin stuff to her that Irisa and her mom already knew. She was probably kicking herself for noting outside when she had the chance.


    Since prerecorded ¡®videos¡¯ existed in this world, albeit as a rarity, I decided to speak about my favorite movies, which all happened to be westerns or focused on the two ¡®Continental¡¯ Wars. One that I could watch until the end of time was about a B-17 Flying Fortress, whose crew had toplete 25 missions for their tour of duty to bepleted.


    <i>I¡¯ve only seen short clips, but I bet it¡¯s a good movie. If the articles on it are anything to go by, it¡¯s gotta be a ssic...</i>


    Everyone but Tilde found it impossible for a chunk of metal to be airborne for that long or fly that fast. Even Sekh was oddly adamant about that until Tilde exined I was telling the truth because she had once ¡®visited¡¯ that ¡®continent.¡¯


    <i>She¡¯s seen it via my memories, so she¡¯s not lying, per se.</i>


    ¡°Master! Please tell me more!¡± Sekh eximed, almost yelling. Her gleaming silver eyes seemed to glow as she grabbed my hand. Her ck tail wagged so incredibly fast I thought it was about to fall.


    I honored her request for the next hour, and we cleaned up. After washing the dishes, Irisa skipped over to Sekh and I and hugged us before departing off to bed with her mother. Not long after that, I shut the door to my room and adjusted the night vision aspect of [Eyes of the Huntress] to make it darker-- to set the mood.


    Although we undressed, Sekh and I didn¡¯t make love. Instead, she rested her head on my thighs and yed with my semi-erect dick, taking the time to practice her [Fleshcrafting]. When she sucked me off in the bath, she shrank my penis until it had aid and erect length of 7¡±.


    Even if it was an inch bigger than she was used to, Sekh said she felt no pain, and I truly believed her because she had no reason to lie. Besides, I used what transfiguration percentage I could spare to make it that much smaller. She was too into our romp to notice it. After we got out, I canceled my alterations and remained at just over half a foot in length.


    I enjoyed the feeling of her fingers dancing up and down my shaft, so I relished the pleasure while leaning back against the headboard. I had the time, so I retrieved the mortar and pestle and crimson amita from my storage that I had bought from Ichiha. It wasn¡¯t the best quality, but it was more than enough for someone like me. And it wasn¡¯t that hard, either. Really, it only required crushing the crimson amita and adding a little bit of water, which I obtained from [Water de] by allowing it to drop down my finger until the mortar was about 10 percent full. Once everything was sufficientlybined, I focused on the red liquid.


    <ul>


    <li><b><i>HP Potion</i></b>


    <ul>


    <li><b><i>HP Recovery (Lv. 1)</i></b></li>


    </ul>


    </li>


    </ul>


    It was useable, of course, but I was still very much an amateur at producing alchemic creations. My techniquecked something fierce. Perhaps I used too much water because it was too soupy while containing small chunks of the mushroom¡¯s stem. Since it wouldn¡¯t hurt to drink it, I brought the mortar to my lips and tasted something distinctively stale and monotone. Sekh remarked that the potion she was given had a fruity aftertaste, so it was likely that you could add other ingredients to increase its effectiveness while making it tastier and easier to digest.


    ¡°But you know? I¡¯m proud of it... I made something drinkable that¡¯ll save our lives,¡± I said, storing everything away. Liquids were free to be stashed in my storage in their natural state, so they didn¡¯t require a container, which was nice to know.


    Everything I needed to get done was checked off my list, and now I could rx with Sekh and Tilde. The fairy didn¡¯t have time for cuddling, though. She yawned and flew to the dresser because her little makeshift bed was there. In seconds, she was out like a light and snored. I eased myself lower onto the pillow and rubbed my fingers through Sekh¡¯s hair. It seemed she wanted to use my thighs as her pillow, and I was okay with that. She had stopped practicing and left my penis two inches bigger than before. Her mana was low. As it regenerated, she sometimes licked my penis¡ªfrom the testicles to the shaft. Sometimes, she¡¯d kiss the shaft or my thighs. Other times, she¡¯d just smell it, whispering that my scent wasforting to her. She gazed at it like a trophy--- Almost like it was something to be worshipped.


    <i>I wonder if that has something to do with her submissiveness? We¡¯ve never fucked harder than we did in the bath, and she still wants more? Or maybe this is just how she wants to rx?</i>


    "Sekh.¡± All I said was her name, and we began to talk about the incident.


    ¡°I am your de of vengeance. I pledged an oath to bring you the heads of your enemies. Why did you deny me that right?¡±


    ¡°When you were carrying me out, there were a lot of witnesses who saw you kick Max. The monster train incident is public knowledge, and if something were to happen to him and his siblings, we¡¯d be the prime suspects because we have reasons to want them dead. In short, we¡¯d be fucked. More so if they have friends or family in a position of power. They would fabricate false evidence if we were lucky. If not, they woulde up with other bullshit reasons to get us behind bars, then we¡¯d swing from the trees or lose our heads in a guillotine. We aren¡¯t strong enough to handle <i>all</i> thates out way. Not yet, at least,¡± I said


    It would be different if this world had due process or the right to an attorney, but it didn¡¯t. ¡°I figured they would bitch to someone, but it drastically backfired on them. The guild believed us, not them. It¡¯s good to have their power because they¡¯ll defend us if we see any retaliation.¡±


    Sekh was totally silent, but I continued.


    ¡°We humiliated them in front of the guild and themselves. We stole what they had rightfully earned with blood, sweat, and tears, and they¡¯re back at zero. Ah, but the eldest brother? He¡¯ll feel like a failure because he wasn¡¯t strong enough to protect his sister. She bared her nakedness in front us¡­ At gunpoint, even, and that bastard just watched because he knew he couldn''t do anything.¡± Before I knew it, I realized I had a smiling grin on my face.


    ¡°He was faced with a situation he couldn¡¯t emerge victorious from. He was made to look like a fool. If the monster train originated from a trap, I see the me for everything being ced on the one who triggered it to make the others feel better. With tensions running high, there¡¯ll be more fights and arguments, mistakes will happen more, and alcohol will be swallowed by the gallon. If we¡¯re lucky, they¡¯ll all pass out drunk and die in a ditch. If that doesn¡¯t happen, we can hope Max¡¯ll spiral into depression. They don¡¯t have anything, so they need loans. Their reputation is shit, so there goes the high interest rate.


    ¡°Repayment and a life free of very will rely on his sesses. The smallest failure will be something he cannot ept, so the stresses will grow, like filling a balloon with more air than it could hold. Then when it pops? That¡¯s when he¡¯ll dance a knife across his neck. Ah, but until that happens, if he remains in this town, he¡¯ll see us. They¡¯re at rock bottom.


    ¡°If you see those fuckers, gloat about their failures and our sesses. In this case, our revenge is driving them to kill themselves. Remember that. I can always make up for the lost power elsewhere. And don¡¯t forget that I can track them. In fact, I already have them marked on my map. I hope you¡¯re happy that Max is shouting at his two brothers because they acted like cowards and didn¡¯t stand up for their sister, who is off crying in her room. Now he¡¯s throwing empty bottles at them. His sister ran out to stop him, but he jerked his arm and threw her to the ground. Hahaha!! This is amazing! Sekh, this is revenge. We¡¯re watching them fall apart, and it feels so sweet to be the catalyst.¡± My voice turned low. ¡°When we¡¯re stronger¡­ When the suspicion wouldn¡¯t fall on us... We¡¯ll end their lives. All I ask is that you remain patient.¡±


    ¡°Master¡­ I never thought of it like that¡­¡± Sekh whispered. She pressed off my thigh and scooted up, bringing the draped-over covers with her. We warmed ourselves in the other¡¯s heat. In seconds, we shared the same pillow while hugging each other. Our boobs pressed against each other in our tight embrace.


    ¡°What? Did you think I had forgotten my promise of revenge? Ites in many vors, you know. Death is but one of them. Sometimes, humiliation is preferable when you can watch the group self-destruct in real-time.¡±


    Sekh weakly nodded, her blue eyes avoiding mine. ¡°It shames me, but I did. I was starting to doubt you, Master. I¡­¡±


    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t doubt me.¡± Sekh opened her mouth, but a kiss kept her voice from leaking. ¡°Remember, you have total freedom. I do not restrict you at all. If you didn¡¯t believe in me, you would have ended them then and there. But you still asked for permission. And you obeyed me when you didn¡¯t have to.¡± I embraced my closest ally and gave her another kiss. In her eyes, she hadmitted a grave mistake. It caused no end to the heartache she faced today. Even during our bath, I felt she was preupied with trying to understand this. It was hidden behind her loveliness, but I knew her well enough to see beyond any fa?ade.


    I told Sekh I was worried I would never have a chance to hold her again. Well, that really seemed to hurt her heart. She whimpered like a punished puppy and repeated her apologies no less than five times. She straddled my waist and cried into my chest. She begged me not to abandon her, nearly hysterically wailing that she didn¡¯t want to be alone after experiencingpanionship for the first time in her life.


    She took my hands and pressed them to her quivering breasts, then forced my fingers under her loose cor to brush her pretty neck.


    ¡°I hate myself¡­ I swore to not add to your pain, and I¡¯ve done nothing but cause you harm and grief!! You¡¯re disappointed in me. I know you are. Master¡­ Just punish me. Beat me! Strike me! Choke me until your anger has subsided!¡± Suddenly, her leash materialized, and she forced my hand to grasp the cold metal. ¡°Pull it! Beat me! Throw me to the ground and stomp me! Drag me along the floor! I deserve nothing less for failing you!¡±


    <i>But I¡¯m not angry. Not even a little bit.</i>


    She was so loud and abrupt that even Tilde flew up in a daze and tried to reassure the crying Lionfolk.


    I was afraid Irisa and her mom were about to burst through the door, so I acted with no time to spare. Leaning up, I forcibly wrapped my arm around her shivering waist and tried to calm her growing fear with sweet words, but that didn¡¯t do shit. She was still hysterical¡ªon the verge of breaking down, so I attempted something risky...


    I focused on the metal leash I held and yanked as hard as possible. Sekh remained right where she was, but the leash snapped away from the cor and freely dangled from my hands. A momentter, it dissolved into ck mana and vanished.


    ¡°Why?!¡± Sekhined. ¡°That¡¯s your symbol as my Master!¡± She touched her quivering hand to her cor and tried to forcefully conjure her leash, but that never happened in her ten attempts. "You¡ªyou have to use it to punish me for failing you! Or else you¡¯re going to leave me because I haven¡¯t been trained. Because I haven¡¯t been taught how to properly take care of my Master. Because--- Because--- Because---¡± Sekh grabbed her head and tightly pulled at her hair. No doubt she was experiencing a rather vivid shback of her time at that ver¡¯s camp where she was forced to stand at a pillory. Some wires in her mind must¡¯ve been crossed, allowing the emotions she felt now to be applied to that despicable moment of her life, and she was confusing the two time periods. That had to be it because the curse filtered any emotion that wouldn¡¯t help Sekh fulfill her duties as the Dark Lord of Tyranny.


    I still had one more option to ease her heart, and it was one I was wary of using because I had been denied it for so long. But since we¡¯ve been together for some time and experienced a lot in that short time, I was sure my heart was finally ready to let someone enter. Three little words contained tremendous amounts of power, and as I took a calming breath, I opened my mouth and let them flow out like softened honey.


    ¡°I love you, Sekh,¡± I repeated that sentence thrice over, each time simmered Sekh¡¯s rampaging anxiousness of abandonment. Her voice died out, barely audible above the sound of her heartbeat. We returned the pillow, yet she remained with her chest pushed so close to mine, a seemingly lifeless expression stered on her face.


    ¡°Is someone like me deserving of love?¡± Sekh weakly whispered.


    ¡°I could say the same for me. I¡¯m a murderer. I don¡¯t feel a thing when I kill,¡± I replied. Tilde stayed silent, for even she knew when that was necessary.


    ¡°Why do you love me?¡±


    ¡°Because I do. Because you¡¯re my closest and greatest ally. Because we were both abandoned by the world. Because I know I need someone to share my heart if I¡¯m to remain sane on this bloody path I must travel. Because I¡¯m grateful to you. Because¡ª¡±


    Sekh kissed me, her lips carrying over the taste of salt. ¡°Will you¡­ Will you let a monster like me love you?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re both monsters, Sekh,¡± I replied. She smiled when I cupped her cheeks. I wiped my thumb below her left eye, scattering an orphaned tear. ¡°You¡¯re much cuter when you¡¯re smiling. It suits you far more. Oh, and this?¡± I patted her head and gave her fluffy ears a ton of love and attention. My lovely Lionfolk ate it all up, giving a bigger tear-stained smile than I thought possible. ¡°There, you''ve been punished. I don¡¯t want to hear any more talk of you hating yourself or wanting me to beat you. The thought of doing that has literally never crossed my mind at all. And about your leash... Honestly, I don¡¯t know what I did, but there will never be a moment in which I would grab it to purposely hurt you. I¡¯m d you can¡¯t summon it anymore because I never once regarded you as my ve. Not even for a microsecond because you¡¯re my adorable Sekh. Now, is there anything I can do for you to prove it?¡±


    Sekh tearfully nodded. ¡°I want to stay connected with you. Can you grant me that?¡± she whispered.


    I nodded. Sekh lifted her hips since she still straddled me, spread herself open with one hand, and used the other to insert my dick into her moistening pussy. I felt her warmth swallow me with affection, apanied by a slight quiver.


    I wrapped my hands around her back while she rested her head on my heart. ¡°We¡¯re connected, Sekh. When you wake up, I¡¯m going to be right here. I love you,¡± I said, rubbing my hands up her trembling sides, stopping when I caressed her cheeks. We talked a little bit about the curse and what Tilde told me. Sekh never once realized her actions were submissive in nature, then expectantly looked at me. Honestly, her submissiveness was cute because it allowed these moments that I loved. Me and her, cuddling together in bed while I slowly petted her head and yed with her fluffy ears and tail. Sekh confirmed that when she was the Dark Lord of Tyranny, her mind only felt things rted to destroying the world. Even something as happiness from ughtering an army was reced with a desire to spread more blood.


    With that in mind, it was easy to predict how someone like Sekh would react, and I was an idiot for not noticing it sooner. If I were smarter, I could have avoided a tumultuous period in which fear and havoc wrecked her heart. Even if it onlysted for less than thirty minutes, it was pain that wasn¡¯t needed. In that sense, I failed her as her ¡®Master,¡¯ but thinking along those lines would cause us to enter an endless feedback loop of feeling pity and sorry for the other.


    There was no need for that because we could progress beyond that.


    I spoke more about my world and told her some things I couldn¡¯t tell Irisa and her mother. Sekh remained silent as sheid against me and listened to the sound of my voice. When I thought she had fallen asleep, I told her I loved her and closed my eyes, but then my sharp ears picked up a whisper.


    ¡°I love you too, Master. Good night.¡± Sekh¡¯s voice was still slightly weak and full of emotion, but she soon returned to the world of dreams. It warmed my heart to see her so rxed and at peace, and after tonight? We evolved our rtionship to the next level, and our trust could not have been any stronger. I had finally found someone I really did love.


    No, I was sure I loved her from the moment she listened to my story and showed me affection without abuse.


    More than ever, I was determined to free her from this curse.

 Chapter Thirty: Her Father’s Return (Illustrations!)

    Chapter Thirty: Her Father¡¯s Return (Illustrations!)


    The next seven days flew by like lightning. A growing sense of normalcy and rigid structure allowed me to take to this new life so easily. What really helped was Sekh¡¯s pretty face. She was the first thing I saw each morning, which meant waking from slumber couldn¡¯t have been easier. I loved this Lionfolk from the bottom of my heart, and we couldn¡¯t roll out to face the morning with a quick kiss and a few minutes of cuddling.The day wouldn¡¯t feel right unless I told her I loved her. It was the same for her.


    And then there was Irisa and Ichiha... A beautiful oni and her mother, who had taken to my chimerism and epted me as a friend. Without fail, the two always wished us safety, with the former giving Sekh and me a goodbye hug. This song and dance never failed to happen. Sometimes, Ichiha would tease her daughter when we left, causing her horns to very lightly turn a blushing shade of red. The color was so faint that only I barely saw it happen.


    Breakfast was always a joyous time. Eating gave me biomass, so I used the time to practice transfiguration by covering my forearm in the soft undercoat of a Forest Boar. Sekh and Irisa liked that a lot because it was fluffy, and Tilde enjoyed rubbing her cheeks on it. It still didn¡¯tpare to Sekh¡¯s fur, though. That was the holy grail of softness and my goal.


    During our ventures into the Mines of Gamor, Sekh¡¯s armor and her expert use of [Taunt] allowed us to venture down to the bottommost floor, where we saw more of the same. The only difference was the addition of a Lesser Scatter Bat, a monster that attacked using [Supersonic]. It had no eyes, so it used echolocation. During our first fight against them, Sekh reacquired [Power Strike], a single attack that used mana to build up strength to unleash a devastating blow.


    The bats were no match for her raw strength once I restrained them with my webs, and they were awfully prevalent. They continued pestering us when we came to the boss¡¯s chambers, but we didn¡¯t try to fight them without being sufficiently prepared.


    After assimting a Lesser Scatter Bat, I used the skill against a goblin. It was stunned, crying out while covering its ears.


    It was a shame it didn¡¯t see its deathing.


    But [Supersonic] was handy to control the flow of battle. It paired great with [Fireball], which I managed to level up twice this week. It grew more powerful and malleable, but that was the limit without [Mana Language]. I still couldn¡¯t charge and use it multiple times back-to-back because my mana was still weak, so I mainly relied on the spear I had made when I first met Sekh. Even if it was durable, it eventually broke on me, and I used Yaekira¡¯s daggers until I had a chance to go to the forge with Irisa and make a recement spear out of metal.


    That took a couple hours, but because I had given a good amount of iron ore to Irisa, I had to mine some more. The dungeon used mana to regenerate its resources, so until it disappeared, iron would always be found within the Mines of Gamor.


    However, something felt...odd. In my world, and I had only just remembered this little fact while working with Irisa, melting iron until it was molten was how you created castiron. It wasn¡¯t the best material for weapons since they were brittle and prone to break. Cast iron wasmonly used for cooking pans and decoration, and it wasn¡¯t the easiest thing to melt them back into ingots to try again. Too much would be lost in the process. Tilde, the ever-loveable teacher, pushed a pair of invisible sses on her nose and exined. The reason was the element of mana, which did not exist in my world. It gave metal new properties they wouldn¡¯t have otherwise had. So, the iron we collected and used could have been called miron, which stood for ¡®Mana Iron.¡¯ But the system of this world, when I used [Analysis] on it, referred to it as ¡®iron.¡¯ It was a small detail to know, and I was happy to have this mystery solved.


    This opportunity, though, gave me the excuse to make my own stone pickaxe, which was carved stone crudely wrapped around a wooden handle I had witted out of a sizable chunk of wood I bought from Ichiha. My webs were extremely sticky, so I used that insteadof string or cloth. It worked well. Even if they were weak, [Artificer¡¯s Arsenal] allowed me to summon as many copies as I wanted, so that was moot.


    But as for the actual forging process of the spearhead, it still wasn¡¯t as good as anything Irisa could make. My edges were wonky, I didn¡¯t leave it in the oil long enough to harden, and the shaft I had carved from wood had a slight edge, but it was <i>progress</i>. The weapon worked wonders for what I needed it for. In fact, the wonkiness of it all led me to discover a new technique. If I connected a little bit of string to the spear before throwing it at an enemy, I could retract my web to return it to me. By repeating it over again, and if it didn¡¯t break, I always had something to attack with. In situations where goblins, spiders, or those bats cut the string, I brought out Yaekira¡¯s daggers and threw those. It didn¡¯t matter if those were swatted aside or thrown away because I could recall them with my mana.


    I didn¡¯t want to rely on the ceremonial weapons more than I needed to because finding someone to maintain such gorgeously crafted instruments of death cost an arm and leg. Irisa refused when I asked her because she didn¡¯t trust her ability to give my weapons the care they deserved.


    I still wanted to make a mace and shield for Sekh, but I wanted to be more adept at the process before taking on that task. She was quite happy with borrowing a mace, and Ichiha wasn¡¯t upset at Sekh using the merchandise because she knew she would make a lot of money once she sold the shirts. Still, I feltbad because I knew Sekh was extremely cheerful when I offered to make her equipment.


    Six days after I told Sekh I loved her, I vocalized my crafting worries. We were cuddling after a round of sex when she straddled my waist, held my cheeks within her hands, and asked me what was wrong because I seemed kinda out of it. She just listened while Iined about my test attempts to make her mace. If it wasn¡¯t deformed, it was warped and lopsided. Sometimes, I hit too hard and couldn¡¯t fix it, leading me to scrap it and start again. ¡°You¡¯re doing the best you can, Master. I¡¯m proud of your efforts,¡± she whispered into my ear afterying her chest against mine. I wrapped my hands around her back and moved them to her supple ass. She was soft all over, and Sekh ate up my affectionate rubbing and returned it by pressing her lips against mine.


    Gods, she was so pretty. When Sekh leaned up after the kiss, I canceled my night vision to witness her beauty when only the gorgeous moonlight was there to illuminate her in a lovely glow. Her gray skin was softer than silk¡ªher hands as warm and asfortable as liquid gold.


    ¡°Sekh?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± She looked down at my face with a smile, her hands still cupped around my cheeks.


    ¡°If I were to start sewing, would you wear what I make?¡± She nodded. ¡°Even if I made underwear or dresses? I know you don¡¯t like them¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll wear, use, and eat whatever you make, Master. I trust you with all my heart.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that. Sekh, I love you,¡± I whispered. We just had sex not even ten minutes ago, but I couldn¡¯t remainid when I had someone like Sekh in front of me. Leaning up, I cupped my lips around her waiting nipples and sucked to my heart¡¯s content. My hands squeezed and massaged her breasts, fondling them all over.


    ¡°I love you too, Master,¡± Sekh replied, rubbing my hair affectionately while trying to stifle her moans so as to not wake up Tilde. We ended the night carving our desires into the other¡¯s body, eventually climaxing in a tender embrace where she hugged me tightly against her chest as her scent lured me to a deep slumber.


    <hr>


    The next afternoon, Sekh, Tilde, and I were sitting at the kitchen table to exin the strange sight we saw earlier in the dungeon. Irisa and Ichiha listened close while waiting for a pot of water on the stove to boil.


    ¡°Wait, so you saw a blue cyclops? That half-breed? The same one you mentioned before?¡±


    I answered Irisa. ¡°Yeah. She was in rough shape, with blisters and gashes down her arms. Her face had bits of flesh missing. Even her ears were mutted, and she was malnourished, too. But then new wounds appeared on her, and she was sitting alone near the back of the lobby.¡±


    ¡°Like a drunk, she started chugging potions like it was going out of style,¡± Tilde added. ¡°But her HP barely regenerated.¡±


    Sekh finished us off. ¡°We encountered Gloria¡¯s Soul Warrior. She took a goblin¡¯s spear to her unarmored chest, but there was no damage. Her hammer channeled lightning and fire to fill the chamber, but she just walked through the mes as if they weren¡¯t there. But when we left, the Cyclops had a hole in her chest. And her legs were charred to a crisp like charcoal. Her eye had these burn marks around them. The potions were doing...<i>something</i>, but they weren¡¯t doing much other than keeping her half-dead.¡±


    ¡°Oh my¡­ How sickening.¡± Ichiha covered her mouth.


    ¡°It just gets worse. ck bumps, scabs, cuts, and burns? Seemed like she had a broken wrist because she couldn¡¯t lift the potions. Even her tail was gone, and most of the scales she had thest time I saw her looked like they had been plucked off with a knife or something. It¡¯s just a splotch of red flesh where they used to be,¡± I said, taking a sip of my water.


    I was going to kill Noelia. The reason wasn¡¯t as admirable as saving someone in need because I didn¡¯t give two shits about that one-eyed half-breed. No, assimting Noelia would grant me power and SP. If I was hopeful, I¡¯d progress in the [Soul Armatization] skill. And denying Gloria a Soul Warrior wouldn¡¯t hurt, either. I¡¯d never met her before, but I knew her death would be by my hands. She was probably a rotten woman, but one with power befitting a Holy Lord. If I could acquire that, I¡¯d be in much better shape to take on Meruria.


    We chatted for a few more minutes, and Ichiha asked us to pick some peppers while she sprinkled herbs in the pot of water. It wasn¡¯t quite night, but it was a pleasant early evening. Especially when the ocean breeze cooled everything down. It was a nice walk filled with lovely chatter, and I honestly couldn¡¯tin about anything. I wanted to believe that life could be simple...


    But it wasn¡¯t. Life was never simple. It always had a hundred different obstacles it could throw at you if it felt like your life had been too easy. The ball thrown by reality curved at thest second, choosing to strike Irisa right in her astonished face.


    ¡°Dad?!?! What¡­ What¡¯re you doing here¡­?¡± she asked, shocked when we returned to the kitchen. I heard a man¡¯s voice when walking up the stairs, but I didn¡¯t think much of it. Ididn¡¯t think to see a green-skinned oni, whose clothes seemed like they were plucked from under a pile of horse shit in how filthy they were.


    <i>Huh? There¡¯s no smell?</i>


    He was a foot taller than Irisa, with thicker,rger horns that sprouted from his forehead. His arms and legs looked powerful and muscr. In his current appearance, he looked more suited to being a thug than an intellectual.


    ¡°Irisa¡­¡± Irisa¡¯s father slowly moved, her mother lightly biting her lip as if she didn¡¯t know what to say.


    She didn¡¯t seem to be in pain. There wasn¡¯t any sign of domestic abuse or assault. Nothing was thrown or damaged.[Analysis] didn¡¯t report any injuries, either.


    ¡°Get out¡­¡± Irisa¡¯s response failed to contain daughterly affection. Her father remained as still as a cier, and she raised her voice. ¡°GET OUT!!! GET OUT!!!! YOU RUINED OUR LIVES!!!! LEAVE!!!!!¡± I¡¯d never seen her so angry before. Her tender tones were soft and excitable, but she held so much malice.


    ¡°Irisa! Stop it!¡± shouted Ichiha. She ran to hug her daughter, but she struggled against the embrace and broke free.


    ¡°Mom! He raped a little girl! That man isn¡¯t my father!!!! JUST GET OUT!!¡± Irisa broke free and started to throw the peppers at her father, who didn¡¯t move. She dashed to the table and threw tes, shattering them against his head and shoulder, drawing blood that raced down his verdant skin. Hetook it all, and her mother was too stunned to act. After running out of tes, she ran for the man that destroyed her life and kicked and punched until she fell unconsciously from an overindulgence in rarely used emotions.


    Kokan took her beatings with nary a grunt or flinch. With a calm face and non-violent demeanor, he lifted his daughter. ¡°There¡¯s been a misunderstanding, hasn¡¯t there? If you raped that girl, Ichiha wouldn¡¯t have let you back in,¡± Tilde said. She buzzed around Irisa, cing a small hand on her still cheek. ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯ve seen many sick bastards in my life, but you aren''t one of them.¡±


    If you were found guilty by a judge-- even if you were actually innocent-- a title rted to that crime would be forcibly attached to you. It would remain for as long as you lived out your punishment. When that was over, the title didn¡¯t disappear. It just unequipped itself while forever following you like a shadow. When someone used a Scan Stone, criminal-rted titles appeared¡ªeven if they were ¡®expired.¡¯ I used [Analysis], and Kokan was innocent, just like when I scanned him a few weeks ago when he followed Irisa and me to the market.


    If he had raped that girl, he would have had something, but he didn¡¯t. Clearly, someone had set him up or falsified evidence. Why go that far if you weren¡¯t going to go all the way and ruin his lifepletely?


    But it wasn''t that simple. Although this world was fairly rigid in how the system ruled, Tilde once exined to me that it was flexible enough to, while not supporting corruption, had enough freedom for corruption to thrive.


    There were three tiers of ''judgement,'' as Tilde liked to put it.


    The first was those with a [Judge] title. They would hear both sides of a story and decree their ruling. This was the mostmon, and although they were supposed to be impartial and neutral, they could be bribed. Mortals were inherently wed, and Karen had enough money to bribe almost any judge within Dirge to rule in their favor.


    The second was being judged by a jury of your peers. They would hear both sides of a case, deliberate amongst themselves during a recess, and each member would vote guilty or not guilty. Juries could only be formed by a judge. It was harder to bribe a group than a single person, but everyone had their price. The only way to get a truly impartial judgement was with Arbitrators.


    Arbitrators were simr to the supreme court from my world. Within the family of [Judge] titles, [Arbitrator] and [High Arbitrator] were the hardest and most difficult to get, with only one person in the world capable of holding thetter. Arbitrators receive a skill called [Truth Field], which makes it impossible to lie within it, including the Arbitrator themself. If one went against the truth and acted in defiance of justice, their title would be stricken from their person. A retrieval group from Aquanis, the only country in the world with the authority to train those who wish to be Arbitrators, would hunt the traitorous Arbitrator and force them to stand trial. The one person with [High Arbitrator], as Tilde said it was written in the Kingdom of Aquanis''s judicial code, would be solely responsible for the traitor''s fate, which often ended in execution.


    If an Arbitrator supervised this incident, things would''ve been different. But you couldn''t force one to take a case. You could send in a request, but the final decision came from the Arbitrator, who decided what cases they would take.


    ¡°Kokan¡­ My dear husband did not do what that detestable witch imed he did,¡± Ichiha spat venom out of her gentle mouth, lowering her voice and narrowing her eyes, as was a trait of the fearsome Oni when pissed off. Sekh and I helped clean while Kokan put his daughter on the bed she and her mom slept on. Then he stood beside his wife and rubbed her back.


    ¡°Tell me what happened,¡± I said.


    Ichiha looked at her husband. After clearing her throat, she spoke slowly with a wavering voice that only got stronger the more she continued.


    Fifteen years ago, Kokan received an offer to teach at a new academy the guild had built in Ria because it was a growing hot spot. The vige, as it was at the time, rapidly grew into a key distribution and shipping hub with its efficient harbors and easy ess to raw materials. Ichiha, who was already an established merchant with a promising reputation, was happy toe along with her husband. She had nned to create a new store, and her daughter was jumping at the chance to sell her crafting products. And that was after she danced for joy when learning about Smithy¡¯s Corner, which was also in its infancy.


    Really, all three were more than happy to make the long trip from Dirge¡¯s capital. In five short years, Ichiha¡¯s store grew by leaps and bounds. She was charismatic and excelled in assuring her customers left happy and content. With so much sess, she was approved for a loanto move her shop to a building in the city''s town square.


    For the following few years, things were going swimmingly. Ichiha''s profits kept increasing, and it seemed like there was no end in sight.


    Until Karen Bary moved to the city.


    The Barys was a famous family from the capital¡ªone that carried fame, power, and status¡ªand had close ties with Dirge¡¯s Holy Lord.But Karen herself was reclusive. She was rarely seen in public, but she also started a store once after settling down and paid employees handsomely to take care of everything. Her daughter, Erin, transferred to Kokan¡¯s ss a week after her mother¡¯s shop was set up.


    At some point, ording to Ichiha and Kokan, Karen eyed the store they owned. And she wanted it badly. The reasons were there, I mean. The city square held the most foot traffic. And in the summer, when people ventured to Ria to enjoy its beautifulnd and crystal-clear waters, it was all but assured shops located there would earn the most money. Tourism was a profitable business in my world, and it seemed the same here.


    After failing to buy them out, Karen resorted to crime, yet the shop endured and grew strong through arson and robbery. The final choice Karen could use was public opinion. Even if it was rampant in the homes of nobles and the rich, everyone ¡®said¡¯ pedophilia was horrible to protect their image.


    And that worked very well. The official story was that Kokan used his power to sexually abuse Karen¡¯s daughter.


    That did not happen.


    ¡°I was leaving the ssroom,¡± Kokan said. His woundswere already healed. His voice was deep and masculine, like the purr of a deep violin. ¡°Erin stopped me. She waited until we were alone to talk. Then the door mmed shut, Erin screamed, and her personal guards rushed in. I took a paralysis baton to the back of the head. Secondster, I woke with enchanted chains sped on my arms and legs.¡±


    ¡°To keep my husband from a fate far worse than prison, we gave Karen everything... I could only hide a little bit of money.¡± Ichiha finished the story. I¡¯d never seen her so upset before. I¡¯d always known her as the strong mother to a stronger daughter, but this weaker side that I emotionally looked up to?


    It was like I was finally meeting the real her.


    I stood from the chair I had sat in after cleaning, stretched my arms, and sighed. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell this to Irisa?¡±


    Ichiha nodded. ¡°We did, but our little angel doesn¡¯t believe us.¡±


    ¡°It hurts so much to be hated by my precious daughter,¡± Kokan whispered. He formed a fist and hit his knee, doing his best not to cry as his face scrunched up.


    He looked likethe type of guy who wore his heart on his sleeve. Kokan always had an eye on his daughter. She didn¡¯t know he was watching that closely. Spying more like it, but I thought that was excusable.


    My friendship with Irisa led him to believe he could return to his daughter¡¯s life.He saw her smiling andughing more than he ever remembered, so he took a chance.


    And it failed.


    Did I believe Kokan?


    Yes, I did. And Sekh did too. Tilde also believed the used man was not guilty of his supposed crime. I knew fake crying and remorse when I saw it because that was how my ¡®family¡¯ made me feel like shit. I knew all the little secrets and methods, but Kokan didn¡¯t exhibit them. His tears were genuine as the affection I held for his daughter. The way he carried Irisa to her room was an example of how a father should act.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say, but I know what to do. This conversation you three need to have doesn¡¯t involve me. My being here might make it worse. Ah, Ichiha, how much¡ª¡±


    ¡°I kept my word, dear. Anything about your situation wille from your mouth, not mine. But you can trust my husband,¡± Ichiha said. She kissed Kokan¡¯s cheek and rubbed it.


    ¡°I will not press you because I know the value of secrecy. My word doesn¡¯t mean much these days, but my daughter is an excellent judge of character. She would not have cried over you if you did not deserve her tears.¡± He held out a hand, then realizing its filth, took it back. But I walked into the handshake, giving him a powerful nod. There was just something about his gaze. His eyes. The power in his muscles matched my own.


    ¡°M, we would still like you to stay here.¡±


    I smiled and hugged Ichiha, thanking her again for her kindness while searching my map for a ce we could kill time. ¡°We¡¯ll be at that bar down the street to give you some time to talk to Irisa,¡± I said when I found something interesting on my map.


    Ichiha and her husband nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll have a talk with Irisa when she wakes up. I pray that my little girl will be more receptive. I can¡¯t stand us not being a family anymore¡­ It¡¯s hard enough that my darling and I barely see each other, but¡­¡± She started to cry again, letting her heart¡¯s emotion pour from her eyes.


    My ¡®mother¡¯ would have died a thousand times over before showing me a shred of love. I knew it wasn¡¯t easy for Irisa, but I hoped she would see reason. I liked to gauge myself as an appraisal of character. From pure bodynguage alone, Kokan looked fine. The telltale sign of a sociopathic serial liar who talked about being a changed man wasn¡¯t there.


    Regardless, that was Kokan¡¯s story, and while I believed him, I still felt there was more to it. A regr person wouldn¡¯t automatically turn to arson, thievery, and even pedophilic and sexual assault false charges to get a better spot, right? The Barys was an influential family with solid connections to the Holy Lord that led this country. Surely, she could¡¯ve convinced Ichiha to move or sell, or the family, if they were as rich as I thought them to be, could afford to just buy a building next to Ichiha¡¯s shop and transfer her store there.


    There were nonviolent ways to get what Karen desired, yet she chose the nuclear option. If it had backfired, her family¡¯s reputation would have gone down the gutter.


    Then again, did there have to be a reason? Some people were naturally unstable. Mental diseases could be helped with medicine or therapy, but a world like this probably didn¡¯t have much in that department.


    Or was I the crazy one for trying to unwrap this mystery?


    Despite all that, I still believed in Kokan¡¯s innocence. There were good people in the world, and I wanted to believe he was one of them.

 Chapter Thirty-One: The Noelia Carpenter Story (R-18) – Part One

    Chapter Thirty-One: The Noelia Carpenter Story (R-18) ¨C Part One


    When I arrived in Ria, the Dusty Bowl did not exist. It pretty much sprang up overnight. The rustic atmosphere and swinging doors looked like they were plucked from an old western saloon. It would be right at home as a ce where gunslingers would drink their worries away at night. I was almost expecting some gun-toting cowboy to stomp in and challenge someone to a duel at high noon. It was awfully smoky, though, like walking through fog machines.


    <i>Cigars and cigarettes are everywhere.</i>


    Sekh, Tilde, and I were at an empty booth a few feet away from the bar counter. One person sat there, and we did not want to get involved with her because I had ns to eventually kill her.


    Noelia Carpenter mmed a tankard of booze down and shouted for another one. The barkeep was a Goatfolk. It almost looked like he wanted to ram those horns up her annoying ass.


    <i>Those horns look cool.</i>


    When he brought another mug filled with a brown liquid to that bitch, an elf barmaid with a tiny skirt and low-cut top walked over. I ordered honey ale for Sekh and me, with Tilde sharing mine.


    ¡°Master, it is with great regret that I must inform you of this. Due to your circumstances, you will never know what it is like to wake up naked in a drunken haze while wondering who the hell you fuckedst night.¡± Tilde whimpered and rubbed her arm across her forehead. It honestly looked like she was about to cry.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good thing! How many times has that happened to you?¡±


    <i>I suppose she¡¯s talking about [Poison Resistance]. Alcohol is technically a poison. But there¡¯s an [Alcohol Resistance] skill as well. I can probably still get drunk, but it¡¯ll take a while.</i>


    ¡°Eh, enough until it became something like a yearly tradition. Seriously, don¡¯t kink shame. I did it to trap this one cute fairy into bing my manservant for a decade. Oh, he was a foolish man but a gentle lover. The things he did with his hands... Oh, Master, you could learn a thing or three from him.¡± Tilde crossed her arms and put a palm to her cheek, looking up as if she was daydreaming.


    I just sighed and casually chatted with Sekh until the barmaid returned with our cups. I paid her 20 copper and took a sip after correcting Tilde that I could still get drunk if I went too hard. The honey was a soft fruitiness that onlyplimented the earthly, almost grassy bitterness that lingered on the tongue. It was smooth going down my throat, and I was a fan of my first alcoholic drink. Tilde drank through a fairy-sized straw the barmaid had brought.


    ¡°It¡¯s delicious, Master. Thank you,¡± Sekh said, smiling. ¡°I don¡¯t remember thest time I drank for fun¡­ It¡¯s been so long.¡± Her eyes were listlessly focusing on the past, but I didn¡¯t know which life she reminisced about.


    <i>I hope it¡¯s a good memory.</i>


    ¡°Damn, it¡¯s been a hot minute since I had anything this good. Oh, just know that I had ss. I was the fairy the other girls wanted to be. I¡¯m not amon whore.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh. If you say so,¡± I replied, lifting the cup to my lips. In seconds, I found myself smiling, genuinely enjoying this rustic atmosphere filled with so much character. It didn¡¯t take long for Noelia to act out. She mmed her fists down and demanded someone to start ying the guitar.


    That got me thinking, and I asked Sekh about musical instruments. She and Tilde told me this world had pianos, violins, and other acoustic instruments. Music then became the topic of discussion as a broad, tall monster of a Bullfolk took off to the stage in the corner and picked up the nearby acoustic guitar.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a favorite genre,¡± I said as he started to tune the guitar. When he was satisfied, he began to y something that was right at home in an old-timey western.


    ¡°Not a fan of rap? Or R&B? What about that ¡®Wu-Tang¡¯ thingie I saw in your memories? They seemed cool.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯d you see that at? They were long dead before I was born, I think.¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­ I think the news was ying on TV. ¡®Wu-Tang¡¯ just sounded so cool it became stuck in my mind,¡± Tilde replied. She took her straw and ced it in Sekh¡¯s mug. Sekh picked the fairy up and gently tossed her away. ¡°Come on! You don¡¯t need any more alcohol to go to your tits!!!¡± she whined when her wings stabilized her.


    ¡°This is mine,¡± Sekh calmly replied and ced both arms on the table, her mug behind them. She nced at my face, and a cute blush warmed her cheeks. She asked if she could have another one, and I didn¡¯t mind. I pointed to a walking barmaid and ordered four more mugs, but before I finished¡­


    ¡°Bitch? Hahahaha! You got more balls than anyone here. That¡¯s good. I was beginning to think this ce was full of pussies. Hey, check this out!¡± Suddenly, Noelia started sprouting some bullshit, and everyone looked confused because she was talking to <i>herself</i>. Even the Bullfolk stopped ying, his beautiful, rustic tune with a twangy charming to an immediate halt.


    The deranged Soul Warrior turned around and threw her cup as hard as she could, hitting a Cowfolk in the head, breaking four teeth. Her malepanion drew his sword, but that was all he did. ¡°Make one goddamn move, and I¡¯ll have Lord Gloria tear you a new asshole. You don¡¯t want to hurt her precious Soul Warrior, do you?¡± she asked as two lightly armored men walked out of the shadow.


    One had the beastly face of a tiger, and the other had the head of an alligator.<i> Ah, that¡¯s right. Some Beastfolk lean towards their bestial side with more pronounced animal-like traits. I wonder if that¡¯s the reason behind Sekh¡¯s fur being so fluffy and soft? Other Lionfolk doesn''t seem to have as much as her.</i>


    A quick use of [Analysis] revealed they had the title [Soul Warrior''s Attendant]. They were Lv. 14, twice that of Noelia, but they didn¡¯t seem to have that manybat skills. It was almost like they were attendants first and guards second, so maybe taking care of Noelia was their primary job?


    ¡°Hahahahaha! See? They¡¯re too fucking afraid. In Texas, you had to fight your own battles without relying on your mama and daddy. I guess you just don¡¯t have any balls. The men around here are so pathetic that they can¡¯t even hang with a real woman. Hey! ANOTHER ROUND! Hurry up, you goat fucker!¡±


    <i>Texas? She¡¯s from the United States. But which world? The one I came from?</i>


    ¡°Huh¡­ The crazy bitch¡¯s a wild one, huh?¡± Tilde asked. She flew to my shoulders. ¡°There ain¡¯t no one there, yet she¡¯s losing it. She¡¯s three sheets to the wind.¡±


    ¡°Lord Gloria told me fairies were docile and afraid. Shit, if you were back in my world, you¡¯d probably fuck the whole bunkhouse. That¡¯s the kinda ¡®ss¡¯ you have. Instead of diamonds and pearls, it¡¯s twenty bucks and a bottle of nat light.¡±


    <i>Did she work on a ranch? Or did she own one?</i>


    Tilde looked at me with utter confusion that I was at a loss for words. It looked like Noelia imagined she was talking to a fairy, yet¡­


    No one was there.


    ¡°Nope, I took after my daddy and worked the ranch. What about you? You got one dirty mouth on you. Wait¡­ Buckle bunny? You from the Lone Star?¡±


    A couple of seconds passed by.


    ¡°What? Oh my god! We gotta swap stories. Goat fucker, keep the boozeing and do not fucking stop. You the owner of this fairy?¡± The Goatfolk bartender just nkly stared. He turned to Noelia¡¯s guards, who shrugged and offered an ufortable smile.


    I used my map¡¯s satellite mode to hear what they were saying¡ªor to see if they were talking, and they were. Noelia getting drunk enough to make a fool of herself in this bar, which Gloria had made for her, was something she did very often. It annoyed her attendants, but they were still sworn to protect her with their lives. Going against that would not be a good idea.


    ¡°Then it¡¯s your lucky fucking day. Drink as much as you want on me.¡± Noelia took out five gold coins and mmed them down when my map returned to normal. When the bartender refused to take the coins, Noelia snatched him by the horns and stated that her money was legal tender for all debts, public or private, within Dirge. Again, he looked to the guards, and once they calmed her, the Goatfolk took the coins and dished out drinks to people that weren¡¯t there.


    I wasn¡¯t nning on witnessing a show with my drinking, but I wasn¡¯t going toin. Noelia drowned her drinks one after the other. Part of me hoped she would keel over and die from alcohol poisoning, but I knew I wasn¡¯t that lucky. She somehow avoided all damage, but I didn''t know if alcohol was considered damage.


    Noelia ranted about ranching and cowboying because she missed her home. Then she opened up, saying she didn¡¯t have a good rtionship with her fellow Soul Warriors because themon ground wasn¡¯t there.


    They believed her to be a hillbilly redneck with no ss, and she thought they had less backbone than a pair of soiled panties. Noelia apparently bitched at Gloria about not having a ce to remind her of home, so that was how the Dusty Bowl came into existence. Before it was built, she stayed at the fanciest inn in Ria. Now? She had a master bedroom on the third floor.


    It was something like that, I think. And I was kinda far away. With the tender, sultry music from the guitarist, the overall general atmosphere, and her ent, it was hard to make it all out.


    As for her life? She was the daughter of a rancher in Texas that pushed cattle and horses. She was a carpenter by trade. Thest name and weapon choice made sense. Construction and repair were what she enjoyed, and she often stayed in the bunkhouses she built with the wranglers her father hired. She swore up and down she could rope and ride with the best of men.


    Noelia was allughs as she downed her 16th mug of ale, replying to something about¡­whores? ¡°If you want a real whore, head on upstairs. I got a freaky blue bitch with one eye and some nasty scales working for me. Lord Gloria gave her to me to use as I see fit. Since I desire money for my own ranch, I figured she used that ugly body to make those that are uglier feel better about themselves. That bitch''ll suck cock and eat pussy if you pay me. Pay more, and she¡¯ll fuck you with that pecker she has. God made men to be men and women to be women. She¡¯s one of those gross half-breed trannies, but money is money, so I turn the other cheek like a good Christian.¡±


    <i>Like a good Christian? Ugh, that¡¯s disgusting.</i>


    She turned in her chair and looked out at the room, disgust filling her face as Sekh, Tilde, and I avoided her piercing gaze, then turned back. ¡°Seems like everyone in here has fucked her at some point. It kinda reminds me of my mama¡¯s funeral.¡±


    Noelia went quiet, broke her mug out of frustration, and demanded another one. ¡°Why did I have toe here? I had a boyfriend and family. I had a job I loved. I made good money selling the furniture I built. I had friends to shoot the shit with on Saturday night that I saw in church the next day. I was surrounded by the things I¡¯vee to love, and now I¡¯m stranded here? This ce ain¡¯t no home for someone like me. It¡¯s boring. I can¡¯t watch football on the TV. There are no trucks or quads. This fucking ce sucks.


    ¡°The beer ain¡¯t nothing like how it was back home. I miss my daddy. Hell, if I could look at my mama¡¯s grave onest time. Or if I could ride Blue Thunder around the pastures¡­ Oh, don¡¯t know why I¡¯m saying that cause it ain¡¯t like there are any mustangs here. The best damn horse there ever was or ever will be is left all alone¡­ I don¡¯t have nothing here¡­ You fucking people don¡¯t understand being stolen away from everything you ever have. And why? To fight for some bitch that ¡®luckily¡¯ summoned you? It¡¯s all bullshit, you know? There ain¡¯t no luck involved.¡±


    Somewhere, the atmosphere became heavy and serious. Noelia didn¡¯t have that fakeugh, and she stopped shouting about every little thing. It seemed her true feelings were about to emerge.


    ¡°What if you were teleported from here to the United States? We don¡¯t have magic or leveling. We can¡¯t shoot lighting from a hammer. You¡¯d be surrounded by things you couldn¡¯t understand. Skyscrapers, helicopters, cars, nes, warships, cellr devices,puters, the goddamn inte? And your friends and family? Just say fucking goodbye to all of them. How fucking stupid was I to think this was all just a dream. I¡¯m tired of waking up to see my goddamn name in the corner of my vision. Damn you for summoning me, you fucking bitch... It¡¯s too fucking hot¡­ I want to go back home...¡±


    After mming her tankard down, Noelia removed her shirt and went topless. Her perky olive-colored breasts were drenched with the booze that never made it down her throat. She wasn¡¯t naked, though. She had her pants, boots, and arm and knee pads, but she bared her tits to all who wanted to see.


    ¡°Eh, yours are better, Master,¡± Tilde said, poking my nipples through my clothes. ¡°Got a nicer color on them. Good job, you¡¯re bustier than someone chick from Texas. How¡¯s about getting another round to celebrate?¡±


    I motioned for the elf barmaid and ordered three more. ¡°I apologize for her behavior, High Blessing. I hope it isn¡¯t too much,¡± she said, lightly bowing her head and folding her hands over herp.


    <i>High Blessing? Ah, I¡¯m a High Elf. That¡¯s right. </i>I said it was no big deal, giving her 1 silver as an added tip for putting up with that stupid fucking bitch.


    I could not wait to end her life and take her power.


    Noelia only stopped drinking when her two attendants approached. She looked at them, loudly groaned that the police were here, and poured the remaining contents of herst mug over her body while taunting them to suck the booze from her tits.


    Her brow was so sweaty it was like cement glued her ck hair to it. Her eyes drooped and couldn¡¯t open all the way. Her whole body smelled of alcohol. At some point, she took off her pants and panties. I was sure she was drunk. Alcohol affected her, but why? Was the drunkenness passed through to the cyclops? If so, was she drunk? If she was, could there be a limit to how much ¡®damage¡¯ she could sponge for Noelia? There were a lot of questions, and I didn¡¯t have many answers.


    ¡°Master, cheers!!!¡± Sekh said, grabbing her mug when the barmaid returned with the drinks. I thought she would have walked away, but she didn¡¯t. She caught me off guard by asking if I wanted her to service me. Dazed and confused, I went into my map¡¯s satellite mode and scrolled around the upper floors.


    Yep. It was a brothel. Of the 15 rooms I investigated on the 2nd floor, all were used for sex by women who wore the same outfit as the sultry barmaid that gave me a peek.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t require any servicing,¡± I replied, finding it ufortable that she was literally going to crawl under the table and blow me.


    ¡°As you wish. Should you change your mind, you will find me here.¡± The elf walked away with a wry smile, shaking her hips while giving me a glimpse at her ck panties. She ¡®identally¡¯ dropped the tter she used to carry drinks and bent right over without bending her knees. She looked back with a warm nce, then continued her way.


    ¡°Eh? If you wanted some elf pussy, you should have said so. They got rooms upstairs, right? Just have her put on a blindfold or put a bucket or bag over her head and go to town.¡± Tilde teased me, but I couldn¡¯t reply because Sekh rubbed her flushed cheeks against mine.


    ¡°Master, I wuv you!!! Hahaha!!!¡± she said with cheerfulughter that evolved into a giggling session. ¡°I¡¯m touching you!!! Hahaha!!! Touchy touchy!!! Rubby rubby!!!¡±


    She was drunk.


    Totally drunk.


    But definitely adorable and cute. What I felt from looking at Sekh was nothing like when I stared at that elf. She wasn¡¯t ugly by any means. I¡¯d go as far as to say she was rather attractive and pretty, but I just couldn¡¯t see myself getting an erection if I wanted to have sex with her. Even if I could, I only wanted to fuck Sekh.


    I massaged her ears, and she was attached to me like glue. When I stopped, she kissed me on the cheek and giggled into my shoulder as if it was the funniest thing in the world. She took another sip, but some of the ale dribbled down her chin. I took the liberty of licking it clean for her while I yed with her fluffy tail.


    When I looked back at Noelia, she was passed out on the bar counter with her legs spread wide open. A momentter, she pissed herself, causing a room full of groans to sound out. Those two attendants did their best to cover and clean her, and many patrons left in a hurry.


    Yeah, it was about that time. Sekh, Tilde, and I joined them because smelling urine was thest thing I wanted to do.


    ¡°Have you done that before?¡± I asked Tilde. It was 11:33 PM, and we were minutes away from home. The night sky and cool atmosphere were pleasant. I took a deep breath, smelling the salt in the wind since the ocean was right near us.


    ¡°What? Pass out drunk, naked, and piss everywhere? Maybe I have, and maybe I haven¡¯t. A girl''s gotta have ss. Noelia? Yeah, she doesn¡¯t. Hey, use satellite mode to spy on them.¡±


    ¡°ss? That''s the furthest thing from ssy behavior,¡± I replied, using my map to spy on Noelia. She was up and about, but she actively fought against her handlers¡¯ attempts to wrap her with a towel while the remaining patrons cheered on the show. From how she spoke, it was clear that she missed her life before being summoned. Those thoughts,bined with the outrageous amount of alcohol she drank, were a disastrousbination.


    I ryed what I saw to Tilde, but not after searching for those with the title [Soul Warrior¡¯s Attendant] and marking those four and Noelia with waypoints. I wanted to keep track of them.


    ¡°We gotta kill her, right?¡± Tilde flew to my shoulders and sat down, her eyes staring at Sekh, who totally relied on me for support. We had our hands around each other as she almost struggled to walk. But she was happy and smiling and giggling, so I didn¡¯t mind it.


    ¡°I wuv you!!! Maaaaasterrrr!!!! Wuv me back!!! Touchy!!! Hahaha, I got your nose!!!!¡± Sekh drunkenly said, interrupting us. I couldn¡¯t hold in myughter. Kissing her on the cheek, she started giggling andughing, then tripped over nothing and clung to me for safety while smiling like the world was about to end.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± I replied. ¡°I would¡¯ve never guessed a drunk Sekh would act like this.¡±


    ¡°Better start thinking,¡± said Tilde. ¡°It isn¡¯t going to be easy. Ole Big Tits sure is funny when she¡¯s shitfaced. A thousand years ago, the curse forced her to fly into a drunken rage whenever she drank. Without the curse? Well, for better or worse, this is what you get.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better. Way, way, way better this way. She¡¯s just so cute and funny. Haha, I wuv you too, Sekh.¡±


    We walked the rest of the way with idle chatter and returned to the shop, but the door was still unlocked. Ichiha, in her robe, was sitting behind the counter as if she was expecting us. She held a finger to her mouth, locked the door, and whispered for us to quietlye upstairs. Sekh was in a frisky mood, though. After a strong kiss, she became meek and docile, eventually falling asleep in my arms with the prettiest smile. I picked her up and carried my loyal Dark Lord.


    ¡°It took hours,¡± Ichiha whispered. She pointed at the sight of a daughter resting her sleeping head against her father¡¯s shoulder while sitting on the couch that wasn¡¯t there when I left. Kokan, the massive man he was, looked up with crying eyes and a tender smile. ¡°But Irisa? She finally believes her father. M, it¡¯s been years since our family was together. I never thought this would ever happen¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d for you.¡± I hugged her the best I could since I held Sekh in my arms, but I left her alone to go to my room. By the time I closed my door, she was still standing there, hand on her robe-covered chest and crying at what she thought was the most beautiful sight in the world.


    I was happy for her¡ªfor the three of them, really. It was possible for a family to grow and repair the devastating wounds that tore them apart.


    <i>Like that would ever happen to me.</i>

 Chapter Thirty-One: The Noelia Carpenter Story (R-18) – Part Two

    Chapter Thirty-One: The Noelia Carpenter Story (R-18) ¨C Part Two


    I stripped Sekh and tucked her into bed. She woke and really, really didn¡¯t want to let me go.


    ¡°Masterrr¡­ I wuv you!!! Hehehe!!! Maaaasterrrrr¡­ I¡¯m cold¡­ Warm me up!!¡± She grabbed my hand and held it to her cheeks. My thumb brushed her lips, and her mouth epted it.


    The way she licked it was lewd... Very, very lewd.


    ¡°Let me go take a bath. I¡¯ll join you in a little bit, okay?¡± I asked, gently removing my hand from her face. She rolled to her side, rubbing her cheek on the pillow we shared.


    ¡°Hurry up¡­ Masterrr¡­¡± She patted the empty space next to her.


    Tilde spotted my erection pitching a tent in my long skirt, and she flew over to sit on it like a chair as I walked to the bathroom. Kokan must¡¯ve filled the bath for us, so I used [Fireball] to light the contraption to heat the water.


    Tilde¡¯s little hands tapped the tip of my penis when I undressed, and she asked me if I was about to jerk off.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I replied, using both hands to stroke my shaft.


    ¡°Eh? That¡¯s a waste when you¡¯ve got some nice pussy like ten feet away. In other words, why would you use the shovel when you have ess to an excavator? Doesn¡¯t make sense. Especially since you often wake up to her gobbling the shaft.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s different, and I don¡¯t have her express permission. But...¡± I looked at Sekh through the open door, but an idea sprouted in my mind as I turned back to the flying fairy. Alewd smile appeared on my lips. ¡°Why don''t you get me off?¡±


    ¡°Fuckin'' excuse me?¡± She put her hands on her hips, and I walked a step closer until my dick was right in front of her face. My cheeks feltflushed, so maybe the alcohol affected me more than I thought?


    ¡°You always talk this big game, but don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re afraid? After all, in your words, I¡¯m too small¡ª¡±


    She pped the exposed tip of my penis with both hands, pushed down, and flipped over it,nding on my shaft with her thighs squeezing it. I was too stunned by the athleticism to notice she had somehow disrobed.


    Okay, maybe she was experienced.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, babe. There¡¯s more where that came from. Just rx your ass right there and let me handle it.¡± Scooting back to where her back pressed against me, she grinded her pussy on my penis. She worked her thighs far better than I could¡¯ve imagined. Her ck wings fluttered every few seconds, and the red energy flowing through them shimmered whenever her sweet voice escaped her pursed lips. She leaned back and stared up at me.


    ¡°You¡¯re actually kinda cute like this,¡± I said. I grewharder and transfigured a pair of tiny tongues on my shaft to enjoy her taste.


    ¡°I¡¯m...always adorable...and cute...¡± Tilde moaned. ¡°Ahhhh... Damn... This...isn¡¯t...anything... Mmmnnnn...¡± Tilde¡¯s quivering body looked like a shock of electricity flowed through it. The spot she straddled immediately became warmer than usual...


    She came...


    Teasing her about it, she just growled and redoubled her efforts to get me off. She ordered me to hold out a hand. I did, and she flew to it andid on her back. It took a few seconds to understand her n, but she wanted me to jerk off while she clung to my penis like a ko hanging from a branch.


    ¡°But be careful with my wings!¡±


    And I did just that. Tilde rubbed her head against my tip, running her lovely tongue all over it. She kissed it, rubbed it, licked it, sniffed it, and as the seconds progressed to minutes of me using her body to stroke myself, she came multiple times. Even if she was upside down, she never stopped humping me. Tilde used her legs and feet to stimte my dangling testicles. As a reward, I transfigured yet another tongue to take care of her pussy. I wanted¡ªno, I actively desired to create a penis, but as hard as I tried, I couldn¡¯t make it smaller than 3¡±, which would¡¯ve split Tilde in half, considering she wasn¡¯t even a foot tall.


    But my tongue was a huge hit.


    ¡°Maaster.... Hmmmm. Goddamn... Maybe... Maybe you aren¡¯t so...small-- Ahhhhh!!! There... Keep... Licking... Mmmmmnnnnnnn!!!!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ming!!!!¡± The moment I felt my balls tense up, a stream of hot, thick semen shot from my penis, harrowingly missing Tilde¡¯s head. She just watched; her eyes and nose filled with the sight and smell of my seed. After the fifth rope, the sixth barely trickled down my cock, covering Tilde¡¯s head.She moaned and licked her lips. Both hands went to her crotch, and she only clung on by her feet. She masturbated upside down, furiously stimting her clit while the tiny tongue filled her appealing snatch.


    The strength in her legs vanished, and I caught her, but she continued to y with herself for another few seconds before her face had this blissful afterglow. She saw my yful smile, then turned over on her stomach. Looking up, she narrowed her eyes and stole nces. ¡°I-- I guess it was alright! Don¡¯t let all the blood run to this tiny-ass cock just because you *managed* to get me off. I usually charge people a billion gold to spray their spunk on my face! You¡¯re my Master, so¡ªthis time is free, yeah? But next time? You gotta pay up!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha! Sure, whatever you say...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not funny! Tiny Dick! Quick Shot!¡±


    With her still in my hand, we finally moved to the bathtub and rxed our exhausted bodies in the soothing water. ¡°You call me a quick shot, but you came more than me. Tiny Dick? Yeah, right. Says the fairy who couldn¡¯t even properly suck it.¡±


    ¡°BWHA-- Shut¡ªShut up!¡± Tilde swam away to the other side of the tub after rinsing the semen off her face, but I gently snatched her. Forcing myself to get hard, I pointed my erection at a higher angle and sat Tilde on it. ¡°H--Hey! I¡¯m not afuck toy.¡±


    ¡°I know. I just want to be close to you right now. My oh, so gracious and beautiful and smart and intelligent and incredible instructor of the most powerful system to teach the Transcendent Dark Lord would allow her lowly student that much, right?¡± I asked, ying it up.


    ¡°Hmph! I suppose it¡¯s the least I can do...¡± Tilde crossed her arms after foldingher wings, then leaned against my stomach.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good girl,¡± I whispered, patting her head.


    ¡°Damn you, Master... Any girl would be weak to this...¡± she whispered. I knew she was embarrassed, but I kept it up because I cared about Tilde. I even loved her.


    After some silence, she opened her mouth. ¡°This is our first time being alone, you know.¡±


    ¡°And? Don¡¯t tell me you dislike it.¡± I stretched my arms and legs, spreading them.


    ¡°Just pointing out the obvious, you know.¡± We talked a lot about how to kill Noelia, but it was a corridor of words with no end in sight. ¡°Can¡¯t we ambush her? Use the map to jot down her schedule, find out when she¡¯s alone, and we can spring a trap. It¡¯ll be like the Saint Valentine¡¯s Day Massacre. But you know, with far fewer guns since we just got a pistol. We just gotta cap her ass twice, and she¡¯ll be dust.¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± I replied. When Tilde asked why, I said we were too weak. It was the same deal with the monster train group. Had I the power to handle any fallout, they would have died where they stood. But killing a Soul Warrior was far different than ughtering an idiotic group. If Gloria realized it was us, she wouldn¡¯t stop until we were six feet under.


    ¡°Then what about getting in close? You know about Texas, right? And cowboying? I used to hang out with some Soul Warriors back in the day, and one of them was from Montana. They worked the Yellowstone Ranch. I think his name was Jamie or Kayce, but that¡¯s not important. Hell, I¡¯m a master of cunnilingus and a cunning linguist. I can make¡ª¡±


    ¡°No. Gloria probably has an eye on everyone who talks to Noelia. If she dies after you be her friend, you¡¯re the prime suspect. But then you¡¯ve seen with me, and I¡¯m dragged into it. I can''t do it for the same reason. She¡¯s wild. One night, she¡¯ll get drunk and probably strip me while I sleep. Boom, I¡¯m a chimera, and the news is out by the next morning. Besides, betrayal paints an ugly vor on my tongue, but I can¡¯t shy away from it.¡± I raised my hand and watched the water fall from my dark fingers, noisily sshing.


    Tilde joked that I had some limits, and I did. But just a few, and they revolved around my allies. I would not, under any circumstance, betray Sekh, Irisa, her parents, or Tilde. I just wouldn¡¯t.


    But taking advantage of my power to cause chaos from within my enemies by pretending to be one of them? Yeah, I¡¯ll do that with a smile on my face. That kind of betrayal doesn¡¯t bother me because my enemies deserve nothing less than death. Honestly? I kinda wished I could get close to Noelia and be a turncoat. A bitch like her deserves it, but it was just too risky.


    Tilde flew to my face and kissed my cheek. Her tiny hand reached up, and I touched it with my finger. ¡°I love you, Master,¡± she whispered. ¡°You know I¡¯m not the sentimental type. I¡¯ll rather fight now and fuckter, if you know what I mean, so think of this as a reward. For what? The fuck if I know. Maybe I¡¯m getting soft in my old age. I¡¯m pushing 6,000. And that¡¯s only on this reincarnation, not the ones before. I¡¯ve waited a long time for someone like you, Master.¡±


    ¡°I love you too, Tilde.¡±


    ¡°And... I¡¯m sorry... If I¡¯ve been too harsh, I mean. Remember the day morning after you fucked Big Tits? I didn¡¯t mean to be that hard on you...¡± Tilde stood on my tits and looked down, her left arm holding her right on her stomach.


    ¡°Why are you bringing it up?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I dunno... I guess I¡¯m feeling sensitive. But I¡¯m sorry, alright!? I wish I was a bit gentler.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s water under the bridge, Tilde. You didn¡¯t say those things to destroy me. You said them to build me up. To teach me how to act in the future.¡± It was adorable seeing Tilde act so bashful. We chatted a bit more when I carefully washed her body and felt how wondrously soft her ck wings were. They were pretty, too. The deep crimson running through them mesmerized my eyes. When Iplimented her on her cuteness, the old Tilde I knew very well returned and ate my praise.


    She wanted to clean me, but she was too small. Tilde settled for my dick, but it was an odd feeling when I scrubbed the soap over my chest while getting a...bodyjob?


    Whatever it was called, it managed to get me off. Tilde was washing the tip with her soapy stomach when I came. The force of my ejaction blew her away to the other side of the tub.


    ¡°Hahaha! That isn¡¯t even the first time that¡¯s happened!¡± Tildeughed. Semen clumped and When the water ran cold, we dried out soaking bodies and slipped into bed, with Tilde flying to her dresser to get under her handkerchief nket. Sekh immediately grabbed and hugged her whole body against me, even wrapping her legs around mine and almost grinding her crotch in the process. Yeah, I expected that, but what came out of her mouth surprised me.


    ¡°I love you, my liege.¡±


    <i>My liege? It¡¯s usually Master, but that¡¯s fine.</i>


    ¡°I love you, too.¡± I kissed Sekh¡¯s forehead, and I was off to sleep.

 Chapter Thirty-Two: Sparring, Stealing, & Crafting

    Chapter Thirty-Two: Sparring, Stealing, & Crafting


    When I woke up, I had a choice to make. It was important-- one that had the power to destroy my current life. I walked out of my bedroom in shorts and a shirt, not bothering to cover my mismatched arms or legs.


    Kokan¡¯s eyes went wide for a moment, then he nodded. ¡°You chose to trust me, I assume?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t really take this back now, can I?¡± I sat down beside Irisa. She wore something casual and rxing, the same as her father. ¡°Let¡¯s hope I don¡¯t regret this.¡±


    ¡°My wife has given her word. You¡¯ll always be wee here, and you¡¯ll always have a bed to sleep in.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, dad,¡± Irisa said, smiling at her father.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee, sweetheart. I have not been around a chimera before, so I¡¯m not sure how to say this... I know you needed to fight to obtain some semnce of a conscious mind, so I don¡¯t know how much you know about the world. If you have a question, please ask me. My mind is my greatest weapon.¡±


    Ichiha stood by the stove as she whisked some eggs and fried some bacon, sharing her daughter''s smile. I didn¡¯t pry into the situation more than needed, but she was on cloud nine. Their problems were fixed, so their only task was to be a family. That wasn¡¯t enough, though. I saw it in Irisa¡¯s yellow eyes. She probably felt great embarrassment for stoutly believing in her father¡¯s guilt than innocence, betraying his trust. For years, he lived with Irisa¡¯s hatred. Likewise, I doubt Irisa spared more than a handful of gentle thoughts during that time.


    She did speak almost fondly of him when we went shopping that one time. Maybe the part that wanted to believe his innocence crawled to the forefront of her mind. Perhaps it was that wayward thought that led to this reunion.


    That didn¡¯t change the fact that Irisa lost years with her father, which sprung from her own misconceptions about how he acted. A touching reunion wasn¡¯t an elixir to fix their rtionship.


    I nodded to Kokan and exined the ¡®continent¡¯ where I became sentient. His eyes grew wide at the ¡®Continental Wars¡¯ and ¡®Divine Armaments¡¯ capable of nuclear devastation and controlling hunks of metal with explosives strapped to devices that could fly without anyone at the helm. Even someone as schrly as Kokan never thought a ce so advanced and powerful could exist. The gears in his mind began to spin, and he asked me if I was telling the truth.


    Irisa scolded him for not believing me before apologizing, but Tilde said it was all the truth. She had my back and yfully argued with Kokan while I stood up, even going as far as to draw out the rough shape of a ne on a piece of paper. Breakfast was nearly finished, so I went to fetch the hungover Lionfolk. She was still in bed, hunched under the covers and groaning when I left. Tilde went hard on her this morning,ughing so much that she didn¡¯t think alcohol could bring down the Dark Lord of Tyranny.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± I said, slowly opening the door and peeking my head through.


    Sekh was finishing putting on her tunic. She seemed a little unsteady, so I walked in, wiped the hair from her eyes, and kissed her. The sweet taste of alcohol remained on her lips.


    ¡°Morning, Master. Umm¡­ Was I any trouble? Last night?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. You were pretty affectionate, always grabbing and wanting to hold me. It was cute, really cute. You were like, ¡®Master, I wuv you!!! Maaaasterrrrr!¡¯ Then after I slipped into bed, you clung to me like a pillow. Oh, you talked in your sleep and referred to me as ¡®my liege.¡¯¡±


    Sekh stared at me, not knowing whether to be horrified or embarrassed. Luckily, she chose thetter and nervously touched the tips of her fingers together. ¡°I¡­ I wuv you, Master¡­¡± she whispered, abashedly looking towards the ground as her light gray cheeks turned red.


    ¡°Haha! I wuv you too.¡±


    After hugging her, she asked me if I preferred ¡®Master¡¯ or ¡®my liege.¡¯


    ¡°You can just call me M, you know,¡± I said, brushing my hand against her cheek. ¡°¡¯My liege¡¯ makes me sound like I¡¯m royalty, but I¡¯m not. And ¡®Master¡¯ reminds me of a ve owner, and you know my feelings about that. I guess it¡¯s your choice. Anyways, how are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°Much better now. Is that breakfast? I¡¯m not hungry¡ª¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re eating. Doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re hungry or not. It¡¯ll reduce the alcohol absorption rate.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°Trust me, Sekh. You¡¯ll feel better faster.¡± Sekh gave me a nod, then joined the rest of the family at the table.


    <i>Family? I won¡¯t ever be their family. And I can¡¯t stay here forever because I have people to kill. The question is when should we leave? Tomorrow? No, that¡¯s too soon. We don¡¯t have the supplies. Wait, Kokan¡¯s an instructor. He says his mind is his greatest asset, but his weapon skills aren¡¯t anything to scoff at. If I can learn how to fight from him, I¡¯ll feel much better about my odds. Even if I¡¯m primarily a ranged fighter, I can¡¯t exactly use Reina¡¯s gun right out in the open if I can help it. I¡¯ll have to wait for the Bary¡¯s shop to open up.</i>


    <i>Hold on, that gives me an idea. Since Irisa and her parents hate the Barys, I can steal from them without feeling bad, not that I ever felt upset in the first ce. If I need any crafting supplies like thread or mushrooms and raw materials, their shop is the ce to be. I gotta save money, after all. And the Barys deserve everything rotten that happens to them.</i>


    <i>Still, I need to be self-sustaining by the time we leave Ria.</i>


    I walked back to the kitchen to see a moment that wasn¡¯t even offered to me in my previous life. A mother, a father, and a daughter. Where was the yelling? The shouting? The fighting? The chipped teeth and rotten food? The sight of a young boy being yanked out of his chair by a father and having his wrist broken?


    ¡°My liege?¡± Sekh turned and spoke up, having made her choice on what to call me. She walked over and grabbed my hand. ¡°Breakfast is done, so let¡¯s make a te.¡± I looked past her to see a family with smiles, not frowns. A family wanted me to eat with them. Wanted me to share my story with them. Wanted me to be me and no one else. Wanted me to be happy, not cower and squalor in fear, fright, and disease.


    <i>Can this¡­</i>


    <hr>


    After breakfast, I stared at Kokan, struggling to open my mouth as his daughter poked and prodded at my furred forearm while I practiced my transfigurations. Tilde rubbed her cheeks against its softness. Sekh was nursing her hangover, and Ichiha was getting her a cup of water with sugar and salt to regain the minerals she lost.


    ¡°I need a favor,¡± I suddenly blurted out.


    ¡°Hm?¡± He raised an eyebrow and told me to ask away.


    ¡°I need to learn how to fight. I¡¯m more adept at using firearms and attacking from a distance, but I won''t always have that luxury. There''ll be times in which I need to get in close, but... Can you help me? Train me, I mean?"


    ¡°That is something I can certainly do. Before I became an academic, I was a weapon instructor at the guild. What weapon do you want to learn?¡± I procured my crudely constructed spear from storage and grasped it, and Kokan nodded. ¡°Very well. I haven¡¯t taught anyone in a long time, but if you¡¯ll have me as your instructor, I will teach you what I know. We¡¯ll do it in the backyard when you¡¯re ready.


    I nodded towards my future instructor and returned to my room to get dressed in an outfit I''de to love. The long skirt? Well, it just felt fluffy for some reason. Honestly, I wanted to acquire [Base Body] to get my limbs the same skin tone as my face and chest¡ªif only to wear other kinds of clothes. I was lucky to have gotten this far without any troublemakers attempting to either yank my sleeves or hike up my skirt, but I might have Sekh and Irisa to thank for that. Them and the fact that High Elves were supposed to be snobbish and haughty while being difficult to approach. Well, Irisa tried to take my gloves off, but I¡¯d already forgiven her.


    When I returned to the kitchen, Irisa held a pair of wooden spears and swords. She wanted to join us not only because she wanted to learn from her father but because she wanted to spend time with him. Those years she spent hating and wishing for his death could not be returned, and that was forever lost to the bowels of the universe.


    Irisa put down the wooden armaments, hugged her father, and he hugged her back, kissing her forehead and rubbing her hair. Sekh came to the backyard with us and sat in the shade.


    ¡°Oh, can I make a request?¡± I picked up a wooden spear after Irisa sat the training weapons down and swung it around my body.


    ¡°Go for it,¡± Kokan said, taking off his shirt and exposing his broad upper body. He had muscles for days, and like his daughter, there had to be tremendous power waiting to be brought out.


    I told him about how I survived a knife slitting my throat, being gored by a boar, and how that spider nearly stopped my heart from its venom... Having a dozen goblins stab their disgusting spears into my stomach, slitting me open while watching my guts fall out. Biomass allowed me to regenerate from wounds that should have killed me, and I was going to use it here. In short, I was asking Kokan to not go easy on me because I could heal from the pain. I knew Sekh wouldn¡¯t like it because I¡¯d get hurt, so I asked for her forgiveness.


    ¡°I understand. This is different because I know it¡¯s just training,¡± Sekh replied. Tilde groaned because pain for me was pain for her, but she quickly said that someone as grand as her could endure it if I showed improvement.


    <i>I¡¯m gonna have to do something nice for her. Maybe a new dress? She only has one.</i>


    ¡°Irisa?¡± I looked at the oni. She held her own wooden sword and squeezed the grip.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have anybat training other than fighting some weak monsters. I¡¯ve relied on my natural strength thates from being an oni. I don¡¯t even know how to properly swing a sword. Dad, I want to get stronger too. Please, don¡¯t go easy on me.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you want, sweetie, then I¡¯ll do it. Honestly, I¡¯ve been waiting a while for you to ask me this.¡±


    ¡°I know I should¡¯ve asked this sooner, but I wasn¡¯t the best daughter. I want to make up for that.¡± Irisa¡¯s voice was strange. Powerful and tense, but unfamiliar. It seemed having her father back changed her. I didn¡¯t know for sure since only about 12 hours had passed. But maybe she was like me. Having Kokan in the picture marked the end of a lonely era and indicated the beginning of something better.


    Suppose we were a lot alike if you thought of it that way.


    <hr>


    Training was harsh.


    There, it was simple enough to be summed up in three little words. Kokan was true to his word that he would not go easy on me. His attacks were benign, and his strikes carried training intent, but where was that?


    Oh, that¡¯s right. It was the pain surging through my body. Each wound meant something.


    I¡¯d been knocked on my ass 24 times in 20 minutes. Do the math, and I didn¡¯t evenst 60 seconds. Kokan¡¯s massive body towered over me since I was lying face up in the grass. He held out his left hand since his right held a spear made of wood¡ªmuch like the one I tightly gripped. Soon enough, I was back at it again for round 25. Before starting, I focused on my broken corbone and fixed it. After sucking air through my teeth and rolling my neck, I nodded to Kokan to signify that I was ready.


    With deft hands, Kokan rolled the spear around his body and carefully approached me, only stopping and taking a dignified stance when he was just a fraction of an inch out of my range. I tried my best to copy his posture, yet he took that single instance in which I wasn¡¯t totally focused on the right to swipe at my legs. Luckily for me, I sensed he was going to do this and hopped back, but he spun the spear a second time and rushed forward with drastic speed. I couldn¡¯t move while airborne, and I was too slow in bringing my spear up to block his downward swipe.


    But my opponent¡¯s aim was true, and at thest second, he altered the target of his attack from my spear¡¯s shaft to my left wrist, shattering it with his impressive uracy and powerful muscles. Unlike the other strikes, I actually ¡®saw¡¯ it in motion before it hit me. The other times, his attacks were too fast for me to conceivably follow¡ªeven with [Eyes of the Huntress], so he most likely slowed it down on purpose.


    <i>I guess I¡¯m not used to the eyes, yet.</i>


    I didn¡¯t let the pain stop me, however, and when Inded on the ground and rolled backwards to make some distance, I intended on using [Deadeye] tounch my spear with retrieval web struck to it.


    That didn¡¯t happen. Kokan eliminated the distance before I attached the web and knocked me down with a powerful kick that ruptured my sternum and forced me back about seven feet. I slid along the grass, heaving for oxygen until I finally came to a standstill after bashing my head against the fence.


    ¡°HGGUUUHHHH!!!!¡± The contents of my lungs evacuated. Blood quickly filled them while I grasped my chest to focus on the pain. Tilde screamed and rolled across Sekh¡¯s outstretched hand, shouting at me to hurry the fuck up and heal.


    ¡°Come on. You can do it. Get up.¡± Kokan stood over my broken body, his face still pleasant and schrly as it was before we started. The harsh beating seemed violent, but this was what I wanted. Mainly because this brutal training didn¡¯t contain any malice. It was all for the sake of making me a better fighter.


    When the wounds healed, I hunched over and forcibly vomited at least a liter of crimson. I wiped the blood from my lips and stood up. Kokan grabbed my shoulder and looked into my eyes to see if I was still all there.


    ¡°Should we stop? Your eyes are dted. Chimerism aside, I¡¯m surprised you can even stand so soon after thatst round.¡±


    I croaked, vomiting blood yet again. ¡°Alright¡­ I think the blood¡¯s out.¡± My eyesight returned to normal, and so did the sense of my hearing and touch. I stared down and gripped the training de. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I can get my ass kicked a few more times before I have to refill my biomass.¡±


    Since I saw thatst strike, I told Kokan to not go easy on me. He apologized, nodded, and the extremely short rounds started anew. The primary problem, of course, was that you couldn¡¯t dodge what you couldn¡¯t see.


    At least I couldn¡¯t.


    Even though I couldn¡¯t see his attacks in the previous rounds, Kokan increased his speed by ten percent. His hand was heavier, his aim was sharper, and his uracy was as precise as Reina with her [Deadeye]. If I were an expert martial artist in my world beforeing here, I¡¯d have stood a little bit of a chance.


    But no.


    I knew Rome wasn¡¯t built in a day, but at least Romulus and Remus didn¡¯t get their shit kicked in thirty fucking times. Comining wouldn¡¯t solve a damn thing, so I didn¡¯t utter a single word of protest. Like a persistent child, I forced myself to stand each time I was knocked to the ground with a different shattered bone, only stopping when my hunger grew too strong to ignore. Tapping out, I hobbled over to Sekh and greedily devoured some snacks Ichiha had prepared for us in between tending to the store. Sekh and I chatted while watching the matches between father and daughter. Tilde had gone inside to rest her extremely sore body. I¡¯d have to apologize to herter because she felt all the pain I did. Honestly, it was selfish of me to have her take this burden, but I was thankful she did.


    Irisa had the initial boost of being in the second stage of evolution, her actual bonuses as an oni, and her experiences forging dense metal into usable items. She managed to see the attacks I couldn¡¯t, dodged under those I couldn¡¯t react to, and jabbed her practice sword to his chest before his strike to her legs knocked her to the ground.


    ¡°Again!¡± she shouted, standing up and running right for him.


    ¡°Again!!¡±


    ¡°Again!!!¡±


    ¡°Again!!!!¡±


    ¡°Again!!!!!¡±


    Over and over and over again, Irisa pushed herself off the ground and charged headfirst into the fight. Tiredness slowed her reaction time, causing the length between each attempt to widen and grow. Her arms slowed to a crawl; her breath hastened each time the grass and dirt were ttened by her body. By the end, she was down for the count. A dirt-stained sword rolled out of her open palm, and she made no attempt to grab it.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Kokan said, barely out of breath after hours of sparring. He helped his daughter up, grimacing when she yelped with pain. He offered an apology, but Irisa looked proud and happy at the training welts and wounds that littered her body.


    ¡°Who knew our first new memory would be you giving it to me rough? Thanks, dad.¡± Irisa walked away, not realizing how her sentence could be taken. Her father choked down a cough. ¡°Ah, I mean¡ª¡± She turned around, her cheeks redder than crimson.


    ¡°I know what you mean, sweetheart. Come on, let¡¯s take a break.¡±


    <hr>


    After walking inside, Ichiha instructed us to wash for lunch, which was just a simple dish of fish stew with plenty of cabbage and potatoes. When Sekh and I entered the bath, she took the time to carefully wash my whole body, starting from my back. She repeatedly asked if I was hurting when she ran the washcloth over a spot where Kokan had hit me, but I always shook my head because Sekh¡¯s touch was simply angelic. Suddenly, she pressed her chest against my back and rubbed my stomach. I smiled and put my hands over hers. We still had a lot to do, so this cute scene couldn¡¯t turn sexual.


    Not right now, at least. Later? That was a different story. If Sekh was in the mood, I wanted to love her throughout the entire night. But that was then, and this was now. Even as I knew that, I couldn¡¯t help but hold Sekh and tenderly kiss her lips.


    ¡°M, where are you going?¡± Irisa asked after lunch. I ate in my shorts and shirt, but I changed into my ¡®adventuring¡¯ clothes, which just meant the outfits I received when I signed that contract. I could only go outside when I had those on.


    ¡°I want to learn how to sew, so I¡¯m going to get some needles and thread. And probably some other things too. If I can find another gun and some ammo, I¡¯ll snatch that too,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Snatch? You¡¯re going to steal it? But¡ª¡± Ichiha and Kokan looked at me, but I nodded, which caused their eyes to go wide.


    ¡°From the Bary¡¯s store. That¡¯s where I got my first gun. You three should hate them, so I don¡¯t see the problem,¡±


    ¡°But what if you get caught?¡± Irisa argued. I noticed her parents¡¯ expressions had only slightly softened. I turned my head towards Irisa¡¯s te and shot a web from my cheek that was difficult to see. It vanished when it made contact, leaving behind just a few breadcrumbs that fell to the table. Her mouth went wide with surprise, but I did the same thing to her cup. Only this time, the string was so ultra-thin my [Eyes of the Huntress] barely perceived it. Thanks to [String Shot] being Lv. 10, I could alter the thickness. It was weak and fragile, but I needed the string to act as a proxy between me and what I wanted to steal. I couldn¡¯t care less if this thin version was unsuitable for battle because it wasn''t meant for that.


    ¡°I won¡¯t. It¡¯s easier to steal when you can do what I can. If Tilde wasn¡¯t so sore, she¡¯d distract them for me like she did the first time,¡± I said, turning to a fairy that was exaggeratingly groaning in pain. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll find something for you. Do you want a new dress?¡± I asked. She just threw me a thumbs up, then demanded it better be cute.


    When I asked if they had any problems with me stealing from their enemy, nothing came to their mind. If they had any reservations against it, I wasn¡¯t going to be mad, but I would definitely be a little upset. Luckily, I had nothing to worry about, so I left guilt-free and headed towards the Bary¡¯s store.


    As always, it was packed to the brim, which worked in my favor. I needed to grab some sewing needles, thread, a few more crimson amita, a gun, some bullets, and probably some soap and cloths for bathing. Thanks to my map and its search feature, I found everything, sans the guns and ammo, and highlighted them with a waypoint so I could snatch them instantly. When it came to apparel, I could search an area for clothes, then use the built-in filters to narrow the search results down. Tilde was about 10 inches tall, so I just had to input that, which led me to a white dress with ck swirls to bring attention to the chest. Tilde was lewd and enormously horny, so the fairy would appreciate the attention it¡¯d attract.


    Ten minutester, Sekh and I were strolling out of the store with everything except the gun and ammo. Part of my sess was attributed to Erin and her eternally exhausted violet tail. She and the other four employees were overworked like abused animals, running from floor to floor, nearly tripping down the stairs because it appeared as if they were being judged against some unknown metric. With how big this ce was, it needed more than a handful of workers. A quick search for Karen Bary¡ªErin''s mother¡ªshowed her rxing in a ratherrge bathtub. She looked like her daughter in every way, except she had violet eyes while her daughter had yellow eyes.


    But the map said she was right in this very building, then I realized this was big enough to hold a home as well. There was a door on each floor with arge lock, so it was presumed that the actual ¡®house¡¯ portion of thisrge building was also six floors.


    I suppose I wanted to kill Karen. Not just for her SP¡ªshe didn¡¯t have much, even though she was Lv. 29¡ªbut for her money. She probably had a bunch in a safe, which I confirmed upon scanning for one. [Map] was so powerful it showed me what was inside it. Regardless, I couldn¡¯t do anything now, so I left with my ill-gotten gains.


    After returning home, Tilde was so excited to wear her new dress that she stripped right there at the kitchen table in front of the onis without a shred of shame to her name. When asked, Tilde just said a body was a body, and she didn¡¯t see the big deal. In fact, she said she spent a few centuries being a nudist simply because she could, and no one could stop her.


    I took a seat beside Irisa and pulled out my mortar and pestle, then began to make some potions. Kokan began to lecture me about the different kinds and what I could add to increase or decrease their effectiveness. Or even how to add new properties. A skill called [Herbalist] granted you that information, but I could not learn it. I didn¡¯t have any bottles, but Ichiha was happy to sell them at a discount.


    With potions, albeit very weak but also lifesaving, I turned my attention to sewing and spent an hour or so practicing with the red and blue thread I¡¯d gotten. Like with cksmithing, I was very much an amateur, so I focused on getting more familiar with the motions. I didn¡¯t have any design in mind. By the time I was done, Ichiha was getting dinner started, and I figured there was no time like the present to learn how to cook. I shadowed her as she prepared a simple fish dish using leftovers from when she made the stew. With experienced hands, she gutted and descaled the carp and readied it for the frying pan.


    Before long, it was time to sit down and enjoy the delicious meal. The crispy fish skin was downright delectable, and whenbined with a sauce Ichiha learned from her mother, the added vor was unbelievable.


    ¡°Your primary issue is the inability to perceive my strikes. From your point of view, they must seem instantaneous, but I assure you they are not. You have [Eyes of the Huntress], but it is untrained. Given enough time, even lightning will seem like a snail. It is powerful enough to be a Divine Armament, yet it isn¡¯t. Perhaps you will evolve it into its true form,¡± Kokan said.


    ¡°Evolution, huh?¡± I asked, enjoying the fish¡¯s juice filling my mouth when I bit it. It was so delicious.


    ¡°That is correct. You told me you have [Web Bomb] and [String Shot] at level ten, yes?¡± I nodded, and Kokan continued. ¡°With enough use, your skills canbine and evolve. Those two will develop into [Web Maniption]. From there, it gives birth to [Silk Maniption], and then [Thread Maniption], which allows you to channel your thoughts into thread, controlling it as if it was a part of your body.


    When will they evolve?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I do not know. All I can say is keep using them.¡±

 Chapter Thirty-Three: Planning & Plotting a Murder – Part One

    Chapter Thirty-Three: nning & Plotting a Murder ¨C Part One


    After dinner, I went to the backyard with Kokan to have another sparring session with him. Well, that was the n. I foolishly believed the only way to get stronger was through a ¡®trial by fire¡¯ of getting my ass kicked. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized I was an idiot. Getting battered, broken, and bruised with strikes I couldn¡¯t hope to see was a masochist¡¯s wet dream, and I wasn¡¯t the biggest fan of taking pointless damage. However, I couldn¡¯t deny it helped me be more efficient in healing my wounds via biomass, but it wasn¡¯t enough.


    "Hmm? Is there something on your mind?¡± Kokan asked before we started. He was stretching and preparing his muscles. I exined my thoughts and wondered if this was really the best way. ¡°I¡¯m d you came to that conclusion by yourself.¡±


    ¡°Huh? You knew this wouldn¡¯t help me? Why didn¡¯t you say anything?¡± I asked, only slightly annoyed.


    ¡°Because I am an educator. I guide my students to the correct answer because I want them to grow. Why would I deprive them of a chance to better themselves? I¡¯m proud of you foring to this conclusion without any hints from me. But yes. What we did in our first session did very little to help you other than increase your proficiency in using biomass to heal your wounds. In that regard, I¡¯d say it was a sess. But in my eyes, it would be more apt to begin with the basics of the spear instead of a sword since you have the weapon skill [Spear]. First, let¡¯s start with the Iron Tree Stance. It is said that all other spear stances trace their origins to it, hence the name. You can find its roots in any spearmen worth their weapon.¡±


    ¡°Okay, yeah. That sounds good. Let¡¯s do it,¡± I replied, picking up a wooden spear. With something new in mind, Kokan spent an hour and a half teaching me the bare basics.


    A lot went into the cement of your handsand how far away they were from the other, as well as if you held it more towards the tip rather than the bottom base. But like the name suggested, the Iron Tree was a stance with many options. It was flexible to be a jack of all trades, and you could defend, attack, and evade from any of its core movements or strikes. You could think of it like a flow chart. A quick thrust could easily flow into a backwards dodge, and that could be chained into a flourish to strike anyone standing behind you, or you canbo a second dodge and emerge back into the basic stance.


    Kokan quickly assured me of something. You wouldn¡¯t be considered a master of the spear unless you were proficient enough to add your branch to the Iron Tree¡ªthat is, nurture your own style of spearmanship and make it your own. Metaphorically speaking, of course. ording to Kokan, you weren¡¯t the one who decided if you were good enough. Instead, you were sought out. Well, hunted, more like it, by those who had added their own branches. There were rumors that the iron tree the stance was named after was a real tree made of iron. If it existed, its location would be a secret only known to those who had carved a branch into it.


    <i>I¡¯m not one for traditions...but that sounds cool... Mastering a style and making it my own...</i>


    Eventually, my muscles started to ache from overuse. Pumping them full of biomass worked wonders at removing the pain, but I wanted to endure it since it was proof of my determination to better myself. When it was too much, I copsed to my ass and watched Kokan, ayer of sweat staining my shirt¡¯s cor. Even my gloves felt gross, but I kept them on.


    For the next fifteen minutes, I watched Irisa¡¯s father. He performed the stance, motions, and strikes he taught me, but he moved like msses. Then he gradually sped it up. This was designed to train my eyes to bring out the full potential of [Eyes of the Huntress]. But at some point, he was just too fast for me to follow. Sweat glistened off his toned body, and his magnificent ck horns and piercing yellow eyes were sturdy and determined.


    I wanted to end this session with another sparring match, but Kokan refused. His arguments held merit, and I guess I didn¡¯t want Tilde to suffer any more pain tonight. Instead, we ended the night by practicing with [String Shot] and [Web Bomb]. The backyard was fenced in, so we had little to worry about. But Kokan threw items in the air, and I caught them with my webs. Sure, we just spent 30 minutes, so it wasn¡¯t a surprise the skills didn¡¯t evolve into [Web Maniption].


    When we returned to the living room, it waste¡ªpretty much time for bed¡ªand we all said our goodnights. Since Kokan was back in their lives, Irisa knew her dad wanted to spend some time with her mom. And because Sekh, Tilde, and I had Irisa¡¯s room, that just left the kitchen. There was that couch, and Irisa decided it would serve her head well. I wanted to offer my bed to her. Sure, it was a tight fit with three bodies, but I didn¡¯t think I was ready to get ¡®that¡¯ close to someone. Eating and training was one thing, but allowing someone that wasn¡¯t Sekh or Tilde to see me in my most vulnerable state? One could argue that I had no reason not to permit it since Irisa and her mother had seen me totally nude and in a state of near death, but I thought the opposite and wanted to wait.


    Maybe Irisa looked disappointed I didn¡¯t offer, but she didn¡¯t vocalize her dispiritedness. Because of that, my heart had no regrets when I closed the door and ced By¡¯s shield against the door. I still did that. I just felt morefortable that way. I trusted them with my life, but it was hard to break a habit created out of necessity when you were no longer in danger.


    <i>But maybe in the future... I¡¯ll be confident enough to share a bed with you. Can you wait for me, Irisa?</i>


    Sekh already had the bath warmed and ready, and she jumped in first. I decided to sit between her legs and rested my head between her tits. I¡¯d done this before, but it never got old. She wrapped her hands around my stomach and rubbed. Even wet, the fur on her arms and legs was so soft and fluffy.


    ¡°Hmm... That hits the spot,¡± I moaned, turning my head and kissing and licking her breasts and nipples. Her angelic touch and warmed water washed the soreness of training away.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you like it, my liege,¡± Sekh whispered. A few secondster, Tilde, after recovering from our shared injuries, flew into the bathroom, stripped, and jumped right in. I started to apologize, but Tilde cut me off. She outright demanded that my training had better be worth the anguish she felt. On top of that, she ordered that I sew her a cute dress to her exact specifications when she felt my skill was up to it. ¡°Whatever you want, Tilde,¡± I replied. Then I closed my eyes and rxed the night away.


    Well, I wanted to do that, but I couldn¡¯t because I had to n a murder. Sekh took my sigh as something to worry about, but I calmed her heart. ¡°Everything¡¯s fine. I¡¯m just trying to figure out how to kill Noelia.¡±


    ¡°Where are they at now?¡± Tilde asked.


    I expanded my map and said they were in the dungeon. Satellite mode told me they were camping out in front of the boss¡¯s chambers in the mines. It was Noelia and her four attendants. Their names weren¡¯t important because they were going to die. The five of them surrounded a campfire and ate dinner. After Noelia ate her piece, she reached into the fire to grab a second helping of meat with her bare hands. Quickly, I moved the map to Niva¡ªthe half-breed Cyclops and Lizardfolk¡ªand saw her hand burn. She was ced away from the others. She wasn¡¯t naked, but the torn brown shirt exposed her sensitive bits. With a dull eye, Niva just sat there and waited for death to im her. It probably wouldn¡¯t be long, though, since her HP was about 10%. Death¡¯s scythe was probably going to swing any day now.


    I ryed what I saw but stopped because Noelia and her four attendants stood up, talked a bit, and walked into the boss¡¯s chambers. Over the next few minutes, new wounds appeared to corrupt Niva¡¯s skin as it sizzled and smoked. I peeked inside the boss¡¯s arena and saw Noelia walk through a field of fire and lightinging from her hammer.


    Back to Niva, her limping wrist grasped the bag of potions next to her, but she didn¡¯t have the strength to pop the cork. Her other arm was strangely sharpened at the shoulder. The cyclops struggled to open her mouth, bit into the vial, and swallowed both liquid and ss.


    <i>How odd... That potion did nothing.</i>


    I watched for longer than necessary, keeping Tilde and Sekh updated on what I saw. Noelia and her group soon emerged victorious, and I learned something interesting.


    ¡°It appears she¡¯s nning on staying in the mines for a month. For some reason, she¡¯s hell-bent on acquiring strength. Probably from how she acted like a total fool... And I hear them talking about how the officer at the guild gave them exclusive permission because it was an order from Gloria,¡± I said. ¡°That sadistic cunt also said she wanted a second ¡®shield,¡¯ so I assume she means another person like Niva. I think it¡¯s safe to say Niva¡¯s the only damage sponge she has. I used [Analysis], and it looks like it¡¯s some curse or something thatbined with the ve cor around her neck. I think they fused together or something.¡±


    ¡°Interesting... You know, we can work with that. If it¡¯s an order from Gloria, the guild won¡¯t let anyone near the boss¡¯s chambers because they don¡¯t want to risk her wrath if something happens to her little Soul Warrior. If we don¡¯t want to kill Noelia twice, we¡¯d have to take out Niva. Master, how often do all four enter the boss arena?¡± Tilde asked. I watched a little bit more. We remained in the tub for about an hour and a half. When the water got cold, Sekh used her mes to reheat it.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s rare, but sometimes one remains outside. All that fighting must wear them out. This time, two of her attendants remained around the campfire to nurse a small cut to their arm. Still, they can¡¯t possibly expect to fight <i>every</i> fifteen minutes. And I don¡¯t see a lot of supplies.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll have to eventually leave to restock. Noelia might prefer to remain behind. If Niva chugs those potions and holds out, that cunt can fight for hours.¡±


    ¡°Do you have a n?¡± Sekh asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t, but we have time. I want to end her life as soon as possible, but her four goons might be difficult unless we take them by surprise. They¡¯re twice our level. Noelia¡¯s weak, I suppose, but still.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with waiting for more information. It¡¯s a smart n,¡± Sekh said. She continued to speak about her past and talk about how intel could turn the tide of battle. That was true. The history in my world had numerous examples to back that up.


    But for the time being, we just had to wait. After getting out of the bath and drying off, the three of us crawled into bed. In another change of pace, Sekh hugged me from behind. Her furry forearms warmed my stomach. She pressed her boobs against my back. Some light cuddlingter, her hands slipped down my stomach and onto my crotch, which gently wrapped around my penis.


    ¡°Hmm... You¡¯re so warm,¡± she whispered, very slowly and subtly stroking me off while kissing the back of my neck. ¡°If you need to cum, then do it. I¡¯ll clean up the mess in the morning, so don¡¯t hold back...¡±


    ¡°I love you, Sekh.¡±


    ¡°I love you too, my liege. Sweet dreams,¡± Sekh whispered.


    Even though I was hard, I somehow found the strength to delve into a deep slumber.


    When I awoke hourster, the evidence indicating I had a wet dream sauntered into my nostrils before my eyes opened. A few momentster, I felt Sekh wiggle under the covers and roll me to my back. Her hands massaged my thighs as I spread my legs. Suddenly, something very hot and wet swallowed my penis.


    Naturally, that escted into some early morning sex with the woman I loved with all my heart.


    <hr>


    In the blink of an eye, two weeks passed me by, but the time did not go unused. I was out in the backyard every day without fail with Kokan and Irisa, training until my bones felt like jelly. It was rare Kokan allowed us to spar, and when we did, and when I had Tilde¡¯s permission, every strike that broke my jaw and sent teeth flying into the body ground, every thrust that fractured my knee, and every kick that imploded my chest inched me ever closer to my goal of trying to perceive Kokan¡¯s attacks.


    It wasn¡¯t often we had a full-contact fight, though. Most of the time was spent performing the Iron Tree Stance and trying to master its moves.


    Progress was slow, but I discovered a breakthrough out of desperation. The clothes I wore had a small tear at the elbow that I nned to fix, so I didn¡¯t pay much attention to it. But during one of our few sparring matches, I had the bright idea to shoot web through those gaps, then pull myself to dodge more efficiently. The first time I did that, I caught Kokan off guard, which allowed me to shoot another web forward by adjusting my arm to close the distance before he could react. Unfortunately, I forgot to remove the initial web, so I was dragged back to the ground, but at least my wooden spear left my hand and smacked Kokan in the chest.


    The oni let out a boisterousugh. ¡°Whahaha!!! How did I not think of that? It¡¯s so obvious that I¡¯m kicking myself.¡± He walked over and held out a hand, and I grabbed it. With his strength, he effortlessly pulled me to my feet. Sekh ran over to dust off my back and was downtrodden that she didn¡¯t think of it as well. Irisa heard Kokan¡¯sughter and ran out to see what was happening, then gave me a big hug for managing tond a strike, albeit an idental strike, on her father.


    We worked on my new discovery for the rest of the day, trying to figure out the optimal angle to shoot my webs while trying to incorporate the dodges into the Iron Tree Stance.


    <i>Are there any chimeras who¡¯ve added their branch to the tree? Could I be the first? Hmm... I wonder if I can pioneer fighting with a spear in one hand and a gun in the other? I should focus on the former first.</i>


    It seemed the best option was to attach my webbing to something about as tall as me. As for theunch location? My wrists seemed the best position, but that couldn¡¯t happen until I acquired [Base Body]. With my face and elbows in mind, I spent the rest of the day working on my new technique. After a few hours of practice, I could run up and web dodge to the left, jump back, and web dodge to the right. My mobility practically increased overnight, and this unique advantage was exclusive to spiders and chimeras. And with Kokan¡¯s and Sekh¡¯s assistance, I applied this advantage to the Iron Tree Stance by incorporating web dodges. It turned out that using webs could decrease the recovery period, so I could act sooner.Mastering two different techniques and applying them to a third was crazy difficult, and I only had minor sess.


    But sess was progress, and that was the goal. Of course, I couldn¡¯t use these enhanced moves without revealing my secret, but in cases where the foe I fought was absolutely going to perish? It didn¡¯t matter if my enemy knew since death was waiting for them.


    The very next day, I had my first sess. It was a windy afternoon. Scattered around the grass were puddles of my blood, some bone, and teeth I had no more use for.


    Irisa and Sekh were cheering me on from the sidelines. After nodding to Kokan, he rushed forward and stopped, bringing his hulking, sweaty body to an immediate standstill. He held the spear with both hands and alternated between tensing and rxing his muscles and taking stances I didn¡¯t know about. A twitch of the eye or nose followed, but those were feints designed to make me move.


    I responded with one of my own, jerking to the left while reversing the grip on my spear. I shot a web out from my left elbow. Kokan¡¯s sharp, yellow eyes followed the strand and mmed his spear down where it touched the ground, yet his attack thrashed thin air because I did not follow through.


    The opportunity was there, and I was going to take it. I turned my body and held my spear as if I was readying a quick thrust. Kokan recovered quickly and swung his spear in a wide arc, fully intending on cracking my jaw when the impossible happened.


    His strike was no longer instantaneous.


    I saw it...


    I saw it...


    I saw it!!!


    It was perceivable for less than I would have liked, but I <i>saw </i>his arm mid-swing. Instinctively, I shot a web from my elbow directly to the ground, dragging me down and dirtying my cheeks with bloody mud as his swing <ipletely</i> missed me. Meanwhile, I shot web from where the spear touched my hand,unching it right at his unprotected chin. The wooden tip grazed him, inflicting the tiniest cut that didn¡¯t even bleed...


    But even if it was minor, it was a wound.


    An injury.


    A strike...


    It might not have been clean, but it was proof I was improving!


    I had nothing! I started from nothing! I did this! I! Did! This! My hard work was paying off!


    ¡°My liege!¡± Sekh rushed forward and almost threw herself on top of me. ¡°You did it! You did it!¡± She cheered her heart out and gave me a congrattory kiss. Irisa hugged me when she lifted me up with one hand, and Tilde flew around my head and approvingly stared, pping her hands as a show of affection.


    ¡°Do you know what happened?¡± Kokan asked me while Sekh dusted me off.


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m finally adjusting to [Eyes of the Huntress].¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. If you can see that, then I feel more confident doing these full-contact sparring matches more often. But this will be thest one for today. Now that you¡¯ve seen it, you need to focus on what you felt during that moment. Let¡¯s head back to the Iron Tree Stance¡¯s basics. I¡¯m going to go at full speed, so mirror me the best you can. And don¡¯t try to predict what I¡¯m going to do.¡±


    "Got it,¡± I said, lifting my spear while assuming the core stance. Kokan took it as well, and we were off. This was another exercise I liked because it taught me to split my attention between focusing on my instructor and my body, something I had trouble with. Kokan always had a different way to chain the stance¡¯s movements, strikes, and dodges together. Then once that was done, he helped me add my web dodges to the mix and refined them even more.


    Before long, Sekh went inside the house with Irisa. She returned wearing her armor, and Irisa held the matching set she promised to make me. Like she said, a few alterations came with it. The backside had small holes for my spider legs. And even though it was short notice, she had modified the elbows to have small holes for my webs to shoot from. They matched perfectly with the gaps in my shirt. Potentially being exposed sounded bad, but everything was situated in a manner where identally revealing my secret was not something I needed to be concerned with.


    I quickly ran inside to change, then hustled back outside to move around to get used to the weight it added to my body.


    When my training ended, and Kokan had to excuse himself for a few hours, Sekh approached me. I didn¡¯t give her a chance to speak before throwing Kokan¡¯s wooden spear towards her. She grabbed it out of the air, smiled, and we each took abat stance.


    She had multiple lifetimes to master the art of killing, and she was a far more technical fighter than me. I was knocked on my ass a dozen times, and Sekh was always there with a hundred different apologies. Really, there was no need for hard feelings since I always healed the damage. Besides, I told her it was an honor to fight against someone like her because I could always learn something from her. Whenever we fought in the dungeon, I was inspired by her brutality. She was like an angel of death, and I was watching someone I had all my faith in wipe out my enemies in her ck mes of purifying destruction.


    After exhausting ourselves, we took a small break before spending the next few hours going through the motions of the Iron Tree Stance until it was time to wash up for dinner.

 Chapter Thirty-Three: Planning & Plotting a Murder – Part Two

    Chapter Thirty-Three: nning & Plotting a Murder ¨C Part Two


    Over these two weeks, I didn¡¯t only improve on the fighting side of things. Although I made it a point to train with Kokan every day, I also made time to go to Smithy¡¯s Corner with Irisa. I crafted a metal pickaxe to rece my stone pickaxe because it kept breaking after only a few swings. I could always pull another one out from [Artificer¡¯s Arsenal], but that got tiring. But the new pickaxe allowed Sekh and me to mine some more iron, which I used to make a tripod with a chain in the middle to hold a metal cooking pot. And I made a frying pan and cooking utensils. Yes, it was lumpy and lopsided, but it¡¯s good enough to cook fish, which I learned from Ichiha. She also taught me how to properly season my newly created frying pan, and I only had to do that once before registering it.


    It was simple enough to forge a set of forks, spoons, and knives to store in the arsenal. I managed to craft a makeshift stove that, in all honestly, should not have worked at all. It was a cylinder with holes poked near the bottom to allow air. But since it was hollow, I could ce it over a fire. Oh, and it was the right size to fit the frying pan I¡¯d made. Irisa showed me the steps to constructing a proper fire pit, and I copied her instructions and registered that in the arsenal as oneplete unit.Next on the list was charcoal, but that could wait since other materials were readily avable.


    Sewing was still a challenge. I couldn¡¯t make clothes, but I recreated a tic-tac-toe board onto a sheet of white fabric. Simple? Yes, it was, but I was still very much a novice. Kokan was marveled by how straightforward it was. He even took over and made the Os and Xs out of red and ck thread. It was a hit with the family¡ªso much so that I had to make three more copies of the board. Sekh and I spent a few hours ying when we cuddled in bed. She eventually yed against Tilde and lost four times but clutched a win in the fifth round. She wanted her reward to be lewd in nature...and we spent that night in each other¡¯s arms, filling the chalice of pleasure with our ecstasy.


    And cooking...


    I was instructed in that as well. Take tonight, for example. I cooked dinner using the tools I had made. Thanks to Ichiha¡¯s teachings, I prepared the cod as she would while Sekh and Tilde were in the backyard under a gorgeous starry sky. She lit the tinder with her mes, and once the frying pan was hot, I ced the fish filets skin-side down. Sekh¡¯s mouth watered at the delicious sizzle, and while that was cooking, I went over my notes about Noelia.


    She didn¡¯t leave the mines. In the fifteen days I''d been watching, her waypoint only moved about 300 feet between the boss arena and a room they designated as thetrine. Every other day, she sent out two of the four attendants to resupply potions, food, water, and soap and oils to moisturize the skin since you couldn¡¯t bathe inside the mines because there wasn¡¯t a source of water.


    On paper, that was good for the merchants of Ria because it meant more business, but the people of Ria weren¡¯t happy. Not even a day after I spied on Noelia in the mines, Sekh and I went to the guild. There, we confirmed that she had exclusive ess not only to the dungeon¡¯s boss, but also to Ria¡¯s stores. Whenever her attendants returned from the mines, and if they wanted to act on the authority granted by Holy Lord Gloria, they could force a store¡¯s customers to vacate the building so they could shop in peace.


    This angered people to the point where they bought more than they needed because it was possible Noelia¡¯s attendants would empty out a shop.


    They had the financial backing of a Holy Lord, so money was not an issue.


    And now Ria was at risk of being in a resource drought. Crimson amita was selling for four to five times its market price. Things like day-old bread and soap, which was always expensive, were almost worth their weight in gold.


    Even if Ria was a shipping and mercantile hub with its well-oiled harbors that ran like a wless machine, a period of economic turmoil brought on by false scarcity seemed likelier and likelier. The city¡¯s stores¡¯ shelves were full of gaps, which widened every day.


    A couple of days after that, the Bary¡¯s store released a statement in the city¡¯s papers that wholeheartedly supported what Noelia was doing. Granted, they probably couldn¡¯t publicly speak against that selfish behavior without suffering Gloria''s wrath, but it didn¡¯t excuse their cowardice. And from what I knew of Karen Bary, she was a coward all the way down.


    But back to Noelia. If she had been a person who cared about others, she wouldn¡¯t have had to suffer the heartache that came with watching one of herrades pass away. Over the fifteen days, exhaustion had crept within their mortal coils, and it proved fatal when one of her attendants slipped up and fell face-first onto the boss¡¯s sword. It was such a shock to them that they were frozen still when the boss extinguished its anger upon the corpse, dicing it until thergest chunk of flesh was equal in size to an onion.


    Noelia wept for her fallen ally once she regained her spirit and killed the boss, yet she shared no tears for what she forced Niva to endure. That urredst night. This morning, I used [Analysis] while spying on her and her remaining attendants before they woke. All four suffered from exhaustion¡ªa status effect that came in five stages. Noelia was in the third stage, and her attendants were in the fifth.


    Something in Noelia cracked when she woke from a restless slumber. She spoke softer and with morepassion, then offered to lead everyone else in a round of prayers that asked God¡ªChristianity''s God¡ª to guide her fallenrade¡¯s spirit to Heaven. During breakfast, I watched as she penned a letter that detailed what all had happened since thest time they spoke, a request for a carriage to return to the capital, and if it wasn¡¯t too much trouble, a second ¡®shield¡¯ since it seemed like the first was about to expire. Two of the attendants returned to Ria¡¯s guild office to find someone to deliver the letter. Then they returned to the mines. When a response from Gloria did arrive, someone would be dispatched from the guild to tell Noelia.


    But Tilde told me it took about 8 days to get to Dirge¡¯s capital city by carriage. If it was via spirit, then sooner. If by teleportation? Then near instantly. At the earliest, a response wouldn¡¯t be given until tomorrow morning. And then it¡¯d take 8 days for Noelia¡¯s carriage to arrive unless teleportation magic was involved.


    Regardless, none of that mattered because Noelia and her attendants<i> were going to die tonight</i>. I had to scrap the perfect n when that death happened, but I managed toe up with another one. Even better, it posed no risk to me if everything went to n. If it didn¡¯t? I had a contingency to get Sekh and me out of a jam.


    I just hoped I wouldn¡¯t have to use it because I couldn¡¯t assure her safety if it came to that.


    ¡°My liege?¡± Sekh¡¯s sweet voice brought me from the depths of my mind, and I looked down to find the fish burning. I panicked and grabbed it with my bare hands, scorching my fingertips, which elicited a painful yelp from my lovely fairy. A quick healter, I apologized to Tilde and Sekh about the burnt meal, but she still happily ate half of it. ¡°It¡¯s delicious because you made it, my liege.¡±


    ¡°Eh, it ain¡¯t half bad. Better than what I used to eat. When you can¡¯t die, your curiosity gets the better of you,¡± Tilde said.


    I smiled at the two, tossing my portion into my mouth. The burnt vor didn¡¯t bother me. Honestly, I once ate a fish whole with my boar head hand simply because I could, and I didn¡¯t get sick. [Poison Resistance] probably helped since food sickness was a type of poison, right?


    Kokan joined us not long after, and the three of us enjoyed a simple conversation before getting back to some light sparring. He was a knowledgeable man¡ªone that was well-spoken and articte. The more we chatted, the more I started to respect him. I even found myself eagerly waiting to cross words with him because he was easy to talk to. He understood my situation and never once made fun of me for not knowing something I probably should have known. When he wanted to teach me something, he almost acted like I was a child, which I was, technically, but it warmed my heart to see him put so much effort into it.


    And it wasn¡¯t just him. Ichiha, when she taught me to cook some of her dishes, never scolded me for doing something wrong. In the sweetest voice, she¡¯d repeat what I did wrong, then watch as I corrected myself. And a couple times, she even patted my head to give me that positive feedback I was missing for two decades.


    A real sense of longing developed within my heart for this family. I wouldn¡¯t go so far as to say I belonged here, but when we had to leave, I didn''t think it would be painless or emotionless.


    <hr>


    ¡°It¡¯s almost time,¡± Sekh saidter that night. We had taken off our armor to rx for an hour or two, and now we were gearing up. Kokan and Irisa were trying to make up for lost time, so he ended our training session early to go fishing with his daughter. There was a secluded part of the harbor he knew about. Irisa was happy because she had an excuse to use the fishing rods she¡¯d made a week ago. She had tried to teach me about wood carving, but I didn¡¯t have [Carpentry]. Still, I tried to whittle something, even if it wasn¡¯t the best. I had that stashed away in my storage for ater day, though I was probably going to throw it away.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get to the mines at 9:30. Once we make it past the lobby, stick to the shadows to avoid encountering people or monsters.¡±


    ¡°Of course, my liege.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I have something to give you.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Sekh stared with bright eyes at the two items I produced from storage.


    <b><i>Lion''s Protection (0/0)</i></b>


    <b><i>Lion¡¯s Wrath (0/0)</i></b>


    ¡°My liege...?¡± The Dark Lord of Tyranny was utterly speechless as Iid out a mace and shield on the bed. These two items were my magnum opus, made from the hundreds of hours I¡¯d spent at Smithy¡¯s Corner in just two weeks alone. Irisa was beside me to guide my hand, yet every strike of the hammer exclusively came from me.


    Made of pure iron, it wasn¡¯t much in the way of looking beautiful, but the mace¡¯s spiky head was incredibly sharp and dense, and the shield¡¯s grip was all solid metal because I didn¡¯t trust in my ability to make it out of wood. Slowly, Sekh walked towards her gifts with sparkles in her eyes as she held the mace. She felt the iron handle, thumbed her finger over the pointy pommel, then gave it a few test swings. She started slowly, then increased her speed and spiky how it felt to put all her energy into it. Next came the shield. I was hoping it wasn¡¯t going to be too heavy, and while I was saddened that Sekh had to struggle a little bit to lift it up to her chest, it was still very well within the realm of usability.


    After reflecting on them, sheid her gifts down and walked to me. It seemed as if she was torn between kneeling or hugging, so I acted first and wrapped my arms around her lower back. Pulling her close to me, she vented the growing emotions in her heart, which manifested as tears of joy. In a low whisper, Sekh remarked that she wanted to say my gifts were too much for someone like her, but that would mean condemning the hard work I went through.


    ¡°I promise I won¡¯t break them.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t have that. Think of it as the first iteration. The mace and shield are going to break. That¡¯s a given. And when they do, I¡¯ll make you another set that''s even better. Hopefully, I can enchant by then. And when they break, I¡¯ll make a third, then a fourth, and a fifth, and so on,¡± I said. Sekh looked at me with those silver eyes and gave me a confident nod. I had one more present, but I was wary since I didn¡¯t know how she¡¯d react to it. Until I was sure, it was going to stay hidden away. And before I handed it over, I was probably going to remake it because it wasn¡¯t the best. I didn¡¯t have the skills or steady hand to etch in the delicate details.


    Oi! It¡¯s about time, yeah?¡± Tilde flew into the room and hovered near me. ¡°Oh, Kokan and Green Tits are back. Didn¡¯t seem like much was biting.¡±


    I nodded at Tilde, then we all walked to the kitchen. The family found it odd we were in our armor, but I just told them we had some business to take care of. It wasn¡¯t a lie to say that fighting in the dungeon at night would make it easier to assimte. And it wasn¡¯t a lie because if we ran into monsters, I¡¯d slurp them down my gullet.


    Sure, maybe a part of me wanted to let them know my ns, but I couldn¡¯t risk it. Especially since ending Noelia¡¯s life and devouring her power would potentially bring Gloria¡¯s wrath upon Ria, but I didn¡¯t care. Soul Warriors could be tracked by their summoner because their mana flows into them during the summoning process, but my [Status Cloak] helped me out there. Even after assimting her, Noelia¡¯s mana couldn¡¯t be traced or tracked.


    If everything went as nned, no one would be none the wiser, and it would be impossible for Gloria to find out who killed her precious warrior without traveling to the past or doing some shit that was nigh impossible.


    I just had to hope things wouldn¡¯t shit the bed. Noelia needed to die. Her death was something that needed to happen.

 Chapter Thirty-Four: Stealing the Power of a Soul Warrior

    Chapter Thirty-Four: Stealing the Power of a Soul Warrior


    It was just past 9:40 PM when Sekh, Tilde, and I entered the dungeon¡¯s lobby. It was mostly empty, barring a fewte-night adventurers who wanted to enjoy the thrill of fighting without having to deal with other people. I couldn¡¯t me them, honestly. It was always a pain to assimte during certain times because it felt like each room had a dozen people. That was why we hadn¡¯t beening here. Out of the past 15 days, I stepped foot in here maybe three times. From what I heard around town, Noelia abused her authority to im entire rooms as her property and refused to let anyone else enter. Of course, the rooms she was ¡®guarding¡¯ were the ones that were more likely to spawn treasure chests, but people couldn¡¯t go against the word of a Soul Warrior. As such, for fear of the whole dungeon eventually bing her property, more and more people flooded into the mines in the early morning hours to get ahead of everyone else. Seems like no one wanted to gote at night, though.


    After her attendant¡¯s death, I thought Noelia would have dialed back on the selfishness, but that didn¡¯t happen.


    Scarcity, even if manufactured, was enough to bring anything to a standstill. Dungeons were not exempt from that. From what Sekh said, this dungeon would fade far sooner since it was expending more mana than usual to continuously spawn the dungeon boss, the monsters, the treasure chests, and the natural resources, though it still had a few decades of life in it.


    ¡°Hey, how do you feel?¡± Tilde asked as we proceeded. I had my eyes on the 3-D model of the dungeon, which guided us through a path with the lowest chance of encountering a person.


    ¡°About what?¡± I asked. A secondter, we stopped by a room filled with a single goblin for Sekh to test her gear. And it. Was. Beautiful. She looked so striking when she used her shield to parry an iing thrust, knocking the dirty bastard off bnce, andunched a devastating strike with her mace. She split its head open, causing the pink brain matter to ooze out from its nostrils and ears. Sekh stood over the goblin¡¯s corpse like the Dark Lord of Tyranny that she was, staring down at her mace and how bloody it was. She brought it close to her eyes and examined the bloody spikes.


    ¡°I love it, my liege. It¡¯s perfect for me,¡± Sekh said when she returned to me. Her pretty face was all smiles as she carefully ced her most prized possession back on her hip.


    We continued walking as Tilde answered my question. ¡°About what? Are you shitting me? You do realize that you spent two weeks nning a murder, right? Believe it or not, Noelia hasn¡¯t done anything directly against you. You¡¯re as much a stranger to her as she is to you.¡±


    ¡°Does that matter? I thought you¡¯d be happy knowing I don¡¯t see her as anything more than food. That¡¯s why it was easy to study her movements and figure out the best time to strike.¡±


    ¡°Do you feel like a hunter?¡± I thought about Tilde¡¯s question for a while. Truthfully, I <i>was</i> a predator. At least in this case. I studied Noelia and her attendants for weeks and refused to do anything until I understood her. No, it was more than that. I¡¯d neverprehend what went through her mind, but her physical actions? Her day-to-day schedule? Yeah, that was something I could grasp. The more I thought about it, the more I felt something warm in my stomach that caused my mouth to subconsciously drool.


    ¡°I suppose I am. I feel more alive now than I did living two decades as Shuuta Fenton. After being prey, it feels good to stand on the other side of the fence.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good answer, but don¡¯t forget you¡¯re still weak as shit. What kind of dumbass predator bites off more than what she can chew?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t think we can pull this off?¡± I asked Tilde. She shook her head and made it very clear that if she believed I wasn¡¯t ready, she would have said so.


    ¡°Let me ask you something,¡± Tilde said as she hovered in front of my face and flew backwards. ¡°If Noelia was a decent person, would you still hunt her? What about if she was as friendly as Irisa? If she was, and you two became friends andter found out she was a Soul Warrior, would you turn your fangs against her?¡±


    ¡°...Thest thing I want to do is betray those that have my trust because I know how hard it stings... But I also need the power of a Soul Warrior to grow stronger myself. The greatest choices require the strongest wills, right? Sometimes, you must do something for the sake of your dreams, even if it means going against your word. So yes... If Noelia was pleasurable and became my friend before I knew she was a Soul Warrior, I would force myself to assimte her corpse after killing her. At least, I would hope so.¡±


    Our idle conversations continued even after we reached the bottom floor, where more derelict mines awaited us. The path became a little moreplicated, but it wasn¡¯t what we hadn¡¯t seen before because we had already been here once.


    It was dark, dirty, and dusty.


    Orphaned mine tracks were literally everywhere, and some mine carts were purposely pushed in front of the doors and paths we needed to enter. I didn¡¯t know if the dungeon did it or if Noelia or her guards were responsible. It didn¡¯t matter since Sekh was strong enough to kick them away, sending them rolling and crashing once detailing.


    After about 45 minutes of pure walking with little discussion to break up the egregiously silent atmosphere, we turned a corner and saw the flickering warm glow of an orange me at the end. Our destination was close at hand, and we had arrived just in time. We rushed into a nearby room that acted as thetrine. The smell was diabolical, but I¡¯d been forced to suffer through things worse than shit and piss. Tilde wanted toin¡ªI knew that from her bodynguage¡ªbut even she knew to be quiet. As for Sekh? She was locked intobat mode and focused on the uing fight.


    I spied on Noelia and her surviving attendants. They had finished looting the chest that spawned after the boss¡¯s death.


    ¡°We¡¯re heading back in fifteen minutes. This¡¯ll be thest one tonight. Tomorrow, we¡¯ll hit up Ria and take a bath,¡± Noelia said, her voiceing from down below since I was spying on her with my map¡¯s satellite mode. She looked at the Crocofolk, Gatorfolk, and Tigerfolk. Those three had more of their bestial traits on disy, only having a humanoid body while everything else was rted to their race. The sole human amongst her attendants was the one that had died.


    Hiding in thetrine was weird, but if we had remained where we were and they rounded the corner, we would have been spotted immediately. The next fifteen minutes proved to be the longest of my life as we waited for the right moment. Too hasty, it would be us against a Soul Warrior and her allies. Toote, and I wouldn¡¯t have enough time to prepare.


    I endured the headache satellite mode gave me, then slightly twitched when the mountainous stone doors raised to the ceiling. Noelia and her attendants stood up, dusted themselves off, and walked past the threshold into the waiting darkness, where the boss of this dungeon would die again for the umpteenth time.


    ¡°Alright... Go!¡± Sekh and I ran like the wind down the corridor and rushed in when the twin stone doors mmed shut. I knew from watching Noelia and her group that their quickest kill on the boss took fourteen minutes, and that was when they were in perfect condition and not a man down. Tilde asked why I couldn¡¯t just run in earlier and shoot the Crocofolk and Tigerfolk in the leg to further slow them down, and yes, I did think of that. The problem was the teleporter. When I killed Niva and destroyed the damage transfer seal, it was assured that Noelia would panic, yet I didn¡¯t think she would die. Had I made my presence known, she¡¯d instead go straight for the teleporter to get help since it connects to the lobby.


    ¡°It¡¯s good you came to that conclusion. You don¡¯t want to do the first thing that pops into your brain. Look at things from multiple angles and n them out as much as you can,¡± Tilde said, patting my back. I turned to the person leaning against the wall.


    She was a powdered blue half-breed¡ªa cross between a cyclops and a Lizardfolk. If you wrote down a list of mdies you could visually verify, it¡¯d be a mile long. Her red eye was swollen, puffy, and full of dirt and grime, so I had no idea how she was opening it. Since she wore a tattered robe, the litany of scars, bruises, burns, infected cuts, and evidence of terrible abuse was on full disy, from the top of her patchy head to her ckened feet. Some sick bastard even took a burning poker and branded her stomach. A disgusting crust of feces and urine almost glued her bottom to the ground from where she hadn¡¯t moved in days.


    Her human-like ears were hanging down and connected to her head by a thin piece of blood skin. Dark red blood coagted around her neck, thighs, upper arms, and forearms¡ªthe exact spots where she used to have scales. I didn¡¯t see them anywhere, so I partly wondered if they were sold for money. It was the same with her tail. It was there the first time I saw her in the guild, but now it was nowhere to be found. Her listless eye was zed over with a dark shadow. If she was looking at me, I didn¡¯t know.


    I lifted Reina¡¯s gun and pressed the warm barrel to end Niva¡¯s tortured existence.


    <i>Tortured existence? That¡¯s familiar.</i>


    ¡°When I pull this trigger, your heart will be destroyed, and your life will end. I assure you it will be painless, and you will not feel anything. I¡¯m not doing it for you or to put you out of your misery, but I need to kill Noelia. Find sce that you can haunt her in the afterlife.¡±


    Sekh put a hand to my shoulder. She looked at Niva, who nkly lifted her head with thest remnants of her strength. As she stared that nearly dead eye towards us, brand-new wounds started to manifest over her face, covering what little virgin skin she had left with more evidence of despair. The sickening sizzle of cooking meat radiated from her crooked nose.


    Niva opened her mouth, but nothing came out.


    I was just about to pull the trigger when someone had something to say about what was happening.


    ¡°WAIT!¡± eximed Tilde, who flew around to stand in front of my gun.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time for this shit,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Hear me out, alright? Lizardfolks evolve into Scalefolks, and Scalefolks into Dragonfolks. You know, dragons? Dragonfolks are super rare. You know what else is rare? Summoners. Look at her with [Analysis]. You¡¯ll be surprised. Honestly, I¡¯m disappointed you didn¡¯t think to do it.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I did. She knows [Summon Magic: Spirit (Lv. 1)] and [Mana Language (Lv. 1)]. So what? Hurry up.¡± I wasn¡¯t mad because my Wrath was set to 0¡ªI kept forgetting to keep it on 5¡ª but I was annoyed.


    <i>[Mana Language] is anguage skill, yet there¡¯s a level attached to it? No, I can worry about itter.</i>


    ¡°Dragons are powerful creatures. They¡¯re feared for a good reason. [Summon Magic: Spirit] can call spirits from the Spirit Realm. You can add catalysts to entice or lure away spirits of a particr element if you¡¯re fishing for something unique. I''m just saying, what''s a better catalyst for summoning a draconic spirit than a Dragonfolk? Big Tits, use your tyrannical knowledge to help me out here!¡±


    ¡°The nuisance is right, my liege. Dragons are otherworldly in their strength¡ªdraconic spirits, more so if their summoner is of reputable power. At my prime, nothing could match me in purebat, but the Ancient Elder Dragons came the closest in raw destructive potential,¡± Sekh added.


    ¡°That sounds good, but she has that cor. I don¡¯t know how to break...¡±


    <i>Break...? I wonder...</i>


    I stowed my gun and turned to Sekh. ¡°What happens if you use [Tyranny Control] on a ve belonging to someone else?¡±


    ¡°The symbol of their very, be it cor, bracelet, seal, or anything else, is erased, and mine reces theirs because [Tyranny Control] stands at the top of the hierarchy. Are you suggesting...¡±


    ¡°Yes. When does that happen?¡±


    ¡°When I¡¯m spreading the blood. If I stop there, it eventually times out. The erased seal does not return.¡±


    ¡°Take my blood and break that cor.¡± Sekh responded with a resolute ¡®my liege¡¯ and started to work, but she purposely stopped about halfway. Sekh walked backwards and stared as the blood on Niva¡¯s forehead traveled to the cor. It absorbed the crimson liquid, then scattered like mist in the wind, revealing the only portion of Niva¡¯s skin that wasn¡¯t covered in warts, wounds, or blood. A secondter, Sekh informed me she received the title [Seal Breaker (I)].


    "And that''s the secret of [Tyranny Control],¡± Tilde said. She fluttered around Niva, who groaned in a silent voice. ¡°On top of being unbreakable by anyone, including the user, it is a skeleton key capable of granting freedom to anyone not enved by it. How ironic is it that both effects reside within the same Divine Armament? A hero of justice would do anything for thetter, while someone wanting to spread tyranny would sacrifice their loved ones and the world for the former.¡±


    Niva¡¯s dried, cracked lips started to bleed when she barely opened her mouth. I turned away from her because I had more important things to do. I didn¡¯t even want to waste time confirming my theories, so I took a knee in front of the campfire and steadied my gun. [Water de] was channeled. It was my strongest single-target damaging spell. My finger was off the trigger, but I was prepared to blow the brains off anyone who left the boss¡¯s chambers. Straining my ears, I thought I heard screaming, but it was too dull.


    We waited and waited, the readiness on our faces never disappearing for a moment. Ten minutes? Nothing. Twenty? Nothing. Forty? Nothing. Noelia wasn¡¯t dead, though. Her HP wasn¡¯t even filled by a thread, but it was there.


    But then I heard a distinct noise of stone moving. The towering twin doors slowly ascended into the ceiling, revealing the bloody, fatally wounded Noelia Carpenter. Her face looked like she saw death in the truest sense. Her olive-colored skin was on disy since the clothes she used to wear were scorched from the raging wall of electrified mes thrashing behind her, which blocked her from something very important.


    How ironic her prolific disregard for her safety when fighting prevented her from essing the teleporter, the one thing that could save her life. Thick gashes covered her from head to toe, and she limped with something awful when she tried to move towards us.


    ¡°P...otion... N...iva...Give...to...me...¡± croaked the Soul Warrior. The moment she moved her lips, ayer of dead skin and ash drifted away from her face. She took one step, then two, then copsed to the ground.


    And then I saw her back...


    ck. Pure ck. [Analysis] said she suffered from third-degree burns. Her bones were exposed, yet they were scarred the color of charcoal. It was difficult to even imagine the pain she felt when the mes consumed her. After forcing everything onto Niva, Noelia was finally getting her just desserts. I walked towards her, kicking her to her back while groaning at the ky skin just oozing off her. She panted and whimpered, yet my attack didn¡¯t do much because her nerves had been destroyed.


    Really, it was a miracle she managed to walk to the door, much demand a potion. It appeared the fire was dying down, so I investigated the boss¡¯s chambers once more to see a half-burnt goblin with metal fused to parts of his body. [Analysis] told me I was eligible to assimte it because I was stronger than it. The corpses of the three attendants were unrecognizable. Normally, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to eat them. But since I organized their deaths, credit was given to me.


    But not the experience. That was a damn shame, but Noelia was still gripping the cusp of life...


    I crouched down, pressed the barrel of my gun to her head, and prepared to shoot [Water de]. Somethingpelled me to look up, and when I did, I met Niva¡¯s eye. Time slowed to a crawl as we stared at each other. Perhaps I was waiting for her to nod or speak. Or maybe I was wishing for it. In the grand scheme, it didn¡¯t matter because I had someone to kill.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    <b><i>You¡¯ve reached Lv. 9. You¡¯ve gained 0 SP. You¡¯ve gained 28 SP from Sekh.</i></b>


    <b><i>New Title: [Soul Warrior yer (I</i></b><b>)]</b>


    ¡°Who knew killing a Soul Warrior would give so much experience? It¡¯s nice to jump up 4 levels. Sekh, did you get 56 SP?¡±


    ¡°I did, my liege,¡± Sekh replied, who stared at the brutalized remains of Noelia¡¯s head. After excusing myself, I grabbed her corpse and dragged her into the boss¡¯s chambers to assimte them all at once.


    <b><i>You¡¯ve assimted Glog, Metalborn Prince of Goblins.</i></b>


    <b><i>New Skill: [Power Strike]</i></b>


    <b><i>New Skill: [Leap Smash]</i></b>


    <b><i>New Skill: [One-Handed Hammer]</i></b>


    <b><i>You¡¯ve assimted Groak and acquired 33SP.</i></b>


    <b><i>You¡¯ve assimted Ligor and acquired 41 SP.</i></b>


    <b><i>You¡¯ve assimted Elba and acquired 34 SP.</i></b>


    <b><i>You¡¯ve assimted Noelia and acquired 36 SP.</i></b>


    <b><i>[Soul Armatization (Lv. 1]) has progressed to [Soul Armatization (Lv. 2)]</i></b>


    ¡°Hey, maybe that¡¯s the secret to unlocking my Soul Weapon,¡± I said when I returned to Sekh. ¡°If wee across any Soul Warriors, we might as well organize their deaths for the experience and progress.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense. Between you and I, Soul Warriors are a pain in the ass. You get over-emotional beings from another world that are guaranteed¡ªwhoops, almost guaranteed¡ªtoe with incredible power. You¡¯re a right jackass if you don¡¯t think they¡¯re going to use and abuse it,¡± Tilde replied. ¡°I¡¯ve seen it happen hundreds of times. All it takes is one pissed-off powerhouse to blow up a city or vige, and it goes from there.¡±


    I turned back to Niva, and Tilde asked me what I was going to do. ¡°She¡¯ll be an investment. If I¡¯m right, Gloria was the one who found Niva and gave her to Noelia to act as a ¡®shield.¡¯ There¡¯s bound to be some animosity in there somewhere. Besides, I didn¡¯t have Sekh free her for the hell of it.¡±


    ¡°Oh? If she refuses to help you, are you going to go back on your word and use [Tyranny Control]?¡± Tilde asked.


    ¡°Nope. I¡¯ll never force someone to be my ve. However, I can offer her a chance to get revenge. Sekh, can you...¡± I was going to ask Sekh to carry Niva, but she started to move. With one hand grasped against the wall behind her, she attempted to stand up. She bnced on wobbly ground as the tattered cloth fell to the floor. Tilde immediately threw up after seeing the damage done to Niva¡¯s crotch. She had a penis like me, yet it looked like someone had taken a hammer and smashed her crotch against an anvil. The skin around her inner thighs was infected with scabbed-over w marks as if someone had tried to literally tear the diseased skin. She held out both arms...but everything below the elbow on her right arm dropped to the ground.


    Niva didn¡¯t look down at her missing arm or the blood dripping from the exposed wound. She took a step forward, but everything immediately below the left knee smashed into the dirty ground with a sickening sound. Unable to bnce herself, she soon tumbled forward and fell. [Analysis] said she was alive. Unconscious but alive.


    <i>Blindness, fractures, mutted ears, blunt force physical trauma, scarring, necrosis, a sexual disease, scabbed-over w marks, rashes, a fever, and an infection. Goddamn... Her HP is nearly empty.</i>


    ¡°You know what? Maybe you should kill her. You still think she can fight with those gnarly wounds? I don¡¯t expect her tost through the night. Really, she should have died weeks ago.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why she clung to life, but she did. Maybe she wanted to oust Noelia? Or maybe she wanted to kill Gloria. That¡¯s a long shot, but if so, she¡¯s just like me in that regard. And I said she¡¯s an investment. I won¡¯t kill her.¡±


    ¡°Whatever you say, Master. Don¡¯t know how well a cripple can fight. Maybe bait? Even if she can summon spirits, what good can she do if she can¡¯t walk?¡± Tilde asked, pointing at the missing limbs and charred foot.


    ¡°This world has magic and potions, so there¡¯s bound to be something. And that¡¯s enough questions. Sekh, pick up Niva and carry her. I¡¯m sorry, but it¡¯s going to be gross. When we get back to the shop, hop in the bath and clean up.¡± Sekh nodded and lifted Niva¡¯s body, marveling at just how weak and frail she was. Her sunken chest highlighted her ribs, and her remaining arm and leg were almost as thin as sticks. Standing at just a hair over 4¡¯11, Niva was shorter than everyone I knew except Tilde. Even Erin¡ªKaren¡¯s Bary daughter¡ªwas taller by a good four inches.


    Sekh and Tilde proceeded to the teleporter to the lobby and waited, and Tilde shouted that it was probably a good idea to assimte Niva¡¯s arm and leg. After doing that, and not getting anything from it, I hastily looked around this shitty little camp for anything worthwhile when my foot kicked against something hard and metallic. Looking down, I saw something I never expected to see...


    <b><i>.45 ACP Handgun (0/3)</i></b>


    No, that wasn¡¯t just a .45 pistol. It was a goddamn Colt 1911 ssic! It had dark gray grips, not brown like what I was used to, but it was the very definition of my favorite pistol in the world.


    After some searching through the supplies Noelia left about, I discovered seven more pistols just sitting underneath a nket. All looked mostly the same, but the grips were a different color, and some of them came with extended magazines, sights, or barrel add-ons. When I analyzed them, they turned out to be rare drops from the boss. It seemed the loot was partially randomized within some predetermined vector. I checked my map for more, but I didn¡¯t get any hits


    Now that I was thinking about weapons, I searched for Noelia''s hammer and followed the glowing waypoint.


    <ul>


    <li><b><i>ming Shocker (2/2)</i></b>


    <ul>


    <li><b><i>Fire: (Lv. 2)</i></b></li>


    <li><b><i>Lightning: (Lv. 2)</i></b></li>


    </ul>


    </li>


    </ul>


    <i>That¡¯s a shitty name. Okay, so Noelia enchanted her red and yellow hammer with mana to attack with fire and lightning. Better take it. Selling it is risky, so I¡¯ll keep it locked up in my storage until I find a use for it.</i>


    I did onest look and found a satchel of gold coins that belonged to Noelia, then Sekh called out for me. I said a small apology and ran over. After confirming the lobby and surrounding areas were empty with my map, we stepped through the teleporter and towards Ria. Thanks to my map, we avoided everyone, and even managed to sneak through the gates during the guard change. Absolutely no one saw us. Aplishment welled within my heart because the n went off without a hitch.


    Well, most of it. Now? I had to find a way to convince Irisa and her parents to keep Niva at their house. I was sure we all agreed on Noelia being awful and deserving of death. And they were kind-hearted. They took me in, so I figured they wouldn¡¯t mind Niva.


    If they did? I had something in reserve. I had enough money to take a wagon or a ship to another country. Options were there, I just didn¡¯t want to have to use them.

 Chapter Thirty-Five: Artificial Intelligence

    Chapter Thirty-Five: Artificial Intelligence


    It was nearly 1:30 AM when I pushed open the door to Ichiha¡¯s shop. At first, I was surprised it was even unlocked. I didn¡¯t expect to see Ichiha, Irisa, and Kokan sitting behind the counter ying tic-tac-toe in matchingfortable-looking robes. ¡°Why are you guys still up?¡± I asked.


    ¡°After you left, I realized you didn¡¯t have a key to the shop,¡± Kokan replied. He pointed to a key on the counter. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t do for us to lock up when you don¡¯t have a way to get in. Where have you been?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s in our best interest that I refrain from saying anything. Sekh,¡± I called for mypanion and walked to the side for her to walk through. The smell of feces and other bodily fluids was very present on her shoulders, and crusty brown kes covered her front and back.


    ¡°No... No... M, tell me you didn¡¯t¡ª¡± Irisa stammered and stood up so fast her stool fell over. She and Ichiha were shocked at seeing Niva¡¯s awful state. Kokan adverted his gaze and asked for an exnation. I refused to give one, citing that telling them would make them aplices to something I could neither confirm nor deny.


    ¡°Killing a Soul Warrior is a grave offense, even for someone as rotten as Noelia. But I will not say you were wrong to do so. Life is not something everyone deserves to keep. I wished you would¡¯ve told us so we could have nned ahead, but we can work with this,¡± Kokan said, figuring it out as we walked up the stairs to the kitchen and living room. Ichiha went ahead of us to prepare some towels and other stuff, and Irisa locked the door and talked to Tilde about what happened.


    ¡°Sorry, gotta listen to the boss on this one,¡± the fairy replied. ¡°She has a good point.¡±


    ¡°I can say this,¡± I said. ¡°They just left Niva stewing in her own shit. Are half-breeds really looked down upon? It¡¯s like no one saw her as a person.¡±


    ¡°It depends on the country, but generally? That¡¯s just how it goes. In a ce like Cridia, Niva probably won¡¯t even be seen as a person. But in Aquanis? She¡¯ll be as free as you and I. Still, it doesn¡¯t help that she was a ve¡ªmuch less the ve of a Soul Warrior like Bitchy McBitch Face,¡± Tilde answered.


    Irisa pipped up and asked if it was possible to track Niva because she was given to someone important like Noelia, and Tilde nodded. But before panic reared its ugly head, Tilde exined [Status Cloak] and how it could affect Niva. The problem was that she needed to be awake and alert.


    <i>That still gives us about 24 hours, at the least. It all depends on how Gloria responds to not feeling Noelia¡¯s mana. Or even if she can do it.</i>


    Instead of being a witness, I helped Kokan and Ichiha clean Niva¡¯s war-torn body. Her powdered blue skin was easy on the eyes, but the vicious wounds shed hard against something that looked so innocent. At least she was smelling a little better. Irisa ran to get a towel to ce on the couch, and together, we ferried Niva to it and sat her down. Her stumps had stray skin grossly spewing over the wounds, which were thankfully cauterized.


    Unfortunately, whoever did it had done a shit job with little care for the patient. Kokan took care of it, though, by cutting off about a quarter inch of arm and leg from Niva¡¯s nubs. After heating the t side of arge knife, he proceeded to re-cauterize the wounds and sear the flesh into closing. The smell of burning flesh permeated the room.


    It was...delicious.


    While Irisa cleaned the knife and helped her father tend to the newly cauterized nubs, Ichiha and I diagnosed our patient with [Analysis].


    She had the following injuries.


    <ul>


    <li>Blindness from mono-eye degeneration.</li>


    <li>Fractured ribs</li>


    <li>Her ears were hanging down and barely remained connected via a piece of bloody flesh.</li>


    <li>Blunt force trauma to her head, knees, crotch, and arms.</li>


    </ul>


    <ul>


    <li>Foot suffering from necrosis.</li>


    <li>The tissue around her arm and leg was necrotic, leading them to just fall off her body at the slightest touch.</li>


    <li>The infected skin around her crotch came from a sexual disease. The scabbed-over w marks were someone¡¯s attempt at ¡®getting rid¡¯ of it.</li>


    <li>The crimson rashes came from a type of aphrodisiac, which left behind scars as well because it was applied with a sharp knife.</li>


    <li>She carried a high fever while suffering from something like dysentery.</li>


    </ul>


    <ul>


    <li>Hundreds of scars on her chest, legs, arms, and back.</li>


    <li>Only a quarter of her teeth remained in her mouth.</li>


    </ul>


    To top it off, she had a severe case of potion dependency because she was forced to drink them as often as others drank water. Only an elixir could affect her, but the effects would be minuscule.


    Ichiha said she needed a detox, but Kokan argued Niva wouldn¡¯t survive. Irisa whined and told her father she didn¡¯t want Niva to die while cleaning around the blisters.


    ¡°Neither do we, sweetheart,¡± Kokan replied. I spoke and said her HP drained by half just in the time it took to get home.


    At this point, Niva was as clean as she¡¯d ever get. The dirty towels nearby were filthy, bloody, and covered in bodily fluids and dead, burnt skin. Kokan lifted those up and ced them in a clothes basket in his room, returning with a couple of tools.


    He looked at Niva¡¯s remaining foot, which waspletely necrotic, and said it couldn¡¯t be saved. Before using a saw designed to cut bone, he crushed some green and white herbs in a mortar and pestle, then added a hint of water and stirred with a brush. With that, he brushed it on Niva¡¯s tongue and exined it was a pain reliever made from silver grass and verde shrooms.


    I watched as Kokan ced the sharp teeth of the saw an inch above where the ck ended. He sawed away. With his strength and Niva¡¯s weakened bone, it took literal seconds to do the deed. No one knew what to do with the foot, so I volunteered to swallow it with a boar head hand.


    If that was disgusting, no one tried to let it show because the patient came first. After cauterizing the new wound, Kokan took his pliers and plucked the rest of Niva¡¯s diseased teeth, which I soon disposed of. Her gums were left bleeding, so he applied a little bit more of the pain reliever to them.


    Next on the agenda was actually bandaging her. I used Noelia¡¯s money to buy every bandage in the shop, which shocked the onis. I exined it wasn¡¯t mine and decided to pay them for the amputation and teeth removal. Ichiha and Irisa gathered bandages and some weak, generic ointment they had. With extreme care, they started to dress the wounds. When it came to her eye, they were better safe than sorry and ced a patch over it until they were finished taking care of the cuts and scrapes around it. Niva¡¯s ¡®dead spots¡¯-- the ces where her scales were violently ripped out¡ªwere bloody and pulsed like a heart. With time, that would end, and it would be nothing more than a spot of flesh that carried no feeling.


    Her back, though, was where the longest wounds were. Some even spanned the length of her neck to her hips. By the time everything was securely wrapped, Niva looked like an Egyptian mummy.


    Next, Kokan took some needle and thread and sutured her ears back to her head while applying more pain medicine.


    I didn¡¯t know how effective that would be. Honestly, I didn¡¯t think the ears could be saved.


    Ichiha retrieved a soft nket and pillow that wouldn¡¯t stick to the bandages¡¯ material. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but her broken ribs will be dangerous.¡± I asked why. ¡°Most of the time, you can recover without surgery if you take it easy and slow. But Niva? Depending on how she reacts when she wakes up, we could be looking at a punctured lung.¡±


    Irisa asked her mom a few more questions about broken ribs while she lifted Niva¡¯s head slightly for the pillow, and Kokan turned to me. In the morning, he said he¡¯d give me a list of ingredients to make the detox, salves, eye drops, and cream that would do most of the heavy lifting. As for Niva¡¯s teeth? They needed time to heal, so any dentures would have to wait at least two months. Potentially three, which would probably be the case with Niva. Her tail could potentially regenerate on its own when she was healthy enough, but the scales were less likely toe back. It wasn¡¯t impossible, but I shouldn¡¯t count on it happening before the feeling was lost in her dead spots.


    In short, the recovery process was going to be lengthy and grueling.


    Since we couldn¡¯t do much else, it didn¡¯t make sense to stand around wastefully. After getting a cloth toy over Niva, Ichiha and Kokan hugged Irisa and me goodnight. Before they returned to their room, they turned their patient to her side because they didn¡¯t want her to choke on her own blood.


    Niva upied Irisa¡¯s couch, but the oni said the floor was fine. While she prepared her sleeping area, she looked dejected. Her yellow eyes took sharp nces my way for a fraction of a second. Yeah, she probably wanted me to offer my bed, but I wasn¡¯tfortable with that.


    At least, not now. I did like her, though. She was an amazing friend and a wonderful person to be around.


    <i>Maybe I need a few more weeks¡­</i>


    ¡°M?¡± she suddenly said, breaking me from the prison of my thoughts.


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me about this? I was okay when you left, but the hours came and went, and you still weren¡¯t here. Dad had to hold me back from rushing off to find you because I thought you weren¡¯ting back.¡±


    I professed my apologies twice over but held my ground. There was no way I was going to make this family¡ªa family, mind you, that epted me as a chimera, a beast that was feared the world over, an essory to my crime. A crime, I might add, that put me straight on Gloria¡¯s shit list if she found out. There was a chance Gloria couldn¡¯t track Niva. When I used [Analysis] on her, I didn¡¯t see anything like a tracking status effect, and [Analysis] put [Scan] or a Scan Stone to shame.


    <em>Guess I was a fool. Bringing Niva home would automatically get them roped into it. Yeah, that was stupid of me. But we should be fine.</em>


    ¡°So¡­ It¡¯s because you care about us?¡± Irisa asked. Her face held a smile that was a bit yful. It seemed she wasn¡¯t angry.


    ¡°Yes. Ichiha, Kokan, you¡­ You¡¯ve done so much for me that I didn¡¯t want to put you in danger. No one saw us bring Niva inside, and once she wakes up, I can mask her mana. I don¡¯t know if she <i>can</i> track her, but I¡¯m not about to y fast and loose with something like this.¡±


    Reading minds and scanning memories existed in the world, and I doubt that power was exclusive to Tilde. Gloria would have the means to fuck my mind right open. If the night didn¡¯t end in Noelia¡¯s death and she escaped, I feared that was the route awaiting me. Granted, I had a contingency n called ''Turn my Wrath to 100¡¯ to get me out of it, but that, thankfully, wasn¡¯t needed.


    We stood there in a simple hug until the sleepiness was too much to ignore. I softly rubbed her back. Her strength was weak, and instead of just removing her hands, she slid them up my back, down my shoulders, and stopped when her fingers were in my palms. Even for being so muscr and tall, she was surprisingly soft in all the right areas. She looked down, went red in the horns, and let go.


    But I didn¡¯t want that. I caressed her fingers after grabbing them, and Irisa¡¯s smile became prettier. We just stood there, connected by our hands, until she yawned a second time and decided it was time toy down.


    ¡°Goodnight, M,¡± she whispered as she pulled the nket to her stomach and rolled to her side.


    ¡°Night. I¡¯ll see you in the morning,¡± I replied, returning to my room.


    ¡°You know, this is the part where you say some crude erotic remark,¡± I told Tilde when the door shut behind me. The fairy flew as if she was drunk, but I knew she was totally exhausted to the point where she struggled to keep her eyes open. I couldn¡¯t fault her since she took a beating when I trained with Sekh and Kokan. For me, the pain mostly vanished when I healed myself, but the difort often lingered around her fairy-sized body for far longer. Her wings slowed to a crawl, and I caught her before she mmed into the ground. Iid her in her little bed on the dresser. After stripping naked, I climbed under the covers of my bed. A quick check of my map¡¯s satellite mode told me Sekh was drying off. I looked to the left and saw her armor, which was still in good shape. The only marks were from our training, and I couldn¡¯t hit hard enough to deal any substantial damage.


    Minutester, Sekh emerged from the bathroom naked as the day she was born. Her clothes were bundled in her arms, and after putting them off to the side, she joined me in bed. She nestled right on my shoulder, turned to her side, and wrapped her arms around me.


    We remained silent for a while, though it wasn¡¯t like we had nothing to talk about. But sometimes, silence was a virtue too many people took for granted. I used that moment to reflect upon Sekh¡¯s hair. When we met, it was touching her shoulders. ¡°it¡¯s getting long, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°My hair? Should I cut it?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t make that decision, but I will say it looks cute on you.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll keep growing it out. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll continue until it¡¯s as long as yours, but¡­I¡¯m happy you like it.¡± I asked why, and Sekh said she always wore it short. She was always jumping from fight to fight in her mad rush to be the Dark Lord of Tyranny. Like hell she would give her opponents any leverage. Thest thing she wanted was someone to grab her hair and yank her down if she was fighting against a group. And yeah, that was understandable, but this wasn¡¯t then. It was now. She¡¯d never be in a position where her beautiful hair was a detriment. I just wouldn¡¯t allow it.


    Sekh sighed, and I gingerly rubbed her back and asked what was wrong. It turned out she spent the entire time psyching herself for a fight. ¡°Noelia would have been an excellent opportunity to test my strength against a Soul Warrior,¡± she said, sounding slightly dejected. She was awfully cute when she pouted.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be upset. There¡¯ll be <i>plenty </i>of Soul Warriors for you to kill in the future.¡±


    ¡°Your enemies will fall before you, my liege. I won¡¯t allow any to escape with their lives.¡±


    ¡°Mmnn¡­ That¡¯s a good girl,¡± I whispered, rubbing her back. She purred at my bare touch while I gave Sekh the rundown on everything affecting Niva. From her infections to broken bones, Sekh patiently listened.


    ¡°If she was enduring to outlive Noelia, what reason does she have left to fend off death?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll simply give her one,¡± I replied. ¡°I bet she harbors a grudge against Gloria.¡±


    ¡°What about her wounds? Even a spirit summoner cannot fight with her injuries.¡±


    ¡°There must be a way to regenerate her limbs. If not, I¡¯ll make her a pair of prosthetics so she can at least walk. Her spirits can see for her, but I suppose talking about it is moot.¡±


    I was rubbing Sekh¡¯s head when she asked something. ¡°Do you want her to die?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ Getting revenge is the basis of my decision-making. Even if it gets me there a hair quicker. I want Niva to recover because that¡¯s another body to fight, and I won¡¯t turn my nose at someone with her potential. But I¡¯m not going to lose sleep if she croaks. But enough about her. Let me apologize. It must¡¯ve been rough to carry her.¡±


    Sekh said it was no trouble, but my focus was on apologizing for the smell. ¡°Don¡¯t be,¡± Sekh said, looking up at me with her beautiful silver eyes. She gazed deeply at mine.


    ¡°Is there anything you want?¡± I exined that I found Noelia¡¯s money stashed in a satchel. ¡°There are at least 50 gold coins in there. I don¡¯t know how much that is, but I figured we could do something nice with it. So, anything on your mind?¡±


    ¡°Really? You¡¯re letting me pick? But you¡¯ve already given me so much.¡±


    ¡°I know, but I¡¯m asking if there¡¯s anything else. Just let me reward the beautiful woman staring up at me, okay?¡± Sekh blushed hard, then licked my lips with loving tenderness.¡±


    ¡°It would be rude to continue denying it, yes?¡± I nodded. ¡°In that case¡­ Can we go by the butcher?¡±


    ¡°Of course. What else?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s more?¡± It dawned on me that this was probably the first time Sekh was given a chance to pick out exactly what she wanted. Yes, she picked out her clothes when we first moved in with Irisa and her mom, but this was different.


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really know. Can you cook the meat for me?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? Ichiha¡¯s a better chef.¡±


    ¡°But she isn¡¯t you. I want to eat <i>your</i> cooking.¡±


    Hearing her say that caused my heart to skip another beat. I told her I loved her, she said it back, and we remained as we were until sleep took us.


    <hr>


    Irisa, her parents, Sekh, Tilde, and I were chowing on some baked bread Ichiha had prepared when Kokan handed me a list. Niva was still unconscious, but things hadn¡¯t turned for the worst.


    If I found a couple more bandages, I needed to pick those up as well. But did I? I asked if silk could be used as a substitute, and his eyes lit up. Kokan was a knowledgeable man. I¡¯d already known that from when we met, but his mind was far past that.


    He jumped from his chair and ran for his fishing pole. I didn¡¯t notice it before, but it looked like a regr rod and reel from my world. Obviously, it wasn¡¯t as advanced or made out of reinforced carbon fiber, but the wood it was carved from gave it a warm aura of hospitality. After slotting an empty spool, I let loose a little webbing from the tip of my index finger.


    He fished it backwards through the first eye of the rod and wrapped it around the spool. Slowly, he turned the reel. The spool turned, taking more webbing from my finger, and the rest was up to him. Kokan said he could whip a bandage up in just a couple of minutes, so once he had my spider silk, he was ready to go. My only job was to keep my hand elevated and transfiguration stable, which was easy enough. I wanted a challenge, so I asked Irisa to fetch her rod.


    This was my first time concentrating on maintaining two different sources of transfigurations. But I had grown as a chimera, so it wasn¡¯t too bad after I¡¯d gotten used to it. My biomass drained faster, so I devoured my te and asked Sekh to get me a second helping of bread.


    ¡°Wow¡­ M, your webs are so pretty,¡± Irisa said. She ogled how they seemingly shined in the early morning sunlight from the nearby window. ¡°You can change the tensile strength, right? If they¡¯re good for fishing, you could make some money by selling them.¡±


    ¡°That sounds cool. Huh, I wonder if there¡¯s a way to infuse my webs? Maybe with fire to make them red? Or water or ice to give them a blue hue? Kokan, is that possible?¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± replied Kokan. He said there was crimson silk enchanted with [Fire Immunity], which came from spiders that lived near and in the heart of a volcano. It was exorbitantly expensive because immunity-type skills were the pinnacle of elemental defense.


    <i>That''s something I need to get.</i>


    While the father and daughter spun my webs, I looked at my ¡®shopping¡¯ list. After searching and marking them, I discovered <i>everything</i> I needed was at a ce I knew very well.


    <i>I guess it¡¯s a good thing the Bary¡¯s store raised prices to take advantage of a Holy Lord¡¯s purse.</i>


    Suddenly, my hand was illuminated in an ethereal glow. Holy and Dark Mana materialized and swirled around it.


    Tilde hopped up and danced around the table. ¡°Yes!!! Yes!!!! It¡¯s finally time!!!! I¡¯ve been waiting forever!!!!¡± She ran to the hand upied with bread, punched it out of my grip, and aimed my fingers towards the te.


    <b><i>[Biological AI] has been activated within [Hermes Trismegistus]</i></b>


    <b><i>New Skill: [Biological AI]</i></b>


    <i>Biological AI? Wait, what¡¯s that feeling? Hmm¡­ Focus on it.</i>


    I narrowed my eyes and tried to pinpoint the mysterious urge. My fingers felt tingly and warm, and five beams of rainbow mana radiated from their tips. An image materialized from the ground up. It was about nine inches tall, resembling a multicolored pir of stone. I tried to touch the object, but my fingers passed right through it. Was it a ghost?


    <i>Or a hologram?</i>


    I turned to Tilde, who was too busy hopping up and down with a gigantic smile. When she finally calmed down enough to answer the obvious question, she went further than that. Apparently, [Biological AI] was what it said. It was an AI¡ªmore urately, an organic AI that lived within the core of [Hermes Trismegistus]. As of right now, it was just in its barest state of being¡ªalmost like a newborn babe.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re familiar with machine-learning, so this is basically that. The ole AI here needs ¡ªwell, it¡¯s not a need as much as a preference¡ªto ess your memories because you have 20 years'' worth of data sitting in that noggin of yours.¡±


    ¡°Uhh... Machine-learning? AI? Data? My head¡¯s spinning in circles...¡± Irisa said. She was totally lost, so I answered her questions and exined the things neither she nor her parents knew. A little prompt appeared in my vision, asking me to share my memories with the AI. I was hesitant, but Tilde said the AI would increase all aspects of [Hermes Trismegistus]. With hesitance, I gave permission and waited for something awful...that never came. The colorful stone pir just slightly jiggled and wiggled.


    ¡°Alright, now remove all of the waypoints you have set, and ask the AI to search for silver grass.¡±


    ¡°How do I do that?¡± I asked Tilde.


    She pped her forehead with her tiny palms and heavily sighed. ¡°Just. Ask. It.¡±


    ¡°Uhh... AI, remove my waypoints and search for silver grass...?¡± I turned to the hologram. For fifteen minutes, there wasplete silence before a robotic voice radiated from the hologram.


    ¡°The data as requested, my lord.¡± Its tone was t and uninspired, but my map disyed every source of silver grass in the indexed areas. I yed around and filtered it down to Ria, then wanted the AI to search in a radius of 1.4 miles around me. It took some time for my request to be processed, but it worked.


    Then a tidbit snuck into my mind. ¡°Disy the data,¡± I said.


    ¡°The data as disyed, my lord,¡± spoke the AI. Suddenly, another hologram appeared before it, and it was on my map.


    Only everyone else could see it as well. If you looked at Kokan, it¡¯d seem as if he¡¯d swung for the stars and scored an intergctic home run. His thick horns nearly started to sweat when he turned to me in a shaky voice.


    ¡°This¡­ This¡ªM, this¡ªFrankly, this is incredible!¡± he stammered. ¡°I believed you when you told me about this, but seeing it in person...¡± I asked the AI to switch to satellite mode of my current location, and about fifty secondster¡­


    There it was¡­


    A floating window, like what you¡¯d see on aputer if you were looking at a satellite map, yet it showed me Irisa¡¯s kitchen. They all nced down upon themselves while looking at themselves, creating a weird out-of-body experience. Irisa nearly tripped over her feet, Ichiha grabbed the table to remain standing, and Kokan marveled. I wanted a change of scenery, so I told it to go to the store where Erin Bary worked, and after another minute or two, there she was.


    The violet tail forcefully danced around from false bravado. It was early in the morning, yet the store was m full of busybodies who wanted to get a head start, and she was the sole worker. She sped up and down the stairs to the various floors while enduring abuse from over-entitled customers.


    ¡°You see how it took a while to carry out yourmands?¡± I nodded at Tilde and told the AI to stop disying the data. ¡°That¡¯s because it¡¯s as dumb as a ten-pound sack of stupid. As of right now, that is.¡±


    ¡°If it came from you, then aren¡¯t you just insulting yourself?¡± Sekh asked.


    ¡°Shut it, Big Tits! That¡¯s not important. But this is. The more you use it, the smarter it bes. And it has no limit, just to let you know. Eventually, that holographic pir will shatter once it is of sufficient intellect. What does it leave behind? My pretty lips will never tell. Hehe!¡±

 Chapter Thirty-Six: Apothecary Extraordinaire

    Chapter Thirty-Six: Apothecary Extraordinaire


    After breakfast, I returned to my room to get dressed for the day before returning to the kitchen. Sekh and I looked at Niva before heading to the Bary¡¯s shop. Tilde yawned and took a seat on my shoulder, and she lectured me more about the AI and how it was the best thing since sliced bread. For example, if I made a spear, I could ¡®save¡¯ its ¡®recipe¡¯ and order the AI to make more if I had the materials used in the spear¡¯s production in storage. The best part was that it worked for everything I made.


    But it wasn''t all sunshine and rainbows. Having the AI make my spear as it was now would take weeks. Cooking a pot of soup would require a few days. Once the AI had an influx of data and experience, the production speed would drastically increase until it could crank out like 100k enchanted spears in a minute. I pondered how useful it would be for ammo creation. Once I had created one 9mm round, the AI could mass-produce them for me. If I made an even better 9mm with tougher metal and better firesalts, I could ¡®rece¡¯ the original 9mm¡¯s ¡®recipe¡¯.


    <i>Tilde¡¯s right. I gotta use the AI as much as I can. There¡¯s a lot I must do, and there¡¯s not enough time in the day to do it.</i>


    Before we walked into the incredibly packed store, I told the AI to highlight everything on the list Kokan gave me with waypoints, which took about four minutes.


    <i>Even with the increased prices, there are a shit ton of people here. It¡¯s always packed to the seams. How long is that going tost?</i>


    We perused around the first and second floors, taking in the clothing for sale. None of it fit Sekh and me, so we ignored that and proceeded to the fifth floor once the AI was finished. It was all so simple to steal the things I needed. I stood by the stairs and waited for the right time to take that bundle of silver grass lying helplessly against the window. The wooden pot didn¡¯t know what hit it when my thin web smacked against it, causing it to vanish to a realm where it couldn¡¯t be traced.


    At least, that was the n. And while nothing went wrong, the evolution of my skills was something I wasn¡¯t expecting.


    <b><i>[String Shot] and [Web Bomb] have evolved andbined. Initializing new skills...</i></b>


    <b><i>New Skill: [Web]</i></b>


    <b><i>New Skill: [Web Maniption]</i></b>


    Now that was interesting. I didn¡¯t know evolving andbining skills produced two skills. Logic dictated that you¡¯d be left with less when multiple things fused together, butmon sense couldn¡¯t be applied here.


    After looking through the Skill Menu, it turned out not to be a downgrade. I asked Tilde, who told me that [Web] and [Web Maniption] were base skills <i>all</i> adult spiders knew. Since that was the case, the spiders we fought in the mines weren¡¯t considered mature until they acquired those two skills. Regardless, my webs were still the same. They hadn¡¯t grown any stronger or weaker, I could still technically use [Web Bomb], and the changes were in name only. But [Web Maniption] was a game changer.


    We walked up a floor until we came to a collection of bottles that held medicinal oils. From off to the side, I shot a web from my cheek and nearly flinched when a separate window opened in my view.


    ¡°It¡¯s...from the web?¡± I asked. Sekh looked rmed, but I told her what I saw. She exined that it must¡¯ve been [Web Maniption] showing me the point-of-view from my web. Once the silk left my body, I could control it. Since the maniption skill was Lv. 1, I had less than a second.


    But again, this was more than excellent. The sheer feeling of evolving and growing ever stronger, day by day, was unmatched by anything else I¡¯d felt in my life as Shuuta Fenton.


    It took just a few more minutes to finish my ¡®shopping¡¯ thanks to the overwhelming number of customers. Erin wasn¡¯t flying solo anymore, but it was still no small wonder why more people hadn¡¯t robbed this ce. Kokan had said theft carried a harsh punishment, so that was a deterrent, but still. I guess it didn¡¯t matter to me at all, so I threw that out of my mind as we stopped by a butcher. I asked the AI to search for one, and we followed the waypoint. When we arrived, we were greeted by the beastly stench of cured meat hanging from hooks. Sekh¡¯s gluttony growled in her belly, choosing to look with her stomach and not her eyes.


    ¡°And I can pick which one I want? Really? Really really?¡± she excitably said. Her lion-like tail wagged a mile a minute as she stared at me with those glimmering silver eyes.


    ¡°Really really,¡± I said, trying not tough. ¡°Just know that I only have 33lbs free in my storage.¡± To test the AI, I told it to use [Analysis] on the hanging meat, highlight the top 10 with waypoints, and share that data with Sekh and Tilde.


    <i>The data will be shared, my lord.</i> A robotic, stiff voice echoed around my head. Sekh regained herposure and looked at the glowing carcasses. A heavy-set Dwarf with a beard so thick I couldn¡¯t see his mouth waddled over and offered his assistance. Sekh looked at me, I nodded, and she allowed the employee to assist her while I hung out with Tilde. It took about ten minutes for adorable Lionfolk to find the perfect cut of beef out of the ones highlighted and another five for him to chop off 25 pounds. That came out to more than I was expecting. If I had something like [Estimation] and [Haggling], I¡¯d brought the cost down to something more reasonable, but fuck it.


    It wasn¡¯t my money, so I didn¡¯t care. I paid the man for the overpriced beef while Sekh carried it in her arms. Her tail danced side to side, but when we were alone, I stashed it in my storage while returning home. However, life had other ns for me because I stopped by a furniture shop to buy a small bed for Niva and a desk for myself and arranged for it to be delivered to Ichiha¡¯s shop. I couldn¡¯t have Irisa sleep on the floor, and Niva was my responsibility. I didn¡¯t splurge on anything at all. The things I bought were as basic as basic could be.


    My shopping took a little over an hour and a half. When we returned home, I told Ichiha to expect a delivery, then went upstairs to the kitchen. Kokan was weaving my silk into thick bandages at the table. Twenty-three were already made, and he stretched out his arms and gave me a light wave.


    I retrieved everything from his ¡®shopping¡¯ list. He looked them over and nodded when Sekh and I joined him. Tildended on my shoulders and sat down. ¡°Hmm... This is concerning,¡± he said.


    ¡°Why? I got everything you needed, right?¡±


    ¡°You did, but the herbs are in a drastic state. They¡¯re dried and crumbly, not full and leafy. The oils are losing their luster, too. That damnable woman must¡¯ve taken advantage of Noelia¡¯s selfish buying spree and raised the prices. No doubt a heartless heathen like her would swap the fresh for the old just in case the price rose even more. But we can work with this.¡± I watched Kokan retrieve the necessary tools and asked about Irisa, who was at Smithy¡¯s Corner. She really wanted to stay and watch over Niva, but there wasn''t much for her to do.


    ¡°Has she moved at all?¡± I asked, tapping the desk with my fingers.


    ¡°She¡¯s been squirming, but that¡¯s about all,¡± Kokan replied, sitting down. ¡°Ah, I can see it in your eyes. You want to learn, right? Do you have [Alchemist] and [Apothecary]?¡± I didn¡¯t, but I could because Noelia¡¯s attendants had them.


    <b><i>New Skill: [Alchemist]</i></b>


    <b><i>New Skill: [Apothecary]</i></b>


    I pumped those to Lv. 3. [Spear], [Firearm], and [cksmith] went to Lv. 4, which left me with 10SP. I wanted to save them but said fuck it and spent them on a skill to help me identify medicinal nts.


    <b><i>New Skill: [Herbalist]</i></b>


    <i>Sekh hasn¡¯t spent her SP yet. I don¡¯t me her since she can manually learn her former skills easier than anyone else.</i>


    Tilde put on her instructor hat and asked if learning it was a mistake since I had an AI at my beck and call. After thinking it over, I defended my choice because the AI learned from me. It processed my experiences and knowledge, so acquiring a skill that would impart information only helped me in the long run.


    ¡°Good. Good. Now it seems you¡¯re getting it. The AI will learn faster the more you do shit. Brewing potions, making weapons, creating pots and pans, screwing Big Tits with your big dick, killing some monsters, and chowing down on them drowns the AI with delicious, delicious data.¡± Tilde licked her lips and rubbed her stomach.


    ¡°Was that screwing part necessary?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re damn right it was! Without sex, like 99.999999999% of the world wouldn¡¯t be alive!¡±


    ¡°Umm... R¡ªRight...¡± Kokan stammered over his words and coughed to change the subject. He quickly switched into ¡®lecturer mode¡¯ and went step by step. He said he had a lot to do, and yes, that wasn¡¯t an understatement. He guided and instructed me on just about everything. From the correct technique to prick off herbs from the nts to how I should hold the mortar and pestle to even the proper way to pour water into a mixture at just the right speed and angle to prevent any bubbles from popping up. Sekh wanted to follow along, but Kokan asked her to make more bandages. She was naturally good at it. Knowing her and her past, I doubt she had the luxury of always having potions or a healer nearby, so making her own remedies was vital to her survival. Her fingers deftly folded the individual strands in a weave-like pattern with surprising haste and delicateness.


    Much like how a painter required a fresh canvas before starting, we needed to take the bloody, swampy bandages off Niva and clean the wounds. Kokan did her front and taught me the proper procedure, which was more involved than I thought. Still, I was very thankful for his guidance. It was put to the test when I oversaw cleaning her back. The lengthy scars that spanned from her neck to her waist reminded me of my past, but I couldn¡¯t let the bygones of a world that didn¡¯t matter force me away from what was vital. But it was hard, though. My back started to tingle with tension and disgust, but I powered through the difort and finished my job.


    After Kokan retrieved the bloody rags and towels and stashed them in the nearby hamper forter cleaning, it was time to make some medicine. First up on the list was powder for the bruises, pain, and burns. By taking the roots and leaves of afrey nt and grinding them up with water, you can toss in bano seeds to make something creamy and thin. But by adding the dust of a verde shroom, the mixture bes chalky and solid, which can be broken off and crushed to make a fine powder. After registering the creation with the AI, Kokan and I applied the powder where necessary with a pair of gentle brushes.


    Before we wrapped her up with bandages, we made a simple cream for swelling with silver grass, crushed bano leaves, water, and the seeds from a green hippsal nt. The mixture was brown and goopy and smelled like death, but when ced over the powder I made, it worked to reduce the scarring while still being incredibly efficacious.


    Of course, that was if the ingredients were fresh and ripe and not dried and old. He cursed and exined the remedies we were making probably lost about 75% of their healing prowess. I searched for the same herbs of better quality, but nothing came up. Kokan said I¡¯d have to go and gather them myself if I wanted anything of reputable quality, but he quickly added Niva would make a recovery. It¡¯d be a while longer.


    We rubbed the goopy cream over the powder we¡¯d applied early, then wrapped everything up with bandages weaved from my silk. Finally, Kokan grabbed some thread and rechecked Niva''s ears. It was probably just for show since we doubted they would heal, but nheless, he applied a generous amount of medicine to the sutures after cleaning them.


    Now, it was time to tackle the eye. When the orange flowers of the bluth herb were infused in boiling water, they left behind an orange liquid. We strained the flowers and poured in fox grass oil, which turned them scarlet. Kokan added a ssh of coconut oil while I cut open an aloe vera nt to extract the gel. He stirred that in until the drops were colorless with the texture of water. Kokan said a Cyclops¡¯s eye was incredibly prone to dryness and disease. When left in a terrible state, it could lead to mono-eye degeneration. It was vital to keep it moisturized, and the drops we made were perfect for that. In addition, it would help remove puffiness and difort.


    We had to take a break to allow the delivery guys to bring up the desk and bed. I carefully picked up Niva and ced her in Kokan¡¯s room while they were here, then brought her back to the conch after they left.


    Niva¡¯s crotch and inner thighs were our next target. Kokan said the rashes were from an aphrodisiac applied via a knife. Along with increasing sexual sensitivity, the cream used on Niva was more closely rted to a poison that could kill a person. Perhaps whoever raped Niva afterwards didn¡¯t like the aphrodisiac to the point that they used their ws to remove the skin from her thighs. Kokan exined the root of a horseradish nt had natural anti-inmmatory properties, and he added in the oil of an evergreen tree with a snippet of watercress.


    While mixing, he said the sexual disease Niva had targeted the veins and arteries in the penis and caused internal inmmation. It was rare for it to spread to the inner thighs. If left alone, the blood would clot and burst, leading to death via internal bleeding. It was dangerous by itself, even more so because Niva¡¯s current condition was far less than ideal. Once he was done stirring, Kokan grabbed one of the aloe vera nts I¡¯d cut into,thered the thick solution onto it, and used that like a rag to apply the medicine to Niva¡¯s thighs and crotch.


    ¡°This¡¯ll take care of the rashes and inmmation. The watercress I added works well with scarring in sensitive areas,¡± Kokan said, throwing the aloe vera nt away in the garbage. I asked about Niva¡¯s dead spots, but Kokan shook his head and said the most we could do was keep it clean and moisturized. Niva¡¯s tail came up, but again, he said he couldn¡¯t do anything to encourage regeneration. Still, he rubbed the pain reliever powder over where it once was.


    For the actual disease, Kokan used what he could to make a basic anti-bacterial drink. After infusing yarrow with its white stalk, he added a drop of bano oil and horseradish root to the boiling liquid. While that cooled off, he plucked the leaf of a gold bull blossom, the most expensive ingredient I¡¯d stolen, and added that, salt, ginger, and a dab of honey to a mortar and pestle. When everything wasbined, he added the liquid, mixed it for a few more minutes, then had me open Niva¡¯s mouth while he slowly dripped it on her tongue.


    It felt odd massaging her throat to encourage her body to swallow, but I did it. When we were done, he told me that would help with the disease that causes blood to leak out through her feces and urine and reduce her fever.


    The final thing we had to do was check her gums. Kokan performed his exam while I used a brush to rub crushed yarrow stalk against her gums.


    ¡°Okay, everything looks good. Let¡¯s keep Niva hydrated but be careful not to give her too much water at once.¡± I nodded, and we started to talk about the detox. The stuff to make it was on the table, but the shelf life was just a few hours. I solved that problem by saying that items in my storage were frozen in time, and thus, it was time for onest lecture while he made an extremely ck liquid that looked like tar. ¡°She¡¯s still in critical shape, so giving this to her now will kill her. I can only estimate how long she¡¯s been forced to swallow potion after potion, but her tolerance is exceedingly high. There¡¯s more to y here than that, though.¡±


    I understood what he was trying to say without saying it. Frankly, if Ipared potions to something like acid or cocaine, then Niva¡¯s been high non-stop for months. The sleep she was getting now wasn¡¯t restful, but it was something. But when she does wake up, she¡¯ll probably feel like total shit from the withdrawals.


    <i>Her HP hasn¡¯t increased, but it also hasn¡¯t decreased. That¡¯s something, right?</i>


    Only God knew what would happen when she took the detox, but I didn¡¯t rightly believe in that bastard. He was a selfish twat.


    I stashed the detox potion while recreating the remedies I''d watched Kokan produce. He sat and helped me when I said the AI came with an auto-craft function. The one caveat was that the item had to be made solely by my hands, but it didn¡¯t say anything about receiving any verbal help. Kokan was speechless about something so powerful existing. Even though it took days to weeks to recreate them, knowing I could make something the same way each time brought stability to a profession where using little too much or too little could drastically alter a medicine¡¯s effect. Such a mistake could end in death, and I had a way to avoid that.


    As a man of his knowledge should be, he was strict with his standards. Sometimes, it took multiple attempts to make the anti-pain, burn, and bruise powder. But I was d for his teachings because I knew the AI was gaining a lot of data.


    Once I had his approval, I registered my creations and told the AI to make them.


    <i>At once, my lord. </i>Its robotic, monotone voice swirled around my head. Within the center of my vision appeared a drop-down menu with their estimated time toplete. I couldn¡¯t have it block my sight, so the AI, once asked, moved that menu underneath my map.


    Kokan excused himself to clean up, and Sekh, Tilde, and I returned to our room.


    <hr>


    ¡°How¡¯s Niva?¡± Irisa asked when she stepped back into the kitchen after taking a bath. Her dirty, soot-covered skin and filthy cksmithing apron were reced by afy tank top, glistening green skin, and shorts that showed off her long, muscr legs. She joined her father, Sekh, and me at the table. Tilde was exhausted, so she was napping in her bed.


    <i>It¡¯s 7:40. The sun¡¯s starting to go down.</i>


    ¡°The same as ever,¡± I replied, telling her of the medicines we made. Kokan brought up the desk and bed and told Irisa she didn¡¯t have to sleep on the floor anymore. I thought she¡¯d be happy, and maybe she was, but her eyes subtly told a different story when I said it was for Niva.


    Irisa probably wanted to sleep in the same room as Sekh and me as a stepping stone for the three of us cuddling together in the same bed. Sekh and I liked her, and she fancied us, but I wasn¡¯t ready for her to see me in such a defenseless state again.


    <i>I want to sleep with her... I¡¯m just scared, though... Maybe one day we can share a bed. I¡¯m aware of our feelings.</i>


    Ichiha soon started dinner after closing the shop. Sekh¡¯s stomach growled, and I chuckled at her blushing expression.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s about time. Let¡¯s head to the backyard,¡± I said, exining that we stopped by a butcher to get some meat. Ichiha asked if I would be willing to share some tomorrow morning. I nodded, and Sekh and I went to the backyard. The clouds were covering the crimson glow of the sunset, yet its radiant redness couldn¡¯t be contained.


    I prepared the makeshift stove, fire pit, frying pan, and the spices appropriately acquired from a certain store. Everything wasid out, so after getting a fire going, I retrieved the chunk of meat, handed it to Sekh, and used a knife from the arsenal to cut her off a decent b. Storing it away, I tried to remember Greggie¡¯s advice when cooking steak.


    <i>I don¡¯t have all those fancy spices, but I got salt, pepper, and garlic.</i>


    ¡°And then rub it with the oil, right? And add some to a pan? Do I wait for it to heat up?¡±


    ¡°My liege?¡± Sekh sat beside me and ced a hand on my knee.


    <i>¡°Ahh, sorry. I¡¯m trying to remember what Greggie said¡­¡± I stopped agonizing over it. After pouring a bit of oil into the pan and meat, I added my three spices to both sides. I dropped the steak in fat side down when the oil was hot. Pressing on it, I told the AI to analyze the steak and disy its current temperature and cooking time.</i>


    <i>The capability to do so isn¡¯t there yet, my lord.</i>


    <i>Okay, I guess I¡¯m winging it.</i>


    The sizzle of the meat was music to Sekh¡¯s ears. She focused her attention while holding a te in her hands. Once I felt the fat was rendered, I think, I turned it to its t side and waited. I remembered Greggie mentioning he liked to baste his steak, but I didn¡¯t know what that entailed. Asking the AI didn¡¯t work because it needed more data.


    When I thought it was time, I pressed a fork into the steak and lifted it up. Greggie said you wanted to make sure there was a crust, but I didn¡¯t know what that was.


    With a sigh, I flipped it over. ¡°If Greggie was here, he¡¯d know what to do. In my world, he was ranked 247th amongst all Michelin Star Chefs. And he¡¯s not even 22 years old. I bet he could use the same shit I did and make something a trillion times better.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t eat it.¡± I asked why. Sekh stared at the steak and looked strong and determined. Her lovely crimson tunic fluttered in the breeze and knocked her hood down. ¡°Your cooking is what I desire, not his. Besides, he betrayed and abandoned you when you needed help the most. Even if he lives long enough to present you with an apology feast of the most sought-after dishes throughout the world, I''d burn it in front of him because his food isn¡¯t worthy to enter my mouth.¡±


    I remained quiet until I thought the food was done. Sekh stabbed it with a fork and brought it to her te, then cut off a decent chunk. The insides were dark brown, and it was tough. I didn¡¯t fail to see how chewy it was¡­


    But Sekh ate every piece with a pretty smile while I watched her with adoration. Not once did she cough, spit it out, or make an excuse to not finish her meal.


    <i>Maybe this is what Greggie feels when someone eats his food.</i>


    ¡°Oh, you got a little bit on your lips. Here, I¡¯ll get it,¡± I said. I leaned in close and licked the steak juice staining her lips. She froze solid for a quick second, then moved a finger to the once juice-ridden spot. She washed it with her tongue and smiled. cing the te down, she threw herself at me. I fell to the ground with Sekh straddling me. I smiled up at her and rubbed her shoulders and upper arm. She leaned down and pressed her lips to mine, giving me a deep kiss while slipping her tongue in my mouth. ¡°Mmmn... You taste like steak. It¡¯s delicious.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for the delicious meal.¡±


    ¡°Cooking for the one I love is kinda fun. It brings joy to my heart,¡± I replied, wrapping my arms around her back. Tears of happiness flowed from her cheeks and sshed down to mine. After enjoying some time together, I stashed everything in the arsenal and returned to the kitchen. Ichiha and her family were ying tic-tac-toe. We joined and enjoyed a pleasant conversation for an hour or so.


    Then it was time for bed. After changing Niva''s bandages and reapplying medicine, Sekh and I carried her to the bed I¡¯d bought. It came with blue sheets, a white nket, and a ck pillow. I¡¯d made sure to buy soft sheets that wouldn¡¯t difort her wounds, so I had nothing to worry about when I pulled the nket up to her chest after turning her to the side. Her gums were barely bleeding, and Sekh tended to that.


    Irisa stood by the doorway and stared at Niva. We chatted, the topic obviously about the nearly dead girl, but then she yawned and wiped her eyes. After some quick hugs, she wished us goodnight and returned to her couch. I watched her lie down, then closed the door and turned around. I looked at a sleeping Tilde and asked the AI about her once I summoned its hologram in mid-air.


    The multicolored stone jiggled and wiggled before speaking. ¡°After unlocking [Biological AI], the Conduit requires substantial rest to return to normal operating parameters, my lord.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. Let her rest. Let¡¯s get ready for bed, Sekh.¡± I stretched my arms and started to disrobe, but Sekh remained still. Her piercing gaze stared past me. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked. ¡°Wait...? Niva?¡± I turned around, and there she was, leaning up in her bed.

 Chapter Thirty-Seven: Hey You, You’re Finally Awake – Part One

    Chapter Thirty-Seven: Hey You, You¡¯re Finally Awake ¨C Part One


    Niva very slowly turned her head to her surroundings. At the same time, the fingers on her remaining hand twitched.


    ¡°Do you know where you are?¡± I asked her. She met my gaze but refused to speak. Or maybe she couldn¡¯t? Were her vocal cords injured as well? [Analysis] didn¡¯t say anything about that, but her mouth was probably sore from her teeth extraction. ¡°I killed Noelia. Remember the gunshot? You stood up, tried to walk, fell, and passed out.¡±


    Instead of nodding or shaking her head, Niva touched her fidgeting fingers to some of her bandages. She tried to get out of bed, but Sekh stopped her.


    ¡°As part Lizardfolk with summoning magic, it¡¯s possible for you to be a Dragonfolk and summon a draconic spirit. Am I correct?¡±


    Again, Niva just stared towards my voice. The eyedrops reduced the swelling, redness, and puffiness, but even if the outside looked somewhat better, mono-eye degeneration fucked her optical nerves.


    Upon confirming she wasn¡¯t deaf, I concluded Niva was still disconste. ¡°Did Gloria enve you? She¡¯s the one who handed you off to Noelia, right? As a damage sponge?¡±


    For as emotionless, still, quiet, and injured as someone like Niva could be, she reacted just enough to know that I hit the mark on the head. When asked if she wanted revenge, Niva finally found it in herself to nod. But did ite from herself? I never expected her to be totally quiet, so I partly wondered if she was in a tremendous amount of shock and believed this all to be a dream. But she wanted revenge, and that brought a bloodthirsty smile to my face.


    ¡°Then you¡¯re not alone in wanted to kill a Holy Lord. Meruria of Cridia fucked my life over.¡± I thought about exining an abridged version of my life to her while focusing on my chimerism, yet it would have been futile because she couldn¡¯t see me transfigure. And if she believed this was a dream, I¡¯d just be wasting words. Still, I told her I was one and observed hercking reaction. ¡°Join me in killing the bastards that caused so much harm to us. In return, I will nurse your wounds. Under my protection, you will know safety, not fright and abuse. Should anyone try to harm you, I¡¯ll destroy them without a second thought. Do you understand me?¡±


    Niva nodded, though I doubted she understood the meaning behind my words. Maybe shetched on to my offer of safety? Even if she wasn¡¯t all there, that could have struck a chord within her soul.


    I inquired the AI how to apply [Status Cloak], and it told me I needed Niva¡¯s loyalty. Why? I didn¡¯t know, but I thought about how best to go about it since she wasn¡¯t speaking. ¡°Should you wish to pledge your loyalty to the Transcendent Dark Lord, nod your head and receive my blessing.¡±


    Niva used the veryst bit of her strength toplete her end of the bargain. Gray mana materialized above and showered her in its warmth.


    <i>She¡¯s lucid enough to make life-long vows?</i>


    Her name and info appeared under Sekh¡¯s. After a singlemand to the AI, Niva¡¯s mana was cloaked by the strongest camouge this world had to offer. Even the power of a Holy Lord couldn¡¯t break through its mask. I doubt anything could, honestly.


    <i>Reminds me of the stealth coatings the United States put on its bombers and fighters. They could be within miles of a radar station, yet they wouldn¡¯t appear on it. If radar like that existed, could [Status Cloak] prevent inanimate objects from showing up? If so, then couldn¡¯t you use it on a warship? There¡¯s a lot I still don¡¯t know about the extent of [Hermes Trismegistus].</i>


    Sekh looked to me and shared her feelings. Since Niva was going to be her trusted ally, she wondered if she could reveal her past. Second thoughts clouded her determination since she wasn¡¯t sure if Niva was even ¡®conscious.¡¯ What she wanted to do was her own choice, and upon telling her that, she opted to stay her tongue for a while longer.


    That was odd, however, since Sekh was indifferent to Niva up until now. Perhaps knowing that she was under my protection changed how she saw her? That made the most sense. But still...


    <i>It¡¯s kinda funny that we both want to tell Niva the truth about us, yet we can¡¯t find the courage to tell Irisa or her parents. Why is that? Why do we hesitate when they already know so much about us?</i>


    After a few seconds, a leather cor with a nk metal charm magically wrapped around Niva¡¯s neck. I demanded answers from the AI, but Tilde was the one who answered from her bed in a sleepy voice.


    [Hermes Trismegistus] came with a ¡®hidden¡¯ effect that wasn¡¯t really needed until now. When someone pledged their loyalty to the Transcendent Dark Lord, two things happened. One: they¡¯d go back to Lv. 1. Two: they¡¯d keep their acquired skills and stockpiled SP. Sekh was Lv. 1 when she professed her loyalty, so nothing really happened. Niva was Lv. 1, so that effect wasn¡¯t needed. With this method, however, you could only be reduced to Lv. 1 once. De-leveling in this world was possible in a few different ways, but it was very rare and expensive to the point where most people didn¡¯t know it existed. And that included some Holy and Dark Lords.


    The effects of this loyalty systembined with [Tyranny Control] to create the ¡®best¡¯ of both worlds. And by that, I meant it turned it into something even more highly configurable. The SP sharing effect was transferred to the loyalty system, but everything else about that dastardly skill was elective.


    The envement effect and the items representing the ve, like the cor, seal tattoo, bracelet, and ne, were optional. In fact, if Irisa pledged her loyalty to me, I could have Sekh give her a tattoo of a dolphin. Then if she disliked it, I could remove the non-binding seal or rece it with a monkey holding a banana.


    <i>It¡¯s like an infinite tattoo I can rece repeatedly. That¡¯s kinda cool.</i>


    Niva¡¯s cor did not mean she was my ve. She would never be mine unless I <i>explicitly</i> allowed it. Even then, its merger with this ¡®loyalty¡¯ system meant the very effect would not be permanent and unbreakable unless I <i>wanted </i>it. And since I never saw a reason to make it take on that aspect, I listened to Tilde and gavemand over those two effects to Niva to further prove my words. If she acknowledged this fact, I didn¡¯t know. And I wouldn¡¯t know until she spoke.


    Yes, she had the power to dere herself a ve. Yes, it was better than retaining that ability because she might believe I would dangle that threat in front of her unless she did what I wanted. If I could reverse the effect and grant Sekh¡¯s freedom, I¡¯d do it quicker than I could breathe.


    ¡°Our liege isn''t the kind of person to require a cor. If you can understand me, focus on the feeling around your neck and try to vanish it,¡± Sekh said. A few weak blinkster, the symbol of oppression disappeared around her frail neck and never returned.


    Perhaps the stress of it all was too much for Niva. Her eye slowly closed as she started to m back into her bed, but Sekh slowed her fall and gently guided her head to the pillow. Even if she wasn¡¯t exactly conscious, her mind surely spiraled in a thousand directions. Remaining perfectly still, I had the AI make sure she was alive while pulling the nket up to her chest. Joining Sekh in bed, I went to sleep with my shorts and shirt in case an emergency arose. Since we had Niva with us, the chances of one skyrocketed.


    With Sekh and I sharing the same pillow, we gazed into the other¡¯s eyes until sleepiness saw fit to steal us from the world of consciousness.


    <hr>


    When my abuse started, I was constantly jolted awake in fear and fright. These were called night terrors, and they were literally beaten out of me by those calling themselves my parents and sister. Making just one small peep at night was enough to leave me with a ck eye, and it only ramped up from there.


    Considering my past andparing it to Niva, it was only logical that she¡¯d eventually find herself being cursed by the awful terrors of the night emanating from her life. As such, the chances of her waking up the whole house with a bloodcurdling scream were not zero.


    The piercing cry was so sharp and loud that my sensitive hearing could not emerge unscathed. I jettisoned myself out of bed and hurried to get dressed. Niva was lying t on her back, yet she thrashed around enough to throw her nket to the floor. It looked like she was trying to fight someone off. When I rushed to her bed, my bare touch was enough to make her jerk uncontrobly to the point where she fell off the bed and smacked her bruised head against the hard floor.


    Sekh arrived at my side, and she folded her ears down to try to block out some of the noise. She pointed to the bed, where various stains of brown, crimson, and yellow infected our eyes while damning smells sought fit to wreak havoc upon our noses.


    ¡°Niva...¡± I whispered while jumping over the bed and crouching down. I did my best to be gentle, yet my voice only enhanced her hysterical outburst. Her mouth unnaturally opened wide and let loose a screeching collection of screams, shouts, and vague noises while blood trickled down her lips. ¡°Niva! It¡¯s me!¡± I said, reaching out to grab her remaining hand. She shook like she expected me to beat the shit out of her, and her nubby arm tried to fight me off. She smashed it into the floor and cried out in pain, but it didn¡¯t slow her down.


    Even if her wounds were reopening all over her body, draining what little HP she had left, that didn¡¯t stop her.


    ¡°Niva!¡± I said with a bit more force. I touched her remaining hand, then enclosed it around both of mine. ¡°Rememberst night! You''re under my protection now, so you won¡¯t be met with fear, fright, or pain, not from me or anyone else. Your freedom isn¡¯t a dream anymore. It¡¯s real.¡±


    Her screams died, but they were reced with unintelligible cries while her eye frantically looked everywhere in front of her. Yet it wasn¡¯t until Ichiha and Kokan barged through the door out of pure concern that Niva tried to beat me away while scrambling with her bleeding stumps. In her mind, they were potential abusers, but I held her hand tightly and endured her pathetic bashes. ¡°They¡¯re good people,¡± I told her. ¡°They know I¡¯m a chimera. They ept and look after me. If you¡¯ll let them, they¡¯ll do the same for you.¡± Then I leaned in close and whispered something personal. ¡°You aren¡¯t alone in what you endured. I¡¯ve been...in your position before.¡± I don¡¯t know how much she took my words, but she stopped loudly screaming and settled for a whimper and a cry.


    I knew a few sprinkles of pleasantries wouldn¡¯t remove the disgust of long-term abuse. It took weeks before I feltfortable around Irisa and her parents, but it could be even longer for Niva.


    ¡°Come with me, sweetie. We¡¯ll get you cleaned up and bandaged,¡± Ichiha said with a hand over her heart. I did onest look with [Analysis] and informed Kokan that the fractured ribs had gotten a little bit worse. Her thrashing about didn¡¯t result in a punctured lung, yet there was a lot of agitation. He nodded and prepared some medicine while Ichiha lifted Niva with the absolute gentleness of a fallen leaf. As she exited the room, she told us to wrap the sheets and take them outside for her to washter.


    We did as she asked and joined Kokan and Irisa at the breakfast table. Irisa was obviously concerned and asked a thousand questions, and we answered them while helping with the medicine and bandage-making. ¡°From what you said, I¡¯d wager she was in extreme shock. It¡¯s possible she thought she was dead. It¡¯s equally as likely she believes herself trapped in a cage of her mind. Only she knows the truth. Unfortunately, she isn¡¯t able. Another concerning thing was how Niva shook off the pain she was feeling. From personal experience, breathing with fractured ribs and smashing something with a wounded hand wasn¡¯t like walking through a winter wondend.


    Kokan hypothesized that it was a byproduct of the pain reliever he¡¯d given her the day before, but it could alsoe from the potions she was forced to chug. It could have killed her pain receptors.


    The conversation turned to prosthetic limbs, and while I wanted to make some, I wasn¡¯t confident in my ability. Firstly, I did not have aputer to program the sensor chips designed to help the wearer keep bnce. Secondly, I didn¡¯t know how to program in the first ce. Thirdly, reinforced carbon ting probably didn¡¯t exist here. And flexible joints? That kind of manufacturing was too detailed and advanced for someone of my skill level.


    Kokan knew nothing of what I said, then exined that prosthetics here weren¡¯t as advanced as the ones in my country.¡¯ Bone, metal, and wood were the standard here. But we did talk about how to connect the prosthetic to the limb. ¡°The ones from my country came in three parts. A soft sleeve that goes over the nub to protect it, a socket that goes over the sleeve that connects to the nub, and you connect the prosthetic itself to the socket. Turning it locks it into ce.¡±


    ¡°Yep! That sounds about right,¡± Tilde said, adding to the conversation.


    A few minutester, the door to Ichiha¡¯s room opened. She walked out with a clean Niva dressed in one of Kokan¡¯s oversized shirts, yet her face was pale. Her mouth was slightly agape as blood dripped down the corners of her lips. Kokan fulfilled his role. Heid her t on the couch, lifted her shirt, and got to work. After examining her chest, he asked Sekh to weave argepression bandage. She knew what that was and worked diligently to create it while he sprinkled and applied some leftover medicine. Meanwhile, I carefully used those eye drops. Kokan spoke like a doctor and exined what and why he was doing to make it asfortable as possible.


    He gently propped her mouth open and looked at her gums. They were just barely bleeding, which was eptable. He checked her ears next andplimented his wife on her technique when she scrubbed behind them.


    By the time we finished, she was wrapped up once again like an ancient pharaoh. Thepression bandage wrapped around her whole chest. Like its name, it kept itpressed. The downside was that it was hard to breathe, but Kokan wasn¡¯t trained in doing internal surgery on the ribs. Even though that would have helped far more, he didn¡¯t want to risk killing his patient due to hisck of knowledge.


    ¡°You must take it easy. Breathing is going to hurt, but you must endure it. Hopefully, the pain remedy I gave you will kick in quickly.¡± He looked at me and continued. ¡°She should be going through withdrawals right now. Niva, when was thest time you had a potion?¡± He turned to his patient, but she refused to move. After putting her shirt back on, she remained silent and still on the couch as if the spark of life and hope had abandoned her for greener pastures.


    I told him she took one when I rescued her, and again, he was confused by theck of a reaction thus far. His brilliant mind traveled a thousand miles a minute. ¡°Regardless, we¡¯re still in a perilous period.¡±


    With extreme care, he lifted Niva while being watchful of her stumpy limbs and brought her to a chair at the table. Ichiha had prepared tomato soup. I knew she smelled the food because she looked directly at the bowl, yet neither her injuries nor her mental state prevented her good hand from moving. Her eye wandered around the room instead. Sighing, I started to feed her. Slowly, she opened her mouth the tiniest bit, and I slipped the spoon between her chapped, dried lips.


    ¡°H-Hey, M! Easy, it¡¯s still too hot!¡± Irisa eximed, mming her hands on the table and standing up in a hurry. I blinked and looked at the steam rising from the bowl.


    ¡°Ah, shit! Niva, are you okay?! Spit it out!¡± I said, looking at her squirming face. Her mouth was slightly agape, and the soup poured like molten blood. I internally pped myself for doing something stupid, but I didn¡¯t dwell on it anymore. I cleaned her up, then when the soup was at an eptable temperature, fed her the rest without any issues.


    Ichiha took her to the couch and made herfortable once breakfast was over, and I spoke with Kokan a little bit more about what to do. ¡°I want to say the signs of healing are there, but you can¡¯t split a boulder with only a single day¡¯s effort. She will need time, and it¡¯s good she¡¯s even moving around. I¡¯m worried for her mind, though. The episode she had this morning, unfortunately, proved my darkest suspicions about her.¡±


    ¡°If you thought it happened to her, it probably happened,¡± I said, finishing my cup of water. I told Sekh and Tilde that we were going to the mines to get some iron since I''ll probably need a shit ton of it. Failure was going to be synonymous with my name because the chances of me making the prosthetics first try were incredibly slim.


    Sekh and Tilde nodded, and Niva¡¯s eye followed our footsteps as we walked down the stairs. I figured we couldplete a few quests to make a little extra money, so we stopped by the guild. That was the n, but a fancy carriage was parked out front. It shimmered like rubies excavated from the depths of a volcano, with gold and ck trimming added to the door and windows. Something so gaudy could only have been owned by someone with outrageous wealth. That was one thing, but four winged horses, each with brightly colored manes, had their harnesses hooked to the shafts. The driver was an elegant-looking woman with a stoic expression. Her dark hair was short and styled, but her fingerless gloves revealed manicured nails sharpened to a point.


    We approached the guild¡¯s door, where two human men stood guard. Their armor was cker than night, and they wore crimson-tipped winged helmets. The left one carried a blue sword, and the right guard wielded a red spear. The sword-wielding guard put up a hand and exined that the guild was closed for the time being.


    That was fine, but something was off. The woman, horses, and guards made up seven dots on my map.


    But there were eight.


    If the map and radar were to be believed, and they hadn¡¯t been wrong before, someone was standing in front of the door. A quick use of [Analysis] on that mysterious dot revealed the truth.


    It was a Dragonfolk, and they were under the effects of [Essence Deletion], an illusion spell that removed your presence from the world. I couldn¡¯t <i>see </i>him, but I didn¡¯t want him to know I knew where he was, so we left.


    I altered our pre-dungeon destination to a familiar store I loved to plunder. My shopping list consisted of men¡¯s underwear for me¡ªsleeping nude from now on was out of the question because if I had to react to an emergency, I¡¯d prefer to do it with something covering my naughty bits¡ªand a few more herbs. After the AI highlighted the clothes that would fit Niva with waypoints, I stole a few outfits. I was going to do this after returning from the dungeon, but I wanted to get it out of the way.


    We left the eternally busy shop with tired, overworked employees and embarked on a journey to the mines. Along the way, I talked to Tilde and Sekh about the invisible guard. Tilde received information from my map, so she knew he was there. And Sekh did as well, but she discovered him because her instincts told her someone was closely watching her. Tilde said the Dragonfolk had the title [Shadowguard], which meant he specialized in striking from the shadows to protect their liege. Only true masters of stealth andbat could get it through an endeavor that sounded impossible.


    But it was no lie to state that he was a magnificent assassin. The title also boosted his stats and stealth abilities to an unhealthy degree.


    But more importantly, he had the title [Holy Lord¡¯s Guardian], so it didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out why the guild was closed.


    Gloria was inside. She was probably chatting to the guild master about Noelia. That was my guess, at least.


    Since no one was around us, I had the AI disy a satellite map of the guild, but my target wasn¡¯t there. She had just left the building and was walking to her carriage with a Dark Elf by her side.


    Gloria wore a long, ck dress with an angled split below her waist to show off her long legs. But the top, which had long sleeves and a design to emphasize her medium-sized breasts and healthy amount of cleavage, was attached to the bottom by two ck straps. Her sleeves and the rest of her top were ented in a swirly white, probably to show off her nature as a Holy Lord. The same design could be found on a pair ofcy straps sped around her thighs and her heeled shoes. The hem of her dress seemed to have been dipped in pure, watery mana because it shone a vivid white. Tilde said that was possible, but the chances of finding mana dense enough to be in a liquid state were like encountering a Holy Lord on their dying breath and convincing them to let me kill them so I could assimte their power. It could also be used to dye hair, which was why Gloria¡¯s wavy hair was as white as a ghost. Her eyes were a dull grey, though. Did she tint her eyes?


    Gloria held the title [Holy Lord of Shadow], and [Shadow Magic] was a thing¡­ But why would a Holy Lord choose to master that? What effects could be gained from using [Holy Infusion] on spells weak to light? It wasn¡¯t like that was all she knew. Gloria was Lv.165 with hundreds, almost thousands, of skills and titles. She was a force to be reckoned with.


    She climbed in her carriage, sat down, and crossed her legs. She rested a hand under her chin, and a sigh escaped her pink lips. The Dark Elf she was with¡ª a woman named Are Worzai¡ªwas¡­interesting. A pair of curved swords rested on her back. They glowed a deep violet¡ªthe same hue as her piercing eyes. Her hair was styled in a ponytail, and it was a faded white, not unlike the Holy Lord she guarded with her life...


    But her gear... Her metal armor brought attention to herrge breasts, but it looked like she wore an armored skirt that didn¡¯t even reach her knees? It seemed more for fashion than defense, and it was the same with her heeled boots, which were made from enchanted steel¡ªthe same as her gauntlets.


    For some reason, it felt like the armor she wore was her weakest. In a world where steel wasn¡¯t the strongest, why would a Holy Lord¡¯s guard not wear the best? Perhaps she believed in her offensive ability more than her defense? You didn¡¯t need to worry about taking damage if you killed your opponent first. She probably embodies the motto of ¡®Strike first. Strike hard. No mercy,¡¯ but I wouldn¡¯t know that unless I saw her fight.


    After investigating further, the AI gave me a brisk rundown on Are. She was Lv. 89 with over 70 spells and skills at Lv. 10. She held the same title as the Dragonfolk, but for her sub-title, she had [Holy Lord¡¯s Royal Guard]. The closer she was to Gloria, the more powerful Are became. That made sense, I suppose, but as it stood now, we were decades of progress away from ughtering them.


    The world was a wide ocean, and I was nothing more than an amoeba.


    But I wasn¡¯t dejected. There was no reason to be depressed. Instead, Tilde, Sekh, and I casually chatted while continuing to the dungeon. It seemed that was Gloria¡¯s next destination because her carriage soon passed us on the right. The two human guards marched beside it, and the driver refused to look at us. Neither did Gloria or Are, but the Dragonfolk? My map indicated he was on top of the carriage, but I didn¡¯t know if he was sitting or standing.


    We only continued our talks once they were out of range, but I kept a waypoint on the Dragonfolk because I felt better knowing where he was at.

 Chapter Thirty-Seven: Hey You, You’re Finally Awake – Part Two

    Chapter Thirty-Seven: Hey You, You¡¯re Finally Awake ¨C Part Two


    Upon reaching the dungeon, we saw arge group of adventurers aimlessly shuffling around. The two human guards were standing in front of the entrance. It had a colorless barrier around it, preventing anyone from entering. Rumors mulled about, though. If they were to be believed, it looked as if Noelia was reported missing this morning, so the mines were shut down by Gloria¡¯s forces until she could investigate. Another person said Dark Mana was detected. To defend her country and assure her citizens Dirge wasn¡¯t under attack, Gloria came out to dispel the mana and discover the truth. One thing was for sure. The dungeon would cease operations for the foreseeable future. As for when it would open? No one knew. The Dragonfolk remained on top of the carriage. Well, my waypoint was there.


    It was just a theory, but I wondered if [Eyes of the Huntress] could evolve to pierce through cloaking effects? It was powerful enough, but it felt like something wascking.


    But with the dungeon closed, we couldn¡¯t get any iron. I had a few dozen pounds of ore chilling in my storage, but it was a pain to walk all this way and have nothing to show for it. The day was pretty, though. A summer breeze danced through my blond hair and sent it scattering while we returned to the house.


    Meanwhile, it was time to do a little spying. Letting the AI take the lead, I instructed it to disy and follow Are and Gloria whilst in satellite mode.


    ¡°Lord Gloria, you must remain in control of your emotions,¡± Are said as a holographic map appeared in front of us. We were alone, so I didn¡¯t worry about anyone seeing it.


    ¡°I am incredibly displeased,¡± Gloria calmly said, her face betraying the cool tone she spoke with. She carried a scowl while leaving behind ming footsteps as proof of her irateness. Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks and looked to the left, eyeing a group of naked goblins dancing around the corpse of a bat. ¡°It¡¯s unsightly... I hate it... Are, destroy them. Copse the rooms and chambers wee across. I don¡¯t want them to even look my way... Not with how angry I am...¡±


    ¡°Of course, my lord. I know how much you despise dungeons that births goblins.¡± Are bowed, then took hold of her curved swords. I thought she was going to rush in, but no.


    She did something entirely different.


    ¡°[Gunde].¡± With that single word, her swords shed a vivid purple and became a pair of tactical machine pistols that shared the same color scheme as her melee weapons. If the guns were the same as the ones from my world, Are¡¯s weapons used 9x19 parabellum rounds and shot 900 bullets a minute.


    ¡°What the hell? That¡¯s a thing?!¡± I eximed. Tilde nodded and said it was a rare skill, but you could take a melee weapon and a gun and fuse them together. And Dark Elves preferred to use firearms over a bow.


    ¡°[Ammo Storage].¡± Suddenly, a floating locker appeared in front of her. Are turned the handle, opened it, and removed two 60-round magazinesbeled with [Micro Explosion]. A quick use of [Analysis] said her weapons had [Mana Link]. Tilde spiraled into another lecture and said there was a skill called [Spell Bullet Production]. It was rare, hard to make it appear in your Skill Menu, and more difficult to acquire. With it, you could turn any spell you knew into a bullet. In a way, [Chimeric Armatization] worked like it, but you could use [Spell Bullet Production] to create bullets forter use. It took a lot of mana since creating matter from nothing was no easy feat.


    Are ejected her guns¡¯ magazines and slotted in the new ones while Tilde said [Mana Link] only supplied the gun with basic bullets. Based on what I saw, Are¡¯s mana probably wasn¡¯t that strong. Stronger than mine? Definitely. But most of her skills were rted to firearms and closebat. She knew very little magic.


    Tilde was confused, though. The fairy said [Micro Explosion] was often used by miners and excavators because it was an explosive spell that caused craters. It was perfect for precise work since the average explosion was less than an inch in diameter. She didn¡¯t know why Are chose those two magazines.


    She raised her arms, aimed her guns, and pulled the triggers. One secondter, thirty rounds exploded out of her machine pistols, leaving behind a mist of death and a room full of craters over a yard in diameter.


    Yes, a yard. It was like a dozen pounds of TNT exploded every time a bullet made contact, and it didn¡¯t take long for the entire dungeon to shutter as if it were wounded. The rumbling didn¡¯t transfer to my holographic disy, but I saw the ground vibrate as the room caved in.


    ¡°Tilde, what the hell?!¡± I eximed, turning to a fairy with a gaped mouth. She quickly shook her head.


    ¡°Holy shit... Look, the strength of your mana determines the power of the bullet produced by [Spell Bullet Production]. If it¡¯s this strong, then Gloria herself must be supplying Are with her bullets. This is bad, Master. Those bullets are strong enough to blow a hole through an elephant¡¯s ass. And that¡¯s with an SMG. Imagine if she used a sniper or shotgun that shoots slugs."


    As Gloria and Are walked through the dungeon, Are used her guns to cave in every room and chamber she passed. Even if it was empty, she let loose a sharp rattle of gunfire, causing so much damage and destruction. It was no small wonder the dungeon itself didn¡¯t copse, but Tilde said each dungeon came with a gigantic mana battery. It used the mana like fuel to spawn the monsters and boss, fill the treasure chests it created, and repair any damage caused by adventurers.


    ¡°I will ughter all who displease you but think of your people,¡± Are said about thirty minutes after descending to the second floor. It had mostly been silent until now, with only the piercing and deep explosive bullets to break the monotonous atmosphere. Sekh, Tilde, and I decided to veer off the road and sat under arge tree to watch in private. ¡°But have you forgotten? Noelia was the least favorite of your Soul Warriors.¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t why I¡¯m upset!¡± Gloria turned the final corner and entered the hallway beforeing to the boss¡¯s chambers. The campfire had long since died, so its warm glow was nowhere to be found. ¡°Tell me how her mana vanished. It is impossible. Such a thing cannot happen. When a Soul Warrior dies, their mana remains connected to their summoner for months! It hasn¡¯t been two days since the connection was cut, and it happened on <i>my</i>nd? In <i>my</i> city? In <i>my</i> dungeon? Under <i>my </i>nose?¡±


    ¡°I understand that. But the citizens don¡¯t. It will be impossible to keep her death a secret. Rumors spread like wildfire, especially for someone as unpopr as Noelia. As per her letter and the guild master¡¯s own report, Noelia was hated by all for her indecent behavior. Building that bar to nurse her homesickness was a mistake. Her attendants failed to educate and protect her. Therefore, I suggest we punish those foolish families that begged you to allow them the honor of protecting a Soul Warrior. You have disliked them for quite some time, yes? Seeing them fall to ruin should do much to relieve you of your stress, my lord. And we must release a statement to remain in control of the narrative. The council will be expecting a report within the hour.¡±


    Gloria turned around and ced her hands on her guard¡¯s shoulders. She leaned in close and rested her head under the elf¡¯s chin. ¡°You¡¯re right, Are. I apologize for my behavior, but this incident is of great importance. If someone has invented a spell or technique to remove a summoner¡¯s mana from their Soul Warrior, that¡¯s a drastic discovery. We cannot fall behind...¡± Gloria sighed. ¡°There is much to do and little time to do it.¡±


    ¡°Then why not allow the Barys to handle Noelia¡¯s funeral? Their head has been asking for an opportunity to make their loyalty known. And they are not strangers to putting on a valiant disy of heroism for empty caskets. Do you recall how they made their fortune?¡±


    ¡°Another excellent idea, Are.¡± Gloria pursed her lips and kissed her Dark Elf. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I would do without you...¡±


    ¡°You are most wee, my lord. I shall follow you wherever you go and destroy all that stands in your way,¡± replied Are. Her lips curled into a smile, then vanished because it was time for them to investigate. They first looked at the cold, dead campfire. Are suggested it had been out for at least 18 hours, giving them a time frame. Searching around, they found traces of blood, stool, and urine at the back of the room where Niva was forced to sit. The bag of potions¡ªboth whole and broken¡ªand the fact that some were still there suggested an ambush.


    That posed a problem. Are was a sharp woman, and her instincts didn¡¯te from a skill. She was over 140 years old, so that came with wisdom and a ton of experience. She looked through all the belongings, the sleeping bags, the basket of salted meat, and the six gallons of water waiting to be drunk. From her point of view, there had to have been an ambush. A blitzkrieg, you could say, that killed Noelia and her attendants before they were aware of what was happening.


    But where was Niva? The two conversed amongst themselves. It turned out that a facility in northern Dirge could detect a person¡¯s general location. All it needed was a person¡¯s blood and a hard-to-manufacturepass, but its range was 100 miles. Gloria stated Niva¡¯s mana was too weak to get a precise location, but now she couldn¡¯t feel it. That suggested to her that whoever killed Noelia took Niva.


    And she couldn¡¯t figure out the reason why.


    <i>The dumb bitch... But [Analysis] couldn¡¯t pick it up. This tracking facility... How can it track without leaving a status effect on a person? [Analysis] should¡¯ve picked up something, but it didn¡¯t... But that¡¯s good to know.</i>


    The towering doors leading to the boss¡¯s arena opened. Total darkness covered the entire room, but a momentter, it became illuminated with the whimsical glow of a hundrednterns lining the curved walls. Glog, Metalborn Prince of Goblins stood¡ªthe boss¡ªstood hunched over an anvil as a green, muscled hand mmed a jagged hammer upon the sword he forged. Vivid sparks highlighted the scars covering his crooked nose, which poked through the helmet covering his entire face. The disgusting thing was about six feet tall. Half of his gangrenous body was conjoined with a metal te, and it acted like natural armor. Piercing it would¡¯ve been a challenge.


    But not for Gloria. Her past was a mystery, but it was clear she hated goblins almost as much as I did. She turned her annoyed brow to the monster and lifted her glowing hands. cing them together, she closed her eyes and chanted far faster than a reasonable person could speak. Even I could feel the tremendous mana radiating between her palms as she slowly spread them. It was looking into a holy abyss¡ªone tainted with a hint of shadow, but her pale face showed no emotion other than a desire to utterly wipe out her foul foe.


    ¡°[Twilight Abaddon]!¡± Gloria formed a fist, grasping the nearly uncontroble mana in one hand, and threw the packed spell at Glog. When it exploded on contact, the entire room was filled with a pir of magic that broke through the dungeon¡¯s walls and emerged out the top. The sky quivered, rumbling and crying, and in the far distance?


    There was a swirling vortex of twilight death and destruction, yet it was also a restrained cyclone that never once moved an inch. It remained on a dangerous rampage, casting aside the clouds and sending them scampering away as the sky became perfectly clear.


    ¡°Holy Shit...¡± I whispered. Suddenly, the pressure from the spell overcame us, sending Sekh''s and mines hair into a frizzy while the leaves danced a somber tango with the others. Speechless, I was again aware of the sheer difference between me and my ultimate target. Even after seeing Gloria¡¯s disy of power, I knew that bitch Meruria had the upper edge.


    I was shaking...


    But I wasn¡¯t scared...


    No, I was...<i>thrilled</i>.


    ¡°That¡¯s a proud grin you have, my liege,¡± Sekh said, turning to me. She had one of her own across her face. I could tell she was more determined than ever.


    Returning our gazes to the holographic window, the dust started to settle. Are stood in front of her summoner with her swords crossed in front of her chest. Around her and her summoner was a barrier of purple, which prevented harm froming to them. The Dark Elf lightly chastised her lord for the overwhelmingly powerful attack as the teleporter to the lobby appeared.


    ¡°That was for a reason, my dear,¡± Gloria replied, skipping over to the remnants of Noelia¡¯s camp while her hands shed orange with deadly fire. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you tell? When we arrived in the dungeon and made our way to the boss, we encountered Noelia¡¯s camp. Crowded around the campfire were the corpses of a bandit troupe that chased a little half-breed deep into the mines because they wanted to break her down. They were new to the area, so they didn¡¯t expect to see a Soul Warrior waiting at the depths.¡±


    Scorching mes danced from the tip of her fingers and burned the evidence.


    ¡°Noelia and her brave attendants fought like hell to protect the girl, but a stray arrow found its way to her little half-breed heart. Ovee by wrath and anger, Noelia unleashed the hidden power of her soul and became a torrential flow of purifying, deadly mes. It consumed her, devouring everything in this room while leaving the innocent, injured girl alive. Even as she turned into mes and entered the afterlife, the half-breed was protected by a barrier. And we simply found her here, surrounded by ash and death. In a groggy state, she foolishly entered the arena, and I acted fast to save her life, leading to the egregious use of [Twilight Abaddon]. I assume it shouldn¡¯t be too hard to find a half-breed somewhere? Tell the Barys to find one around 8 years old, and make sure she¡¯s shot with an arrow. And tell them to hypnotize the child permanently. An orphan girl shouldn¡¯t have much in the way of mental defenses. Understood?¡±


    ¡°Of course, my lord. I shall see it done.¡±


    ¡°No, you won¡¯t. Send the shadowguard to ry my orders. You will remain here and act as my eyes and ears. Inform the guild master that the Mines of Gamor will be inessible for the foreseeable future. It needs time to heal, yet I will make it my temporary home while you search the city for answers.¡±


    ¡°As you see fit, my lord.¡± Are saluted, turned on her heels, and walked towards the teleporter.


    We talked about what we saw, then resumed our journey home. Once there, I sat down with Irisa and her parents to drop off the things I¡¯d stolen while telling them what urred. To be safe, I plopped a waypoint on the shadowguard, Gloria, and Are and shared it with the onis. ¡°Whatever you do, if you see the waypoint nearby, avoid it. Gloria is a master of illusion magic, so I wouldn¡¯t put it past her to disguise her guard,¡± I said.


    I was d Niva was still unconscious while we talked about this. Perhaps hearing Gloria¡¯s name would be enough to send her into shock. But after about twenty minutes, I decided it was time to go with Irisa to Smithy¡¯s Corner.


    We had some prosthetics to construct.


    Sekh remained behind to tend to the newest member of the Kill Idiot Loser Lords Squad, or the KILLS as Tilde liked to put it.


    Thanks to the AI, I knew what size the prosthetic had to be, but that didn¡¯t mean I knew how to make them. How was I going to make the sleeve? What material was best for it? And how was I supposed to start? The socket or the leg? After sighing, Irisa rubbed my back softly with her tender hand. ¡°It¡¯s okay, M. I dunno much about it either, but I¡¯m sure we cane up with something.¡±


    The powerful, beautiful woman gave me a friendly smile as she put on her cksmithing apron and held her smithing hammer determinedly.


    ¡°Right. Let¡¯s get to it.¡±

 Chapter Thirty-Eight: Small Success

    Chapter Thirty-Eight: Small Sess


    Making something designed to rece a functional aspect of the body was hard work. No, it was on a whole different level than simply being ¡®hard.¡¯ The bnce aspect had to be just right. What good was a new leg if it was too heavy to lift? Likewise, if the prosthetic was flimsy and too light, it¡¯d copse underneath the patient''s weight or get sent flying by wayward gusts.


    Dozens of attemptster, I¡¯d yet to produce even a prototype. Eight pounds of iron were down the drain, and that was with recycling the failures and turning them back into ingots. And it wasn¡¯t like I was trying to do this alone. Kokan stayed with me long after the moon took its ce in the sky to help me sketch better designs. He¡¯d pen his thoughts down and make little diagrams and drawings of the prosthetics, taking notes on where it¡¯d be preferable to have a screw and where it¡¯d be better to be all in one piece. We¡¯d talk for hours, but it mostly resulted in exasperated sighs and headaches.


    Meanwhile, his daughter had stopped forging for the shop and focused solely on helping me. She took over melting the raw iron into ingots so I wouldn¡¯t have to stop to do that. She offered a practiced hand and advice to guide my hammer strikes. When it came time to try out a design, such as using two thin support beams to mimic the fib and tibia, she told me t out that my forging skills weren¡¯t up to par to handle such delicate work. She apologized so abruptly for being harsh. I thanked her, but I used low-quality iron to practice something I knew I couldn¡¯t aplish.


    A week of attempts passed me by. Whenever I returned home covered from head to toe in dirty soot, I didn¡¯t want to look at it like a reminder that I failed to achieve my goals. Instead, I listened to Tilde¡¯s advice and took pride in my appearance because it meant I tried my hardest¡ªsomething I never did as Shuuta. Not that I was ever given a chance, but it felt good to put the hard effort in because I wanted to be someone better. I wanted to prove everyone wrong. I wanted Lyudm Springfield to be so totally better than Shuuta Fenton that I¡¯d never have to think of him again.


    I wanted to say Niva was doing well, but that was oversimplifying things because she couldn¡¯t be summarized in just a one-word update. Sure, perhaps her blisters and bruises were looking a little better, but physical healing couldn¡¯t affect the mind. Bad dreams and night terrors weremon urrences, and it wasn¡¯t rare for me to go to bed fully dressed so I could get up with her when it happened.


    At first, even touching her hand was enough for her screams and thrashing to double in volume and tenacity. I¡¯d have to reassure her safety, then promise I was working hard for her to regain her mobility for her to even calm down the slightest bit. But her hysterics also meant her wounds kept reopening, giving her little time to heal. During this week, she also went into potion dependency withdrawals. Gallons of sweat drained down her body, with her constant twitching and restlessness. She spat out her food during breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and whatever she did eat was vomited right out of her mouth. Her skin felt mmy, and she was often disoriented and passed the time gagging or clutching her stomach.


    Her cries of agony were heart-shattering to someone like Kokan and Ichiha because Niva was young enough to be their daughter. It was rough on me, too, because I knew exactly what she was going through. The fear she felt? I experienced it. The fright? The disgust? The pain? I had to suffer through it all.


    When I held her hand to calm her down from her night terrors, I¡¯d whisper the promises I¡¯d made her. Sometimes, that made her cry harder, but rarely did she simmer off at my words and tearfully nod. On those days, she¡¯d try to eat her breakfast with her good hand, yet most of the time, she didn¡¯t have the strength to lift a spoon. Thus, it always fell to me to feed her, and I was okay with that. Taking care of her allowed my mind to rest, reset, and prepare for the following day, which consisted of my attempt at creating a prosthetic leg. Until now, Niva wore Kokan¡¯s shirts since they were pretty much like a dress, but I managed to snag a ck blouse, skirt, and a white wig. She flinched away when I helped her get dressed, but that was probably an involuntary reaction to her former abuse.


    Sekh and I were still hesitant to tell Niva our pasts, so we refrained from that until she could speak and hold a conversation. It felt like she wanted to, though, since she always had her mouth open and tried her best to vocalize her response in a series of awkward noises. The dedication was something to be admired, and it struck me in the heart chord because she was fighting hard.


    But since she was on the up-and-up, Kokan taught me how to properly massage Niva¡¯s limbs in a way that would maintain her muscles. He said this was important because the road to recovery would be faster. So, I started with her good leg, raising it up until her pained expression told me to stop, then went to work on her calf before switching to the other leg. After taking care of that, I ran my fingers down her arms, gently pushing and copying Kokan. It was probably slightly painful for Niva, but she endured it since she knew this would help her walk again when the prosthetics were done.


    As I predicted, Gloria used her illusion magic to transform Are into a run-of-the-mill human. Her cover was working at Noelia¡¯s bar as a barmaid, using her feminine wiles and charm to extract information from the drunken patrons. She never worked as a prostitute, though. Anyone who pped her ass or grabbed her by the hips received a heavy beating, leading to her gaining a nickname as the Iron Maiden. Every night, shemunicated with Gloria via a ring enchanted with [Telepathy], but I couldn¡¯t hijack that conversation. As for Gloria? She had transformed the room in front of the boss¡¯s chambers into her bedroom. She had more than one storage-type skill, so the room was decorated in record time. It was far too... sterile. Muted browns and soft whites, a hint of ck and gray here and there to match her gunsmoke eyes. I wasn''t a fan of it.


    The shadowguard¡¯s waypoint wasn¡¯t visible, so he was out of range. And Irisa and her parents kept to their word and avoided Are¡¯s waypoint if she was out doing some shopping.


    But as for the Barys in Dirge¡¯s capital city? I had nothing. There was something in the newspaper about holding a state funeral for Noelia Carpenter. And there was even a printed image of the ¡®ve¡¯ half-breed Noelia was said to have saved. This world didn¡¯t have printers, but there were printing presses. It was still expensive to print color, though. Especially since Gloria had the paper distributed all over Dirge. I thought that was a mistake since it meant any rumors about a Soul Warrior¡¯s death would be true. Any enemies would see it as a sign of weakness, but Gloria didn¡¯t seem stupid. Are was sharp, perhaps even brighter than Kokan, yet she told Gloria to go ahead with it. I wondered if this was a writ of challenge?


    If only I had a way to hack into their telepathic conversations... And there was that stuff about a council, too. Honestly, the Bary family probably paid for everything. If so, they were far wealthier than I was led to believe. This couldn¡¯t have been cheap.


    Yeah, it was all bullshit. Nothing more than a fabricated story to change the public¡¯s perception of that rotten woman. But it worked. The murmur about Noelia started to sound positive. Some even regretted the way they talked and thought about her.


    It was sickening how easily they changed their minds about her. After being paid by Gloria, the guild announced they would take 500 people to the capital to witness the funeral. Tickets sold like wildfire, but I didn¡¯t care about that. If I were stronger? Then yes. I would''ve volunteered and caused some chaos in the capital. I wouldn¡¯t have killed the shadowguard, but I could ruin a solid portion of Gloria¡¯s army.


    But I was still weak.


    I wasn¡¯t anything special. Certainly not smart, strong, tough, or athletic. But after bing M, I¡¯d like to believe I was close to gaining the perseverance and self-discipline I sorely needed. If not, then how did I have the strength to face each day knowing that I probably wasn¡¯t going to achieve my goals?


    Tilde had started to pound a positive mindset into my brain. Why? Perhaps she feared the repeated failures would grind my self-confidence the same way flowing water could split a mountain. But it wasn¡¯t just her. Sekh and my desire for revenge kept me going. In my dreams, I imagined impaling Meruria¡¯s head on a pike and casting those damnable traitors into a magmatic chasm full of molten magma. Then maybe I¡¯dunch a wave of fire over Cridia, which would spread to the world and envelope it in an abyssal me, ending the and fulfilling the dreams of a woman who¡¯d put her faith in me?


    I was strong. I had to tap into determination because it would be foolish to ignore all the faith my closestpanions had in me. If I wanted to feel weak, I could count on them to bring me back. If I felt like a failure, I knew their encouragement would pull me out of despair.


    Because I wasn¡¯t Shuuta anymore. I wasn¡¯t a friendless, sad sack of an abused existence born for the sake of being put down.


    <hr>


    As the days passed, the dungeon was still closed off to the public, and the people of Ria were making a fuss. A town was often constructed around or near a dungeon since adventurers needed a ce to rest and resupply. The loot gained from there obviously needed a ce to sell, and when you did the math, it was as clear as day that the two had a symbiotic rtionship. The damage Gloria and Are had caused was healed. From a quick check via my map, everything looked fine. The inhabitants were spawning like normal, but every night, one of the two guards standing out front would enter the mines and ughter the monsters.


    Sure, a dungeon could exist without a town, and a town would do fine without a dungeon. But having both? Well, it was just good for business. In a capitalistic society, it would be inconceivable to think about putting a blockade on the dungeon because the money would stop flowing. But this wasn¡¯t one, and the rules didn¡¯t apply here.


    Even as I spied on Dirge¡¯s Holy Lord, I only learned information when she loudlyined after a telepathic conversation with the council. Comints had reached them, and they had problems with Ria¡¯s current circumstances because the economy was slowing down. She spared fewpliments and spat many curses about them once the connection was severed. I doubt she was elected to lead Dirge. There was a low chance democratic elections even existed here. But if I was going to kill her, I needed to know more about this council. Karen¡¯s father, if I had the family tree right¡ªgranted, I knew little¡ªwas probably the head she talked about. ording to the newspapers, his name was Bart Bary. If he was on the council, he and his family held a substantial amount of influence on Dirge and its Holy Lord. But if they posed so many problems, why didn¡¯t Gloria get rid of them. Nothing said you had to have a table of advisors, although it was a good idea to surround yourself with people brighter than yourself. Very few rulers could single-handily run a country without any assistance. Those foolish enough to attempt to do so often found themselves with a knife to the back or poison festering within their stomachs.


    But I didn¡¯t care about Dirge. I cared about Irisa, her parents, Sekh, Tilde, and Niva.


    Although things looked dire, the Gecko Swap Shop, Ichiha¡¯s store, was growing while everything else was declining. On a good day, the GSS was lucky to get a handful of window shoppers because its wares were often avable at other shops for less. That changed, however, when Karen Bary¡¯s store refused to budge on lowering their prices after Noelia¡¯s ¡®disappearance.¡¯. The other stores religiously followed because they were all about profit at the expense of good will. Ichiha took advantage of the fact that her store was paid off, nearly everything was made in-house, and they had a ratherrge stockpile of generic general-use items.


    All she needed was a little bit of advertising.Tilde took care of that.


    At first, things weren¡¯t flying off the shelves, but that changed when she decided to put a few of the bandages weaved from my web for sale.


    Healing herbs and remedies were at an all-time high, which included regr bandages made from cloth. It cost me nothing but time to fill a spool with my webbing, and Kokan¡¯s and Sekh¡¯s practiced hands were able to pump out quality gauze at a respectable rate. Once word began to spread, it was hard to keep them in stock, so I remembered what Irisa said about my webbing being used for fishing. She ran a few tests to see how they fared when wet and tensed, and the results were positive.


    Thus, I was responsible for two products that, in just two weeks, brought in more money than thest six months. I was happy with my webbing being used that way. All I needed was a good meal, and I could spin for hours at a time, which was far more than a regr spider.


    And it was practice, so that was that.


    So, it wasn¡¯t odd toe homete from a hard day at the forge to find the shop with 10-15 customers. The increased poprity worked wonders for me since Ichiha could leverage it to find a buyer for Amos¡¯s clothing. When I moved in with them, her reputation was in the gutter. She didn¡¯t have anything to do with the incident between Kokan and Erin, but people hated her. That was half a decade ago. Time was said to heal all wounds. Verbal attacks and grudges were included. But after Gloria arrived and turned everything into a shit show, Ichiha¡¯s prestige and stature were recovering nicely. Kokan remained upstairs, though. He only ever went out at night, and even then, he was restricted to just the harbor to do a little bit of fishing with his daughter.


    When Ichiha closed the store for lunch one day, she finished up early and skipped out to take care of some errands, one of which included purchasing better clothes for Niva.


    <hr>


    Eighteen days had passed us by, and on the neenth, I was at Smithy¡¯s Corner with my favorite 89-year-old oni with horns. Tilde joined us. Dressed in a brand-new strapless dress I¡¯d bought her, she shimmied around the furnace and showed off at every turn.


    ¡°Aww... What¡¯s wrong, Master? Am I too sexy for you? You got a stiffy? Tell you what. Buy me another dress, and I¡¯ll let you whack it to me tonight. I know you¡¯ve been backed-up,¡± she said, posing with her arms behind her head and her t chest thrust forward.


    ¡°EH?! M? You got an erection here?¡± Irisa gasped and looked at my crotch. With red-tinged horns, she nced back up at my face, and I stared daggers towards a flying nuisance.


    ¡°First off, I¡¯m not hard. Second, stop that shit. You¡¯re going to give Irisa the wrong idea. Third, I just bought you that. I didn¡¯t even steal it. And you know what¡¯s wrong,¡± I hastily replied.


    ¡°See, the problem is that you¡¯re trying to do it without any help.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not. Kokan¡¯s been up with me past midnight for the past two weeks. And Irisa¡¯s been here by my side non-stop. I¡¯m not doing any of that loner bullshit because I know I can¡¯t do this on my own.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Irisa said. She stood behind me and rested her chin on my head. We had time to kill because we had to make a few more ingots. I¡¯d recycled what I could from my failures, but 8 times seemed to be the limit.


    ¡°Not that kind of help, numbnuts. What do you have that no one else does?¡± Tilde said, pointing to her forehead. ¡°I was really hoping you¡¯d figure it out without me telling you.


    ¡°Numb...nuts?¡± Irisa whispered. ¡°Can they get numb?¡±


    ¡°The AI? But how can that help me with something I''ve never made before?¡± I inquired.


    ¡°Look, [Biological AI] is meant for so, so, so, so much more. It can make shit for you, manage your shit for you, even search shit for you and highlight shit for you to pick up. But remember what I said? How it learns? You feed it with data, and it grows smarter. What the hell do you think you¡¯ve been doing these days? Fine, I''ll make it even simpler for you. Your mistakes have been a boon for the AI. But it¡¯s not just you. It learns from all around you. When Irisa makes something? It learns. When Ichiha¡¯s cooking? It learns. Walking down the street? It learns from other people talking. When you¡¯re surrounded by like 40 cksmiths? Yeah, it¡¯s learning from all of them. It does nothing but learn, learn, and learn.¡±


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t tell me this sooner?¡± I asked in disbelief.


    ¡°I can lead you to water, baby, but I can¡¯t force you to drink. There are some things you have to do and learn by yourself. It¡¯s called self-growth. Try it sometimes.¡±


    I slowly shook my head and asked the AI for help.


    <i>There is not enough data toplete the request, my lord.</i>


    ¡°Tilde, what the hell? It isn¡¯t working?¡± I turned back to the snickering fairy.


    ¡°That¡¯s because the prosthetic you¡¯re picturing is so far out of the realm of your possibility that you¡¯d need a whole team of scientists and about 60 years of experience. Remember, you¡¯re not in your ¡®country¡¯ anymore. The advances in technology and healthcare cannotpare to what you¡¯re familiar with. Be stricter with your wording.¡±


    Sighing, I asked again, but I wanted to make something that would allow Niva to walk. Then, and only then, did it show me a list of instructions that were clear and precise.


    ¡°Shit... I was too focused on the end game, weren¡¯t I?¡±


    Tilde nodded. ¡°Yeah, you were. It¡¯s like painting the Sistine Chapel¡¯s ceiling when you don¡¯t even understand color theory. Remember, the prosthetics aren¡¯t permanent. When you''re more skillful, you can always remake them. That¡¯s what you n to do with Big Tits¡¯ mace and shield, right? Have different iterations?¡±


    Sighing and nodding once more, I rubbed my head and knew I needed to apologize to Niva the moment we returned home. ¡°Wait. The chapel was painted in the early 1500s. Color theory didn¡¯t exist until Newton did his experiments in the 1660s. But I know what you mean, Tilde.¡±


    I grabbed a few cooled ingots, tossed them in the furnace, and the annoying fairy started to exin this new facet of [Biological AI]. It used something called ¡®augmented reality¡¯ to show me the holographic guide. When looking at the furnace, I could track the temperature of the individual ingots and the furnace itself. It was honestly amazing. Even more so when I could tell the AI to alert me when it was a particr temperature, which manifested as a smartphone-like alert in my vision.


    <i>Okay, so the AI can monitor temperatures. To unlock it for cooking, I probably need to cook more.</i>


    When my ingot was ready, I grabbed it with my tongs and raised my hammer, but the AI used AR to show me how to hold my hammer and how fast to hit the metal. It even used AR to highlight the exact spot I was supposed to strike.


    ¡°Irisa, I¡¯m going to need your help, okay? You¡¯re way better than me. I don¡¯t know how to share the data I¡¯m seeing, but I can read what it says.¡±


    ¡°Sure, I don¡¯t mind. Mine will probably be better than yours. Is that okay?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°The important thing is getting Niva the mobility she deserves. My selfishness has put this off for too long, and I¡¯ll be a damn fool before I deny her anything because I didn¡¯t make it.¡±


    ¡°Yes! That¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about. Character development? Check. I¡¯m sad because I had a long rant ready in case you decided to be a bitch and either give up or refuse Green Tits¡¯ help.¡±


    ¡°Green...tits?¡± I heard Irisa whisper. She looked down her shirt.


    ¡°Whatever,¡± I bemoaned, trying to tune out the annoyance fluttering like a bat out of hell. ¡°But answer me this. Howe the knowledge that should havee with [cksmith (Lv. 4)] isn¡¯t there?¡±


    ¡°You used over 100 SP at once on like 5 different skills. It takes time for that to process. You haven¡¯t taken a break, so it¡¯s no wonder why you¡¯re not feeling any different. When you learn or level up a skill, it¡¯s engraved onto your soul for your body to use. So yeah, the easiest solution is to take it easy for a while. You¡¯re a bright High Elf with a fat cock. It should be easy for someone like you.¡±


    ¡°What does thatst part have to do with it?¡± Irisa questioned Tilde, but I sighed for what felt like the fourteenth time and asked if we could get started.


    We worked throughout the day until the glimmering flicker of our furnace was thest to be extinguished. Heaving for air, Irisa dropped her hammer and fell to her butt, gasping hard while sweat dripped down her cute face. She kept a smile while staring at thepleted leg. I was afraid I¡¯d messed up on delicate bits, but the AI¡¯s AR feature gave me proper outlines to follow.


    Still, there they were. The leg was a vague-looking ¡®shell¡¯ to fit over Niva¡¯s stumpy knee. I wanted the shin tube to be much thicker to resemble Niva¡¯s other leg, but that added too much weight. It was the same with the feet¡ªone of which was standalone since Niva had most of her other biological leg. I had to strike a bnce because it couldn¡¯t be solid metal orpletely hollow.


    Both the leg and foot were one solid piece, but I added holes to the top of the socket for a suspension belt to wrap around for added security.


    Even though we both made a pair, Irisa wanted me to use my creations since she saw me put so much effort into them.


    They were ugly... so, so, so ugly, but I couldn''t choose aesthetic appeal over functionality. Not when it was concerning Niva, of course.


    I held out a hand for Irisa and helped her to her feet. We were both utterly exhausted, but the smiles on our faces said what didn¡¯t need to be uttered. I stashed the leg and foot in storage, helped Irisa clean up, and we were off towards the house with certainty towards the future fluttering in our hearts.

 Chapter Thirty-Nine: Trip Preparation (Arc 2 – End)

    Chapter Thirty-Nine: Trip Preparation (Arc 2 ¨C End)


    When I returned home with the good news, I left the prosthetics with Kokan for his analysis while Ichiha searched her room for two belts. Meanwhile, I took a quick bath to remove the dirt and soot from my sore body. After getting dressed in my shorts and shirt with Sekh¡¯s loving touch and assistance, we returned to the kitchen.


    Kokan was proud of what I had crafted with his daughter. My heart felt warm to receive hispliments. ¡°Here, M. I found them,¡± Ichiha said when she returned to the kitchen. I took the two leather belts and wrapped them through the holes in the socket, ced Niva¡¯s leg stump within it, then tied the belt around her upper thigh.


    Niva¡¯s face was an excellent indicator to see if it was too tight or loose. She nodded when I asked if it felt right, and I put her foot on. I stood at her side and kneeled a second time.


    ¡°Raise your leg.¡± Niva followed themand. Then she lifted the right leg, then the left, to get used to it. In seconds, she was already out of breath and sweating like crazy. ¡°Okay, this might hurt, but I¡¯m going to help you stand up, okay? Don¡¯t even try to move. Just try to stand, okay?¡± She gave me a pained nce and closed her eye. Her hand gripped mine for safety andfort. Then she shook with all the sheerness of being abandoned in the arctic.


    It was like time slowed to a crawl during this heart-palpitating moment. I felt Niva''s weak fingers tremble when she actively pulled to lift herself. Enduring the pain... Throwing away the harsh reality of having to learn to walk all over again... It seemed like the only thing in her mind was a singr desire to stand upright.


    And she did it without any help from me. For four seconds, she stood on the prosthetics we toiled endlessly over the better part of a month. Very slowly, Niva turned to my cheering voice and gave me the tiniest smile¡ªher first showcase of a positive emotion since I took her under my protection. She gleamed at having tasted just a sip of potential independence and mobility. Niva let go of my hand and bnced for a handful of seconds,


    She was a fighter¡ªthrough and through.


    I was told I would never amount to anything in my life. That I should have died as a failure and not a disgrace. That the world would be better with me six feet in the ground. That everything I touched turned to trash. That I¡¯d never be that important to someone... That I¡¯d never be worth something to someone else... That I¡¯d never know the feeling of being loved... For fifteen years, I was beaten down at every turn of the road. It was smacked into me daily... Through pain...heartache...beatings... and burnings...


    I proved them all wrong...


    You see what I''d done, Lucas? This is what I could aplish, Florence. Your little Shuuta¡¯s done something with their life. What the fuck have you done? Other than relying on Mia to live the lives you two fucking couldn¡¯t? Huh? I grabbed life by the fucking horns and got shit done!


    I brought a sense of independence to a girl that had it all taken away by people who were just as bad as you.


    And you know what? That was a fucking victory in my books.


    <i>SNAP!</i>


    Then the prosthetics shattered at the ankle, but I acted fast and caught her with gentle care. All eyes were on me, including Niva¡¯s, and I wondered how they wanted me to reply?


    Was I supposed to be sad? Upset? Annoyed? Disappointed? Was there a right emotion?


    ¡°M... I¡¯m sorry,¡± Irisa said with tears in her eyes. I figured she was regretting not going with hers because they were better.


    Sucking air through my teeth, I asked the AI, but Tilde answered. ¡°It used the data it had at the time to create the best n it could. However, that wasn¡¯t enough because the prosthetics onlysted a few seconds. But remember what I said? It¡¯s constantly learning, and you¡¯re damn it learned a thing or two from it breaking. You know what this means, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I do. Niva, I''m sorry. Do you think you can wait just a little bit longer?¡± I asked, smiling at the girl I held in my arms. Her mouth opened slightly, but she nodded and softly curled her lips into a smile.


    ¡°Wait, so you¡¯re not upset?¡± Irisa inquired. I shook my head while we all sat down for a nice dinner and enjoyable conversation. It was pleasant to eat without worrying about the stresses of my failures, and even though I didn¡¯t see them that way, a wave of relief washed over me. The baked fish with cabbage and potatoes were downright scrumptious. Ichiha even made a separate pan that cooked longer at a low heat so Niva could eat it. It was her first time having something that wasn¡¯t soup. Even though her condition, I knew she loved it. That made me feel warm and fuzzy inside.


    If I¡¯d used Irisa¡¯s prosthetics, it wouldn¡¯t have broken. And I¡¯d never learned about the point of failure at the ankle. She had left them in her shed at Smithy¡¯s Corner.


    After a few rousing games of tic-tac-toe, it was time for bed. Sekh went ahead of me and made herselffortable after helping Niva to bed, but I wanted to spend a little more time with Irisa. We just sat on the couch and talked about nothing, but I''d like to believe it was a good bonding experience for us. Especially after we¡¯d finished such a strenuous project. I felt we were close before, but I felt even closer to my favorite green-skinned woman. She looked cute in that low-cut tank top and pajama bottoms. When she raised her arms to stretch, her toned tummy peeked at me.


    We hugged goodnight and sensually rubbed each other¡¯s back, and I walked backwards to my room smiling and waving at Irisa. Niva was asleep, but a meek, quiet noise escaped her lips. After concluding there was no cause to be rmed, Tilde flew to her dresser, yawned, and tucked herself under her handkerchief.


    I slipped into Sekh¡¯s waiting embrace after canceling my night vision. With my head on her shoulder and her arms wrapped securely around my back, she kissed my head while cuddled. Her skin was so warm to the touch, and she smelled so good, too. We stared at the dark ceiling, our breaths matching the other in sync. Thefortable silence was broken by an innocent sentence filled with something my younger self desired.


    ¡°I¡¯m proud of you, my liege.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯d thate from?¡±


    Sekh stroked my head with all the gentleness of a river. She took her right hand and interlocked my fingers. ¡°I just wanted you to know that.¡±


    Sekh¡¯s words were always sweetened with sugar, but they hit differently tonight.


    ¡°I love you, and I¡¯ll always be proud of what you¡¯ve aplished with your second chance. This is just the beginning, my liege. I can¡¯t wait to see what you¡¯ll achieve as the Transcendent Dark Lord.¡±


    I looked up at her, she looked down, and we pressed our lips together. Afterwards, I monopolized her graceful touch and fell asleep, drowned in her love.


    <i>I haven¡¯t been spending much time with her... I need to apologize and make up for that.</i>


    <hr>


    ¡°I¡¯ve found the solution to your problem!¡± Kokan suddenly said with a piece of bread in his mouth when Sekh, Tilde, Niva, and I emerged from our room.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m listening,¡± I replied, putting Niva in her chair and sitting beside her. She slept through the night without the nightmarish terrors jolting her awake, and I wanted to believe that was a good omen. She also seemed more cheerful-- possibly because I¡¯d followed through on my promises. And probably because her HP finally reached 15%.


    I showed her I was someone she could trust because I''d been in her shoes before.


    ¡°Last night, I was doing some thinking. There¡¯s a vige about three days away that¡¯s home to an exceptional cksmith. Even though he¡¯s pushing 90, he¡¯s your man.¡± Kokan hit me with a bombshell of information I couldn¡¯t ignore. ¡°He doesn¡¯t forge weapons and armor. He¡¯s a grandmaster of the small and delicate. If you need gears for a waterwheel, he¡¯s your guy. A small pin for a wheelbarrow? He could make one 1/64th of an inch wide with impable craftsmanship. You probably want to make the prosthetics yourself, but it¡¯s hard to overstate his sheer ability.¡± I asked how he knew this, and he said he randomly wandered into the vige about five years ago. He couldn¡¯t take one foot inside Ria without receiving a hundred threats¡ªdue to the obvious.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine with me. The AI could probably get some fantastic data from watching him.¡±


    The rainbow-colored pir of stone materialized by itself and jiggled. ¡°The data gained would be invaluable, my lord.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°Really? Alright? Doesn¡¯t it seem like everything was a waste then if you¡¯re going to pay someone to make them?¡± Irisa asked before suddenly mping both hands over her mouth. She looked absolutely horrified, and her w of not thinking before speaking reared its ugly head.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say it wasn¡¯t a waste,¡± I replied, folding my hand over Sekh¡¯s fingers. We shared a loving gaze, and I turned back to Irisa. ¡°Forging the prosthetics made me learn something important about myself. I...really needed it.¡±


    ¡°It sounds like there¡¯s a story behind your words,¡± Ichihamented. She sipped her coffee while I nodded. ¡°Whenever you¡¯re ready, we¡¯ll be happy to listen to it.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s something else you should know about the forest vige you might find interesting. Tilde, you know of Bellerophon¡¯s list of monsters that chimera must not, under any circumstances, be allowed to assimte?¡±


    The fairy flew to my shoulder and tapped me on the cheek. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯re going to really like where this is heading. But yeah, I know of the list. Most of the monsters are too strong for ole Patchwork to kill.¡±


    <i>Patchwork?</i>


    ¡°Eh? That sounds cool. M, if you ever decide to stick with the guild long enough, you¡¯ll eventually be able to customize the metal te they give you. You could have it as an adventurer name,¡± Irisamented.


    ¡°Anyway,¡± Kokan said, coughing to get the conversation back on track. ¡°It¡¯s called Aetos Vige, and the ce is inhabited by low-level slimes and draingi.¡± After witnessing the confusion on my face, he exined further. Slimes were on the monster ban list because they were a shortcut to bring out the true potential of a chimera¡¯s transfiguration. ording to Kokan, the different subspecies of slimes equaled the number of stars in the sky. Even if they had a reputation for being incredibly weak, they all came with a base set of skills that would help me in the long run. Draingi were nt-like monsters that walked around on their roots. They could attack with their vines like a whip or jab them deep within their prey and absorb life energy and mana from their victims.


    ¡°When a slime dies,¡± Ichiha said. ¡°They instantaneously evaporate and leave behind their core.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s where the draingies in? Alright, that¡¯s the n. We¡¯ll get prepared today. Kokan, do you think you can draw me a map?¡± He nodded and did just that. It seemed like it was to the northeast, so it shouldn¡¯t be that hard to get to. ¡°Niva? What about you? Do you think you can make it?¡± She looked at my voice, the strands of her white wig passing by her eye, and nodded with more strength than I¡¯d ever seen her show before.


    We brainstormed solutions on the easiest way to transport Niva for a few seconds until I remembered a little something called the wheelchair. It wasn¡¯t surprising that they existed in this world. I had asked the AI to help me, but I didn¡¯t have to further rify because it learned to use what I needed, not necessarily what I wanted to make. The ns and instructions appeared in my vision, and a thought entered my mind. After telling the AI to disy the data, I got Irisa¡¯s and her parents¡¯ opinions on the blueprints.


    And it was a good thing I did because Irisa saw something that wouldn¡¯t work well. The AI took her advice while rebuilding the ns, and a sharp-eyed Kokan realized the AI had leveraged Irisa¡¯s concerns and applied it to something that would have worked regardless and made it even better.


    But wait. Just yesterday, I didn¡¯t know how to share the data. Why did I forget? I just had to ask...


    <i>Shit, I must¡¯ve been more exhausted than I thought... Come on, M! Snap into it!</i>


    ¡°I¡¯m probably going to need a little help. Irisa?¡± I asked slyly and with a curt smile.


    ¡°I suppose I am your instructor. Technically, I guess. Don¡¯t worry, my student! I shall help you out, haha!¡± she joyouslyughed, then suddenly stopped. ¡°Wait, do we have enough iron?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, just barely. Gloria needs to fuck off and open the dungeon. Can¡¯t believe she¡¯s still there. Are hasn¡¯t really learned that much. It¡¯s about 60 silver for just a handful of ore, and don¡¯t get me started on bread. It¡¯s outrageous.¡±


    ¡°Ah, this reminds me. Here, this is for you,¡± Ichiha said, leaving the room and returning with a small pouch of coins. Tossing it to me, I opened it to find about 30 silver. She said it was my payment for letting her use my webbing, but I gave it back and said I wasn¡¯t doing it for the money. I was practically an expert at stealing. The motherly oni was insistent, but I was stubborn in return and didn¡¯t relent until she lightly bit her lip and backed down after I said I was technically living here rent-free all this time. I didn¡¯t mind being a freeloader, but not at the expense of people who cared about me.


    When Irisa and I got ready to leave, Sekh grabbed her armor and mace and waited for Kokan. During these past few days, she¡¯d been sparring with him when Irisa and I were at the forge. She¡¯d manage to relearn [Shield Bash], [Shield Parry], and [Shield Pin]. Granted, all were just Lv. 1, but it was a good omen since it clearly showed she was getting more familiar with her reincarnated body. The hard part was relearning magic because she couldn¡¯t remember the vernacr of [Mana Language]. Niva was going to be essential to that once she started speaking again.


    <i>The whole reason I saved her was for her power. If she can¡¯t talk, then... No, I refuse to think that way. Even if it¡¯s the truth, I don¡¯t want that hanging around my mind.</i>


    When we arrived at Smithy¡¯s Corner, we quickly got to work on the wheelchair. A blessing in disguise was theck ofplexity. When broken down, a wheelchair had only a handful of parts like the push handle, armrest, frame, backrest, seat, footrest, footte, and wheels. Irisa and I decided she¡¯d take care of the frame and wheels while I focused on the seat, handles, and foot tes. Since I didn¡¯t want to show off my AI¡¯s data-disying feature for all to see, we often had to turn around and huddle close together when she asked to see the ns. These little intimate moments were lovely, and I found myself reaching out to grab her apron a few times while the AI rified some things.


    Since we only had iron to work with, the entire chair was made from metal. I wished we had some rubber to wrap around the wheels, but its price, even if it was expensive before the bitch closed the dungeon, was inted. The wheelchair didn''t have tost long since Niva would be getting her prosthetics.


    Besides, once rested, my skill upgrades would kick in. The following iteration of this wheelchair was 100% guaranteed to eclipse this one.


    By the time we were done, it was totally night, which reminded me of the previous day that ended much like this. The vibrant crimson mes of the furnace roared long past the time everyone else had gone home. It was just twopanions¡ªfriends, hammering out until the stars had taken their rightful ce in the sky.


    ¡°We...did...it...M...¡± Irisa huffed as she took off her apron. She yelped and grabbed her arm, but I didn¡¯t think her pain was serious. When I asked her if she was okay, she said this always happened when she went hard twice in a row.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got my biomass to keep in good health, but I am starving.¡± We packed everything in the shed assigned to her, and while she probably intended to walk all the way home... ¡°Here, why don¡¯t we test it out?¡± I said, tapping the seat of our brand-new creation. She sat down and turned her head to look at me with a yful smile.


    ¡°Be gentle, okay? It¡¯s my first time.¡± She rested her feet and arms andplimented howfortable it was to be made solely of metal. I grasped the push handles, and away we went, navigating through the narrow space within Smithy¡¯s Corner, which was a good test of the chair¡¯s mobility.


    It was adequate and didn¡¯t negatively stand out in any noteworthy way. We received strange looks when Irisa threw her hands up and wanted me to go faster. I was kinda having fun, so I went for it and really let the wind pass by my smiling face and flowing locks of honey-like hair.


    <hr>


    When we returned home from our little spiel of fun, Kokan carried the wheelchair up the stairs so his wife could addfort to it. She scoured the shop far and wide to find some nkets and pillows, then we put Niva in the chair. She nodded or shook her head to a series of questions we asked, and after about forty minutes, she sat in a metal construction offiness. The feather-stuffed pillow was sandwiched between two winter nkets on the seat. For the neck support, Ichiha took an old pillow, cut it into a crescent moon-like shape, then stuffed it with feathers and sewed it shut with my webbing. After a few alterations, it was securely attached to the backrest with a thin rope.


    Really, all that was left was to wait for tomorrow morning. Since we were leaving early, we decided to hit the hay about two hours early. And like always, I spared for a few moments to hug and hold hands with Irisa while we chatted on the couch.


    I¡¯d found myself wanting more of these little moments where it was her and me. Love had abandoned me for 20 years, but I was at least educated enough about it to know when someone had feelings for me.


    <i>No, that knowledge didn¡¯te from me. Ites from Susize, Reina, By, Murag, and Yaekira. Their emotional knowledge flows through me, granting me ess to things I¡¯d probably otherwise miss.</i>


    We hugged goodnight, not failing to notice that my heart was beating faster than usual, and I went to join Sekh, who was waiting at the door. But upon entering our room, I realized something important that I''d overlooked.


    Are was still in town. She knew what Niva looked like, so I had to give her a disguise.


    ¡°Sekh, remember the robes from that group? The monster train dickheads?¡±


    ¡°Yes. They¡¯re enchanted with a minor mana restorative effect, right?¡± Sekh asked, sitting on the bed. She carefully folded her hands in herp and smiled up at me.


    ¡°Niva, you¡¯re going to wear this dark blue robe,¡± I said, producing the item. It was a good thing I¡¯d cleaned them a while back. I helped her sit up from her bed and put the robe around her. The AI helped by marking the spots I needed to adjust with its AR functionality. I took it off her, sat at the desk with my sewing kit gainfully acquired from the Bary¡¯s store, and got to work cutting, snipping, and threading. The AI was always a helpful assistant. Without its help, I¡¯d probably remain in this ufortable chair until the early morning.


    Sekh stared as I worked, then a feisty smile curled upon her pretty lips. She hopped off the bed, put her hands behind her waist, and skipped over to me. I met her cute smile with one of my own as she moved behind me and pressed her hands to my shoulders.


    ¡°I take your moaning as a sign I¡¯m doing something right,¡± said Sekh. She leaned down and kissed my head.


    ¡°Mmn, you are. I¡¯ve¡­never had a massage before.¡±


    ¡°Tilde told me to do this. She said it¡¯ll make you rx.¡±


    ¡°She wasn¡¯t wrong about that,¡± I said, looking at the fairy. She hovered in front of Niva and was talking to her about something. Sure, I could have eavesdropped, but I gave them their privacy while I continued the alterations.


    I finished up about ten minutester. With a gentle touch, Sekh held Niva as if she was standing while I put the robe around her. I cut the sleeves down to where they stopped at her wrist, but the robe reached her ankles.


    She just didn''t have any.


    The hood was farrger than her head, which helped disguise her even more.


    <i>Huh... That looks good on her. The light blue skin and dark blue robe work well together, and I can still see the sleeves of her blouse sticking out.</i>


    Until Niva used magic, I couldn¡¯t tell if the mana regen effect was working. She¡¯d need to speak for that to happen. It was imperative to diagnose the reason behind her muteness so I could cure it, but if [Analysis] didn¡¯t show me, then I didn¡¯t know. I hypothesize it had something to do with her wounds, but they were fading by the day. She¡¯d recovered so much there wasn¡¯t any more blood in her feces or urine, which Kokan was extremely happy about since it meant her body was fighting hard and seeding.


    Tilde said Niva needed a staff toplete the spirit summoner look. I had just enough iron to make one. ¡°Ah, no, you don¡¯t <i>need </i>to make one. Having a staff allows her to focus when she¡¯s casting spells. Basically, you can direct the flow of mana through a core object to help stabilize it. Even someone with the innate ability to use skill via thought would benefit from a staff or wand. Hint hint, nudge nudge.¡±


    I stretched Niva¡¯s legs and massaged her calves and arms. Her face showed strain, but this had to be done, and she knew it. When I finished, I left the robe on her. It looked good on her, and I thought she liked it. It was a gift from me, after all. I doubt presents were amon urrence in her life.


    After telling her good night, I stripped and hopped in bed with Sekh. Niva wasn¡¯t having any more night terrors, so I didn¡¯t have to worry about jumping out of bed and tending to her mental worries. Sekh was waiting like a beautiful siren as the moonlight illuminated her immacte fur that was so wonderful and soft. I desired her touch, so I almost wrapped myself around her like a crab. She kissed me gently, put her hands over mine, and stroked my fingers. Her love was too much for someone like me, especially since I almost neglected her...


    <i>Might as well face that ufortableness head on...</i>


    ¡°Have I been neglecting you?¡± I asked suddenly. Sekh answered with another kiss and a subtle shake of her head.


    ¡°Why would you ask that?¡± she whispered, holding me tighter.


    ¡°My head¡¯s a big mess right now, so I dunno... But it feels like I have. We only see each other at night because I spend all day at the forge. I just feel bad...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s something you shouldn¡¯t feel because you were doing something incredible. Without you, Niva would be dead. Or if you hadn¡¯t worked so hard for her, she¡¯d never experienced the joy of independently standing. You did something no one else wanted to do.¡±


    I told the AI to alert me if Niva woke up because what I wanted to talk about wasn''t meant for her ears.


    ¡°But I didn¡¯t do it out of kindness, Sekh. I was solely thinking about her power. Even if I try to convince myself otherwise...the prosthetics were a contingency n in case her hatred of Gloria wasn¡¯t enough. I want to care about her because... I mean, I want her to live, but it feels like a part of me doesn¡¯t care if she dies since the ultimate backup n was me eating her for her skills. Be honest. If you¡¯d met her under the same circumstance 1,000 years ago¡ª¡±


    Without even a moment¡¯s worth of hesitation, Sekh nodded. ¡°That¡¯s the past, and this is now, and since we pledged our loyalty to you... Camaraderie is an unknown feeling, but without the curse dictating how I need to live my life, it¡¯s not something I dislike. My primary goal is still the destruction of this world, but I¡¯ll even go as far as to say I can¡¯t wait to see her evolve. On that note, I want to thank you for not killing her. Seeing her go from a meek girl to someone who can even bnce with legs, not her own, is inspiring. Yes, she had support, but it doesn¡¯t make it any less amazing.¡±


    I snuggled closer to Sekh until she held my head against her chest. She wrapped her arms around me and promised to never let go. ¡°But no, my liege, you haven¡¯t neglected me. Every morning, I¡¯m still blessed to see your beautiful face, and I¡¯m thankful you¡¯re thest thing I see before I go to bed. When you¡¯re off at the forge, I train with Kokan and learn from Ichiha. I¡¯m grateful to them for teaching me so many things, but...¡±


    ¡°But?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s...been a while, my liege,¡± Sekh whispered. I looked up and saw a gorgeous blush dance around her pretty cheeks. ¡°Since we made love, I mean. Times have been busy, so it¡¯s understandable. And with Niva sharing our room, I suppose we hadn¡¯t had the chance.¡±


    "Then... What about a date?¡±


    ¡°Date?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. When we get back, I¡¯ll take you out on a date. It¡¯ll just be you and me. No Irisa, no Niva, and no Tilde to get in our way. We¡¯ll do whatever you want to. It¡¯ll be my way of saying how much I love and appreciate you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been on one before...¡±


    ¡°Neither have I, but I want my first to be with you. You¡¯re gorgeous, Sekh. I mean, I can hardly keep my eyes off you.:


    "Really?" she whispered.


    I nodded. "We can walk around and get you some new clothes. I can see it already. We''d be holding hands, living a slice of life we were never granted. If we find a secluded spot..."


    ¡°Hmm... I can¡¯t wait, my liege. And neither can you, apparently,¡± Sekh said. She held me closer to her chest while reaching a hand down to my erection.


    She poked the tip with her fingers and brushed the back of her dainty palm against my balls. I shimmied down the pillow just enough to cup my mouth around her nipple and sucked away while she ced my cock between her thighs. She shifted back and forth to stimte the sensitive tip after peeling my foreskin. ¡°I¡¯ll clean up the mess, my liege. Just let it out whenever you want,¡± she whispered, licking the tip of my ears.


    It seemed like the main course was dyed, but even the strictest person would indulge in an early appetizer, right?

 Chapter Forty: Traveling to the Forest Village of Aetos (Arc 3 – Start) (R-18 Illustrations!)

    Chapter Forty: Traveling to the Forest Vige of Aetos (Arc 3 ¨C Start) (R-18 Illustrations!)


    We were all standing in front of the shop early in the morning, though, in Niva¡¯s case, it¡¯d be more apt to say she was sittingfortably in herfy wheelchair. Even though I said we were leaving at 7, it just so happened that everyone was up and moving two hours before then. It was funny how things worked out like that, but I wasn¡¯tining about getting an early start. That only meant we¡¯d be back sooner, and I couldn¡¯t wait for my date with Sekh.


    The early morning purple sky was a rare urrence, but I wanted to look at it as an omen of good luck as it blessed a traveling group of four with good luck. Ichiha, dressed in her robe, handed me a stack of sandwiches wrapped in parchment paper. I thanked her for the food and stored it, then took the backpack she had in her other hand. We talked earlier, and she quipped it¡¯d be strange to walk around without pouches or gear. Sekh slipped hers on, and Niva had one resting across herp.


    ¡°Be careful, okay? Is that enough food? I can make something else if you¡¯d like. What about some soup for Niva?¡±


    ¡°Thank you, but we¡¯ll be fine. I know how to stew and soup from watching you all the time. I nned to do a little bit of hunting along the way,¡± I replied. She asked if we had enough water, and we probably had more than enough. 16 canteens full of water sat in my storage, and even if we didn¡¯t hunt, I had 8 lbs of meat left.


    ¡°Still, be careful, okay?¡± Irisa asked, repeating her mother¡¯s sentiment. ¡°I know you have your map and that AI thingie, but I can¡¯t help but worry. People are nasty out there.¡± Irisa grabbed my hand and led me about ten feet away, then she whispered in my ear. ¡°It¡¯s four girls traveling alone. One¡¯s a fairy, one¡¯s in a wheelchair... Yeah, it¡¯s only 3 days away, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°I understand your worries. Trust me, we¡¯ll be alright. I¡¯m just Lv. 9¡ªthe same as Sekh¡ªbut we¡¯ll be fine. Besides, there haven¡¯t been that many reports of bandits attacking, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Irisa said, nodding. ¡°Then promise me you¡¯ll return safe and sound, okay? You won¡¯t note back, right?¡±


    <i>Irisa cares so much, doesn¡¯t she?</i>


    ¡°Here, how about this?¡± I pointed towards my head and set a waypoint on myself, then shared that with Irisa. She stared at the glowing blue pir. ¡°You¡¯ll always know just where I am. I wish I could share [Map] with you."


    ¡°The waypoint¡¯s good enough. Thanks, M.¡± Irisa put her hands on my upper arms, and I hugged her. From behind, I heard her mother and fatherment on this exceptional disy of affection.


    <i>But... I want to be more than friends. I¡¯m sure she does too. But then there¡¯s Sekh... I love her with all my heart, but loving a second woman the way I love her?</i>


    We broke off from the hug, and I walked back to Sekh and the others. Ichiha slyly hid her grin behind her hand while her husband smiled brightly.


    ¡°Mom! Dad!¡± Irisa whined yfully. Her parents shared a look and justughed, and I joined in. This fun, fresh, familial atmosphere was cheesy, but it was...enjoyable. But before too long, it really was time for us to leave. I grabbed the push handles of Niva¡¯s wheelchair and began to walk. Sekh was faithfully beside me with her shield hanging off her back. Her mace swung from her hips. And when she was in her armor, she looked so powerful and striking.


    <i>But in regr clothes, she¡¯s so pretty and beautiful.</i>


    Before we reached the corner of the road, I turned back and waved. Secondster, the family of onis returned to the shop. With the thought of acquiring power at the forefront of my mind, we resumed walking and made our way to the northern gate.


    <hr>


    ¡°My liege? You¡¯ve been in deep thought for thest hour. Are you okay?¡± Sekh asked about an hour after we left Ria. We¡¯d been enjoying the beautiful morning in silence, but her inquiry caused Niva to look behind her.


    ¡°Oh, sorry. I was going over some information about Gloria. The AI has a notepad function where I can pen my thoughts down,¡± I replied. ¡°I wish there was more to it, but... It''s a challenge for Are to get worthwhile information. Gloria¡¯s getting upset by the day, and in anger, she blew up the boss¡¯s chamber again. Are managed to sneak off to the dungeon and talk with her. An actual face-to-face talk and not through telepathy. Then the two of them spoke to the council. I¡¯m not a mind reader, so I don¡¯t know what was said. But Gloria seemed happier, so I suppose the funeral went off without a hitch.¡±


    Predictably, Niva flinched at Gloria¡¯s name. I didn¡¯t notice until Tilde whacked me on the head. I apologized, but she shook her head as if to say that I didn¡¯t have to say sorry.


    A thought came to my mind.


    ¡°Niva, I don¡¯t want to be insensitive, but you understand us, right? I haven¡¯t asked that yet.¡± She turned around and nodded, and while I felt like a jackass, I had to make sure. Maybe it was stupid¡ªTilde certainly thought so because she looked at me like my IQ was below freezing. But I felt relieved when Niva nodded when I asked if her name was, in fact, Niva.


    It meant she was here in the now and not some imaginary personification to take the brunt of reality while her true personality was sheltered in the safety of her mind.


    Over the next four hours, we conversed through a series of yes or no questions. I learned Niva wasn¡¯t born blind. She was illiterate and couldn¡¯t do math, but she understood I was a chimera. When asked if she was afraid, she immediately shook her head no. Furthermore, I was correct in assuming that she believed the night she woke was a dream. Now, she understood it wasn¡¯t. When asked if she understood everything, Niva rightfully shook her head and nodded when asked if she wanted to know more.


    I took a second and thought it over. We were traveling to the northeast on the outskirts of a great forest. My map indicated the closest person was about 3,000 feet behind me¡ªa wagon, it was, and it was carrying food and supplies. Since I hadn¡¯t been to the northeast, the area wasn''t indexed on my map. But my eyes saw nothing but a well-traveled dirt road with two distinct wheel lines.


    And so, I thought there was no better time than to let it all out. Starting from the beginning, I told Niva my whole life story since I wanted to be honest with someone under my protection. If she was going to be loyal to me, then there had to be no lies. I had a lot to cover, so it took me the rest of the day to exin it. We stopped twice before the night fell to eat some lunch while giving Sekh and Niva a chance to answer the call of nature. Being a chimera came with some nice perks, the inability to piss or defecate being one of them.


    But I was still telling my story when the night descended, and we needed to find a ce to stay. Luckily, we¡¯d passed an empty cave, and we only had to retrace our steps for about ten minutes. But when we took refuge in it while I prepared dinner, Niva was still emotional. I didn¡¯t know why, but she took the tale of Shuuta and M harder than I thought. While we walked, Niva constantly looked at my voice with thick, fat tears in her eye. Her mouth opened, and I knew she was struggling to speak. The cause wasn¡¯t physical, so I¡¯d hope we¡¯d get to the bottom of it soon.


    For that reason, I sat next to her while I cooked a steak, making sure to cut it thin and small for Niva to eat. After eating, the four of us rxed against the cave¡¯s wall and enjoyed the quiet nature.


    It was atmospheric and pleasant. The windy breeze made it cool, even if it was supposed to be in the middle of summer. Before I knew it, Niva had fallen asleep leaning against my shoulder. Seeing her totally trusting me warmed my heart. She was a far cry from that abused girl who screamed and cried at just the lightest of touches.


    ¡°Congrattions, Master,¡± Tilde said, hovering in front of us. ¡°You sessfully acquired her heart. Not just any girl would lean against someone like that if they didn¡¯t undeniably trust them. Especially someone like Niva. It¡¯s too bad she¡¯s like literally right there.¡± I asked why, and she pointed to my crotch. ¡°You haven¡¯t banged Big Tits in like three weeks. The breeze could give you a literal blowjob. I suppose she could always stroke you off. Also, wasn¡¯t it a waste for Irisa to make those spider-leg holes in the back? It probably was. Same thing with the slits on the elbows for you to web dodge. Seems like totally useless modifications. Eh, but that¡¯s life. Better to be prepared than be caught with your cock out.¡±


    "You¡¯re the horniest goddamn thing I know,¡± I replied.


    ¡°I take a lot of pride in that! Thank you very much!¡± Tilde stuck her tongue out at me, then produced a flirty smile.


    I turned to Sekh to see her smiling adorably at me. She grabbed my hand with both of hers while leaning her head against me.


    Soon, she closed her eyes after I told her I¡¯d do the first watch. But did I have to do that? I asked the AI if it slept.


    <i>This unit does not require sleep or nourishment other than the mana in the atmosphere, my lord.</i>


    ¡°Good. Keep watch. Wake me if something seems out of the ordinary or someone is within 60 feet of the cave¡¯s entrance.¡± The AI understood mymand, and after waiting just a few more minutes, I grabbed Sekh¡¯s and Niva¡¯s hands and drifted asleep.


    <hr>


    We hit the road early the following morning after a quick breakfast of scrambled eggs. I didn''t need a refrigerator because the items in my storage were frozen in time¡ªa type of stasis, Tilde called it.


    With another long day of traveling ahead of us, we naturally turned to conversation to pass by the time. I was thinking of what we could talk about when Sekh spoke up.


    ¡°Niva?¡± Niva looked towards Sekh¡¯s voice with a puzzled expression. Her hood was slightly oversized, but it looked cute with it pulled over her head. ¡°Would you...like to hear about my past? We¡¯re allies¡ªserving the same liege.¡±


    ¡°Not serving,¡± I said, correcting Sekh.


    ¡°Geez, Master, you need to read the room,¡± Tilde interjected. ¡°Big Tits calls you ¡®my liege¡¯. Anyone who hears that would obviously think she serves you. And she does, I mean, especially in the bedroom. Trust me, I¡¯ve been a front-row witness to her service. Hehehe... She sure can work a¡ª¡±


    ¡°You can call it what you want, but you are my allies. I want to stand side-by-side. If you want to call that ¡®serving¡¯ then fine.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be a sourpuss. People would love to have the fabled Dark Lord of Tyrannical Big Tits serve them. Even more so when she¡¯s a submissive little kitty. Besides, you¡¯re the Transcendent Dark Lord. Even in training, it¡¯s only apt for you to have a dedicated circle of servants and loyal bodyguards.¡±


    ¡°Tilde, we¡¯ll talk about thister, okay?¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± she whined and rolled her eyes so hard I thought they were looking into the back of her head. Tilde flew to the pouch in Niva¡¯sp and sat down to enjoy the ride.


    After ring at the annoying fairy, Sekh began to tell the long, arduous tale of a woman cursed to end the world. When I told my story yesterday, I spared no expense or detail, and Sekh was much of the same. She¡¯d reincarnated at least a hundred times, so she couldn''t remember the details of her earliest lives. Still, it was quite a graphic and tragic recantation to the point where she grabbed my arm for emotional support. When it seemed like the recollection was getting too vivid, we stopped for lunch to let her emotion simmer. It also allowed Niva toe to terms with what she was just told.


    But soon enough, we were back on the journey. I checked the chair¡¯s wheels to make sure they were fine, and they were. Niva nodded when I asked if she was stillfortable.


    By the time Sekh had finished her life¡¯s story, night had fallen upon us for the second time. We didn¡¯t have the luxury of a cave, but there was a nearbyke with plenty of space underneath thekeside palm trees. The water¡¯s surface was so still and pristine that it perfectly reflected the starry heavens shining upon it. With the mystical glow of a campfire to provide warmth on this rather chilly summer night, I¡¯d taken it upon myself to hold a small ss after eating some beef soup I¡¯d made.


    I pulled out the .45s gainfully acquired from Noelia andid them on the grass before taking them apart. Thanks to [Firearms] and [Weapon Creation], I learned faster and quicker than I would if I was still Shuuta. Sekh sat opposite of me and stared intently, her quizzical silver eyes staring at all the little parts.


    ¡°My liege?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡±?


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, could you tell me a little bit about this gun? I assume there¡¯s something like it in your world.¡±


    ¡°There is. It looks remarkably like the Colt 1911, a gun that, as you can probably tell, was made in 1911. At least, it was in my world. It was used by the United States for over 190 years before finally being retired, though it does see use in retro gun circles,¡± I said. Sekh just looked at me with genuine intrigue and asked me to keep going. Niva was looking my way and nodded. ¡°Really? It doesn¡¯t bore you two?¡±


    Niva shook her head while Sekh spoke. ¡°It seems like you enjoy tinkering with guns, so why wouldn¡¯t I be interested in it?¡± Sekh¡¯s reply touched my heart, and I began to talk about them. Truth be told, I didn¡¯t remember why or how I became fascinated with them. All I know is that one day I woke up and wanted to do research, so I waited until the family had left me alone to get on theputer. I was forbidden from doing so, and I was caught, beaten for my insolence, and left to starve for three days.


    During this, I took one apart as much as possible because I needed tools to break it down further, then put it all back together. The .45s were from the same monster, yet they were different colors, had varying attachments, and the magazines were different sizes. One held 8 rounds, another had 15, and all were fully loaded with bullets.


    Since we had plenty, I split them into groups of four and added and removed parts until I had a pair of ¡®optimal¡¯ guns. One went to Sekh, and it was all gunmetal gray with a red dot sight, a 14-round magazine, and a muzzle break to help control recoil. Mine had ck grips with a metal finish that held 15 bullets. Her eyes sparkled when she raised it, but I stopped her because her finger was on the trigger.


    When it came to firearms, there were rules to follow.


    Vital rules.


    Important rules.


    ¡°Treat every gun as if it¡¯s loaded. Even if I took one apart and handed you the frame with none of the internals, it¡¯s loaded. The gun is always loaded. Always.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s always loaded¡­ Got it.¡±


    ¡°Always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction and never point it at something you do not wish to destroy.¡± I waited for Sekh to nod, then I continued. ¡°Keep your finger off the trigger until it is time to fire your gun. If you can, keep your index finger extended andy it above the trigger guard. Or you can fold it in and ce it below the guard. The choice is up to you.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Right, I think I got it,¡± Sekh whispered. ¡°Thank you for the gun.¡± She kissed me, and we shared a nice moment. Tilde said she wanted a ¡®strap¡¯ to st some ¡®fools¡¯ asses,¡¯ and I assumed she meant a firearm. Thest thing I ever wanted was a psycho fairy with a loaded gun. And Niva couldn¡¯t get one for obvious reasons.


    <i>I need a source of bullets.</i>


    My holster was destroyed in the monster train incident, so I used [Nature¡¯s Workshop] and the AI to build some using the vines and palm leaves from up above. Some quick workter, I made fifteen in just a few minutes since it was all simple. Sekh modeled for me and decided she wanted hers on her back, just above the hip. I preferred having it on my side. With the two of us armed, we settled to chat for a while.


    Before anything interesting happened, Tilde almost outright demanded something on my mind. It concerned [Enchanting]. With enough effort, a ballroom dress would offer more defense than a suit of full-te armor.


    ¡°You¡¯d like that, wouldn¡¯t you, naughty Master. Imagine seeing Big Tits¡¯ mommy milkers in a nice blouse instead of armor. Or seeing her curvy backside in a skimpy skirt, even while knowing that even a sniper wouldn¡¯t pierce her skin because it¡¯s been enchanted to kingdom fuckinge? Or you can enchant {Mana Link} onto her armor. She can wear whatever she wants and change intobat mode when shit gets real.¡±


    ¡°My armor in my previous life was like that,¡± Sekh said.


    ¡°Oh? Is that a hint to your Divine Armament¡¯s true power?¡±


    ¡°Mmm, it could be,¡± she yfully said. She took my hand in hers and leaned in close for another kiss. A passionate, hot, wet kiss that flipped the switch inside her. She ced my hand against her cheek, and I caressed her so sweetly. I believed I could stave off the growing erection, but Sekh had to pop my thumb in her mouth and suck on it lewdly while giving me that <i>look</i>.


    After fishing my finger from her mouth, I stood up and swept her off her feet.


    ¡°AI, keep an eye on things and let me know if people get close. Tilde, stay here and watch Niva.¡±


    ¡°Go on, y¡¯all go have some fun,¡± she said with a flicker of her wrist, aiming towards the second nearest tree. Sekh wrapped her arms around my neck. She gingerly licked my throat, and I heard Tilde say something to Niva. ¡°Alright, you gotta understand something about our Master...¡±


    <i>She better not say anything stupid...</i>


    When we were obscured, it seemed all our libidinous emotions poured out like the waters of a broken dam. I saw her, she saw me, and the two of us were alone in ourscivious world.


    After we returned to the campfire after our much-needed tryst, Tilde had a lewd smile while she rubbed her greedy little mittens. She wanted to know what I did to make Sekh moan so loud and passionately, but I wanted to keep some secrets. The fairy flicked me off. Ignoring her, I sat beside a sleeping Niva, patted her head, which caused her to reach out to grab onto me with her remaining hand, andid down with Sekh. She was gleaming¡ª a glowing, radiant beauty that I embraced under the cool moonlight.


    She turned to her side. Even though she was back in her armor, she hugged my arm as best she could. ¡°I know your thoughts on what I¡¯m about to say, but I wish to serve you with all my heart,¡¯ Sekh whispered.


    ¡°I know,¡± I whispered back. ¡°If that¡¯s what you want... Just know that you mean so much more to me than that. I will never think of you as a servant. You''re my adorable Sekh. My lovely Lionfolk that''s captured my heart...¡±


    ¡°I love you, my liege,¡± Sekh quietly said with a smile.


    ¡°I love you too,¡± I replied.


    <hr>


    It was the third day of our trip. After lunch, we packed our gear and set back on the road. From Kokan¡¯s map, we¡¯d been arriving sometime after sunset. Afterst night¡¯s midnight fun, I was thinking more about our date. The moment that world left my mouth...


    ¡°DATE?!?!?!¡± Tilde eximed so abruptly Niva almost suffered whish from turning her head so fast. ¡°I WANT¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not invited,¡± I told the annoying fairy. We had a yful argument where she tried to bribe me for permission to join us.


    The conversation turned to Irisa. ¡°Wow, okay? Isn¡¯t it kinda rude to talk about another girl when you¡¯re discussing date specifics with someone else? I see you¡¯re trying to bnce two chicks on the side. Never thought you had it in you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that. Sekh, how do you feel about her?¡±


    ¡°Hmm... She¡¯s very kind,¡± Sekh said after putting a finger to her chin. ¡°I¡¯m happy when I see her, and I¡¯m d we found her store. She had no reason to make this armor for me, but she did it anyway. Eating with her and her family? It reminded me of my previous existences before the curse took over.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d say you like her?¡± I inquired.


    Sekh nodded. ¡°I want to remain allies with her. So, yes, I do like her.¡± She smiled. I returned it, and we spent a few hours talking about Irisa. We hadn¡¯t seen anyone in about four hours, and [Map] said no one was behind us for about 3 miles, and we just took our sweet time. It warmed my heart to know she felt the same way. I wanted to be in amitted rtionship with Sekh, but I couldn¡¯t hide what I felt for Irisa. Nor did I want to push it away. Polygamy was supposed to be illegal in my world, but those with money and power sidestepped the rules to do what they wanted.


    I didn¡¯t have any of that... I supposed I¡¯d have to have an in-depth talk with Sekh, but I was dreading it because I didn¡¯t want to be an asshole and t-out ask to sleep with someone else.


    <i>There¡¯s always the possibility my impotence will return for her. That''s a very real fear.</i>


    We continued until reaching a fork in the road. All the other times, we just had to continue straight. If we¡¯d done that here, we¡¯d still be on the outskirts of the tree line. Our destination, in fact, was to branch off to the left and enter the forest clearing. It was a forest vige, after all. There weren¡¯t any signs, and I rightly didn¡¯t care for the reason.


    The terrain wasn¡¯t that hard to get a wheelchair-bound girl through, so we traveled down the forestry path with little to no trouble. Thanks to the numerous amounts ofrge trees and evenrger leaves overhead, the entire trail was nicely shaded and cool. The colorful flowers dancing from the tree limbs range from cool blues to spicy crimsons and elegant purples. Before long, I found myself smiling and started to tell Niva what I saw. Her face changed with my ever-increasing detailed descriptions.


    After a certain point, it was like we were in a tunnel made of trees. The only light came from white mushrooms that acted like lightbulbs to illuminate the way. It was wide enough for three wagons tofortably travel side-by-side, but it was empty. At the end of the tunnel, however, was a wall of thin vines that led to the vige proper.

 Chapter 40.5: Embrace Under the Moonlight (R-18)

    Chapter 40.5: Embrace Under the Moonlight (R-18)


    After I reached the tree, Sekh left my neck nice and wet. Her tongue moved to my lips. We passionately kissed until we had no more breath.


    ¡°Mmph... Undress me... I need you, my liege! Please...¡± Sekh whispered, breathing heavily.


    Setting her down, she gasped for air while I stripped her armor and tunic, pulling down her pants to expose her moist pussy. Her thighs glistened beautifully in the moonlight, and her feminine scent wafted to my nose, making me pitch a tent in my pants. She gingerly looked at me, a cute, yful look on her face, but it was also one of slight uncertainty at how I would pleasure her. Her blushing cheeks reminded me of the sun¡¯s warm glow when it rose over the horizon.


    Rubbing her legs, I looked towards her eyes while cing my lips on the delectable treat staring me in the face. She shivered, a lovely moan fluttering from her weing mouth. Her eyes... Such silver elegance enhanced a beautiful woman... So big... So bright...


    <i>Fuck... She''s so beautiful...and delicious... I need to do this more often.</i>


    My arms wrapped around her ass and held her closer while my upper lip stimted her clit. Chimeric transfigurations could¡¯ve helped, but this needed to be done naturally. Multiple tongues and penises were fantastic to use in bed, but right now? I just wanted to be me. It didn¡¯t take long for Sekh to run her fingers through my hair.


    A couple of long licks here, a few short, hasty licks there, Sekh was like putty in the palm of my hands. Her thighs visibly quivered whenever I ced my lips around her clit. Too much stimtion could hurt her, so I used her movements and moans to guide my actions. Electric shocks of pleasure flowed through her body. She almost bent over and pressed my head further into her pussy, and I was all for it.


    And I meant that. Sekh loved to suck me off, and I loved it when sheid her head in myp with her lips around my penis. She knew how to work her tongue, when to kiss the tip, and the right amount of pressure when licking my balls. I had to return the oral pleasure with as much enthusiasm as she did for me. And if her moans were anything to go by, I was doing something right. But the more I explored the depths of her pussy walls with my tongue, scraping it against her hot, moist folds, the more my mind became filled with Sekh.


    Everything about Sekh drove me wild.


    ¡°Haaaaa!!!!!! My liege¡ªIt''s... It¡¯s... Ahhhhhhhhh~~~~~~ More!!! More!!!! Maaaaaasterrrrrr~~!¡± Sekh cried in the loveliest voice, squeezing my head between her thighs as she squirted her precious juices on my face. In a sh, my clothes and armor vanished from my body, leaving me naked as the day Sekh created my body. My dick was hard as I stood up. Pressing my body close to her, I grabbed Sekh¡¯s chin and looked at her delightful expression. She weed my tongue in her moist, warm mouth while I moved a hand to her pussy. Tenderly, the index and middle fingers teased her slippery slit. The amount of pressure and technique I used depended on her moans, which had nowhere to go but in my mouth.


    We continued the sloppy kiss until she was out of breath. Panting, I licked her cheeks and whispered sweet nothings into her ear as a finger slipped inside. Quivering, Sekh mped her thighs on my hand, and her insides tightly squeezed me. I kept it there for a few seconds before adding a second one, and I steadily fucked her with my fingers. Her cunt tightened in response to her exasperated breathing, her liquids sshing out and covering my arm. After finding her g-spot, she let loose a verb cry of ecstasy and actively gyrated her hips. Her inner folds were hot and soft, gripping so hard it was difficult to pull out.


    My mouth moved from her cheek to her neck, where I sucked. Meanwhile, her tongue wandered around and found my pointy ears, which she began to lick as if it was my cock. Instantly, I became even harder, reaching my full altered length of 7¡±. Precum dripped from the tip as I became very well of my ears as an erogenous zone. Tiny, electrified shocks flooded my body, causing my dick to bounce, almost, while a pressure built in my testicles. Pressing a hand to Sekh¡¯s chest, I stored her tunic and wasted no time tasing her delicious nipples. Tongue swirling, lips cupping... At that moment, there was nothing else in the world.


    Even when the pressure in my penis was too much to hold back, and I sprayed Sekh¡¯s thighs with my thick semen, causing her to orgasm a second time, I focusedon her chest.


    Her moans were ecstatically alluring. Wrapping my arms tightly around her waist, I leaned my weight backwards. Instead of falling, a pair of spider legs burst from my back to make the transition easier.


    I doubt Sekh was even aware of it, really. When she was in a mood, she was in the <i>mood.</i> Once we were on the ground, it didn¡¯t take long for her to straddle my waist and insert my penis. It went in without any resistance. Once again, we were lost in our little world of fucking and kissing. Fluids and liquids sshed everywhere while she bounced on my cock. Kissing her tits, I groped her ass and spread her cheeks while thrusting my hips as fast as I could. Sekh helped me relieve myselfst night, but her thighs, while wonderful and exotic, couldn¡¯tpare to her insides.


    ¡°Sekh!!!!!!!¡± I cried her name while alternating nipples. She wrapped her arms around the back of my head and hugged me closer. My lovely Lionfolk arched her back, her tongue hanging out her mouth while bliss filled her eyes, casting an emotional reunion between her pussy and my cock. The familiar feeling welled up in my loins a second time, and I shot my seed.


    ¡°My stomach is hot!!!!!! Maasssssterrrrr!!!! More!!!! Fuck me more!!!!!! Ahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!! I can feel it flowing into me!!!!!!!¡±


    ¡°Louder!!!!! I want to hear you!!!!!!¡± My orgasmic cries were sweet. Even after thirteen thick ropes, my testicles still had sperm to shoot out. Sekh tightened three more times before copsing to my chest, her lips against mine. Even while on the cusp of unconsciousness from an overdose of pleasure, she still wanted to kiss me.


    We remained there for a while, my cock still deep within theforts of her pussy, while I rubbed her back and kissed her cheeks. I knew she wouldn¡¯t mind if I continued to thrust away, but I didn¡¯t want to be that kind of lover. The passionate sex was good, but these intimate moments were a highlight of my life. Stroking Sekh¡¯s hair, I whispered a thousand promises of the future.


    <i>She called me Master, right? Not my liege? Guess she must¡¯ve been really horny.</i>


    ¡°Master...¡± I heard her whisper. Her reddened eyes, full of happy tears, slowly opened, revealing two startling pearls of pure silver. There was nothing but love in her gaze. Slowly, she leaned up, took my hands, and ced them around her stomach. A cute smileter, her hips began to gyrate a second time. Her hands went to mine, wetched fingers, and she rode me to another orgasm a few minutester as her breasts jiggled for my pleasure. Leaning up, I suckled them until her pussy clenched my penis, leading to another earth-shattering climax. The flutters in her eyes caused my heart to skip a beat.


    A set of spider legs grew from my back after I wrapped my arms around Sekh, bringing us back to a standing position...


    But Sekh didn¡¯t let go. No, shetched her legs around my waist and hugged me tightly. We remained standing like this while going for another round. Her sweaty nipples brutishly rubbed against mine while tasting each other¡¯s tongues.


    ¡°Master...¡± she panted. Her voice was totally adorable.


    ¡°Sekh,¡± I replied, taking a moment to catch my breath. I altered my thrusting angle, causing her to arch her back with exquisite moans. Her body fiercely shuddered, quivering in response to my penis thrusting in and out of her. The semen warmly inhabiting her pussy squirted out the sides, covering her thighs and my legs in abination essence of our juices.


    But my hormones were like a raging volcano. Every minute, desire flushed through my veins¡ªalmost as if it was recing my blood. From the get-go, I knew Murag and his Ashen Orc penis were responsible. And maybe I was grateful for that because it allowed me to share this moment with Sekh.


    When the pressure caused my testicles to tighten, I slightly bounced on my feet to get my tits jiggling¡ªif only to match Sekh¡¯s breasts. She hugged me harder than ever and buried her mouth against my neck, then she lightly nibbled as my sperm shot out of my penis. I expected my balls to be empty as I grunted, straining against the pressure to flood Sekh¡¯s pussy, but it seemed testicles always had more to give.


    Our bodies, glimmering with sweat, glistened underneath the moonlight as a summer breeze tangled our hair together. Four spider legs sprouted from the back of my legs as I lowered my body, acting as a chair¡¯s legs. Sekh, still with her legs and arms wrapped around me, slowly came as her pussy gripped my cock. I loved having her weight against me. It was proof she was alive and right here.


    ¡°Sekh?¡± I whispered her name. She lifted her head from my shoulder and looked at me with those crystalline eyes. I swore they were shining or glowing.


    ¡°I...love you... Just so much, Master... I really do...¡±


    Touching foreheads, I reciprocated my love and gently kissed her luscious lips. They were so pink and vibrant, and the touch of salty sweat lingered. But I loved it so much. Rubbing her cheeks, I hooked my thumb in her mouth, and she licked it clean with those beautiful eyes remaining on me. It was like, at that moment, I was her whole world.


    I was her destiny.


    I was her fate.


    I was her desire.


    She opened her mouth, thick lines of saliva connecting my thumb to her sultry tongue, and after a second kiss, she stood up. The moment my penis slipped free from her pussy, my semen gushed out of her like a white waterfall. It slithered down her thighs, bing sticky in her fur. It pained my heart to see it get corrupted, but theke was nearby. A quick clean, and everything would be right as rain. I thought that was our next destination, but Sekh surprised me by putting up a hand. Remaining Still, my lovely lover surprised me by kneeling between my legs.


    She stared at a cock that had ravaged her insides dozens of times. Even if it was covered in semen, the lingering remains of her juices coated the outside. Resting her head on my thigh, I cracked a small smile and ran my fingers through her hair as she caressed it with cute licks.


    This? This was a moment of bliss...


    But it could be better.


    ¡°Master?¡± Sekh tilted her head when I rubbed her ears.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get clean before we do this,¡± I replied. Sekh nodded, stood, and grabbed my hand to help me up. The spider legs extended until I was upright, then evaporated, leaving an odd, tingling feeling. Hand in hand, we walked to theke and entered its serene water. The moon¡¯s reflection vanished by the ripples we created, and Sekh¡¯s mes made it warm enough to befortable.


    And even though we were supposed to get clean, we couldn¡¯t keep our hands off the other. With my arms around Sekh''s waist, we gently moved with the water, not quite dancing, but it was close to that. Our foreheads touched, the stresses of everything disappearing by the second. Sekh dipped under the water and broke through the surface, leaving behind a glossy look thatsted for a moment. I was too busy staring at her beauty to wash myself, but she took care of that a momentter after she rubbed her hands all over my body. And I did the same for her, taking time to caress her delicious thighs and supple ass when we hugged close together.


    ¡°You called me Master, you know,¡± I said, stating the obvious. ¡°What happened to ¡®my liege?¡¯¡±


    ¡°Ahh-?¡± Sekh¡¯s cheeks were flushed. ¡°My-- My- liege, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Sekh, calm down. It¡¯s okay. You can call me whatever you want. Master? That¡¯s fine. My liege? Sure, that¡¯s okay. But...¡± I leaned close and whispered in her ear. ¡°I love you very much.¡±


    That resulted in yet another kiss and hug, and we chatted about that topic. After some discussion, Sekh realized it was okay to use either one. She was probably going to try to stick with ¡®my liege¡¯ to remain...professional? But something told me that when she was hot and horny, ¡®Master¡¯ would flow from her pretty lips.


    And I was okay with that. I¡¯d made my peace with it. Sekh would never be my servant because she was much more than that, so I thought of ¡®Master¡¯ or ¡®my liege¡¯ as mere nicknames.


    After bathing, we returned to the nearby tree and sat down, but not before taking out a fire pit from [Artificer¡¯s Arsenal]. Sekh lit it with her mes. Still naked, we sat around the crimson glow and let it dry us. She rested her head in myp, and I had my spider legs behind me to act like a headrest while running my hands through her hair.


    <i>These spider legs are so useful.</i>


    The erotic situation obviously caused an erection to rear its ashen head shortly after. Sekh wanted to lick my dick earlier, so I let her do what she wanted while taking in the gorgeous night sky. Her breath tickled my shaft. When I slightly tensed up and made it bounce up, itedically softly thwacked her in the face, which got me a cute giggle and a kiss to the exposed tip. In return, I fluffed her ears and watched her tail react ordingly.


    In fact, her tail wasn¡¯t that expressive when I thought about it. Yeah, it liked to wag when Sekh was happy, and when she was sleeping, it almost slithered like a snake, but that was it. Dogfolk, though, probably had the more reactive tails. Then again, were lions known to have active tails? Honestly, I didn¡¯t know, but this moment was right...


    It was perfect, really.


    Sekh pleasured me until I came, but my sperm flowed like a light drizzle onto her waiting tongue. She opened her mouth to show me my semen, swallowed it, then showed me again while sticking her tongue out. I didn¡¯t ask her to do that, and after some questioning?


    Tilde told her to do that because it would turn me on.


    She wasn¡¯t wrong.


    After drinking some water, we dressed and went to join Tilde and Niva at camp.


    Holding hands, that was. We acted like a real couple, but wasn¡¯t that what we were?

 Chapter Forty-One: A High Blessing’s Welcome

    Chapter Forty-One: A High Blessing¡¯s Wee


    After walking through, it was like I was transported to a naturalistic wondend. The houses and huts were all vines and wood, and leaves were pressed together to act as pavement. Looking to our left and right revealed a pair of flower fields. A bridge of intertwined limbs allowed us into the actual vige, and a coursing river of the brightest, cleanest water was rushing underneath that.


    But the strangest thing was that there wasn¡¯t a wall of trees blocking us into the vige. Behind and around us? Yeah. But in front? After that giant sequoia tree, which had to be over 2,600 feet tall and more than 320 feet in thickness, there was the rest of the forest. And even though that massive tree acted as the central cornerstone of this vige, shade was scarce. It was sunny and peaceful, and when I looked up, I saw the thick leaves and flowers branching off the highest limbs.


    I looked at my map and realized being this close was enough for the entire vige to get scanned. A total of 97 people lived here, and one white dot wasing this way.


    ¡°Holy shit...¡± Tilde whispered, her breath taken back slightly. ¡°How the hell did I not know this was here?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because we do not carelessly wield our tongue, sprite of the forest.¡± We turned to the bridge a few feet ahead and saw a woman with harpy-like features descend from the sky. Her hair was long and orange, with white-tipped feathers around her wings, which acted like her arms. Sharp talon-like ws branched off her bird-like feet, which were orange and ck. The feathers from her wings spread across her torso to act like a bra for her t chest. She wore a short pair of brown shorts.


    ¡°But it¡¯s not hidden?¡± Tilde asked. The harpy shook her head.


    ¡°This vige is open to all with peaceful and non-violent intentions. High Blessing of the Forest, how did you find this ce?¡± I assumed she was talking to me, so I told her about Kokan. ¡°The schrly oni? Yes, he is a friend. We of the vige took him in for a few weeks after he was falsely used of that heinous crime. Has his daughter taken him back?¡± she asked while walking towards us.


    ¡°Yes, she has. She understood Kokan was telling the truth from the beginning. She''s been trying to make up that lost time.¡±


    ¡°Hmm...¡± Aello, the Vermillion Harpyfolk, blinked her orange eyes. ¡°Lost time? One cannot necessarily make up for something that cannot be recovered. Only the High Blessings of the Forest are immune to the rampaging wraths of time. How foolish of the girl to not believe her flesh and blood.¡±


    Foolish? Perhaps. Irisa knew more than anyone how idiotic she was.


    ¡°Could I inquire as to the nature of your visit? Am I to assume it involves the one in the chair of wheels?¡±


    <i>She talks a bit weird¡ªtoo antiquated and formal. Well, she¡¯s 223 years old, so maybe thates with the age.</i>


    ¡°I¡¯ve been told of a cksmith that excels in creating prosthetics. Mypanion needs one for her right arm, left leg, and right foot. And my name is Lyudm Springfield.


    ¡°Springfield? Yes, I recall a n with that name. Centuries ago, it was wiped from existence. Are you intending to start it anew? How impressive. Yes, impressive. The location of the Springfield Forest was said to be lost to history... It is a joyous asion.¡± Aello nodded. ¡°The smith you seek lives here. He has the skill required to grant mobility to those who had it stolen. Shall I take you to him, Lyudm Springfield?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Mind? No. Not at all. Not for someone like you. Please, follow.¡± Aello turned around and walked, and we followed her over the bridge and onto the vige proper.


    That was when I noticed there wasn¡¯t a single human in this ce. There were Slugfolk¡ªpeople with the upper body of a humanoid with two antennae and lower body of a slug, Wormfolk¡ªthe same deal, Mandragorafolk¡ªchild-sized humanoids with green skin and vines and flowers growing from their head and body. One Mandragorafolk was ying with a Dryad in a yground that looked like one from my world, only it was all wood. To the far right was a pair of centaurs racing and horsing around. One was male, the other female, but they shared the same blond hair and horse-like ears.


    ¡°Lyudm Springfield,¡± Aello said as we walked across the vige. After people started to notice us, they all stopped what they were doing and looked our way. ¡°Why do you stare with pensiveness? Have you not encountered a bounded field before?¡± I shook my head, and Aello looked almost downtrodden.


    ¡°Bounded fields ur when the mage sews their mana into an area to separate the inside from the outside. Think of a building with four floors on the outside, but the inside has fifteen. The inside is often muchrger than you¡¯re led to believe when looking at it from an outside perspective. This vige is one of them. That tunnel we passed through must¡¯ve been the corridor, my liege.¡±


    ¡°Lionfolk? Uncivilized and war hungry, yet this one is much too experienced to be a rampaging cub. Yes, you¡¯re correct. The great Eagle Yew¡ªthe pir of this bounded field,¡± Aello raised both wings towards the giant tree. ¡°Long ago, a great eagle¡ªAetos¡ª participated in a tremendous war that ended with casualties in the hundreds of thousands. He suffered fatal wounds and died, and the blood spilled from the noble beast offered nourishment to the yew seed it carried in its talons. The Spirit Lords of the Spirit Realm saw great courage andpassion in Aetos and lifted his soul from his very body. Aetos refused to be carried away and yearned to return to life, for he had much to aplish and a lot to protect. As such, the Lords of Spirit took pity and granted his request, turning Aetos into a great eagle spirit. Though he was granted what most wanted and desired, Aetos took refuge within that yew seed that grew strong and fat from his life. Over time, the tree grew and grew, with Aetos eventually creating this bounded field around his tree.¡±


    ¡°How do you know all this?¡±


    ¡°The elder of this vige? I am she. Knowledge was shared from elder to elder, from family head to family head, from mother to son to daughter to the elder again. You will not find a soul that cannot recite the tale from the heart.¡± Aello pped her wings a few more times. ¡°Would Lyudm Springfield¡ªHigh Blessing of the Forest¡ªoffer Aetos her prayers?¡±


    ¡°Eh, it wouldn¡¯t hurt anything to do it.¡± I looked to Tilde for guidance. Ultimately, I nodded. After folding my hands over my chest, I closed my eyes and bowed my head. I¡¯d never pray to a God I didn¡¯t believe in, and I wouldn¡¯t pray to some eagle that died a millennium ago. But I didn¡¯te here to start shit. I just thanked Aetos for creating a ce that would grant Niva her mobility and independence. When I opened my eyes, my body shimmered an emerald glow¡ª the color of mana infused with the power of nature. It spread to Tilde, Sekh, and Niva, all of who were praying. The mana broke apart secondster and fluttered towards the Eagle Yew as green particles of condensed mana.


    ¡°Yes! Aetos is proud and happy. Lyudm Springfield¡ªHigh Blessing of the Forest¡ªI thank you for your generosity.¡± Aello turned to face me with a smile on her cute face. For being two centuries old, she almost looked like a more yful teenager in that she looked youthful. She pped her wings a few more times. She wasn¡¯t the only one cheering us on, either. It seemed the entire vige was celebrating in their own way.


    And then I saw them. One was a forest-green blob about double the size of a basketball. It jiggled and wiggled in ce like a living water balloon. The other was a nt-like monster about half a foot taller than the slime. It walked on its brown roots and waved its green vines around in the circle as if it was cheering me on. After thinking about it for a second, it almost reminded me of atooth-shaped monster a bit bigger and taller than two basketballs. With no eyes and mouth, I don¡¯t know how it got around. But it and its slime buddy just stared until Aello tapped me with a wing. ¡°The slime and draingi... Has Lyudm Springfield not seen one before?¡± I nodded. ¡°Lyudm has nothing to worry about. Please, follow me to the cksmith¡¯s cave. It is the least I can do for your prayer.¡±


    <hr>


    We walked around to the left side of Eagle Yew, and I noticed this ce was pretty much like a regr vige. It had a small market stashed full of vegetables and fruit, an archery range located near a store that manufactured items that¡¯d be found in [Nature¡¯s Workshop], and even an inn with a dozen or so beds in their own individual rooms. Some of the younger children had the curse of curiosity and walked with us. A little Dryad pointed to a covered-up Niva and asked if she was sick. I replied she wasn¡¯t and that she¡¯d lost her arm, leg, and foot in an ident. Folding her vines together, the Dryad and other children prayed for her, then said Mr. Enap was a friendly man who let them ride on his legs.


    <i>Legs? As in more than two? He¡¯s not a human or humanoid? Or maybe they mean wrapping their vines around his leg like a child would hug their mother¡¯s leg? Ah, I better use a fake name. Alright. For the time being, Niva, you will be called L. </i>She turned her head to me in confusion, but Tilde and Sekh understood what I was doing. After a quick whisper from Tilde, ¡®L¡¯ nodded and turned back.


    ¡°Lady Springfield, what about you?¡± asked the Dryad. She tried to ce a vine on my arm, but I moved it up and away.


    ¡°It¡¯s a personal issue,¡± I replied. ¡°Don¡¯t do that again.¡± My words were stern and possibly frigid, but I didn¡¯t mean to be an asshole. The Dryad looked frightened, with her green eyes full of tears. Aello turned to her and scolded her for annoying the ¡®High Blessing of the Forest.¡¯


    The little girl gave me a tearful apology, but I just sighed and put my hand on her head. Upon telling her I wasn¡¯t mad or upset, the waterworks continued. She hugged my leg and cried into my skirt, but I patted her head until she finished. She wiped her eyes with a quivering vine that sprouted from her arm. We resumed walking, but the questions continued.


    When asked why I used a gun, I replied that it was just something I was used to. I took to it more naturally than a sword, spear, or bow because Reina¡¯s arm granted me [Deadeye]. I couldn¡¯t say that, but it seemed they bought the excuse I made for it.


    ¡°A High Blessing getting tainted by metal? Surprising? Yes, very. Why?¡±


    ¡°I took her in when she was just a weess,¡± Tilde said,ing to my rescue. ¡°She was found surrounded by the ash of her family. A group of bastards wanted to steal the enchanted wood her n nurtured. When the chief said no, they burned it to the ground. When I noticed the smoke, I rushed to find my little blessing crying her eyes out.¡± Tilde was staring at me, then exined that I¡¯d killed one of the bastards with his own gun and was hugging it.


    ¡°Lady Springfield is an orphan?¡± the Dryad said. I thought about her words for a moment. Was I an orphan? I didn¡¯t have my parents'' love, and they often tried to abandon me while beating the living daylights out of me.


    So, yeah. I was an orphan. I nodded to the Dryad, and she pointed to a few people staring at us. ¡°They¡¯re orphans too. And I¡¯m an orphaned spirit.¡± Tilde saw my confusion and exined. When a summoner passes away, any spirits contracted to them be orphaned. If they didn¡¯t find either a source of mana rted to their element or a new summoner, they¡¯d return to their spirit core. If enough time passed without someone awakening them, the core would fade away, and the spirit would return to the Spirit Realm without any of their memories. It worked the same with demons, as well. ¡°If Lady Aello hadn¡¯t found me and asked the great Eagle Yew to give me mana, I wouldn¡¯t be here anymore.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m d you¡¯re here, Dryad,¡± I said, trying to make an abandoned child feel better. The Dryad smiled, and the questions turned to Sekh and Niva. But Aello probably read the situation and told the kids to go y. They all replied, ¡®yes, ma¡¯am,¡¯ and scurried off without a word of protest, then the Vermillion Harpyfolk apologized for their behavior. High Elves were rare¡ªsomewhere numbering in the 10,000s at any given time, and I was the first toe here in 130 years.


    <i>I didn¡¯t realize they were that big of a deal.</i>


    <hr>


    After finally reaching the other side of the Eagle Yew, I saw an utterly thick forest with clear, defined paths. Aello took us down one of them, and she spoke a little bit more. Aetos Vige was home to a dungeon that spawned slimes and draingi, but there was a catch. The whole forest was the dungeon. The boss¡¯s home was a stone temple within the heart of this bounded field. With how powerful Aetos was, the forest stretched for hundreds of miles. It even had its own mountain ranges in the far, far back. But the boss was described as a snake with the features of a nt. Its mouth opened horizontally and vertically to reveal thousands of sharp teeth, and hundreds of great, thick vines sprouted from its body to suck in nourishment from the surroundings. For as long as Aello had been the vige elder, Sathtshas¡ªthe boss¡ªhad not once tasted defeat.


    <i>Probably because it¡¯s hard to find this ce.</i>


    After stepping into the forest, my map switched to its 3-D form and filled in where I walked. A scanning feature for my map would be helpful. But no. If there was anything like that, I was too weak to have it.


    We walked a particr path for twenty minutes beforeing to arge cave. Nearby was a sizable pond filled with fishes that swam without care. The mystical glow of the sunlight filtering through the leafy leavesbined with the calm atmosphere to create something calming and beautiful. Perhaps it was Susize inside of me, but I felt calm and collected to be surrounded by such nature. Aello pped her wings and said she was d I looked relieved and happy¡ªI didn¡¯t even know I was smiling.


    Aello led the delve into the cave, and thanks to some glimmering mushrooms growing on the walls and ceiling, it was easy for her to see because Tilde exined Harpies had poor night vision. Aello agreed, then stated that her evolution to a Vermillion Harpyfolk didn¡¯t help her in that department. Before long, I heard a hammer strike metal. A couple of turnster, the warm glow of a hot furnace illuminated the end of this tunnel, and I overheard a couple of people talking.


    ¡°Sir Enap, I can¡¯t thank you enough for helping us,¡± said a soft voice.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about it, my friend. I have spent many decades mastering my craft. If I could not practice even more, then why did I exert so much effort? Hahaha!! Oh, is that Lady Aello I hear?¡±


    When we turned the corner, we found ourselves in a cavern at least 40 feet high. The same bioluminescent mushrooms provided enough light to remove any trace of darkness. A furnace at least 7 feet tall was connected to a structure with many levers and six billows. Ten pipes spouted out the back and burrowed into the wall, and I only presumed they were linked to the outside. Maybe to provide airflow? Ten anvils were littered around a work area, which consisted of buckets full of different colored liquids.


    <i>Oil? That¡¯s a lot...</i>


    Anotherke was nearby, but it was possible to swim through it to another part of this extravagant cave system. This ce probably served as a workshop since I saw a stove, tanning rack, and other crafting instruments. The stairs and various open entrances in the far back probably led to rooms I could only imagine.


    ¡°Enap, it is good to see you,¡± Aello said, pping her wings as she spoke to a man that was part human and spider. An arachne, they were called. His yellow-tipped legs were as tall as me, and his upper half added another three feet. He had ck hair wrapped in a ponytail, his arms were broad and burly, and he wore no shirt. His ck spider eyes on his human head matched the eight ck ones on the front of his spider-like lower half.


    The monstrous beast looked directly at us with his ten eyes, but he wasn¡¯t alone. Standing next to him was a Deerfolk with long golden hair dressed in a brown tunic that matched his impressive antlers. A pair of axes hung from his belt, and even I felt the radiant power enchanted within them. But his eyes... They were bluer than even the deepest sapphire.


    Sitting about three feet from them in a chair was a bald-headed kid with just one arm. She looked happy enough to sit there, but her cautious eyes were locked on me.


    ¡°Likewise, dear elder. Oh, a High Blessing? Haven''t seen one in a few decades. My name is Enap¡ªa mere arachne. Pleased to make your acquaintance.¡±


    <i>There it is again. Another ¡®High Blessing.¡¯ Why is this happening now? That Elf from Noelia¡¯s bar acted kinda simr, didn¡¯t she?</i>


    I shook Enap¡¯s hand and introduced myself, Tilde, Sekh, and Niva, though I used her fake name of ¡®L.¡¯ On that note, I used [Status Cloak] to change her name, so everything worked out.


    ¡°Greetings, Miss Springfield. I¡¯m Ruru,¡± said the Deerfolk. He pointed behind him. ¡°And that is Arguna.¡± Arguna happily lifted her arm and waved. A cat''s tail wagged behind her, but I didn¡¯t see cat ears. Nor did I see any humanoid-like ears. The AI gave me a report and confirmed the girl was a Catfolk.


    ¡°Enap, Lyudm Springfield wishes to hire your services, but I see you¡¯re busy with another customer.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s true, dear elder. Miss Springfield, I¡¯m sorry for the inconvenience.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no inconvenience at all. When do you think you¡¯ll be done?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Hmm... A day or two at the most. Young Arguna requires a prosthetic arm. If it isn¡¯t too much trouble, could I ask you to follow the elder back to the vige? When night falls, I wille to you to get more information.¡±


    ¡°Lyudm Springfield, is that eptable?¡± Aello asked me. I nodded, and she smiled, and Tilde was too busy looking Enap up and down. Sheplimented him hard on his toned body and felt up his muscles. Giggling like a schoolgirl, she turned and asked me to start hitting the gym so I¡¯d have a ¡®goddess¡¯s physique.¡¯


    Ruru started to speak. ¡°As it turned out, Sir Enap has finished taking the measurements needed for Arguna. Would you mind if we returned to the vige with you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see any reason to refuse,¡± I stated. Ruru held out his hand, and Arguna ran over to hold it. We followed Aello through the cave until we came to the water out front, then took a break for Arguna. She was breathing rough, but she never let go of Ruru¡¯s hand. And he didn¡¯t seem upset or bothered by it. In fact, he was so soft-spoken and full of mannerisms. He almost reminded me of someone who¡¯d been so tainted by hardships that he didn¡¯t dare want to put anyone else through the hell he¡¯d been through.


    Of course, I wasn¡¯t sure that happened. That was just the vibe I got from Ruru. When we left the pond, he carried Arguna in his arms since she had started to doze off. Not wanting to wake her, we remained silent until we emerged from the forest and back into the safety of the vige. Aello took us to the yground, and I sat down on a swing and lightly swung back and forth.


    ¡°You all would require lodgings, yes?¡± Aello asked. ¡°The great Aetos once served the Princess of Vredi as her faithfulpanion. ording to the story, the two were intertwined from the very beginning of her birth. Aetos''s demise was crushing? Yes. Very crushing, yet she and he were never apart since Aetos now lives eternally within the great Eagle Yew.¡± Aello pped her wings while I tried to hide the look on my face. I instantly turned to Sekh, and she lightly avoided my eyes while rubbing her upper arm. ¡°It is rumored that Forest of Vredi has been faithfully recreated by the Eagle Yew as this bounded field. But to give thanks to the Princess of Vredi and other High Blessings that assisted in the war, he saw fit to create a replica of her mansion. Only High Blessings and their allies are permitted to enter.¡±


    <i>Okay, I see it now. I guess Sekh killed him.</i>


    ¡°By the by, Ms. Springfield, I noticed you eyeing the pond earlier. Are you an angler?¡± asked Ruru. ¡°I know it is forbidden for you to eat not born from nature, yet there¡¯s nothing to say that you cannot enjoy a pleasant day of fishing. Care to join me?


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any experience,¡± I said, shaking my head. ¡°But perhapster. We spent three days traveling from Ria, and mypanions and I are quite tired from the trip.¡±


    ¡°I understand. If you do change your mind, I will happily teach you. Arguna and I are staying at the inn.¡± Ruru smiled, nodded, and walked away. Curious, I mentally asked the AI for a more detailed report. After a few seconds, the AI concluded that Arguna waspletely deaf. I asked Aello to confirm, and she nodded.


    ¡°It is sad? Yes, very upsetting that someone would do such a thing. The tail remains, however, and hair can grow back. Not all is lost, High Blessing. But please, follow me, and I¡¯ll take you to your lodgings.¡± We followed Aello to a mansion that sat near the flower fields. The view was probably going to be great, and it was far-ish away from the other houses in the vige. Standing three stories tall, it was the definition of grace and elegance without being too gaudy or overly indulgent in greedy and gluttonous desire. As I probably predicted, the whole ce had nary a spec of metal other than what was brought in from the outside. Sekh helped me carry Niva¡¯s wheelchair up the root-covered stairs.


    When my hands touched the door handle, it glowed a soft green before a wooden key materialized in mid-air. ¡°That is the key to the house. It is filled with your mana and is magically connected to you. Please enjoy, High Blessing. I will return with a gift of appreciation in a few hours.¡± I wanted to deny it, but free shit was free shit. I¡¯d dly take it.


    pping her wings once more, Aello hovered off the ground and flew back towards what was probably her house. In the distance, I saw a building with a hole on the third floor that was just the right size for her to fly in.


    I grabbed the key, unlocked the door, and entered the mansion. We wouldn¡¯t stay here for more than a week or so, but hey.


    Until then, it was our mansion.

 Chapter Forty-Two: The Mansion of Vredi

    Chapter Forty-Two: The Mansion of Vredi


    The mansion, by all ounts, was the very definition of extravagant. The first thing you were met with was a beautiful foyer,plete with dual-hanging chandeliers made of maple and oak. A twin set of curved stairs led to the second and third floors, and both had their own foyer.


    Perhaps it was fitting for someone who was the most powerful Soul Warrior of their time, but I thought such exquisitevishness would be in character for a High Elf. We started by checking out the first floor, which had the living room, kitchen, and two dining rooms. Like the outside, everything¡ªdown to the tiniest cup and fork¡ªwas entirely created from non-metal materials. The lushness of the pine tables and cherry oak chairs activate tingling sensations left over from where I¡¯d assimted the mansion''s former owner.


    Sekh was awestruck as well. She once owned a castle, but I doubt it was even anywhere as close to this. I felt kinda bad for Niva, though. I wanted her to see it all, but the most I could do was exin to her in a way that transferred what I felt.


    But the first floor had something like a training room located in the very middle of the house. Instead of being a room, it was an atrium. The second and third floors had balconies for those above to look down and observe. But an armory was in a room nearby that held training weapons, shields, and armor. We checked it out for a few minutes before returning to the foyer and ascending to the second floor.


    Or we wanted to. There was an invisible wall preventing us from going up the steps. As I talked to Tilde and Sekh about what to do, words began appearing in my vision.


    <i>Only those with the soul of Vredi may pass.</i>


    ¡°On my status as the Princess of Vredi, the first chosen Soul Warrior of Holy Lord Amos, I demand you grant me ess,¡± I said. I pressed my hand to the invisible wall and tried to guide only Susize¡¯s mana through my palm and fingertips.


    <i>ess granted.</i>


    The invisible wall preventing us from making progress shattered like ss, breaking into a thousand pieces.


    ¡°What a stroke of luck,¡± Tilde said, the only one speaking. I just looked down at my hands and realized assimting Susize was an exceptional blessing.


    ¡°If Susize has more mansions like this, they probably have simr locks. But she had more power and status than I thought possible,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yep. You didn¡¯t have much to worry about before because we were in Ria. They wouldn¡¯t know a High Elf if one smacked them in the face with their cock. But here? In a bound field created from one of Susize¡¯s closest aviarypanions? Yeah. It¡¯s no wonder they didn¡¯t see you as her, but I chalk that up to no one knowing what she looked like. It also helps that [Status Cloak] prevents your mana¡¯s identifying signatures from leaking out. You would have to consciously want that, which is what you just did, but situations in which you¡¯d want to do that are rare and few in between. Still, you have to be on your a-game. You¡¯re a High Elf, remember?¡±


    I nodded, then asked if breaking this lock was a bad thing. Tilde didn¡¯t think so because all Elves ¨CHigh or otherwise¡ªwere granted ast or middle name matching the name of the forest they were born in. If they were born outside of one, they were given the name of their parents. In such cases where the parents moved to a different forest, they could have thest name of Aetos, while their offspring had thest name of Vredi. This tradition wasn¡¯t exclusive to elves alone¡ªsome dwarves were said to practice it.


    ¡°So, yeah. It¡¯s a rare shot, but just say you¡¯re from Vredi. You might have to answer some questions and such, but say you don¡¯t remember it that much because of the little lie we came up with. Sure, you¡¯d think you¡¯d be more in touch with your High Elven side after a thousand years, but we can me it on your trauma. That won¡¯t necessarily be a lie, either. And for yourst name? Well, your middle name could be Vredi. Lyudm Vredi Springfield. Eh, that sounds good to me.¡±


    After Tilde¡¯s exnation, I quickly adjusted my Status Menu name to read ¡®Lyudm Vredi Springfield.¡¯ I changed my age for it to work together, so now I was a healthy 1,015 years old. I doubt it would matter all that much since I could theoretically change my age and name every second for the rest of my life. If I ran into problems, I could change it back to what I had before.


    The second floor was where the bedrooms were, and there were five. Upon first nce at one that reminded me of the arid, sere desert ins, I realized Susize had designed these rooms with her fellow Soul Warriors in mind. It all made sense that they¡¯d all stay together. And if Susize had this much room and space, it was natural to put it to good use. Likewise, Yaekira¡¯s room focused on her childhood in the desert. Reina¡¯s was all ck and moody, with spider motifs with a closet full of ck lingerie.


    I was almost positive that this wasn¡¯t a mere replica. It was Susize''s actual mansion. Was it moved here before Sekh''s imprisonment at the bottom of that dungeon? Why else would Reina¡¯s clothes be here? We doubled back to Yaekira¡¯s room to examine it more closely, and yes.


    Her clothes were here too.


    The modest closet in Murag¡¯s room was full of the brown robes he was buried in. And he had nothing but bookshelves upon bookshelves upon bookshelves. If I had to wager, I¡¯d guess they were tomes he¡¯d had personally written or bought when he was alive. The AI said there were 496 books in this room.


    Next was By¡¯s room, which reminded me of her former status as a queen. Everything was a shade of royalness, from the crimson bed sheets to the violet curtains drawled over the window that stretched from floor to ceiling. I was granted a breathtaking view of the backyard flower fields. Nearby sat a chair with a dresser and a ballroom-like mirror. A door to the closet was passed that, which turned out to be a whole room. She had everything from dresses to shirts to underwear to active wear. Her undergarments ranged from extremely conservative to excessively revealing and arousing. From the visual alone, I spotted seventeen different kinds of make-up foundation. She was a woman who cared about her appearance.


    Thest, and most extravagant andvish bedroom, had to belong to Susize Vredi herself. The first thing I saw when walking in wasn¡¯t the reddish-brown cocobolo wood used for the flooring. Nor was it the oversized canopy bed with crimson silk curtains sizable enough to fit a particr Ashen Orc and his four lovers.


    It was the giant painting of Susize, her fellow Soul Warriors, and Holy Lord Amos, who was the very image of an aged caster with styled white hair and a neatly trimmed full beard with a mustache. Dignified. Respected. Elegant. That was what I felt from looking at this regal painting. Sekh, however, bared her teeth and growled at seeing them together. I calmed her down with a few head pats, and we were free to explore this room.


    Much like By, Susize took pride in her appearance. Thus, her wardrobe was just as overwhelming. However, all her clothes were made from the very nature High Elves felt the mostfortable in. Since they were still around a thousand years after her demise, the quality was seriously impable. Even when I grabbed a bra made of vines and knots, I couldn¡¯t break it without resorting to Yaekira¡¯s daggers.


    We explored a little bit more and returned to the primary bedroom. Sekh walked over to the drawn curtains and pulled them back, and what she saw was something none of us expected.


    The other rooms all had master bathrooms, of course, and all were meticulously designed to fit the exact aesthetics of its assigned Soul Warrior. Each one with a faucet to fill the in-floor tub. I didn¡¯t rightly know how a pipe made of wood and leaves survived a thousand years of water damage, but this world was full of magic and wonder.


    But the bath in Susize¡¯s room?


    It wasn¡¯t a bath.


    The entire ground was a grassy wondend, and I was instantly met with a bout of d¨¦j¨¤ vu because I <i>was</i> staring at almost an exact replica of where I first woke up as Lyudm Springfield. The one difference was the open room that allowed me to take a gander at the heavenly sky. I could only imagine how it would look at night when the stars were shining bright. I walked through the open window and onto the grass, looking at the familiar waterfall, pond, and fruit-bearing trees.


    Instantly, my heart began to both ache and feel pride and joy, and I believed it was Susize¡¯s feelings using my existence as a conduit. The former for not being alive to see this paradise because it was created without <i>any</i> water at all. Vivid, hasty shes of her memories flowed through me, and thest time she was here, Susize just left her seeds in a potted nt of soil. Neither rain, sun, nor outside nutrients had any effect on the seeds, and it took a millennium, but here it was. In Sekh¡¯s dungeon, Susize¡¯s own blood was the catalyst, but that wasn¡¯t the case here.


    <i>That</i> was where the pride came in.


    ¡°My lord,¡± the AI said as it materialized in midair. ¡°Susize¡¯s mana controls this area. As such, it is possible to alter the amount of bioluminescence and temperature and flow of the pond and waterfall.¡±


    ¡°Put the controls in my vision,¡± I replied.


    ¡°It will be done, my lord.¡± The multicolored stone jiggled, and I had ess via a small control panel that appeared with the AI¡¯s AR feature.


    I messed around with the settings a little bit, choosing to stop the waterfall while reducing the brightness of the artificial sun overhead. Since it was daylight, there was really no use for it right now.


    ¡°And now,¡± I said, turning back to Sekh. ¡°It¡¯s time to have a little talk.¡±


    <hr>


    Sekh and I sat on the bed, Niva was in her wheelchair, and Tilde was in herp, which meant it was time to solve one small mystery.


    ¡°It¡¯s as you believe, my liege. Aetos was in 1,000 years ago when we fought in this region. Back then, it wasn¡¯t a forest. It was just a wide open in where one of the coalition armies made theirst stand,¡± Sekh said, speaking from a mind filled with war-torn memories and uncountable ughter.


    She was in the prime of her power at the time, which meant the curse was out in full st. From the back of an Ancient Elder Dragon, Sekh ryed orders to her hundreds of thousands of ves as she watched the battlefield from way up high. She saw the many lives being lost as something to smile about, and she cared not to send in a unit of children to fight against veteran warriors. Simply because there was a chance the enemies would falter because of their opponents¡¯ ages. She imed things like that happened all the time.


    ¡°When you get down into the nitty gritty of war, most people often lose their sense of self and refuse to see their allies andrades as ¡®people.¡¯ Instead, everyone bes an enemy. When morale is especially low, difort and discourse often contaminate the ranks like a nasty cancer, and what better poison than the lives of children? Especially if those children were rted to the enemies they were forced to fight? Like a me that spreads amongst a field soaked with oil, it only takes a few turned heads for an army to devolve into terrified cowards.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you pray to Aetos?¡± I asked, holding her hand.


    ¡°Because...¡± she started to pensively say. ¡°As much as I want to me my actions on the curse, I cannot say the fault solely lies with it. But without it to cloud my judgement, I was free to decide my actions, and I wanted to pray to my fallen foe. I...think that was the least I could do.¡±


    ¡°What did you pray for?¡±


    ¡°For you, my liege. For you to aplish your revenge... For you to end this world so it could start anew without curses or Dark Lords of Tyranny to cast it downwards into a spiral of death.¡± Sekh squeezed my hand, and I pulled her into a hug.


    ¡°How does it feel to see the results of your actions?¡± I asked.


    ¡°This vige is peaceful and wonderful. Spirits and Beastfolk live and work together in harmony... My liege, if this is the consequence of my actions, should I feel regret? Were the lives of so many worth this slice offort? Do I even belong here? I slew their great eagle without remorse or care for the world. Even now... If he challenged me, I¡¯d kill him without a second thought.¡± Sekh¡¯s voice simmered off to a cold whisper. ¡°My liege... I''m so confused.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine to be confused,¡± Tilde said. ¡°You have to be with those tits. But like you said, you can¡¯t me the curse for everything. At the end of the day, death came from your hands and your hands alone. But I will say this. I quite like this vige. If I hadn¡¯t found my Master, I think I¡¯d like to spend the rest of this reincarnation here. But you can¡¯t measure the ¡®worthiness¡¯ of deaths that happened 1,000 years ago to now. You can look to the past all you want, but you must focus on the present and future to decide who you want to be. People can help you, but you¡¯re the one who decides your own fate. You obtained a life you really didn¡¯t deserve. Be sure to make the most of it.¡±


    ¡°If I...¡± The words I wanted to ask danced atop the tip of my tongue, afraid to burrow out from my mouth. But I had to know. Because it was a possibility... ¡°If I gave the order to burn this vige, would you do it?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she whispered without a doubt.


    ¡°If I asked you to scorch Ria, would you do it?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she whispered a second time without a doubt. When asked why, she replied with this. ¡°Because you must¡¯ve seen something you either disliked or wanted to get rid of. You wouldn¡¯t give that order without a good reason, and I wouldn¡¯t have any problem following it.¡±


    ¡°Even if it meant killing Irisa? Ichiha? Kokan?¡±


    Sekh nodded once more. ¡°Yes. Remember what you said, my liege? After we destroy Cridia, we turn our sights to the world. It doesn¡¯t matter how I feel about them since they¡¯ll die in the end. Every man, woman, child, animal, monster, beast... All will meet their end at the hand of the Transcendent Dark Lord.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I whispered, holding her even tighter. Tilde said I¡¯d have dominion over all Dark Lords once I graduated from the training system and became the Transcendent Dark Lord. After destroying Cridia, my only goal was to rid Sekh of the awful fate she¡¯d been cursed with. If bing the Transcendent Dark Lord is the way to achieve that, the chances I would destroy the world lessened dramatically.


    If the curse was even beyond that power?


    Well...


    It just meant this world was going to die.


    Niva would die.


    Irisa would die.


    Ichiha would die.


    Kokan would die.


    Billions of creatures would die.


    Everything would just...die. Perish. Ceased to exist. This world would return to the fathomless void it sprouted from, and Sekh would finally feel true relief.

 Chapter Forty-Three: Chimeric Evolution (Illustrations!)

    Chapter Forty-Three: Chimeric Evolution (Illustrations!)


    Once Sekh calmed down, I gave her a lovely kiss and talked about what to do next. To be safe, I had the AI scan for anyone with titles rted to Bellerophon. My reasoning was this: slimes were on Bellerophon¡¯s list. While it was outrageous to expect them to station an agent or unit in every location where a monster on the list would be found, Aetos Vige was different.


    ¡°There are two results, my lord. The data will be disyed,¡± the AI said as I changed Niva¡¯s bandages and applied more medicine. She was looking far healthier. Even without her HP bar telling me that, the color in her cheeks wasing back, and her scalp was still damaged. She still needed the wig, but she was nothing like how I found her. The scars were still visible, though.


    I looked at the map the AI posted for me. ¡°They¡¯re in the bar,¡± Tilde said after changing it to satellite mode. A Tigerfolk and Forest Elf sat together at a table drinking a mug of mead. Both had levels in the high 40s, but their skills were more for espionage and spying than straight-upbat. They both knew [Detect Chimerism]. Dressed in clothes procured from the nearby shop, the two had no visual proof that they were anything but Bellerophon. Still, even if they somehow suspected me, [Detect Chimerism] would immediately fail because [Status Cloak] had my back.


    Tilde repeated my sentiments that I didn¡¯t have to worry about them, so our goal turned to the primary reason we came here. We saw a slime and draingi earlier, but how many were there in the vige? The forest? In the...mansion?


    ¡°What...? Why are there slimes here?¡± I questioned the map I stared out. Sekh looked at me and pointed up, so I thought they must¡¯ve been above us. Grabbing Niva¡¯s wheelchair, we all went up to the third floor after bypassing yet another invisible wall we had to break.


    At the top stood a wall with a door and a path to the left. Following thetter brought me to the atrium, and I saw the training from before. Since I was feeling frisky, I grabbed the rail and hopped down,nding with a roll and recovering to my feet.


    <i>Did I really just do that? Three stories, and no damage at all? Incredible...</i>


    Looking up, Sekh smiled and waved, and I used my webs to return to her. Retracing our steps, I checked the map and confirmed the slimes were in the room. Like the other doors, the handle refused to squeak even a bit when the knob was turned. A bit of force pushed it open, and on the inside?


    The room looked like something a bunch of puppies would y around in. There was a ypen in the back with a waist-high gate. Toys made from vines and leaves were strewn about, but there were also cages. Ten of them, to be exact.


    The five on the left held slimes of various shades of forest green. The five on the right contained the nt monsters I¡¯de to devour.


    ¡°Experiments?¡± Sekh asked after walking to a nearby table. There was a stack of journals on it. Sekh picked up the top one, turned to the first page, and began to read. ¡°The slimes were too cute. There. I said it. I can¡¯t harm their bby bodies while trying to create the genesis seed. It¡¯s the same with the draingi I keep across from them. I finally trained them to look at the slimes as friends, not food. Father says I¡¯m a fool since slimes and draingi aren¡¯t endangered, but he doesn¡¯t understand that I¡¯m progressing well in my research. Sister is returning from her diplomatic trip, so I want her to help name them.¡± Sekh said, reading the page. She closed the journal, took a breath, andid it down.


    Suddenly, she mmed both hands on the table and pushed the journals to the floor. Drawing her mace, she raised it high and mmed it down, shattering the potentially priceless furniture into a dozen pieces. When the nocturnal mes danced around her fingers, I stepped in.


    ¡°But why?!¡± she argued. ¡°It deserves to burn. There isn¡¯t a need for any remembrance for someone like her!¡±


    ¡°Sekh, think about it. Susize was working on something extraordinary, but she couldn¡¯t pull it off. In that regard, she¡¯s a failure¡ªthrough and through. But what if we finish it? What if we somehow do what the strongest Soul Warrior of her time couldn¡¯t aplish? And what if the person Susize hated more than anyone else was involved in it? We can¡¯t do that if you burn the books.¡±


    Sekh bit her lip and huffed a deep sigh before the mes extinguished themselves. I held my hands out and shot web out to the journals because I needed a physical connection to stash something in [Storage]. But honestly, this was a boon. It grew faster the closer it was to capacity, but because the mines were shut down for an extended amount of time, I didn¡¯t have a chance to stock up on iron. So, I had a lot of space open. When thest book abruptly vanished, I was about 11 pounds away from overcapacity. Sekh still looked angry and upset, so I told her to burn the desk she broke if she wanted to destroy something.


    ¡°So... These are her...pets?¡± I asked in the meantime, jumping over the gate. I walked to the slimes and crouched down. They were frightened from the prior loud noises, but upon hearing my voice, turning around, and seeing my face, they bounced around with endless energy. Two of them reached through the bars with their slime to touch my hand, and they became even more hyperactive.


    ¡°They¡¯re like dogs,¡± Tilde replied. She was hovering near the draingi, which was where I went next. With the smell of smoke and ash filling the air, Sekh joined us while Niva remained outside the ypen in her wheelchair. Her remaining hand brushed the bandage on her cheek while she listened to us speak.


    Like the slimes, the nt monsters reacted favorably when they realized I had Susize¡¯s face and voice. Taking one from its cage, I let it crawl around my arms and legs, then watched with a smile as it zoomed around the ypen. It snatched a vine-like toy and threw it to me, and I threw it back. In every sense of the word, this thing acted like a caninepanion.


    When it brought it back to me for the fifth time, I just looked down at it and gave Sekh an order that would change our lives.


    ¡°Grab it. Don¡¯t let go of it.¡±


    She nodded and approached the fragile monster, but it must¡¯ve sensed her hostility because it ran behind my legs for safety. Its vines held me tight, clinging to me like I was its mother, yet there was no maternal love for me to exude.


    I saw the betrayal stered on its face as clear as day when I wrapped its narrow body with my webs. Shocked and powerless, it limply struggled against its fate when I threw it to Sekh. She grabbed it, snapped off the vines trying to attack her, and held it out for me to devour while I took off my glove. My dark gray arms looked so familiar and foreign in this mansion that belonged to Sekh¡¯s former enemies, yet seeing it turn into the fearsome head of the Protector of Forest Boars?


    It¡¯d been a few weeks since I¡¯d practiced the art of transfiguration. They said you needed to stick with something for it to be second nature. Taking a break or prolonged leave of absence meant you wouldn¡¯t be ready when you returned. But I felt absolutely fine.


    No¡ªit was more than that.


    Drool, noxious fumes flowed from my boar head hand¡¯s gaping mouth as it closed on the draingi¡¯s ¡®head¡¯. With just one vicious chomp, the life was violently stolen away in a mess of green fluids and sickening snaps from where the boar¡¯s teeth easily pierced through the monster¡¯s roots.


    I chewed it. Gnawed it. Tasted its earthly flesh while it pathetically struggled for survival. Eventually, it went limp, and I swallowed without any resistance.


    <b><i>You¡¯ve assimted Salty.</i></b>


    <b><i>New Skill: [Poison Production]</i></b>


    <b><i>New Skill: [Vine Whip]</i></b>


    <b><i>New Skill: [Drain]</i></b>


    <b><i>New Skill: [Photosynthesis]</i></b>


    ¡°What the...¡± Honestly, I was totally and utterly speechless. No, I wasn¡¯t amazed¡ªokay, I was¡ªas my index finger took the shape of a vine, nor did my astonishmente from a separate poison production menu that appeared in my Status Menu. No, it was a little-known thing that all greenery was known to have. ¡°Am I a nt now?¡± I asked, growing a small vine from my fingertip.


    I looked at my name and noticed a small symbol of a nt with a sun above it. A warm and fuzzy feeling radiated from my stomach, but it wasn¡¯t strong. It was barely noticeable enough that I had to focus on it, so it wouldn¡¯t bother me. When I willed the finger vine away, the symbol vanished. Since the description said I¡¯d gain mana from being in the sun, I tested it out by summoning a pair of fireballs in each hand for a total of four.


    But first, I grew a vine from my forehead to have the proper mana flowing through me to activate that [Photosynthesis].


    After ten minutes of channeling them, I was still in good shape. Maybe a bit winded, but no noticeable problems. Before this, I¡¯d have sweat pouring down my face while finding it hard to focus and breathe.


    At my behest, the AI created a poison production menu and added it to my vision. Perhaps spider venom was different from the poison harboring within the draingi, but it was there. I just knew how the two were avable to produce. Testing it out, I could channel the draingi¡¯s poison through [Poison Fang]. Or I could use my vines to pierce someone¡¯s skin and flood them with venom. Everything was highly adaptable, which was a chimera¡¯s primary advantage.


    I looked at Sekh and held my fingers towards her. Her eyes sharply watched as my digits turned to the same vines¡ªsame color and texture¡ª she¡¯d torn off Salty, but she allowed them to caress her beautiful face and pat her head. Once they returned to my hand and returned to being fingers, I turned back to the rest of my dinner.


    "Here¡¯s another thing, Sekh. Susize loved these things. Why else would she give them names? But now you can watch as the Transcendent Dark Lord brings an end to them. Take pride that you managed to oust even them,¡± I said. The slimes and draingi cried out in pure fright¡ªtoo scared to even think about squeezing through the bars and running away¡ª but I had no intention of sparing anything.


    With my index finger pointed at the closest slime, I used [Vine Whip] to pierce its blubbery body and activated [Drain]. Almost immediately, I felt a transfer of mana slowly flow from it to me, and along with it came a dreadful cry of unlucky realization.


    It knew it was going to die. In its final moments, nothing but fear cascaded around its mind, if it had one, and I felt nothing but joy. This world was one where the strong ate the weak to survive. Survival of the fittest was the name of the game, and like any other monster, I had to participate. Those weaker than me would die and be my strength, and I would rise to the top of the food chain with the Dark Lord of Tyranny by my side.


    <b><i>You¡¯ve assimted Mucy.</i></b>


    <b><i>New Skill: [Mitosis]</i></b>


    <b><i>New Skill: [Stomach]</i></b>


    <b><i>New Skill: [Mimicry]</i></b>


    <b><i>[Chimeric Transfiguration] and [Mimicry] havebined. Initializing new skill...</i></b>


    <b><i>New Skill: [Shapeshifter (Chimera)]</i></b>


    <b><i>New Skill: [Slime Physiology (Chimeric)]</i></b>


    <b><i>New Skill: [Mana Regeneration]</i></b>


    ¡°Holy shit... No wonder slimes are on Bellerophon¡¯s list...¡± Honestly, I was even more taken aback than learning I was now part nt. If the description I read was to be believed, assimting the slime now meant I was partially a slime. I no longer needed to sleep or breathe, but I required biomass¡ªthe one thing that separated a chimera from every other living thing.


    Thinking of a corpse I¡¯d found in the Mines of Gamor, I hastily took off my armor and clothes because I didn¡¯t want them to tear. Tilde made a snidement about my exhibitionism, but I flicked her off as an oddly satisfying feeling washed over my body as it began to morph. My eyes turned avish emerald, and the honey-blond hair Sekh hade to enjoy rubbing was reced by a ck ponytail. My penis had vanished, with the vulva belonging to that girl taking its ce. Finally, the nails on my hands and feet were perfectly polished and manicured, and I faced Sekh.


    She wasn¡¯t staring at Lyudm Vredi Springfield. No, she was gazing upon the very appearance belonging to Mira¡ªan unfortunate mage that fell victim to an Alpha Araneae.


    ¡°It feels nice to have that limit removed, right?¡± Tilde asked. ¡°Like you¡¯re finally breaking free of your restraints. Oh! It really makes a fairy want to cry to see her little ¡®mera all grown up.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it really does,¡± I replied. ¡°I¡¯ve been stuck with a mismatched skin tone pallet for so long that I forgot what it felt like to have everything uniform. I don¡¯t have to worry about the wind blowing up my skirt or forgetting to tie down my sleeves and exposing my secret. Now I gotta learn how to take Susize¡¯s skin tone and apply it to my whole¡ªwait, didn¡¯t you say something about a base body?¡± As I asked, I rubbed my hands over this body to remember how a human¡¯s touch felt.


    ¡°I did. You get it from ranking up as a chimera. Honestly, you should be about ready. You¡¯d be a Minor Chimera, by the by.¡±


    As the slimes and draingi behind me continued to cry out in fear, I decided to end their lives after changing back to my ¡®original¡¯ form and putting on my clothes.


    I started with the remaining draingi.


    <b><i>You¡¯ve assimted Colwort.</i></b>


    <b><i>You¡¯ve assimted Phrase.</i></b>


    <b><i>You¡¯ve assimted Hedge.</i></b>


    <b><i>You¡¯ve assimted Weed.</i></b>


    They all had the same skills, so I didn¡¯t acquire anything new. But because I didn¡¯t have a limit anymore, I pumped more biomass into my shapeshifting and made the boar head hand twice as big. I also mastered all the draingi skills from eating those four.


    And... Just because I was curious, I transformed into a forest boar to see how it worked. Being low to the ground on all fours was weird. Not necessarily upsetting, but I couldn¡¯t walk more than a few feet without tripping over my legs. And when I tried to turn, my tusks kept banging against the cages.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t know how useful that¡¯s going to be,¡± I said, turning back, as four vines from my hands punctured the remaining slimes and drained thempletely.


    <b><i>You¡¯ve assimted Fission.</i></b>


    <b><i>You¡¯ve assimted Emerald.</i></b>


    <b><i>You¡¯ve assimted Leaper.</i></b>


    <b><i>You¡¯ve assimted Hoppie.</i></b>


    <i>Good, I mastered those slime skills as well.</i>


    ¡°And it¡¯s done... Sekh, let¡¯s go¡ª¡± Out of nowhere, I felt weak and crippled. The strength in my limbs gave out, and I mmed into the hard floor.


    ¡°MY LIEGE?!¡± Sekh immediately flipped me to my back and quickly examined me. It was getting hard to focus on her. Those fluffy ears were as blurry as static. She was trying to say something, but what was it? Why was it getting so hard to listen to her? Why...


    <i>Why isn¡¯t Tilde doing anything? She¡¯s so...calm? Why? Ah... I¡¯m so tired... It hurts...</i>


    When my vision became filled with ckness, words appeared in the darkness.


    <b><i>You have satisfied the requirements to evolve from a Lesser Chimera to a Minor Chimera.</i></b>


    <b><i>New Title: [Minor Chimera]</i></b>


    <b><i>New Skill: [Base Body - Humanoid]</i></b>


    <b><i>Use the following menu to create your new base body.</i></b>


    The words were proven true when something like a character creator shed in front of me. The various options I had were in the left-most window while the right was a nk model. I was the artist, and it was my canvas. In all honesty, I was happy with the body Sekh made from me. My onlyint was the dark gray arms, ashen-colored penis, and brown legs. Everything needed to be of the same color palette.


    Unfortunately, it seemed my only choice was to take Susize¡¯s skin tone and apply it to my entire body because everyone¡¯s seen my head. It would be weird to meet Aello with ashen-colored skin when she knew I had fair skin.


    But I put that off for a few seconds and yed with the character creator-like system. In terms of physical body parts and color, my choices were restricted to what I had assimted andwhat Sekh had made for me. I couldn''t have a base body that looked like Irisa, but Mira was on the table. And so was the gang of robbers that tried to steal from Sekh and me when we ran away from Irisa¡¯s shop. I doubt this ability to create my base body was a one-and-done thing. A skill this powerful came with a month-long cooldown.


    Since this was marked ¡®Humanoid,¡¯ perhaps there was a ¡®Monster¡¯ variant. But that was neither here nor there. While I wanted to make the body I had before, I decided to instead create that body using nothing but Susize¡¯s DNA. As in, everything looked the same, only my penis was probably a bit more feminine while still being as it was, but you could put this new body and my old one side-by-side and fail to tell the difference. Another boon was that this new body was 100% High Elf DNA. I didn¡¯t know if DNA tests existed here, but I¡¯d pass one now.


    Upon mentally selecting the confirmation button, the ck abyss I was surrounded in started to crack like an egg. Slowly, bits and pieces of Sekh¡¯s pretty face came into view. She was clearly in distress but seeing my face eased her tempered heart enough to shed a few tears. Warm, salty water sshed on my lips. Without realizing it, I lifted my arm¡ªan arm that was the color of my face¡ªand waited for Sekh to gently take it. She pressed my palm to her cheeks.


    The darkness I was encased in didn¡¯t exist. Instead, it was like a mental block that affected my inner consciousness and provided me a ce to create my new base body. A metaphorical rebirth, I could say, since it was like I was hatching into a new life.


    ¡°And congrattions, Master. You¡¯re the sole member of a list of Chimeric Soul Warriors that achieved evolution. You¡¯ve done something that has never been aplished. Take pride in it,¡± Tilde said. She flew up and down my body and said I looked more ¡®girly¡¯ down there. ¡°I dunno if you ever wanted to wear more revealing skirts and shirts, but now you can! Seriously, you¡¯re downright sexy with a phat ass from By, and it was a shame it had to be kept away. But no longer! Free the titties, I say! Free the booty, I say!¡± The mischievously little horny fairy rubbed her lustful mittens together and cackled, and I couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    ¡°You¡¯re very beautiful,¡± Sekh said when she helped me stand. I stretched my hands up and wide, then touched my forehead to hers and kissed her. ¡°I love you, my liege,¡± she whispered, half panting when I removed my lips.


    ¡°And I love you, Sekh.¡±


    We shared a hug, and even though I was getting hard, it wasn¡¯t time to fuck. I had a lot of things to test out. But most importantly, I needed to get dressed. I slipped my clothes back on and started on our next task: to find something nice andfortable to wear. I had four fully furnished wardrobes to go through, so to cut down on time, I enlisted the AI¡¯s help to find and highlight what fit me.


    And I wanted it to be a surprise, so I asked Sekh to wait downstairs with Niva while I rummaged around the Soul Warriors¡¯ closets. She cutely pouted, but a kiss seemed to brighten her mood. Barring Murag, the four women had plentiful options avable to me. From green shirts ented by threads of all different colors, including rainbow thread, to royal dresses with an open back and a slit for my hips, the different styles were endless. I was okay with a tunic and a pair of pants. Or maybe a skirt if it was long enough. My focus was to find something that said Lyudm Vredi Springfield. Tilde was with me as we must¡¯ve gone through two dozen outfits in half an hour. And while I enjoyed what I wore, it didn¡¯t really speak to me. I was just about to go with something boring when I noticed it.


    I was in By¡¯s room when I saw that mannequin. The first wording to mind was ¡®royalty.¡¯ I was never one for such gaudy outfits, but Tilde¡¯s words swirled around my mind. I was the Transcendent Dark Lord, and I had to act like one. What better way to take a step towards bing her idealized perfection than dressing the part in something powerful and regal?


    It was a ck corset top embedded with golden thread to show off the sides of your hips. And while it showed off a healthy amount of cleavage, it was still tasteful. The ck boots were long,ing up to my upper thighs, but the top had an elegant design entuated with golden silk to add moreplexity to the intricate piece of art, which seemed to be a running theme. The shorts it came with were awfully small, though, but they matched the top in every which way.


    The essories to go with the outfit¡ªhairpins, earrings, and asymmetrical gloves¡ªrested on the nearby dresser, which had a long piece of cloth with two hooks that fit onto the circr hoops on the corset. It appeared to act much like the tail of a man¡¯s suit, or you could wrap it around and turn it into a skirt with variable length.


    It just...spoke to me. I wanted my first outfit in this body to be something. Yes, it was clothing belonging to Sekh¡¯s mortal enemy, but my wearing them was the ultimate revenge. After all, I was a monstrous existence created from their corpses. Sekh specifically used them as ingredients to make my body, and now something she crafted was about to taint these precious heirlooms.


    And so, I began to put them on, but a problem arose. I ran into an issue with the gloves and boots not fitting, but a quick search for simr clothing informed me Reina, Susize, and Yaekira had copies of this outfit in their closets. Somehow, I must¡¯ve overlooked them.


    After a quick trip to get the gloves, I stared at a reflection in By¡¯s massive mirror. It showed me, of course, but did I really look like that? The outfit was on the skimpier side, but oddly enough...


    That didn¡¯t bother me since more skin meant more space to transfigure. But with the power of slime, that restriction didn¡¯t matter much.


    Suddenly, the background of the mirror¡¯s reflection switched from By¡¯s room to a stone, me-lit hallway with tall pirs. It then cycled to a winter wondend, an ocean paradise, an oasis deep in the desert, and finally, a ming volcano on the cusp of exploding. These images weren¡¯t any foreboding future that had a chance ofing true. The mirror was just enchanted to show how By would look in a variety of lighting.


    Spoiler


    [copse]


    ¡°Hmm... Can¡¯t have my cock threatening to bounce out. It¡¯s a tight fit,¡± I said, talking to my reflection. Pulling the shorts to the side, my penis flopped out and dangled. Until I had something better, I decided to take Susize¡¯s vulva for the being and gave my penis a rest. ¡°There... That feels better.¡± Doing that actually gave me a small surplus of biomass because it took less to have a pussy than it did to have a penis. That was nice.


    After admiring myself once more, I made my way down the stairs. The boots weren¡¯t heeled, so they didn¡¯t make that distinctive noise, but Sekh still heard meing. She stood from her chair and watched. Her eyes were wide with glee. Her hands went to her chest, and she kneeled.


    Tilde did the same, but her grin was something else. ¡°Now that? Yes, that¡¯s the Transcendent Dark Lord. You got the look, babe. I¡¯m d you know how to pick out a killer outfit. Fuck yeah, I¡¯m so happy I could cry...¡± she said. She wiped her face with the back of her hand, then told Niva about what I was wearing. Meanwhile, Sekh rose from her position and approached me.


    ¡°It looks incredible on you, my liege,¡± Sekh said, wiping her teary eyes.


    <i>I guess I¡¯m not the only one getting a little emotional.</i>

 Chapter Forty-Four: Interesting Developments

    Chapter Forty-Four: Interesting Developments


    ¡°[Stomach] is a storage-type skill that slimes use to store items forter use. [Storage] is a storage-type skill that you use to store items forter use, but the objects stashed inside are frozen in time. Basically, they¡¯re in a stasis-like field.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so I have two skills that do the same thing. Can Ibine them? Can [Storage] overtake [Stomach]?¡± I asked Tilde as we sat around the kitchen table. Niva looked adorable as she looked from Sekh to me to Tilde to follow our voice.


    ¡°Yep! Just tell the AI to do it, and it¡¯ll do it.¡± I obeyed Tilde, told the AI to get it done, and...


    ¡°The properties of [Storage] have been applied to [Stomach], and the capacities of the two have beenbined. Enhancement of the former applies to thetter, and enhancement of thetter applies to the former. The weight capacity has doubled, my lord.¡± The multicolored rectangr stone pir jiggled continuously like jelly.


    ¡°[Stomach] requires SP, so it¡¯s easier to upgrade. But that¡¯s awesome,¡± I said, marveling at my new capacity of 300 LBS. I was at something like 146 LBS earlier, so this was a much-needed boost.


    But it wasn¡¯t always good news. [Mana Regeneration] and [Photosynthesis] did not work simultaneously. I didn¡¯t know why, and neither did Tilde, the AI, or Sekh, but I was forced to choose one. And that was another easy decision. When I was in the sunlight, thetter was active. But as soon as night fell? It was time to turn on the former.


    For the next few hours, I yed around with my newfound slime physiology. With practice, I figured out how to coat my body in slickly, wet slime, and since I assimted slimes of different shades of green. I could change between them in a sh. With my new shapeshifting ability, I could mold objects from my slime and separate them from my body.


    And uhh... I could also shapeshift into a slime, which didn¡¯t cost me any biomass if I remained as one. My vision was a full 360 degrees around me, and it felt fun to hang out in Sekh¡¯sp while she had her hands around my blubbery body. I couldn¡¯t exactly walk, so I had to hop and bounce to get where I wanted to go.


    Yeah, it was kinda fun. Even though I didn¡¯t have a mouth, I could speak.


    But upon returning to a humanoid, I was stark naked. Tilde said the solution was with clothes enchanted with {Mana Link} were the secret to not exposing my naughty bits to every tom, dick, and harry.


    Sekh didn¡¯t mind it, though. As I was getting dressed, she licked her lips and smiled, but it wasn¡¯t the smile I knew. Something was bothering that adorable woman.


    <i>I¡¯ll ask her about it tonight. She¡¯s staying in the vige created by a pet belonging to the Soul Warrior involved in her defeat. That¡¯s bound to stir up some emotion.</i>


    ¡°Sekh?¡±


    ¡°My liege?¡± She met my eyes.


    ¡°I love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you too.¡±


    <hr>


    "VREDI?!?!?!¡± Aello eximed while intently pping her wings. Her eyes were so wide I thought they were about to pop out of her head. She had knocked on the door about five minutes ago, but she was like a broken record since then. Tilde quickly calmed the Harpyfolk and told her the story we had rehearsed¡ªthe one where she found me a thousand years ago in Vredi Forest but put me in a stasis-like seal until I recovered, which happened to take 1,000 years in the hidden remains of the Springfield Forest, using a special ritual to cause a ¡®rebirth of my soul,¡¯ thereby making me a Vredi and a Springfield.I didn¡¯t know I was a Vredi because Tilde never told me, and she never expected me to find out here.


    Did it make much sense? Probably not. It was full of holes and uncertainty, but I didn¡¯t care because it wasn¡¯t like they could prove I wasn¡¯t one. The mansion opened its second and third floors for me, which in Aello¡¯s eyes, indicated I was a Vredi.


    We finally got Aello inside and sat in a chair in the kitchen. She had brought along two boxes and wanted us to open them when she caught her breath.


    ¡°Those are specially developed moisturizing cloths only we can make with the great Eagle Yew¡¯s help,¡± she said when I pulled out a brown cloth. It was as stiff as a piece of cardboard, but it became malleable when drenched with water. ¡°It¡¯s best used after a bath to get the most rxation. The other box contains pink cloths that we use in ce of soap. Vredi High Blessing of the Forest, I hope you find the gift suitable. Ah, the recipe is also in there.¡± After believing me to be a Vredi, the tone and cadence she spoke with altered drastically at the drop of a hat. She was already polite before, but her voice contained far more respect and honor than someone like me was worthy of. After a little bit of digging, I came to understand why.


    Because Vredi Forest was destroyed, no more elves could be born with that name. And since Susize was the most famous one¡ªand a Soul Warrior for the most powerful Holy Lord¡ªher name carried a lot of weight. Her mother and father were probably alive, and I knew she had a sister, not to mention the other elves that lived in Vredi Forest before it was ultimately destroyed. Still, if the number of High Elves was about 10,000, and its destruction came 1,000 years ago, it was likely no more than fifty Vredis were still alive. That was why I asked Aello to keep it a secret.


    She agreed far more readily than I expected, though it was probably out of some loyalty I didn¡¯t understand. Out of curiosity, I asked about the second and third floors. She apologized for not telling me about them. It simply skipped her mind to do so, but she said it wasn¡¯t an excuse. But the invisible walls that only opened for a Vredi was all she knew. Aello didn¡¯t know this was Susize¡¯s original mansion, much less realize it was Susize''s home. ¡°The Eagle Yew works in mysterious ways, Lord Vredi Springfield. Awesome? Powerful? Exotic? Mystical? Yes, to all of the above.¡±


    ¡°One more thing. Is it a problem if I do a little target practice? How taboo are guns around here?¡±


    ¡°Unexpected. The taste of firearms very rarely intrudes upon Aetos Vige, yet there is no rule forbidding it,¡± Aello said. Then she thanked me for asking her first. I didn¡¯t have a reason to not ask her first. It was in my best interest to remain on good terms with her and the rest of the vige until Niva had her prosthetics. And speaking of that, I mentallymanded the AI to study Enap¡¯s technique. That appeared as a smaller window in my vision, where he was working hard, but I pushed it off to the side and didn''t focus on it.


    <i>Seems like the smaller the window of [Map] in satellite mode, the less strain it causes for me. That¡¯s good to know.</i>


    After some talk, Aello excused herself and made way for the door. She had no hands, yet her long talons were dexterous enough to grip the knob and turn it. ¡°If you need anything, please feel free to ask me. Aetos Vige is a vige ofpassion and cooperation. We all work with each other for each other.¡± We thanked her for the gift, watched her away, and closed and locked the door behind her.


    <i>Huh, she didn¡¯t even say anything about my new outfit when I said I covered myself due to personal reasons. Eh, if she isn¡¯t going to bring it up, that¡¯s fine.</i>


    There was time to kill, and Sekh and I spent it on target practice. The training room was too small, and I didn¡¯t want to deal with broken ss in case Sekh missed, so to the backyard we went. My original n was to make some frisbee-like objects out of my slime and throw them, but then I realized I could take out a bunch of cooking pots from [Artificer¡¯s Arsenal]. It was infinite, after all.


    Tilde pointed to a nearby bench with a backrest, and Sekh and I carried it about 20 feet away. Once the pots were stacked, we returned to Niva. ¡°It¡¯s going to get loud,¡± I told her. ¡°It¡¯s just Sekh shooting her gun, so don¡¯t be afraid.¡± She nodded.


    Sekh drew her gun, chambered a round, and carefully took aim.


    Reina¡¯s instincts were screaming in agony at Sekh¡¯s horrible stance that I just had to step in to stop the second-hand embarrassment. She tried to copy me, but that wasn¡¯t working. The easiest solution was to stand behind her and manually correct her stance, and I didn¡¯t mind that because I got some quality touching in. Her elbows were too far out, her wrists were far too limp, and even the gun was slightly crooked in her grip, not to mention that there was no way she could line up the iron sight.


    The proper form was going to feel ufortable until she became used to it, and she understood that.


    ¡°My liege, please adjust my form as you see fit,¡± she said before squeezing the trigger. A sharp, piercing gunshot rang out, causing several flocks of birds to immediately fly for safety. It was like a mass exodus of shadow and color that temporarily nketedrge portions of the sky.


    But Sekh missed her target. And she missed it again. And again. And again. On the fifth time, she managed to strike true and was rewarded with a satisfying <i>ting</i>. ¡°My liege! I did it!¡± she happily cheered.


    ¡°Great job!¡± I replied, happy that she felt joy during this tumultuous period. Maybe it was wrong for me to upy her mind until we had a chance to talkter tonight, but I¡¯d do anything for her to keep that smile on her face. After all she¡¯d been through and endured? She certainly deserved it.


    After a few more adjustments to her stance, she even hit a target at 80 feet about 90% of the time. She even managed to regain the [Firearm] skill. Even at Lv. 1, it was enough to enhance her uracy. Sekh felt that [Deadeye] was close toing back, but we stopped before that happened because we were running out of ammo. With 38 bullets to our name, I needed to either find or make more.


    During our time at the ¡®shooting¡¯ range, I determined that the size of the map window with satellite mode enabled determined how quickly my headaches came. The AI only needed a few pixels worth of real estate to study what was being shown. I didn¡¯t want to risk the paining any faster, so I trusted the AI to take care of my request. But in the meantime, we all returned to the atrium to get some physical training in our bodies. From my time with Kokan and Irisa, sparring was the best way to clear your mind since you had a specific outlet to direct that energy and stress. I knew it did wonders to freshen my irritated mind of failures when I was making Sekh¡¯s mace.


    Tilde was concerned about destroying my pretty clothes, so I quickly changed back into my other outfit that covered my whole body and put my armor back on. I really liked my new clothes. I felt pretty and happy wearing them, probably because I looked and felt cute. I''de to enjoy being in this body, and it felt far more like me than anything else.


    Sekh drew her mace and shield, and I retrieved my spear. Now that I had time to rest my soul and body, they had finally limated to the 100 SP I used the day after rescuing Niva. Tons of sparking new information was avable at the tip of my brain. Leveling a weapon skill didn''t automatically grant you new abilities rted to the weapon skill. However, it increased your familiarity and overall knowledge of your weapon and improved your current skill while making it easier to learn and master new techniques. For example, after giving my body time to rest, I could now go through the standard flow chart of the Iron Branch Stance at about 80% of Kokan''s speed. Within a few weeks, I bet I could match him. Perhaps a month or two after that, I could have a proper fight and give him a challenge.


    Increased mastery of the Iron Branch Stance danced around the tips of my fingers as I spun my weapon around my body. Everything felt nimbler and more perceivable. Tilde sat in Niva¡¯sp to tell her what was happening while acting as the referee.


    The moment she started the match, I made the first move. Spinning the spear above me, I used that to distract Sekh¡¯s eyes while I went for a low sweep-- a staple misdirection of the stance, and one that worked well for me since I now had the power of slime. She saw iting and stomped my foot down, but that broke off into a wave of slime while I used webbing to pull myself backwards and recovered in less than a second.


    The fabled Dark Lord of Tyranny grinned and shed her canines, and our second bout began. We started with something small¡ªjust a few shes. Meeting metal with metal and spear with shield, eliciting sharp, piercing, screeching results. Sparks flew, setting the background for our most intense dual yet.


    ¡°Take this!!!!¡± I shouted. Jumping back half a step, I shifted forward and threw the spear with the palm of my hand. Sekh deftly put [Shield Parry] to swat it like an unruly fly and tried to press me against the wall with [Shield Pin].


    ¡°It won¡¯t work!!! I know how you fight, my liege!!¡±


    <i>Shit!</i>


    Her sharp eyes must¡¯ve noticed the fine thread attached to the spear. The n was to reel it back in, but she turned around, smacked the iing weapon upwards with her shield, then bashed it with her mace to send it flying toward me. I just barely caught it, but at that point, it was toote. Sekh mmed into me with her shield out, sending me flying back to the wall.


    ¡°GGUUUHHHHH!!!!¡± Tilde and I cried at the same time. The pain was pulsing, but I still managed to roll out of the way of her follow-up attack. A fraction of a secondter, the upper portion of my arm would¡¯ve been red-paste against the hardwood floor.


    Webs spewed from my head to get me back to my feet, but Sekh¡¯s tenacity for battle knew no bounds. Once she had a foe on the defensive, she never let anyone get a chance to recover. I did all I could to avoid her powerful ms. Her sharp eyes always saw my webs before theytched onto anything. Attempting to squirm my way through her legs with my slime form intimately reunited me with her [ck Fire].


    <i>She¡¯s honestly got me trapped.</i>


    With just one idea left in my mind, I transformed all ten fingers into vines and wrapped them around her leg. Her me-covered shield ignited the top ones, and the bottom ones managed to channel [Water de], which viciously tore into the boiled leather''s gaps andtched onto her tunic.


    ¡°Nice try! But it won¡¯t work!¡± Steam arose when Sekh burned my water-covered vines, but that was a smoke screen.


    <i>It¡¯s time to put this into action. I¡¯m sorry it took so long, Irisa.</i>


    From my back came eight spider legs through eight holes in my armor that quietly carried me up the wall and onto the second-floor balcony. The steam vanished, and I was nowhere to be found. A chimera was a master of adaptability, and Sekh knew I could be just about anywhere with my newly upgraded shapeshifting abilities. She cautiously called out to me with her shield raised, but I continued my ascent to the ceiling and carefully lowered myself while upside down. Before making my ascent, I left behind a few droplets of slime to distract Sekh from looking up.


    ¡°Boo...¡± I whispered in her ears, my head right behind her. She turned around quickly and pressed her lips to mine.


    ¡°That was a nice try, but better luck next time.¡±


    ¡°I never really stood a chance, did I?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but you didn¡¯t.¡± Sekh cut my web and caught me before I hit the ground. ¡°You thought you were quiet, but I saw through the steam. But thank you.¡±


    ¡°For...?¡±


    ¡°For sparring with me. It was short-lived, but I feel better.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee. We can do some more tomorrow. I don¡¯t know when Enap is going to show up. The AI closed out of the map window because he was done forging. Suppose I should have told you to keep monitoring him. Oh well. AI, you did good. Take a break.¡±


    <i>That is not necessary, my lord.</i>


    <hr>


    It was getting somewhatte, so after a quick vegetarian dinner for me and a tasty steak for Sekh and Niva, we went out to the porch and simply rxed on the swinging bench. We kicked off the ground and enjoyed the naturalistic, pleasant atmosphere. The giant tree upied our eyes, but we also stared at the children ying with each other in that yground.


    When I held Sekh hand, it felt like we were a long-married couple staring at the new generation. Everything was just so tranquil...


    Before long, a shirtless man with the lower half of a spider made his way through the vige. All of the children cheered and ran to jump on his eight legs. It seemed like Enap was having a grand ole time. After ying with them, he sent them on his way and resumed heading towards us.


    After some polite conversation, in which he apologized for taking too long to get to us, we discussed the job I wanted him to do. ¡°Prosthetics?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± I replied, telling him of my failed attempt to make a leg for Niva. He noted that High Elves who liked to forge with metal were rare, but he approved that I tried to handle the problem.


    ¡°What material do you want? Iron will be the cheapest, but it¡¯ll also be heavy. It¡¯s not something you want for someone not used to them. Steel is lighter, but it isn¡¯t as tough as mythril.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m assuming mythril is the most expensive?¡±


    Enap nodded and tucked his eight legs underneath his hulking body to sit down. From a small pouch wrapped around his waist, he retrieved a journal and stenciled some designs he had in mind. ¡°There are better metals to use than mythril, but the price-to-performance ratio isn¡¯t worth the drastically increased cost. Now, what style do you want? I could create a near-perfect copy of her other leg. If you want to make it cheaper, I could only have the pylon that connects to the foot and the socket. What will she be doing it? I¡¯m sorry, ma¡¯am. What do you intend to do with these prosthetics? Fighting? Running? Jumping? Lifting?¡±


    Niva looked at Enap while assuring sure her hood shadowed her face, then turned to face me.


    ¡°She¡¯s a summoner of spirits, so fighting and running,¡± I replied, telling Enap that Niva-- ¡®L¡¯¡ª couldn¡¯t speak right now.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s helpful. Now, for the measurements...¡±


    I have them right here.¡± I pointed to my head. Tilde was far too busy salivating and drooling while rubbing Enap¡¯s abs, and Sekh and Niva remained quiet.


    ¡°Please, I mean no disrespect, but I cannot use your numbers. I want to believe they are right, but in the rare case they aren¡¯t...¡±


    ¡°I understand, but I insist you take them. L is under my protection, and I must make sure her identity will not get out. Surely someone with your knowledge realizes that L is a fake name. Why do you think she¡¯s covered from head to toe?¡±


    Enap took a deep breath. ¡°The absolute veryst thing I would ever do is betray the secrecy of a High Blessing¡ª¡±


    ¡°Then what about the secrecy of a Vredi?¡± I asked, cutting him off. His ten eyes went wide, and a cold, nervous sweat immediately dripped down his face.


    ¡°A... A Vredi? From the fabled Vredi Forest?!¡±


    <i>Might as well put this into action.</i>


    Standing up, I put on my most regal voice. ¡°Swear to me¡ªLyudm Vredi Springfield¡ª that the contents you see will not divulge from your mouth. That you will tell nary a soul that is of the living or dead or of spirit or demonic origins.¡±


    ¡°Of--Of course!¡± Enap bowed his head and ced an arm across his chest.


    ¡°His words are true, my liege,¡± Sekh said. She narrowed her silver eyes and scanned him up and down.


    Standing up, I told him to follow me to the backyard while I grabbed Niva¡¯s wheelchair. His demeanor had changed to something stressful while remaining securely behind me, like he was afraid to get close. For the hell of it, I asked him about my new tunic, then wondered what went through his mind earlier when I was covered from neck to toe. Unsurprisingly, he just thought that was how I dressed since he used to live in the desert, and you had to dress for the sandstorms that popped up. Depending on the material and style of clothing, it was a good idea to wear more to stay cool while also having an easier time keeping warm when the sun fell. Deserts had a reputation for being blisteringly hot, but it wasn''t rare to die of hypothermia once the moon took its ce in the sky.


    ¡°To take her measurements, you just need to see her arms and legs, yes?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct, Lady Springfield. Rather, would you like to be called Lady Vredi?¡±


    ¡°The former. Please, do not divulge my true identity to anyone. If I wish people to know, I will tell them. Then it is no trouble if her face is to remain hidden?¡±


    ¡°That will not be a problem, Lady Springfield,¡± Enap replied, pulling a measuring tape from his pouch. He asked permission twice over, and Niva nodded. She looked at me. I stood behind her while he lifted the sleeves of her robe. Gasping at the bandages, Enap retained a professional attitude and took his measurements using her remaining arm as a reference. Sometimes, he¡¯d turn back to his sketchbook and pen down a design or two after drawing her arm and hand for reference.


    ¡°You know,¡± he said when he saw the dead spots of pulsing flesh on her lower thighs. ¡°Ruru, that Deerfolk you met before? He¡¯s adept at mixing potions. He could probably whip up something to help encourage L¡¯s scales to grow back. Could do something about this burn right here, too. It¡¯s a stubborn thing, right?¡±


    ¡°Really? And you can say that again. I did my best to make remedies with what I had, but my herbs were old and dried. I couldn¡¯t get the good stuff.¡±


    ¡°Well, you don¡¯t have to worry about that here. The forest provides us what we need to survive. As I said, Ruru will be more than willing to help you if you want to ask him.¡± Enap finished his measurements, double-checked them once more, then showed me a few designs. Honestly, all of them looked really good, but I went with the ones that were more humanoid-like. He showed me one that had the socket connected to a pylon, but since I was already footing the bill for mythril, I at least wanted to get my money¡¯s worth.


    He said that was fine, but the price would be more. I just shrugged and didn''t worry until he told me the total cost for one arm, leg, and a foot.


    ¡°54 gold?!¡± I eximed.


    ¡°That¡¯s correct, Lady Springfield. Mythril is a rare metal. It involves a certain amount of technique to properly forge.¡±


    ¡°Shit. Okay, What about the leg and foot?¡± I had to make a choice. Niva had a good arm, and it wasn¡¯t like this prosthetic would even be functional to grab things.


    ¡°That brings it down to 46. The leg and foot are more expensive because they¡¯re more important in giving L her mobility back.¡± I asked the AI how much gold I had, and I was lucky to have 47 because of the bed, desk, and 25 pounds of meat I¡¯d bought for Sekh.


    ¡°L, is that fine? Just the foot and leg?¡± I inquired. Without a second of hesitation, she nodded, and that was that. Enap closed his sketchbook and wrote me a receipt while I paid him half the bill. To let him know I had the rest, I showed him another 23 gold coins, which he appreciated.


    ¡°It will be a few days before it is ready.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± I replied. Enap held out his hand, I shook it, and we conversed for a few more seconds before he said his goodbyes. I¡¯d been so engrossed in getting this prosthetic thing done that I hadn¡¯t noticed little fireflies hade out to y. Their whimsy yellow glow shed likenterns as they flew and illuminated without care. In the distance, I saw Ruru and Arguna chase them around while trying to catch them in their hands.


    <i>Maybe I should ask him for help. I have to get more sociable, right? I think I¡¯ve been doing alright so far. It¡¯s not nearly as hard as I thought it¡¯d be. I can do that tomorrow.</i>

 Chapter Forty-Five: Clone Training of the Sexual Kind (R-18) – Part One

    Chapter Forty-Five: Clone Training of the Sexual Kind (R-18) ¨C Part One


    ¡°Ahh~~ That hits the spot.¡± Tilde practically moaned as she floated on the pond''s surface in Susize¡¯s naturalized bathroom. Through the controls the AI gave me, I turned it into something like a hot spring while dimming the glowing mushrooms. The nearby trees, lovely star-filled sky, and gorgeous atmosphere certainly didn¡¯t dock any points in that department.


    I was sitting on the surrounding rocks with my legs in the water. Sekh was inside the pond, but she sat between my legs and rubbed them. Niva was a bit further away in a section I had made colder because I didn¡¯t want to overheat her wounds. She lifted a hand and listened to the noise water made as it dripped through her fingers, then she rubbed some over her dead spots. Instead of soap, we had those pink cloths resting beside me. Stiff as a piece of wood, neither Sekh nor I smelled anything from them. They probably had to get wet. But that could wait because I wanted to spend this time with mypanions.


    ¡°Niva, I¡¯m sorry you won¡¯t have an arm. I didn¡¯t have the money on me, and I didn¡¯t want to part with the ceremonial weapons. There¡¯s literally nothing else like them in this world.¡±


    She turned to my voice and shook her head, then smiled. So, she wasn¡¯t upset, but I¡¯d rather she learned how to speak again. ¡°But just give it a few more days. We¡¯ll have you in physical therapy. I know you¡¯re tired of being pushed around.¡± Again, she shook her head, pointed to where she thought the chair was, then tapped a finger to her heart. A frown appeared, and her mouth opened, but only vague noises came out. A downtrodden look washed over her, but it didn¡¯t remain forever. My eyes looked over her wounds. While her crotch required powerful healing magic or an elixir to reconstruct, the anti-bacterial drink and the inmmation cream for her thighs did wonders. And she managed to stop pissing blood, so it was really nothing but good tidings on that front.


    <i>With Ruru¡¯s help, I wonder if I couldpletely get rid of the scars? Probably not, but I¡¯d rather have scars than continue to live with burns and rashes. But what about her tail and scales?</i>


    ¡°My liege?¡± Sekh turned around andid her head on my knees while looking at me. I rubbed her ears and talked about Ruru. I didn¡¯t have much money to pay him for help, but I still had to ask him.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hey, while we¡¯re out here, go ahead and try out [Mitosis] to make a clone.¡± Tilde interrupted Sekh, who responded by sshing some water at the annoyance. ¡°Nice try, girlie, but I¡¯m already as wet as I could be. But seriously, now¡¯s the best time to try it out. If you use [Shapeshifter (Chimera)] on it, you can make it look like someone that¡¯s not you.¡±


    Making a clone of myself? I read the description and realized my power would be divided by the number of clones, but my current limit was 1. Dark green slime squirted from my palm after I held a hand out and collected itself inside the pond. It took a few seconds for them to merge. Once they did, it took but a moment before I was looking at a clone of myself. From the honey-blond hair that stretched to my hips to theid penis dangling right above Tilde, it was me in every which way.


    But when I moved an arm, it refused to follow. It was just like a dummy¡ªan extremely realistic dummy.


    ¡°Damn, you¡¯re bigger when it¡¯s towering right above me. You¡¯re lucky you¡¯re too small, or I¡¯ll ride you like a pair of shoes in the washing machine. Ka-DUNK!¡±


    <i>That doesn¡¯t make sense.</i>


    ¡°Washing...machine?¡± Sekh asked. She lifted her head off my legs and stared in confusion. The tip of my growing erection poked her in the cheeks. She moved a little bit until her breasts were resting against myp, and she gently squeezed my dick between her tits. I didn¡¯t move, and neither did she, but I reached down and yed and groped her boobs while exining the concept of a washing machine.


    The clone just stood there, and while it took mana from me, [Mana Regeneration] kicked in and almost sustained me. Once it started to move, it¡¯d take more, but I had to get used to the feeling of having a clone before I continued to the next step. But what didn''t help that much was Tilde¡¯s masturbation after she pped her wings. She flew to the clone,tched onto it from below like a ko clinging to a tree, and rubbed her tiny pussy against theid shaft. But whatever. I left her in her own world and got into the heated pond. The hot feeling of warmth and rxation flowed over me, and Sekh had a look in her eyes as she ced my hand on her head. Guess she wanted me to rub it.


    Tilde''s sudden moans caught us off guard, and we watched as she fell into the pond, her pussy juice dripping down from my clone''s penis. She emerged from the water with a satisfied expression. ¡°You know, Master, Amos¡¯s Soul Warriors weren¡¯t just strong. They were absolute hotties. Since By is a part of you, you can perfectly mimic her form and appearance. But for someone like Aello, the level of your shapeshifting skill determines how urately you can copy her appearance.¡±


    ¡°There is more to that, my lord,¡± interjected the AI. The rainbow-colored stone appeared floating on the water¡¯s surface in a small hologram-like innertube, which was the first time it¡¯d done anything like this. Was this proof of its growth? ¡°It is possible to use [Analysis] to analyze a subject¡¯s visual data to bypass the level requirement for [Shapeshifter (Chimera)].¡±


    <i>Okay, that¡¯s kind of cute.</i>


    ¡°Does it work for inanimate objects?¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord, it does. Analyzation of visual data is set to ur automatically. Do you wish to change that?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t. As you were.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± After drifting in its cute little floatie, it vanished in a sh of rainbow-colored particles.


    ¡°ANYWAY! Before that rude thing interrupted me, why don¡¯t you go ahead and practice? It¡¯s one thing to have a list of people to shapeshift into, but controlling your clone is something else. Knowing you can hang back from safety and control a dummy means you won¡¯t be in unnecessary danger. Yeah, it saps about half your strength, but the downside is you remain alive. So yeah, that isn¡¯t a downside at all.¡±


    Since my base body had Susize¡¯s head, I started with that. Focusing, the instinct I necessitated was granted to me as if it was second nature. In seconds t, the clone¡¯s tits, thighs, and hips shrunk to fit the more natural form of an elegant High Elf. The clone and I shared a mental connection, but it wasn¡¯t exactly stable. The most I could make her do was walk around in the water and touch a hand to her body, so after she groped herself, I had it take on By¡¯s form. The honey-blond hair darkened to a mix of red and pink while an inch or two shorter. A pair of small horns poked out from the side of her head, and her breasts increased in size until they were as big as the one hanging from my chest.


    I didn¡¯t know why but staring sent a thrill through my body and made me incredibly horny. Sekh probably didn¡¯t like that I stopped rubbing her tits and instead stroked my shaft. Yes, it was probably wrong. Yes, Niva was right nearby. Yes, I was probably a disgusting pervert. But why was it so sexy?


    The clone, as per my orders, shifted into Reina next. Her body was mostly the same as Susize, only a dark gray with ck hair. The clone turned around and bent over. I gazed into her pussy, which started to leak its tasty juices. Sekh was nearby, using her hands to massage my inner thighs while saying something.


    I felt myself getting closer to cumming. The pressure built nicely, my breathing hastened, and I stared at Yaekira¡¯s tight stomach. Her face was devoid of emotion when she approached me. I wanted to finish all over her face. An orderter, she kneeled with an open mouth, her hands cupped in front of her to collect wayward semen. No, it wasn¡¯t me. Murag¡¯s desires infiltrated my mind, but it wasn¡¯t anything parasitic. I was in control of my actions, and my desire to cover her face with my seed came from me.


    Besides, the clone was being manipted by me with a fewmands. Simple orders? Yes, but the most I could do was tell my clone to do basic things that didn¡¯t require much mental thought or physical prowess. Fishing, for example, was impossible for me unless I took total control over the clone.


    Closing my eyes, I leaned back and furiously pumped my hand up and down, continuing even when I felt the first load st from my penis. But then I heard something odd¡ªlike the noise of something sshing into the water, and a warm sensation swallowed the tip of my cock.


    Looking down, I saw Sekh had swallowed my dick between her tits and wrapped her lips tightly around the tip. The newfound sensation pushed me over the edge. My body shivered and lightly convulsed as utterly thick ropes of semen filled her throat. Her eyes were looking right up at me, yet they seemed to harbor something other than the total adoration they were usually glowing with.


    As for my clone? It looked like she¡¯d been pushed hard by Sekh. Her head cracked against the stones and bled, though I wasn¡¯t affected. And neither was Tilde.


    ¡°Why did you do that?¡± I asked her. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tilde exining what¡¯d happened to a slightly concerned Niva.


    Sekh wiped her lips free of any sperm she couldn¡¯t swallow and stood up, yet it flowed with force and covered her delicious breasts. With teary eyes, she straddled myp and wrapped her arms around the back of my head.


    ¡°I cannot control what you do. Nor am I right to restrict who your partners are. It isn¡¯t my ce as your servant, but I beg you... The Soul Warriors that sealed me away don''t deserve your gentle kisses or loving touch. I don¡¯t want you to find satisfaction in them!¡± Sekh cried, her tone full of distressing emotion. ¡°Even if they¡¯re mimicked clones, I don¡¯t want them to have what I have!¡±


    I was speechless¡ªstunned and upset at how idiotic I was. Of course, Sekh wouldn¡¯t find it easy to watch me pleasure myself to the forms that ended her reign of tyranny.


    Looking at my dead clone, I held Sekh close while canceling the skill¡ªthe remaining slime used in its creation flowed back to me to give me some of the mana I¡¯d used.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sekh. I¡¯m so sorry.¡± My voice was weak. ¡°I promise I won¡¯t ever do that again.¡±


    I¡¯d hurt the one I loved the most, so I tried to mend the damage the best I could with a tight hug and sweet words.


    We had those cloths, but neither of us felt like using them. We just got out of the pond after cleaning my seed from her body, dried ourselves off, and in Niva¡¯s case, helped her into her sleeping clothes and ced her on the bed nearby. Earlier, Sekh and I took By¡¯s bed and brought it to Susize¡¯s room because I didn¡¯t want Niva to sleep alone. If something were to happen, I¡¯d never known about it because she couldn''t speak yet.


    Sekh and I crawled onto the bed and pulled the silk curtains down. The pillow was wide enough for at least six people, and the nkets were way better than what Ichiha offered us. That was to be expected, though, since this was the prime of luxury¡ªlocked away in stasis for at least a thousand years while still being as soft as they ever were. She rested her head on my shoulder as weid there, listening to the gentle breathing of the other.


    ¡°I guess you don¡¯t really like this ce,¡± I said, breaking the ice.


    ¡°I don¡¯t. I thought I did, but... I¡¯m just surrounded by constant reminders of my failure. I have to see their faces on every painting on every wall.¡±


    ¡°But you said it yourself. You found this vige peaceful and wonderful. Were you lying?¡±


    ¡°Not at the time...¡± Her voice was quiet and meek¡ªa far cry from her tenacious self. ¡°But it¡¯s different now. When I burned that detestable bitch¡¯s desk, I was hoping¡ªbegging from the heart that the next thing out of your mouth was an order to burn this vige. I don¡¯t want to stay here.¡±


    "You know we can¡¯t leave. Not until Enap¡¯s finished. But what about me?


    ¡°What... do you mean? I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°My face. Does looking at it hurt your heart?¡±


    Almost immediately, she leaned up and tried to argue, but her words were without conviction. ¡°Before we came here, I was fine with it. I promise I was. I didn¡¯t put much thought into it because I¡¯d won the battle between Susize and the others. But this vige is bringing back memories. When I close my eyes, I see the sh that shitty elf and I had above our warring armies. Her on Aetos and me on my Ancient Elder Dragon. Mace versus bow, ck mes against torrential wind. When I stare at the wall, I see people I must kill. The floor bes a squelching blood-soaked field with hundreds of thousands of corpses. The smell of burning bodies and ash filters through my nose. Sometimes... Sometimes it feels like I¡¯m really there again... ¡±


    ¡°I will change it. Say the word, and I can take Mira¡¯s appearance. I¡¯ll change my name to hers and forgo Vredi. I don¡¯t care about the perks thate with it if it¡¯s going to hurt you.¡±


    ¡°NO! There¡¯s no need to do that for me! It wouldn¡¯t be right!¡± she replied. I argued back and said it wouldn¡¯t be right if I continued to have Susize¡¯s face since it was obviously causing some issues. Her response was to kiss me. Then she kissed me a second time, a third time, and a fourth time, clearly trying to say that she was content with it. ¡°That body¡¯s special... I made it just for you. Please, don¡¯t change it on my ount.¡±


    ¡°Is that what you truly want? I can¡¯t bear to see you hurt. Not physically, and especially not mentally.¡± Sekh nted one more kiss on my lips and straddled my hips. I looked up at the very beacon of beauty and caressed her cheeks with fingers belonging to the hands she molded for me with [Fleshcrafting].

 Chapter Forty-Five: Clone Training of the Sexual Kind (R-18) – Part Two

    Chapter Forty-Five: Clone Training of the Sexual Kind (R-18) ¨C Part Two


    ¡°Fuck me, my liege,¡± Sekh sultry whispered. ¡°I want to hold my body against you...¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­ Let¡¯s go to another room¡ª¡±


    ¡°Uhh... Is that necessary?¡± Tilde said. The bed had bedposts big enough for her to sleep on. She looked up from her handkerchief pillow and wiped her eyes. ¡°Have you forgotten you blew a load in her mouth when we were bathing? And you know you did that in front of Niva? Besides, she¡¯s fine with it.¡±


    ¡°How can you be so sure?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Because I asked her myself? While you gave Big Tits a protein milkshake, I asked ole mono eye if she had any problem with our Master having sex, and she shook her head. She doesn¡¯t even mind if you do it in the same room. Besides, she can¡¯t exactly see you two going at it like rabid bunnies. So go ahead and fuck. Add some clones if you like. Use Irisa, Ichiha, or even Kokan. Or what about Aello? She¡¯s kinda hot. And you got Mira, too. You''ve seen Gloria and Are, so why not fuck them until their clone pussies are raw and sore? Maybe stick it up their ass? Why don¡¯t you use your map to find someone sexy? The world is your sexual oyster. Even if it might be weird and invasive, I won¡¯t tell anyone. Besides, you need to practice. Controlling a clone isn¡¯t easy, let alone when you have five of them.¡± Tilde flicked her wrist at us andid back down. I heard a quiet yawn, then stared at Niva. She was sleeping, turned away from us, but if it was okay with her...?


    ¡°Sekh? Are you fine with that? As long as it isn¡¯t...¡±


    She took my hands and held them to her chest, enclosing them around her tits and making me squeeze them. ¡°Yes, I am.¡± Nodding, I used [Mitosis] and [Shapeshifter (Chimera)] to make a clone...


    Of the woman I loved most in this world.


    Sekh stared at her doppelg?nger, gasped, then sweetly smiled. I could have chosen anyone I wanted for our first time with a clone, and what better person was the very girl I loved with all of my heart? With a simplemand, the clone crawled onto the bed and sat on her knees beside Sekh. Both sets of eyes were staring at my erection, but only one had flushed cheeks.


    ¡°Both of you... Lick me.¡±


    ¡°At once, my liege.¡± Sekh leaned down and licked the left side, her wet tongue starting strong at the base and flicking off at the tip while the clone tongued my balls. If I wanted to, senses could¡¯ve been shared between it and me, but I didn¡¯t want that. I was happily reaping the benefits of pleasure without tasting my own cock.


    ¡°Fuck, that feels so good...¡± I grabbed both their heads and rubbed their ears; the real Sekh¡¯s effort improved while a hand went to her moistening pussy. Then the clone moved up my shaft and lewdly slopped up Sekh¡¯s left-behind spit. Upon ordering them to kiss, they wrapped their lips around my dick from each side¡ªone tongue went high and the other low¡ªtoplete mymand.


    Seeing Sekh kiss a doppelg?nger? It was hot... And sexy.


    ¡°My liege...¡± Sekh said with her mouth full. Hearing her try to talk while upied with my dick turned me on. She turned her eyes up at me and saw that I was pinching and groping my nipples with Mira¡¯s arm.


    Slowly, they moved up and down, only stopping at the tip, and I couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. A second penis appeared beside the first, and both quickly swallowed them. Sekh knew just how I liked her tongue, and she wasted no time providing me the ultimate pleasure. But the clone was clumsy and unrefined in her technique.


    ¡°No... You must do it like this,¡± Sekh whispered, taking one long lick from my balls to the tip of my penis. Then she swallowed it all in one go, held it in her throat, then pulled her head up. Thick strands of spit connected her lips to it, then she loudly and lewdly sucked on my testicles while my cockid on her face. ¡°It¡¯s so big and hot... I love how it tastes... Are you getting close?¡±


    The clone copied her movements, and I had two very beautiful girls suckling away on my four testicles. Their cheeks brushed against each other, and saliva and spit transferred. Their eyes fluttered with affection and a desire to be covered in thick semen.


    ¡°Ahhh~~~~ I¡±m cumming!!!¡± I cried, releasing my seed all over their faces. Sekh moaned and shivered, then stared at her clone¡¯s semen-covered face when I canceled the second penis. She looked at me with a hand slipped between her glistening thighs, but I wagged my finger and pointed to the clone.


    Immediately, she understood and pushed the clone to the bed, pressed her sweaty tits against her, thenpped up the semen. I came up behind her, grabbed a handful of her ass, and ate her out. Her lewd scent reinvigorated me, and Sekh let out the prettiest moan when I forced my tongue to grow bigger and longer to press against her pussy walls. Slime spread off from my hands and traveled to her chest, which jiggled because she was actively pushing against me to feel even more of my tongue.


    ¡°My liege~~~~ Ahhhh!!!¡± Sekh came, squirting her delectable juices all over my tongue and face. Once she recovered, she helped the clone turn to her stomach with her ass in the air. A sexy, sultry grin appeared on Sekh¡¯s orgasmic face, and she spread the clone¡¯s pussy open. ¡°Fuck her hard, my liege. You don¡¯t have to hold back. Here, I¡¯ll help you...¡± After pping Clone!Sekh¡¯s ass, and watching it jiggle, Sekh leaned forward to kiss the tip of my cock with her soft lips. Then a sexy lickter, she grabbed my shaft and carefully guided it in. ¡°Is that what you look like when you¡¯re doing me?¡±


    Instead of replying, I opened my mouth and stuck out my tongue while thrusting my hips. Sekh leaned up a bit more and tongued my tongue. Clone!Sekh¡¯s inner folds gripped my shaft and tightened. Even pulling it out a little bit became a pleasant struggle because it meant I could plunge all six inches. Her juices squirted out. With each spank, the pressure on my penis only increased.


    But I couldn¡¯t forget about Sekh. I was tongue-deep in her mouth while groping her jiggling breasts with my slime-coated hands. Everything was so slippery...


    And oh, so hot.


    Grunting, I shot a load of semen in Clone!Sekh and pulled out. By her own ability, Sekh broke off from our deep kiss and started to immediately suck my sperm-covered cock, licking it until it was free of semen. All the while, her whole body was being groped endlessly by slime that eventually made its way down to her pussy. She continued to suck me off until I came once more. With a full mouth, she turned back to the clone and shared my semen with her in a deep, passionate kiss. Sekh¡¯s ass was raised and wiggling towards me, and she¡¯d been waiting long enough.


    ¡°MMnnn~~~¡± She bit her lip and turned towards me, a few drops of semen still dribbling on her chin as I fingered her. Slow and steady at first, I took her reactions into ount when I transfigured little tongues on my middle and ring finger to scrape against her delectable inner walls. I felt every little ridge and fold, the sensation of taste transferring to the tastebuds in my mouth while jerking off. She shed this ecstatic expression of lust before turning her lips back to the clone, whose mouth was still overflowing with semen. Her lewd-sucking noises followed me to another orgasm, this time spraying my seed all over the clone and Sekh.


    ¡°Stop teasing me...¡± Sekh whispered in a cute voice. She ced an arm on her stomach and through her thighs to spread herself open for me, granting me a personal insight into the girl I loved the most. She hiked her legs over the clone and rubbed her glistening crotch. Jerking off, I created a second penis atop the first one, then entered the clone first. Next, I maneuvered Sekh¡¯s tempting ass to just the right position and pushed passed the very weak resistance to experience the warmth of her swallowing my cock.


    <i>The clone should be the same in every which way, but Sekh feels so much better.</i>


    ¡°I can feel it in my stomach... My liege... You¡¯re filling me up...


    My thrusting was kept constant and focused, but before it became ¡®stale,¡¯ I changed the angle and speed to keep things fresh. Having to focus on two very simr yet different points of pleasure took all my willpower to prevent me from cumming too soon. Yet that was futile in the long run because I was getting in the mood. I wanted nothing more than to cover Sekh in my seed and hear even more of her delicious moans.


    ¡°Louder!¡± I said, smacking her ass and hearing a delicious yelp as she followed mymand. At the same time, a few vines sprouted off my shoulder and crawled and hugged Sekh¡¯s luscious body. Once they wrapped around her tits, I added slime to them and a mouth to the tips to suck her breasts, but not before making one a penis and cing it in front of her face.


    She probably looked at it like a treat¡ªor perhaps an extra bonus since she wasted no time trying to gobble it up. Between her exasperated moans, the constant orgasms, the squeezing of her pussy, the teasing of her nipples, and my fingers poking around her ass, we delved into a psychosis of inexcusable, lustful passion.


    I wanted her. She wanted me. We desired the other, and after a certain point, the only soundsing from either of us were earth-shattering moans as we feasted and satisfied our concupiscent dreams.


    I didn¡¯t even know when the clone vanished...


    The only thing I was aware of was one final orgasm that filled Sekh¡¯s mouth and pussy, and one desperate cry as my balls drained themselves.


    The bed was an utterly sticky mess filled with fluids of all kinds, yet my first thought was of Sekh. Even while drunk on her taste, her feelings came first. I couldn¡¯t be an idiot and go to sleep without checking on her. That was a mistake I¡¯d made before, and I¡¯d never make it again because a rtionship like this was a two-way street. We each had to give and take, and right now, I was going to offer my feelings and take care to see that she wasn¡¯t injured.


    ¡°But I¡¯m hungry as hell...¡± I whispered after tending to Sekh and smiling when it turned out she was only in a deep sleep. I had a few more pounds of that meat, so I cut off a few chunks and assimted it with my slime to regain some biomass.


    <i>The slime method is a hell of a lot neater than chowing down. Thanks to [Drain], of course. I guess this is how I¡¯ll assimte in the future.</i>


    That didn¡¯t quench my hunger, but I wasn¡¯t tired. Not even a single bit. I attested that to my newfound physiology as a slime. To test something out, I cut my finger and saw blood. After activating [Slime Physiology (Chimeric)], I cut myself again. Instead of blood, green slime appeared, and my biomass decreased and not my HP.


    But I didn¡¯t feel the pain. Slimes didn¡¯t have nerves, right? They were a goopy mess of...<i>something</i> held together by the monster¡¯s core. Killing one dissolved it, but I knew there was a way to end a slime¡¯s life and have it remain whole. But that didn¡¯t matter much when I <i>was</i> part slime.


    After changing something, I performed the test again, and I lost HP and biomass instead of one or the other, but only about half of each whenpared to what I lost before. And I bled blood, not slime. The pain I felt was heavily decreased, but it was still barely there.


    <i>Okay, so I can change what I lose when I get hurt. But I still need biomass to live. I must decide if it''s worth it to remain as a slime, in terms of physiology, or if I should remain as I were... Having a mix of both might be better, honestly. But regardless of which one I pick, I no longer need to breathe or sleep. That¡¯s good. I don¡¯t know if vacuum-like spells or abilities exist, but I won''t die if someone cuts off my oxygen.</i>


    I tried to be as quiet as I could while changing out the bed sheets and cleaning up Sekh and me. Tilde stared at me with a grin only a mischievous fairy like her could make, but Niva seemed to have fallen into a deep slumber.


    But when I was done, I slipped into bed under the clean covers and wrapped my arms around Sekh¡¯s stomach. She enjoyed a restful, satisfying slumber, but I remained awake to think about the future.

 Chapter Forty-Six: Ruru’s Elixir

    Chapter Forty-Six: Ruru¡¯s Elixir


    From the moment Sekh woke me with a kiss to when I was finishing up a basic breakfast of tomatoes and bread, she never let go of my arm. She held it snuggly between her clothed tits while a happy smile upied her cute face. I¡¯d thought our sexual tryst would¡¯ve been too much, but it seemed there was no need for embarrassment.


    Still, after we all ate breakfast, I took Niva¡¯s hand and apologized from the heart. To my surprise, she was taken aback and shook her head. Some questioningter, she made it clear that she really didn¡¯t mind it. Or rather, maybe she felt like it shouldn¡¯t have bothered her since, in her eyes, I was working so hard for her to gain her mobility back.


    Regardless, when asked if she wanted me to move to another room whenever the mood struck me, she shook her head no. Niva kept looking at me with that smile, then pressed her hand to her heart. Her toothless mouth opened, the strain clearly visible as oil in water, yet whatever she was trying to say refused toe out.


    I patted her head and said she didn¡¯t have to rush things. A momentter, Tilde wanted to be a jackass and started moaning as loudly as she could, thenined that she couldn¡¯t hit the high octavespared to Sekh.


    ¡°Like seriously. What the hell was thatst night? Penis vines and slimes and semen and clones? Oh my?¡± The fairy covered her mouth slyly. ¡°You¡¯re a seriously depraved pervert, and I am all for that shit! You were my only choice for the training system, but I¡¯m d you¡¯re a deviant. Imagine when you can make an orgy¡¯s worth of clones? Hehe!!! The fuck train has no breaks! The fuck train has no breaks!¡± She chanted. ¡°Wooooo!!!!!!!¡±


    ¡°My liege, what¡¯s the n for today?¡± asked Sekh once her eggs and sausage were devoured, ignoring Tilde. Yeah, we all disregarded the horny little thing.


    ¡°I gotta find Ruru and get his help. And that¡¯s all there is, really.¡±


    ¡°In that case, may I have permission to stay here with Niva?¡± I looked at Sekh with a puzzled look because she¡¯d never asked permission before. Upon asking why, she mentioned she wanted to focus on training. We didn¡¯t know how long it would take for Niva¡¯s prosthetics to be done, but she wanted to try to regain a few more skills. ¡°I¡¯m...still ufortable being out in the vige proper.¡±


    ¡°Sure, that¡¯s fine. We won¡¯t stay here longer than necessary, okay?¡± I rubbed her head as she purred, her tail happily dancing behind her. Out of curiosity, I asked if she wanted me to get the AI to highlight clothes that fit her, but Sekh refused. She honestly didn¡¯t want anything at all to do with anything rting to Amos, his Soul Warriors, or Aetos and this vige, including wearing their clothes. Well, that only made me more determined to make her outfits myself.


    I searched for Ruru and found him standing outside Enap¡¯s cave with a pair of fishing rods. Arguna was in Aello¡¯s house, so after slipping on my socks and boots and admiring my new self in the mirror, I stashed my gun on my hip.


    ¡°Huh...¡± I suddenly said, stopping before the front door. ¡°Tilde?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s good, homie?¡± Tilde asked. She flew in front of me and hovered. My eyes scanned her up and down.


    "Let my clone fuck you.¡±


    ¡°...¡± Tilde was silent.


    ¡°...¡± Sekh was silent.


    ¡°...¡± Niva was silent.


    ¡°...¡± The AI materialized...and remained silent.


    ¡°Fuckin what?!¡± Tilde broke the silence with a deadpan expression. Apparently, I¡¯d caught her off guard.


    ¡°You heard me,¡± I said, creating a naked clone beside me. ¡°You¡¯ve always said I was too small for you, but let¡¯s put that to the test.¡±


    Having sex with Tilde was different than wanting to make love with Irisa. It didn¡¯t feel like cheating since we shared a life, so perhaps it was apt to think of it as mutual masturbation? When I told Sekh about Tilde and me when she was drunk, she was only slightly upset because she couldn''t, at the time, satisfy my urges.


    She was fine with Tilde jerking me off with her body, though. But Sekh also said I had her consent to have sex with her if she was asleep or drunk¡ªthat I didn¡¯t have to use Tilde because she was right there. That didn¡¯t sit right with me, but I didn¡¯t say anything to hurt Sekh¡¯s feelings.


    ¡°What? You think that skinny thang can mess up my insides and flood me to kingdom-fuckinge? Ha! Try again, Master.¡± Tilde put her hands on her hips and let loose a heartyugh while pointing at me. ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll ept this little challenge!¡±


    ¡°Uhh¡­ It¡¯s not a challenge. Tilde, I love you. And I want to have sex with you. I couldn¡¯t before, but I can now.¡± The words I said were spoken from my heart. They truly were. The horny fairy was instrumental in me making it just this far, and life wouldn¡¯t be the same without her around. Tilde watched as my clone, with the same proportion, shrunk to the proportion of a particr fairy. A momentter, it returned to its original size.


    ¡°Wait¡­ Are you embarrassed?¡± Sekh asked with a slight chuckle. ¡°I suppose even you can be cute.¡±


    ¡°Sh¡ªShut up, Big Tits!¡± Tilde threw her hands down and tried to wipe away her blush as the crimson veins in her wings rapidly shed. ¡°Fi¡ªFine! If you¡¯re going to confess, the least I can do is let your clone stick it in¡­ It¡¯s probably bigger than you anyway! But hurry up!¡± Faster than ever, Tilde flew past me and into the hallway.


    But my clone remained behind.


    Sekh kissed my cheeks when my hand touched the door handle, and Tilde poked her head from around the wall--her cheeks were as red as a sunburn.


    ¡°I¡ªI love you too, Master. But¡ªbut next time, I don¡¯t wanna fuck a clone. I¡¯m only doing this because I¡¯ve seen how you look at me! Consider it a favor from the Tilde, The Real Cock Champion!¡± she stammered. ¡°And¡­and next time, I want the real you, not a clone. Clone!Master, hurry up!!!! I ain¡¯t got all day, dammit!¡±


    <i>She repeated herself twice. Guess she¡¯s embarrassed. Okay, that¡¯s really cute.</i>


    My smile said what I wanted to convey. After giving the clone a few simplemands, I went out the door with a flutter in my heart.


    <i>I love them so much¡­ I really do¡­ Ah, I don¡¯t want to get an erection, so I¡¯ll turn off the feeling and emotional flow from my clone. When it returns, I''ll feel what it felt and learn what it experienced. </i>


    <hr>


    As I traveled to the waypoint I marked, I had to go around the Eagle Yew. The Dryad I¡¯d seen the day before saw me approach, then hastily ran over to give me a big hug around my legs. She wished me good morning, I did the same, and we walked together for a few minutes before a centaur called her name. I waved and greeted the other vigers I saw¡ªeven going so far as to make direct eye contact with the two Bellerophon agents staying at the inn. They walked around with some veggie leaf wrap in their hands, and they returned my greeting.


    <i>[Status Cloak] has defended against their use of [Detect Chimerism], my lord. A negative response has been sent. </i>The AI alerted me just as I saw something simr in my activity log.


    <i>Those bastards don¡¯t waste any time, do they? Maybe I should think of a way to kill them? No, it''s too risky to do it here.</i>


    Left alone with my mind to think of potential ns to rid myself of trouble before it blossomed, I reached the pond quicker than I thought.


    Ruru stood with a form so perfect and a gaze so intense that I doubt he heard me. He held the rod as if it was a sword, and when the tip began to lightly dance, he pulled back and started to reel.


    ¡°Yes!¡± he eximed gleefully, reeling in a fish called a tskull bass. It flopped endlessly around before he removed it from the hook, but Ruru was happy nheless. I approached him, identally stepping on a stick, which alerted him to my presence.


    ¡°Good morning, Lady Springfield.¡± He threw the fish back and reached into a small can to pull another worm to wrap around the hook.


    ¡°Morning. You¡¯re out early, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Lady Aello and Arguna had a sleepoverst night, so I¡¯m spending my time casting a line or two. Care to join me?¡±


    ¡°Possibly, but I came here to ask a favor. Do you mind?¡±


    ¡°For a High Blessing? Not at all. What can I do for you?¡± His golden hair flowed and danced in the breeze, scatting against his softened cheeks and striking blue eyes. I told him of ¡®L¡¯ and her wounds and injuries, then mentioned the herbs I used in the initial treatment were of poor quality. That was really all the information he needed.


    ¡°In that case, I believe I could help you. Of course, would it be prudent to ask for something in return?¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s money you¡¯re after, I just recently became broke.¡±


    He shook his head and quickly rified he wasn¡¯t looking for anything mary. ¡°All I¡¯m asking is for a fishingpanion. In my line of work, I rarely have the time to rx and cast a line. In return, I will teach you the recipe to an elixir that can be found with ingredients located within this very vige.¡±


    ¡°And is that it? Just a fishingpanion to know how to make something as powerful as an elixir?¡± I asked, dumbfounded.


    ¡°That is where I must correct you. Forgive my rudeness, but it takes an expert¡¯s touch and having [Alchemy] at Lv. 9 to properly mix the raw ingredients. Anyone below that requirement would only make something that could barely be called a potion, even if they used the same methods as I did. But should you obtain the skill and level, I hope having the recipe will assist you in the days toe.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re offering, I won¡¯t refuse. When can we get started?¡±


    Ruru smiled, grabbed the spare rod, and tossed it to me. ¡°Follow me. There¡¯s a biggerke about three miles away. It¡¯s actually a stone¡¯s throw away from the stone temple that houses the boss.¡±


    <hr>


    During our hike, Ruru was oddly talkative about his hobby. He imed his love for it came from his mentor, and the two of them could spend literal hours out on theke inplete silence while never feeling the least bit alone. There was some connection between the two that couldn¡¯t be described with words. About part way through the trip, he suddenly jumped up to a nearby tree¡¯s limbs and looked down, expecting me to join him.


    And I did. While it was true this body hadn¡¯t been pushed to its physical limits, and I wasn¡¯t aware of all it had to offer, I could effortlessly jump to the limb. At that point, the memories of a Susize rushing from tree to tree to swinging from the vines like a monkey, feeling the wind brush past her youthful face. Up high above sat a great eagle that followed its Master, and just as quick as it happened, the shback ended and brought me back to the present. With experience not from me, I grabbed the vine gracefully and held on for dear life, only letting go when I was at the apex of my swing. Soaring through the air felt invigorating, even more so when Inded on the thick vine and recovered with a roll to effortlessly continue my sprint. Ruru was right there with me, keeping pace for pace as if he was much more experienced than me¡ªsomeone with two elves making up their body.


    <i>Suppose that¡¯s a Deerfolk for you. I mean, they¡¯re actual deer. Or part deer, I guess. They¡¯re just as close to the forest as elves.</i>


    After a few short minutes, we saw a break in the forest line. Ruru hopped to the ground and slowed to a steady walk, and I joined him secondster. My eyes lit up with wonder when I gazed at a beautiful, crystal-clearke that felt bigger than the horizon. More than ever, there was a sense of genuine astonishment and a longing for home that belonged to the Susize inside me. Tears wanted to cascade down my face, but I prevented that from happening. Ruru took the lead. Following him, we walked past a family of deer quenching their thirst. Far past them on the other side was a wolf and her cubs enjoying a warm nap while all sprawled out. A couple hundred feet past that was a turtle slowly getting its lethargic body into the water.


    Really, it was a whole ecosystem and a half, but what surprised me was that everything was literally so peaceful. It was a mncholic feeling seeing prey and predator not vying for the right to a source of water or food. As a chimera, I stood at the top of the food chain. Had I been alone with Sekh by my side, I¡¯d guaranteed everything I saw, if it was within my level range, would have died before the sun abdicated the sky.


    But that was neither here nor there, so I temporarily threw the survival of the fittest from my mind. Ruru eventually found a nice spot right on theke bed. Since I knew nothing about fishing, he instructed me to wrap a worm around the hook and the proper technique to cast out my line. Well, that wasn¡¯t exactly true. I knew that if you used a bobber, you had to wait for it to dip underwater before reeling and yanking back the line. If you weren¡¯t using one, you waited until the tip started to bend down.


    At least, I thought that was how it was done. Ruru said the best way to learn was by trying, so we threw out our lines and waited.


    The sweet silencested for minutes, yet it was broken when he eyed my .45 and asked about it. I just said it was what I preferred, which opted the question of if I was a sharpshooter.


    ¡°I like to think so. Why? Oh¡ª¡± The moment I said that, I felt a tug on my line. ¡°Yah!¡± I pulled up and started to reel, but there was no resistance. Perhaps it was cheating, but I used my map¡¯s satellite mode and zoomed into the water only to find my hook wormless.


    ¡°Hmm... You were too impatient. Try not to pull at the first tug. You don¡¯t want to be too hasty,¡± he said, giving me more advice before following up on the previous topic. He wanted to know if I was a sharpshooter.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not your ordinary High Elf. Besides, I like to think I have a pair of sharp eyes. But even if it¡¯s my weapon, I can¡¯t use it that often.¡± I reeled in my line and re-wormed it. He asked what I meant as I tossed it back out. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to make bullets. I have about 40 to my name, and that¡¯s it unless I find a ce that sells them.¡± He told me about {Mana Link}, and I replied that I knew of the skill. However, I didn¡¯t have the cores. Besides, I didn¡¯t even know how to enchant, even though I knew the ability. Ruru thought that to be weird, but the subject quickly changed to the elixir.


    In short, the primary ingredient was the rainbow-like petals of a flower known as a panabow. Ruru said they only bloomed where the ¡®rainbow ends,¡¯ so saying they were rare was an understatement. Luckily for us, rainbows were amon urrence in Aetos Vige. We only had to wait for one to show up, which shouldn¡¯t take too long. Then he said we needed water from a mana-infusedke-- our current location-- and the sap from a sacred tree. The Eagle Yew satisfied that requirement. Aello apparently had no problem allowing people to take its fluid as long as it was for a noble and just cause. Three things were all it took to make a powerful restorative, but you could argue that even the most powerful country would have trouble collecting them.


    Trees like the Eagle Yew were scarce, and being in the right spot to travel to the end of a rainbow to hopefully gather some panabows? If I was pessimistic, I¡¯d turn my head at such a coincidence. Besides, I¡¯d doubt the elixir would even work well on me because of the whole chimera thing I had going on.


    For the next hour, we turned away from the elixir and talked about whatever else. I focused on fulfilling my end of the bargain. Things were going well. I¡¯d managed to catch a few bass, he snagged a catfish or two, and we were both joking that we wouldn¡¯t walk away empty-handed.


    Even I had to admit I was having a fun time. Perhaps it wasn¡¯t the most exciting, but I carried the memory of that spontaneous fishing trip as I handed the rod back to Ruru. He had such a smile that his antlers appeared to shimmer the same gold as his hair.


    From there, we walked deeper into the forest with keen eyes for flowers with rainbow-colored petals. Since it was my first time venturing into this area, I couldn''t search for what we needed. It didn¡¯t feel right to stick to thefort of silence for a second time, so we upied the time with some chatter. And since I had clearly had someone knowledgeable by my side, the whole thing was more about what I could get out of the Deerfolk. First and foremost, gunpowder was needed to make bullets. In this world, they were called firesalts. When asked if there was any particr method to mining it, Ruru shook his head and said it was just like any other metal. The only exception was its tendency to be explosive when struck with force. It was dangerous work, of course. But it was important work for any country with a navy or cannons because how else would you shoot a cannonball with no explosive powder?


    That was one problem solved. I just needed to find some. There was the whole problem of making the bullet, though. As well as the casing and primer. I was thankful, though, because I needed to make one exceptional bullet. The AI could mass manufacture the rest if I had the materials.


    I wanted to ask more about enchanting, but I stopped because I figured it was too dangerous. It was a long shot, but enchanting seemed like something elves, especially High Elves, should¡¯ve been very familiar with. Thus,, I closed my mouth and allowed Ruru to take the conversational lead while we searched for the fabled panabow.


    It took about 18 minutes, but we finally saw the glimmer of a rainbow in the sky. With haste, we jumped up onto a tree limb and raced towards our destination. Upon jumping down, we saw it. Surrounded by pretty reds, oranges, yellows, greens, blues, indigos, and violets sat a nt with those very same colors embedded into its petals.


    ¡°Oh, this is great news. Lady Springfield, care to y a song?¡± Ruru said after plucking the petals and storing them in his pouch. He grabbed a de of grass nearby. [Analysis] said it was called a songleaf. Long and narrow with a slight curve, he handed it to me without waiting for my response. But I wasn¡¯t worried because my Elvish instincts taught me what to do. I took the grass, ced my lips on one side, and began to blow while maneuvering my tongue to control the airing out. And like magic, a serene noise echoed. It sounded something simr to a flute, yet it felt like there was more cadence or ¡®emotion¡¯ packed within this single piece of nature.


    Before I knew it, I closed my eyes to further focus. Upon opening them, deer and wolves sat around me, their eyes closed as well while enjoying the performance. Again, predator and prey rxed and remained in my audience until the song was done. Then they mutually disbanded to return to what they were doing before. I stashed it in my holster forter use since I wanted to y it for Sekh.


    ¡°It was a beautiful song, Lady Springfield. I felt the raw emotion you put into it. Thank you for ying it,¡± Ruru said. He wiped his eyes clean of tears, and after I petted the deer and wolves, we retraced our steps back to theke to get some of the mana-infused water. Our next goal after that was to find Aello, so we casually chatted during the trip back to the vige. Ruru once said he had the pleasure of seeing a ss of children work hard to turn a bundle of songleaf into an actual grassy flute. It was something like a rite of passage that taught the children how to focus their nature-attuned mana to prolong the life of their flute and stave off decay.


    Ruru mentioned he joined in, yet he didn¡¯t have the training or experience to make a flute, though he had the chance to buy one from one of the instructors. But it took hard work for a non-Elf to create music, and even after a month, his flute had turned brown. Meanwhile, the students¡¯ flutes were still as green as the leaf of a healthy tree.


    <i>Susize and Reina must¡¯ve done something simr. Why else could I y it so elegantly?</i>


    <hr>


    Aello¡¯s abode was the very definition of a birdhouse. It was tall and narrow, with nary a set of stairs to be found because she could fly to where she wanted to go. A perch hanging from the fourth floor probably acted as her ¡®bed¡¯ since she probably slept while securely locking herself into ce with her talons. Despite theck of essibility to those without wings, Arguna seemed to be enjoying herself. Besides, Aello allowed the young, deaf girl to grab onto her legs to fly her to the second or third floor if she wanted to go there.


    Upon asking if it was alright to take some of the Eagle Yew¡¯s sap, the Vermillion Harpyfolk could not have been happier. She gave us her blessings and thanked the Eagle Yew for granting assistance to a High Blessing. Honestly, I was kinda getting tired of being referred to as that. I wasn¡¯t a blessing¡ªthere was nothing ¡®blessing¡¯ about me, but again, it wouldn¡¯t be apt to purposely cause some problems because I started to feel annoyed. You wouldn¡¯t look a gift Deerfolk in the eye¡ªespecially one that could make an elixir. When we left to gather the sap from the base of the Eagle Yew, Arguna traveled with us. She held Ruru¡¯s hand like a daughter would a father, and he quickly answered the question on my mind with a shake of his head.


    If they weren¡¯t parent and child, then the only other option must¡¯ve been child and their guardian. It was kinda like what I was to Niva. She wasn¡¯t a child¡ªwith her being 22 years old¡ªbut for the time being, she was under my protection.


    Ruru took a specially-designed tool and drilled a small hole into the Eagle Yew. Then he inserted a hollowed wooden peg with holes to control the airflow. With a hammer in one hand, he ced a bucket in the right spot and gently rapped the peg until the thick, amber-colored sap collected itself in the bucket.


    It took about thirty minutes to get enough, but it wasn¡¯t uneventful. Right after we started, Enap and his eight legs came hobbling over with a wrapped gift held with grace within his upper arms. The Dryad and a few other children hung from his legs with glee andughter while he removed the cloth to reveal a silver prosthetic.


    A prosthetic, mind you, that looked every which way the same Arguna¡¯s fleshy arm. The deaf, one-armed girl let out a smile and excitedly jumped around. Reaching into a pouch, Ruru retrieved something he called a nerve mesh andid it over Arguna¡¯s stump. Next came the socket, which securely wrapped around that and looked like a giant nut. The kind you¡¯d use in construction.


    ¡°I can see it in your eyes, Lady Springfield. The nerve mesh is not something I offer. Nor do I know how to create it. But I know they¡¯re not something even a baron or duke could find. And I¡¯m not curious enough to pry into a customer¡¯s life,¡± Enap said while eyeing a thin mesh of white and yellow Ruru pulled from a pouch. Heid it over Arguna¡¯s stump and rubbed it in finely. Next, the Deerfolk took the socket and wrapped it around the stump, using the mesh to stick it to the stump. This socket reminded me of a giant nut you¡¯d use in construction. But then came the actual arm. He ced the end into the socket, then turned it like one would a screw until it couldn¡¯t go anymore. Apparently, it was designed so that it was impossible to screw on too tightly, too loosely, or upside down.


    Enap did quality work, I suppose.


    And then there it was...


    A fully functional prosthetic arm. The nerve mesh worked to create artificial nerves from the stump down through to the fingers of the hand. Enap remained behind for a few minutes to check the quality of his work and to hug the crying Arguna, who wrapped her biological arm around one of Enap¡¯s legs since she couldn¡¯t exactly reach his upper body.


    Once everything checked out, he told me he was heading back to start on my order and left with the Dryad and other kids. Aello came along shortly to spend some time and to see how things were going, but she flew off before too long. It took a while for the feeling toe back in Arguna¡¯s fingers. From what I understood, it would take time for her arm to feel like second nature, yet since mythril was obviously more durable than mere skin, it was nothing less than an improvement. Not sure if it was worth the trade-off, though. Once the nerve mesh had bonded a person to a prosthetic, taking that arm off would be excruciatingly painful.


    After about ten minutes, Arguna could move the fingers to a certain degree, and the first thing she did was sh a few hand signals to Ruru. No, it wasn¡¯t just signals... It was...signnguage?


    <i>Does that exist in this world?</i>


    <b><i>New Skill: [Sign Language]</i></b>


    <i>And I guess it does. Thanks, [Schr¡¯s Tongue].</i>


    I used the newfound knowledge to tell Arguna my name and how happy I was she had gotten her arm, and the look on her face was one of such raw emotions. Almost immediately, the tears ran wild down her face as she asked me something.


    <i>You can understand me? You can sign? </i>It was more than simply understanding thenguage, but what she wanted to ask me appeared in my mind as a query that needed a response.


    <i>Yes, I can.</i>


    ¡°How marvelous... Truly, you never seem to not surprise me, Lady Springfield,¡± Ruru noted, a smile on his softened face telling me he was speaking the truth. Until the bucket was filled with sap, the three of us continued our conversation using sign, nary speaking a sound until it was for Ruru to start making the elixir. He said he¡¯d write me a note with the exact creation process, but he wanted to ask me one more thing.


    ¡°We aren¡¯t nning on staying here long, but if you see Arguna out and about, could you sign with her? Where wee from, very few people canmunicate with her without writing.¡±


    I didn¡¯t really mind that at all.


    <i>Goodbye, Lady Springfield! Thank you for signing with me!</i>


    <i>You¡¯re very wee, Arguna. Take care.</i>


    As she walked away with her guardian, Arguna really did look like the world¡¯s happiest girl.

 Chapter 46.5: A Fairy’s Fantasy (R-18)

    Chapter 46.5: A Fairy¡¯s Fantasy (R-18)


    ¡°Listen up, Clone!Master! I¡¯m the bad bitch around here, okay? Me! Tilde! The Tildiest of them all!!! I¡¯m the Cock Gobbling Champion all fairies wished they could be! My pussy has conquered it all, from the micropenises to the ¡®holy shit goddamn was your dad part horse¡¯!¡± said Tilde, who stood face to face with the perfect replication of her adoring Master. The sprite was confident, for sure. With her ck hair and nocturnal wings, which had red vein-like lines of mana pulsing through them, she was not what most people considered a ¡®proper¡¯ fairy.


    Or even a properdy, for that matter.


    For good reason, too, since she was eternally reincarnating. Before finding her Transcendent Dark Lord and bing her Conduit, she wouldn¡¯t be dead for more than a handful of seconds.


    She stood on the dresser in Susize¡¯s room, staring at Clone!Master¡¯s face. Niva and Sekh were preupied with other things to be nearby, so deep inside, Tilde knew she could be as loud, gross, or excessive as she wished.


    Clone!Master remained stoic and robotic¡ªnary an emotion or a response stered on her face. In her current state, the clone''s penis was about six inchesid, and Tilde barked amand for her to approach. The clone did, albeit it was a single step, and refused to move until Tilde gave another order.


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re doing... Master wants you to y hard-to-get, huh? Well, get that dick over, pronto!¡± Tilde shouted in her louder-than-life voice while slipping off her dress. Like most fairies, she was t in the chest, but her nipples were pretty and pink. And they were just as sensitive as even the bustiest of Cowfolk.


    But the size of her breasts was always a struggle for the eternally reincarnating fairy. She had a grudge against those with ¡®fat titties¡¯ as she often called them, and often imagined herself as chesty as some of her peers. But with envy came determination, and it was not a lie to say Tilde was very experienced in having sex.


    Living for a long time exposed her to hundreds of sexual fetishes, several of which she practiced. While the clone of her Master approached Tilde, her penis gently swung like a clock¡¯s pendulum. It swayed peacefully, remainingid and asleep as it touched the dresser.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s more like it,¡± Tilde whispered, skipping a few steps. It was a dichotomy of her preferred actions. Tilde ced her hands on the menacing shaft in front of her as if she wanted to show reverence. In its shrunken state, she was taller than it in itsid and erect shape, but Tilde didn¡¯t seem to care about it. Her face pressed against the shaft, her tongue starting its long journey to cover the most supreme cock in her life with her saliva¡ªwith her love.


    The penis she caressed soon came to life, growing erect with the passing seconds. ¡°Come on,¡± Tilde said in a sweet voice. Aren¡¯t you tired of standing? Hurry up and shrink... I¡¯m doing this because you''re you, so the most you can do is y along, right?¡± When the fairy felt her arms phase through her Clone!Master¡¯s cock, she took a step back and watched her turn to slime. From its blubbery, amorphous form, it bounced onto the dresser and took a more suitable form to have sex. Tilde watched with her hands between her thighs, her fingers lightly teasing her moist snatch. Her wings fluttered in sync with the jolts of pleasure shing up her body.


    While continuing to stare, she crouched and spread her knees, exposing her pussy to a clone of the Master she loved most in the world. She spread it, showing everything without keeping anything hidden. Beckoning the perfect mimic of her Master, her heartbeat increased dramatically as the face she practically worshiped crawled on her hands and knees. When Clone!Master¡¯s face was just a tenth of an inch away¡ªenough to feel the heat of Tilde¡¯s pussy warm her face¡ªTilde''s suddenly felt a chill in her heart...followed by pleasure. The pixie bit her lips and stretched her fairy wings¡ªthe veins shing crimson¡ªas sweat dripped down her brow. ¡°Are you that interested in what I¡¯m offering?¡± she whispered. ¡°Come, don¡¯t be afraid of my pussy. It¡¯s sulent and juicy¡ªjust the way you like it, Master... Yes... That¡¯s a good ¡®mera...¡± Clone!Master¡¯s lips parted to make way for her tongue. It was wet and hot, making the anticipation that much more.


    In fact, this was Tilde¡¯s first time doing it with someone she loved with all her heart. Her previous suitors were mere flings to satiate the growing passion, and not once had she ever told anyone she loved them and meant it.


    But it was different.


    Things were different.


    For the first time in her life, her sole purpose was more than a facet of her identity. The reason for her long, never-ending life was found, and the love she could never give was now flowing from her.


    Literally.


    Before Clone!Master¡¯s tongue had a chance to bless the fairy¡¯s pussy, Tilde climaxed without any physical connection. Her hands were focused on spreading her crotch, but she sprayed her degenerate fluids all over her Clone!Master¡¯s face.


    Falling to her back, her wings folded to prevent injury, but her after-glow was short-lived when a pair of hands grabbed her ankles and raised her legs.


    ¡°Eh? What the... Hey, now... Hold on... I just came¡ªI just¡ªI-I----- Mmmmnnnnn~~~~~ So deep...¡± Emotions circted her heart, and she gripped Clone!Master¡¯s hair when her lips kissed Tilde¡¯s long-desired pussy. Her tongue swirled around her folds, forcing her open to finally taste the hidden treasure she¡¯d been teasing M with. Instantly, her legs closed, preventing Clone!Master from retreating, but running away wasn¡¯t in the ybook M had given her.


    ¡°Goddamn... It¡¯s so fucking incredible...¡± Tilde moaned. She licked her lips and gyrated her hips, trying to force Clone!Master¡¯s tongue to go even deeper. ¡°Eat that pussy like a good girl... God... I want a cock... I need one...¡± After ordering the replica to take a break, she flipped to her back and stared with nk, dead eyes. Tilde stood, crouched over Clone!Master¡¯s face and slowly lowered her hips until she was humping her face. The erection she stared so proudly at met her gaze.


    Tilde leaned forward until their stomachs touched, then made sure to arch her back after telling her lover to continue. Meanwhile, she jerked off the cock, peeling back the foreskin until the delicious pink tip was exposed. The smell was different, but Tilde enjoyed it so much that she ran her nose down the shaft while taking in a big whiff. ¡°You¡¯re bigger than my head... Fuck...Even if it¡¯s smaller, how can Big Tits take it so easily when you piledrive her pussy?¡±


    The tip leaked pre-cum, but Tilde pressed her lips to the cock she wanted to ravage her insides. Her mouth partly opened, allowing it to take refuge on her tongue. Just tasing one¡ªfilling her mouth¡ªnheless, was enough climax a second time. She tried to sit up, but Clone!Master¡¯s hands smacked her ass, causing her to jerk forward, thereby deepthroating Clone!Master¡¯s penis. It reached the depths of her constricted throat to the point where her nose brushed against a set of polished, smooth balls.


    However, since her Master no longer needed to breathe, Tilde wouldn¡¯t suffocate, so she took this moment in stride to stimte Clone!Master¡¯s testicles. But then a second cock appeared, giving birth to an extra pair of dangling bits. Slowly, Tilde removed the penis she sucked so hard and licked it clean before jerking off both. Her skin was always so smooth, so her palms and fingers glided up and down the shafts, polishing them. Next, she thered them with her warm spit. All the while, her hairless, glistening snatch found sanctity on Clone!Master¡¯s tongue.


    ¡°Come on,¡± she encouraged, her voice low and sultry. ¡°You always let Big Tits drink your milk... Now I want a chance to swallow it... You can fill my throat. You can even spray me with it. Just let me have it, Master... I¡¯ve been waiting a long time for this...¡± Secondster, Tilde had her wish as a parallel stream of sperm ejacted from the two penises, covering her beautiful face in ayer of thick, white seed. The smell was strong, and the semen had trouble sliding through her throat, sticking to it like a thick jelly. Tilde forced it down and savored the taste as it lingered on her soft lips.


    ¡°It¡¯s so delicious... I can¡¯t get enough.¡± Tilde was cuter than usual¡ªespecially after sumbing to her desires and getting rid of her rough, rigid exterior. At her heart, she was like any other woman-- she had few times within her long life to live the way she wanted. If she didn''t be what she ended up being, her psyche would¡¯ve been shattered a trillion times over by how despicable life could be.


    But where was that fear? It was certainly nowhere to be found. Crawling forward, she removed her pussy lips from Clone!Master¡¯s mouth and turned around. She was surprised to discover her smiling. She thought the clone skill was too low-level to develop emotions, but she was proud to be wrong. And this time, she was far more gentle with her sweet, syrupy words.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have a proper kiss, Clone!Master... For right now, I want you all to myself...¡± Tildeid down on Clone!Master¡¯s stomach. Their erect nipples pressed together as lips touched, causing electrifyingly passionate sparks to travel from one to the other. She worked her tongue, venturing just deep enough inside her mouth to extend an invitation, then retreated and waited for a response.


    It was lewd, sticky, wet, and moist. When Tilde used her knee to grind against the pair of cocks to make them hard again. They sandwiched her thighs, the slimy tips rubbing aggressively against her bare skin. The leaking precum was hot, in multiple definitions, and Tilde moved her hands to her Clone!Master¡¯s face. She softly petted those cheeks, looked into those brown eyes, kissed the tip of her cute nose, and licked her lips the same way Sekh did. ¡°I can be your lion, babe. I can be ferocious and roar with the best of them... I can be anything you want me to be, Master. Anything at all...¡±


    Her words were nectar and Clone!Master was the bee. Surprising the experienced fairy, she wrapped her arms around her back and put more effort into the kiss while slowly moving her tongue down. Tilde found a pair of expecting nipples¡ªstiff and erect, ready to party, and wasted no time in suckling them like a baby. Even small¡ªand practically non-existent, a mere clone of a chimera made Tilde feel like she was the only woman in the world. Her lover moved her hands down Tilde¡¯s back untiling to her ass, then groped and spread her cheeks apart while a finger ventured close to her pussy.


    The kiss was as intense as a raging fire¡ªenough to cause Tilde to climax. Shivers descended down her body, her eyes partly closed as strength left her, and she permitted Clone!Master to flip her to her back. Shey there like a muse, her beautiful body like a canvas to the marker that was her lover. Her legs slowly spread, allowing Clone!Master to crawl between as she prepared her two cocks. They each shrunk since it wouldn¡¯t fit, but M¡¯s gentle kindness was imparted when she made the replica. Slowly, she inserted one, pushing past Tilde¡¯s lower, delicious lips to taste her inner folds with her cock. Then came the second.


    A tight fit would be an understatement, but it didn¡¯t hurt. Tilde was sufficiently wet and ready to ept everything Clone!Master had to offer. Moans fluttered past her sweet lips, allowing her true feelings to be known to the only person in the world that mattered to her. She epted her penises with love as they scraped her inner folds, which couldn¡¯tpare to a human¡¯s or a beastfolk¡¯s in their tenderness.


    Clone!Master rubbed Tilde¡¯s thighs and started to move. The only thing on her mind, and really, the most vital order M gave her was to do all she could to make it as painless and enjoyable as possible because it was her first time with Tilde.


    But more than that, she was a trusted and loved member of M¡¯s new family. Emotions and passion ran high when Tilde couldn¡¯t keep her moans to herself. Her face was wet with happy tears, her eyes a glistening beauty that only wanted to stare at her lover. She held her arms up and weed Clone!Master into a tight embrace. The clone increased her pace and kissed Tilde, locking lips while forcing her tongue inside. The fairy was meek and submissive, granting ess and freedom to do what she wanted to her lover as she created a second tongue. They surrounded Tilde¡¯s tongue and hugged it, producing a mess of spit and salvia.


    Her legs wrapped around Clone!Master¡¯s waist, and her lover slowly removed her cocks, only keeping the tips in before suddenly thrusting it all in at once. The long, deep strokes suited Tilde¡¯sfy pussy more than quick, hasty stabs. The pressure in her testicles began to build, and her balls tightened. The long strokes slowed down just a hair before one final thrust allowed the semen to burst free, flooding Tilde''s insides in the clone¡¯s milk.


    ¡°Ye-- Yes!!! That¡¯s... That¡¯s it... Keep fucking me... I¡±m close... I¡¯m... I¡¯m... I¡¯m cumming!!!!!!¡± Tilde arched her back. When her pussy mped down on the pair of dicks fucking her, she came twice in hasty session. It was as if her eyes rolled to the back of her head, and she soon felt weak. In a daze of pleasure, she suffered a momentary bout of unconsciousness while the clone continued to lick her mouth beforeing to her senses.


    It was that...understanding behavior that stuck with the perverse fairy the most. Tilde was treated like a queen¡ªrealizing that her needs and care wereing first. She held Tilde close to her chest after leaning back and falling to her ass, slowly stroking her hair and giving her quick kisses on the cheek. Proper care for your partner was the first thing Tilde instilled into M, and that lesson was held close to her heart.


    ¡°Master...¡± Tilde whispered, reaching a hand down to the two penises. They soon merged into one and returned to their original, fairy-sized, proper length, but her sweaty hands refused to stop. ¡°You¡¯re my best student, you know. My only one, but you¡¯re the best one... You¡¯re treating me the way you ought to, especially after that fucking you gave me. My pussy¡¯s... It¡¯s numb, but that¡¯s good... I don¡¯t even think I can walk... You¡¯re hard... Really hard...¡± Tilde slithered her tongue down Clone!Master¡¯s body, spending more than a few minutes suckling on her Cowfolk tits. Her other hand groped and squeezed as if she was milking a cow, and imagine her surprise when, a few secondster, after an uncharacteristic moan from a mere emotional clone, milk flowed from her nipples and into her throat.


    Creamy and thick, Cowfolk milk was known as a source of nutrients that were second to none. Even the most well-bred dairy cow couldn¡¯t oftenpete with its taste, and Tilde preferred to drink it straight from the source whenever she had a chance. She moved the hand from the clone¡¯s penis and squeezed out as much as possible, swallowing rapidly to avoid choking.


    It was a mess. The warm milk overflowed, covering Tilde''s pink lips and dripping down her chest to coat her erect nipples before finding a home in a puddle of semen from where it leaked from her pussy. Tilde alternated tits, giving both the same amount of attention. She moved on, her tongue leaving a milky trail down the clone¡¯s stomach. The fairy licked and offered affection to the erect penis before sensually rubbing the clone''s exotic thighs.


    Clone!Mater spread her legs and gently cuddled Tilde¡¯s head between her hands. The fairy gave permission to use her throat as a fuck toy, and the clone obliged. Her gentle fingers lovingly rubbed her face before her penis rubbed against her inner cheeks. Tilde¡¯s tonguepped the shaft the best she could, taking in her and the clone¡¯sbined vor. Itbined with thest remnants of the breast milk, and Tilde couldn¡¯t describe the vor or joy this moment brought her.


    Yes, she felt like an object, but what brought her more happiness was the clone¡¯s facial expression. Her cheeks were flushed, a small smile stered across her face while her eyes glowed with love. And when their eyes met...


    The clone climaxed in Tilde¡¯s throat, pumping her stomach full of her jelly-like seed, and then, and only then, did she work Tilde¡¯s mouth. She brought the fairy¡¯s mouth close to her, filling it with her entire shaft until her chin tickled her balls, then moved her head away until her eyes stared at the cream-covered penis. Tilde knew immediately what the clone required of her, and she licked it clean. From the tip to her testicles, shepped up the semen and enjoyed the feeling of it traveling down her throat.


    But the clone didn¡¯t let go. No, Clone!Master uttered a single sentence... One that, while short, capitated and sent butterflies through Sekh''s stomach whenever she heard it.


    ¡°Good girl...¡±


    Then fucked her throat once more. She put more effort into it, and Tilde sped her lips around the shaft while sucking. If she wore lipstick or lip gloss, there was no doubt the dick she loved so much would¡¯ve been covered in colorful stains and lip marks. While the fairy felt the thick, long rod jab the back of her throat, she wondered if she could convince Big Tits to wear some. By and the others had a few sticks of the stuff lounging around, and their Master loved blowjobs and penis kisses.


    It would, no doubt, excite her to no end to see Sekh¡¯s perfect lips bless the cock she practically worshipped with physical, color proof of her devotion and love. That was part of Tilde¡¯s n, actually. The Transcendent Dark Lord was, in her mind, a master of all. The one to hold this title requirednd, a country, citizens, armies, ships, draconic legions, and plenty of women and men to satiate their lust. If it meant leading a legion of cock gobbling champions, as she imed herself to be, then that was a tremendous task she was willing to take.


    Anything for the most important person in her life... If her beloved Transcendent Dark Lordmanded her throat to be used exclusively for her pleasure until the end of time, Tilde would¡¯ve epted that with glee and a body ready to answer her lord¡¯s deepest, darkest, and lewdest desires.


    ¡°My lord...¡± Tilde whispered, her throat full of sperm. That was all she smelled and tasted. Her face was covered in creamy semen. Her ck hair was sshed white, leaving only her pretty wings as the only thing left unsoiled. ¡°Is there no end to it? You¡¯ve came seven times... Ahh... I love you... I love you, my lord...¡± The fairy stared at the cock she¡¯d be deeply familiar with. She cleaned it free from wayward semen before turning around on her hands and knees. Sticking her ass up, she spread her cheeks. But what she brought attention to <i>wasn¡¯t </i>her pussy...


    ¡°You¡¯ve never done anal with Big Tits, right? Master... No, my lord... This is my devotion to you... I¡¯ve never been fucked in the ass, but you can be... This¡¯ll be a first we can share... Please, fuck my ass, my lord. Let us have something exclusive to us...¡±


    Silently, Clone!Master approached the waiting Tilde while jerking off to maintain an erection. She slightly bent down, grasped the fairy¡¯s waist with one hand, and enveloped her cock in slime to act as lube. Then she gently pressed the tip to her asshole. Progress was slow, but the difference in feeling couldn¡¯t be denied. Her moist, inner vaginal folds were a different type of pleasure whenpared to her ass, but Clone!Master let loose a girlish moan and licked her lips.


    She leaned her chest against Tilde¡¯s back, her breasts wet and slick with more slime. Her strokes were long and slow, but her cock was enough to fill Tilde¡¯s ass. There was no friction, and after she loosened up, Tilde stopped gritting her teeth and let out more of those delicious purrs her lord loved so much. After a few seconds, Tilde started to push it back, matching Clone!Master¡¯s thrusts with her own movements and causing her skin to lightly ripple.


    ¡°Ahhh~~~ MMmmnn... My lord!!!! Grab my arms!!! p my ass!!!! Harder!!!! Harder!!!!¡±


    <i>Smack!!!</i>


    <i>Smack!!!</i>


    <i>Smack!!!</i>


    Tilde¡¯s ass tightened with each strike, leaving behind a red-hand print on her pristine bottom. The clone grabbed her wrists and pulled back, causing Tilde to lean up. The fairy''s tongue lewdly hung out of her mouth, her eyes already zed over twice with the pleasure of a climax. It seemed delicious juices squirted from her pussy with her constant moans. The clone¡¯s rate increased, an audible noiseing from where her crotch smacked into Tilde¡¯s ass. Clone!Master¡¯s testicles pped against the sprite¡¯s pussy, coating them in her vor.


    ¡°AAAhhhhhhhh!!!!!


    ¡°MMMmmmmmmmm!!!!!!¡±


    The clone shuddered, delivering a watery load of sperm straight into Tilde¡¯s ass. It flowed like urine and seemingly never ended while Tilde experienced a constant overload of orgasms from her first anal creampie. Her ass was full, but when the clone¡¯s penis wentid and slipped out, she clenched her butt to keep proof of her Master¡¯s love within herself.


    But she couldn¡¯t remain strong, and it dripped, leaking onto the table and dirtying it.


    All the strength and reason she had disappeared. When she copsed to her chest, she didn¡¯t expect tond within the arms of her one and only.


    Tilde was also loud and proud, never afraid to speak what was on her mind. If she saw something she disliked, it would be out of character to remain quiet rather than fix whatever issue pissed her off.


    But she was also a woman. One that desired and wanted love and affection. In her long, long life, she yearned to find her soul mate¡ªto fulfill her sole purpose in life...


    And now that was aplished.


    She rested her weary, exhausted head on the clone¡¯s chest and buried her face between her tits. ¡°My lord... Promise me... Promise me you won¡¯t ever die...¡± Her voice was quiet, and while she didn¡¯t get a response, she felt her Master¡¯s clone wrap her arms around her. ¡°Promise me you¡¯ll be the one I always dreamed of... It¡¯s...hard...knowing you¡¯re going to outlive everyone you¡¯ve ever met. I can¡¯t die. I tried, you know. A few thousand years ago, one of the only High Elves I¡¯ve ever respected took his life because he couldn¡¯t find joy in outliving his human wife. And I needed him... But I couldn¡¯t join him in death because my job wasn¡¯t done. But it¡¯s done now... Even without me, you¡¯ll be fine. You know why? Because you¡¯re my lord...


    ¡°But even if I miss him, I refuse to leave you alone because I know how loneliness and betrayal feel... I will never abandon you, my lord. Not even for a minute. So that¡¯s why... So that¡¯s why you have to promise me you won¡¯t die. Promise me you¡¯ll help me fulfill my purpose... Promise me you¡¯ll be the true Transcendent Dark Lord... And not just one in training...¡±


    Tilde spoke openly from the heart, letting loose feelings she had long forgotten about. Keeping a tough exterior throughout the ages took a heavy toll on her. As someone who¡¯d lived through the rise and fall of countless kingdoms, there was very little that could strike fear into her soul...


    And loneliness...was one of them.


    ¡°I...promise...Tilde...¡± spoke the clone. Her words were slow and slurred, irrefutable proof that she had little time remaining. Tilde¡¯s eyes were watery, her nose sniffing as an emotional upset was on her quivering lips. She hugged the clone tighter and finally cried, her face buried within her chest. She pleaded with the clone to remain.


    Deep down, she knew the clone was just that. A clone. They always had limited lifespans since they weren¡¯t expected to live even a fraction of a life spanpared to the one they were birthed from. But this clone brought pleasure and safety to a fairy that was often alone.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go!!! I need you here... If you go... It just means... It means... Please!!!!!¡± Tilde whined. She shrieked when she felt her face ¡®dip¡¯ inside the clone¡¯s chest, which meant it could hardly maintain a physical form anymore. ¡°I can¡¯t bear to see you die!!! You said you wouldn¡¯t die!!! Don¡¯t lie to me!!!¡±


    She knew she was overreacting.


    She knew her lord only had to make a spare clone, and this wonderous time could continue yet again.


    She knew that.


    She knew that she knew that.


    But seeing the clone perish? It just told her fractured mind that if a clone with the form of her lord could die, then it meant her lord could pass away. That death was a real possibility for her in the near future.


    And since her heart was in a tumultuous state...


    Tilde just...broke down. With her little fists, the pixie pounded the desk and tried her hardest to collect the remaining dark green goop of what used to be the clone. Her breakdown continued, and she wasn¡¯t aware of a spectator.


    After hearing her scream, Sekh rushed up the stairs to check on Tilde, but she remained in the hall and only peeked in because she figured it wasn¡¯t her ce to intrude. She herself had many secrets about her past lives that hadn¡¯t had a chance toe up in conversation. Likewise, she figured the mysterious fairy was cut from the same cloth.


    And it wasn¡¯t like Sekh couldn¡¯t rte to Tilde¡¯s worries. The Dark Lord of Tyranny was no stranger to nightmares about her waking up to find her liege dead. Or during a battle with a fearsome enemy, being unable to protect the one that offered her a second chance at life.


    And yes, even if it was a clone, Sekh didn¡¯t want to see someone that looked like her liege get hurt, if it wasn¡¯t part of a training session, or die, even if it was a mere clone¡ªsomething her liege could produce an infinite amount of as long as she had the mana.


    Rather than making her presence known, Sekh walked away from Tilde¡¯s torment and returned downstairs to Niva.


    About forty minutester, her fluffy ears picked up the silent noise of fluttering wings, and she turned from her training in the training room to spot a fairy. She looked no different than before she left to have sex with the clone, and her rough, brutish attitude was still the same, but something... Something was different...


    ¡°You can stop your training, right? For like fifteen minutes? Come with me. We gotta pick up some stuff,¡± Tilde said.


    ¡°Why?¡± was Sekh¡¯s reply. She would usually be coarse with the foul-mouthed fairy, but the vitriol wasn¡¯t present in her tone.


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you. Just know that our Master would love it. Is that good enough for you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all you had to say.¡± Sekh took a breather and wiped the sweat from her brow after setting down her mace and shield. She drank a cup of water and moved the drenched hair from her eyes. When Tilde took a seat on Niva¡¯sp, Sekh grabbed hold of the wheelchair¡¯s handle. The fairy refused to expand on her cryptic mission, so with a sigh, Sekh started towards the front door.


    <i>Really, what does she have in mind?</i>

 Chapter Forty-Seven: Self-Empowerment (R-18) – Part One

    Chapter Forty-Seven: Self-Empowerment (R-18) ¨C Part One


    Speaking with Ruru during our little fishing trip motivated me to do something I should''ve done much earlier.


    It was time to learn about the wonderful world of enchanting!


    I had hundreds of cores that were dutifully extracted from goblins, boars, scatter bats, slime, draingi, and araneae. I even had one from Glog, Metalborn Prince of Goblins¡ªthe boss that dwelled within the Mines of Gamor.


    Honestly? Now was, by far, the best time to get a handle on that since we had time to kill. And it wasn¡¯t like we had any severemitments other than waiting. But right as I left the Deerfolk and his ward, my activity log indicated the mana from the clone I had made was only just now returning to me. And with it came the memories and feelings of what it did with Tilde.


    <i>Wow... She wasn¡¯t kidding...</i>


    The images and visuals shing through my mind were like a movie, and without even thinking about it, I reverted my crotch to Murag¡¯s penis. The front of my shorts felt tight, and I quickly wrapped the waist cloth around my lower body to act as a skirt while hurrying to the mansion. The AI told me Sekh was in the training room with Tilde and Niva, so I walked to the second floor after entering and stared over the balcony. In the time it took to do this, my erection hade and gone, leaving meid.


    Sekh was in abat stance with her shield at the ready. Her armor was lying nearby, and she was training in only her tunic as a fountain of sweat littered the floor. With a focused expression, nocturnal mes curled around her shield and slowly enveloped it until it was like a wave of torment. It looked like this was an exercise in manipting [ck Fire] becauserge circles of the training room were covered in ash and burnt marks.


    The congration nketing her shield continued to spread until it formed something like a tower shield with a pointy end. Sekh lifted and mmed it into the ground. The shadow mes started to trail out from the impact until they had created a circle three feet in diameter. At that point, everything within that boundary was set aze in a tyrannical inferno devoid of any light. It was like the very mes of a dark, void-like reality were swallowing this world piece by piece.


    ¡°[ck Fire: Immtion]!!!¡± Sekh continued to channel the technique even while her footing became wobbly and uneven. Pained expressions covered her face. Perhaps it was too much strain because the ze promptly vanished in a shimmer and left behind a reminder it was alive in the form of ash. She dropped to one knee and violently gasped for air. I hopped down from the balcony and rushed to her, extending a hand.


    ¡°My liege... How... How long have you been watching...?¡± she asked with bated breath, coughing for a few seconds while I rubbed and patted her back.


    ¡°Just for a minute or two. Are you alright? Don¡¯t overdo it.¡± I refused to let her go because I wanted to hug and pat her head. Sekh said when she was in her prime, she could create a me circle dozens of miles big because [ck Fire], and its evolved forms, were more like an extension of her body. Unfortunately, Sekh didn¡¯t retain that ability to freely manipte it. But since she once knew how to do it, it was carved onto her soul. So, it wasn¡¯t a question of ¡®if¡¯ she would relearn it.


    It was ¡®when.¡¯


    I looked around at the damage she¡¯d done and asked if she felt better, to which she replied with a genuine nod. ¡°It¡¯s technically my house, I guess. What happens to it is up to me. Come on, let¡¯s go take a bath.¡±


    After grabbing Niva¡¯s wheelchair, we all went up to Susize¡¯s room and quickly stripped down to enjoy the oh-so-rxing paradise that was her bathroom. This time, though, we put Aello¡¯s housewarming gift to use. Sekh asked me about my day while I washed her back with the pink cloths.


    ¡°It was worthwhile,¡± I replied. ¡°Niva, I¡¯ve got good news.¡± She looked at me with a puzzled expression and a face full of white suds. ¡°Enap finished Arguna¡¯s arm, and he¡¯s started on the leg and foot. And Ruru is making an elixir for you.¡±


    ¡°Aaaahhhhh...¡± The cloth escaped her weakened grip as tears slipped down those cheeks, washing away a thin line of foamy soap. She waved her arm, and more sounds came out of her mouth, but there wasn¡¯t anything cohesive. Still, I knew she was indescribably happy. And quite possibly full of emotion.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy for you, Niva,¡± Sekh said, lifting her arms so I could wash the front of her body. I gingerly took more time than necessary because I wanted to be sure everything was extra soapy. It was fun getting more intimate with her body through touch alone. So much so that she stood up, grabbed a cloth, turned around, and we washed each other while gazing into each other¡¯s eyes. It was sensual and sexy, but we never progressed past that point and had sex. But she did wrap the washcloth around my penis and balls and ascertained they were extra clean before finishing me off with her mouth. I held her head with my hands and rubbed her cheeks when I came in her throat. Licking her lips, she smiled like a divine beauty when I pulled her to my chest and hugged her tightly.


    After that, we just decided to rest and rx. I transformed back into my slime form andzily floated across the surface. When I was near Niva, she reached out to find me, then softly patted me even while tears clouded her eye. ¡°You¡¯ve done well to recover thus far, Niva. Just a little bit longer, okay?¡± she nodded once more and touched a hand to her heart. Eventually, I floated back towards Sekh, but Tilde decided to take a ride on me like I was a turtle. But I couldn¡¯tin about anything, really.


    But I did tease her about what she and the clone did. Her cheeks took on this adorable, cute blush, and she pounded the top of my slimy body with her little fists.


    <i>Suppose I have a new-found affection for her. Fuck, I love her so much. And Sekh, too. They¡¯re the bestpanions a girl like me could ask for.</i>


    <hr>


    The n was to have dinner before we moved on to what was surely going to be a lengthy endeavor, but I couldn¡¯t wait that long. With a few pots of water on the stove, I sat at the table with Sekh, Tilde, and Niva and pulled out a couple of goblin and boar cores.


    ¡°Okay. If you want to enchant something, it must be blessed. Blessing grants an item enchantment slots dependent on the level of your enchanting skill. You¡¯re at Lv. 1, so you get one slot. But that one slot isn¡¯t restricted by anything. If there was a monster core withplete immunity to the elements, the shittiest shield could receive it. Because it¡¯s not about the item''s quality,¡± Tilde said. She exined further and covered every little detail.


    Blessing an item requires materials rted to that item and a certain amount of mana. At lower-quality gear, the requirements were easy to fulfill. For example, Sekh¡¯s armor only needed items obtained from a boar to bless it. The actual process was also simple, but it required an enchanting table. Usually, they were made from metal or wood with a high amount of mana conductivity. A table varied in the number of cores it could support. Some only had enough slots for two, while others had hundreds, but each one interlinked with each other via mana circuits that looked like the bus lines on aputer chip. The reason why? You had to mix the skills embedded within the cores to get to the more powerful enchantments.


    Let''s say I had three cores that had {sh Resistance}, {Pierce Resistance}, and {Crushing Resistance}. On their own, that would upy three slots. But when ced on an enchanting table, the three wouldbine and be a generic {Physical Resistance} enchantment that only took one slot. On the other hand, you could upgrade enchanting tables to have it always impart a skill, which would make it a freebie.


    Tilde said the most expensive tables added an extra slot, so equipment with 11 slots wasn''t impossible.


    But enchanting wasn¡¯t a poor man¡¯s hobby. A low-quality table ran a few dozen gold. Even the mid-range cost more than a peasant made in a dozen lifetimes. You could rent them, but that still took a lot of money.


    Luckily, I was living in the home of a High Elf that valued preparation, so it didn¡¯t take long to find one hidden away in the storage room. And as expected, it was one of the ones that were at the top of the line.


    And it weighed about 900 pounds while being six feet long and four feet wide. Sekh and I had a hell of a time trying to bring it to the kitchen table. So much so that I had to shapeshift into Glog, Metalborn Prince of Goblins, for the extra muscle.


    Honestly, the table itself looked magnificent. Decorated with gold and rubies, the table''s background depicted what must¡¯ve been Susize and Aetos flying high above Vredi Forest when they were far younger. It was like a tale told within a single painting, and the Susize inside me felt connected. Without missing a beat, Sekh removed her armor and ced it in the middle of the table. A menu appeared within my vision with the required items to bless it. And by it, I meant the armor as a whole. The helmet, chest, bracers, gloves, greaves, and boots were separate items that each required individual blessings.


    And I did not have enough, so I settled for blessing the breastte. Boar hide, boar tusks, boar cores, and boar meat were examples of what I needed, but I only needed seven items. Tilde said there were tables that could use cores as substitutes for blessing, but this wasn''t one of them. Had I wanted to bless the whole set, it¡¯d require over 40 materials, and I didn¡¯t have that. After satisfying the condition by pulling out seven boar parts, they transformed into colorless mana and danced around the breastte before being absorbed into it.


    In my activity log, I was alerted to the sessful blessing and acquisition of a new title.


    <b><i>New Title: [Novice Blesser]</i></b>


    <i>Okay, so it seems like there¡¯s a hierarchy to crafting titles. I got [Novice cksmith] back when I first started forging with Irisa. I still haven¡¯t gotten the second tier, yet. Makes sense, I guess, since you really gotta put in a ton of effort.</i>


    ¡°Okay, so that¡¯s taken care of,¡± Tilde said, pointing to the breastte. ¡°Remove everything but that. Then start taking out the orbs and putting them in the slots. Remember to use [Analysis] to see what skills they hold. Or you can use the AI to help you filter by offensive, defensive, or utility enchantments. And you can add additional filters if you want, so you can sort them by level, when you acquired them, what monster they came from, and stuff like that. Proper use of evolving [Biological AI] means you gotta work it like a dog.¡±


    I remembered what Tilde said aboutbining multiple enchantments, and I yed around with them. It seemed the goblin cores focused on enhancing physical defense and physical attacking. The scatter bat provided protection against ailments and debuffs. The slimes, however, increased your regeneration of mana. Likewise, the spiders improved piercing damage and offered resistance to poisoning.


    It was clear to me, and Sekh backed me up on this, that the best option was increasing her defenses. I had the appropriate cores to acquire {Physical Resistance}, so that was my goal. Tilde, however, stopped me. ¡°This table is enchanted with the ability to remove an item¡¯s enchantment.¡± I didn¡¯t see why that was so important until she grabbed a core that improved crushing damage. ¡°Before you do anything, use this.¡±


    ¡°Okay, but I don¡¯t know why,¡± I replied, cing the core onto one of the divots. A menu appeared in my vision asking me if I wanted {Crushing Damage (Lv. 1)} applied to the breastte. I confirmed it. The core dissolved into pure mana, which traveled along the mana lines on the table to the piece of equipment. It shed for a moment, and I acquired another title.


    <b><i>New Title: [Novice Enchanter]</i></b>


    ¡°It is now possible to recreate the enchantment {Crushing Damage (Lv. 1)}, my lord,¡± said the AI, who bloomed into existence in front of me.


    ¡°Yep! When you break it down, an enchantment is literally just a set of specific instructions locked within a core, and the AI can lock onto those instructions and copy them. However, it requires a shit load of mana to brute force it this way. And I mean a lot. Even a Lv. 1 enchantment will drain you as you are now, and don¡¯t even try to do a Lv. 2 or Lv. 3. Speaking of which, there is very little difference between a skill and enchantment of the same name. So, if you had the skill [Fire Resistance (Lv. 3)] and enchantment {Fire Resistance (Lv. 7)}, they would not add together. Instead, you¡¯d receive the effects of the one that¡¯s a higher level,¡± exined Tilde. ¡°Oh, this goes without saying, but the AI keeps track of each level of an enchantment. You¡¯ll still be able to enchant something with {Physical Resistance (Lv. 1)} even if you know the Lv. 3 version.¡±


    When I opened my Status Menu, I saw a separate button to open the enchantment menu, and yes, there it was. ¡°You know what you must do. Save the cores that have {sh Resistance}, {Pierce Resistance}, and {Blunt Resistance} until the end so you can get {Physical Resistance},¡± said the fairy.


    Tilde was hinting at me using all my cores, and I did. I quickly discovered that if I used all avable slots on the enchanting table, the menu that appeared was my best friend. It removed the guesswork from this rather tedious process. But it wasn¡¯t all bad because I also learned you could make {Physical Resistance (Lv. 3)} if you had enough fodder material with the required skills. It was like me assimting a hundred thousand goblins to max out [Spear]. Well, almost. It was the same difference.


    Tilde said it was much easier to just put in the effort to find the monster cores with the higher ranks of the skills I needed rather than trying to work my way up from the bottom. In her words, there wasn¡¯t an enchanting table with tens of thousands of core holders. In the end, I had quite a few enchantments popting my menu, including one that increased all physical damage. It was Lv. 2, but it was still a generic buff. Unfortunately, Sekh¡¯s mace required iron to bless, and I was totally out. But other than that, I had enchantments that offered resistance against venom, poison, and the bleeding debuff. My goal of eventually making our casual clothing as tough as armor remained out of reach for the time being, but I was going to eventually aplish that.

 Chapter Forty-Seven: Self-Empowerment (R-18) – Part Two

    Chapter Forty-Seven: Self-Empowerment (R-18) ¨C Part Two


    A few hourster, when night fell even more across this pleasant little vige, Sekh and I were cuddling in bed. She wrapped her arms around my chest and rested her head against my shoulder. Niva hugged a clone version of my slime form. Her smile was so big when she petted it, and I was happy for her. Pulling out the songleaf from [Storage], I started to y a rich, airy melody. It was poetic in nature¡ªcollecting and distributing a wafting, ethereal tone with highs and lows across this extravagant mansion. Perhaps that was the very definition of irony? Especially considering my true nature being of an abominable monster hated by the world for simply existing and being able to y this enchanting song?


    Did it matter? ying it soothed my heart.


    Once I was done, I stored the leaf away and cuddled with Sekh after sheplimented me on my performance. After a few seconds, a random thought came to my mind about the AI. When asked if it could ¡®read,¡¯ I was happily informed it was literate. Even more incredible was that, with my permission, it could ¡®upload¡¯ the information to my mind as a form of photographic memory. If that was too invasive, it could connect my mind to a databank created within the AI¡¯s information database. If that didn¡¯t work, the AI told me I could leave everything to it and query it for what I needed. And that was probably the best way to go about this. But I was going to try the other ways once it had some info.


    With that in mind, I headed to Murag¡¯s room to store as many of his tomes as possible because I had the space after using those cores. There were still about 200 books left, but I had more than enough. The AI was given themand to read through everything as I slipped into bed and cuddled with Sekh.


    Somehow, the conversation turned lewd and involved slime. I already knew I could form it into things and break it off, but using it for sex? Sekh and I experimented a little bit, and it took a few attempts to form my slime into a rectangr shape slightly longer and girthier than my penis. Sekh held it in her hands and squeezed it a bit while I pulled off the covers and jerked off. However, I returned my penis to its original length and watched as Sekh grabbed my dick with one hand while pushing down the slime sex toy with the other.


    <i>I think these things are called onaholes.</i>


    Biting my lip, I lightly moaned as she continued to push it down until my whole penis waspletely covered. The slime was so squishy and blubbery, but it had little folds ribbed around it. Sekh licked her lips when she pulled the slimy fuck toy off my penis. ¡°Oh, fuck... That feels good~~~¡± She moved her hands faster, alternating between hasty and deep, slow strokes. Before I knew it, I thrust my hips to match her handjob and came without warning. Thick ropes of semen ejacted up, filling up the slime until the forest green had a solid white interior.


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot,¡± Sekh noted when she stared at the onahole. Thanks to how it was made, semen couldn''t leak out of the bottom. Exasperated and out of breath, I stared at Sekh with pleasured-filled eyes, wondering what her next move was.


    Never did I expect her to touch the slime to her lips and drink my semen as if it was a nutritional drink. My sperm dribbled down her chin and onto her breasts, but she continued swallowing until it was empty.


    ¡°It¡¯s always so delicious,¡± Sekh seductively whispered. She was always so erotic, even when she didn¡¯t mean to be.


    I jerked off while staring at her beauty, and she seductively crawled across the bed to kiss me. She yed with my tits, her hands molding them as if they were putty. They felt heavier than usual... And then a familiar feeling came across me as warm, creamy milk flowed from my nipples, covering Sekh¡¯s soft palms...


    ¡°Milk...? Breast milk...?¡± Sekh¡¯s tail quizzically slithered across the bed as she licked her fingers. I felt this same feeling when the clone¡¯s mana returned to me but experiencing it in the flesh?


    It was...nearly indescribable. My boobs felt hot and full. Sekh cautiously put a hand on my nipple and slightly squeezed, causing me to cover her stomach with semen as I climaxed. It was like tiny needles danced across my breasts, but the warm, hot feeling never left me for a moment as myctation continued.


    ¡°Damn, that¡¯s a lot more than the clone. Hey, Big Tits. Drink it up good, and maybe you¡¯ll have some honkers as big as her... Wait... On second thought, don¡¯t. Those fat udders don¡¯t need to get any bigger, hahahaha!¡± Tildeughed, but I saw her groping hercking chest. ¡°But for real. Cowfolk milk is, and I¡¯m being serious here, way better than milk from an actual cow. It¡¯s higher quality, has way more nutrients, and if you¡¯re sick or recovering, a nice ss of Cowfolk tiddie juice is just what the doctor ordered. And I¡¯m being a thousand percent serious, Master.¡±


    ¡°So... You¡¯re saying Niva should drink my milk? Would that help her recover faster?¡± Tilde nodded, then stated I could mold my slime into a bottle, then stash that within [Storage]. Items ced within would never go bad, after all. ¡°Niva? It¡¯s up to you, honestly. I won¡¯t force you to do anything.¡±


    ¡°Ahhh...¡± She opened her mouth to speak, but only mere sounds flowed out. She quickly nodded, though, and pointed to her wounds with her remaining hand.


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s that... Sekh?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± She stared at my face.


    ¡°Can you...milk me?¡± I quickly crafted two slime bottles with one hand and moved Sekh¡¯s fingers with my breasts with the other.


    ¡°My liege...¡± She softly repeated. She grabbed one of the bottles and ced it around my nipple, then had me turn around until I leaned my back against her chest. Slowly, she used both hands to wrap around my boobs, then gently milked me.


    ¡°Ahhhh~~~¡± I couldn¡¯t hold back the moans. Both hands went to my stiff, erect penis, and I jerked off without shame.


    A momentter, I produced a clone of Sekh and filled her mouth with my cock. The slime clone Niva held vanished, but she wasn¡¯t rmed after Tilde exined things.


    When the first bottle was full, my boobs were bigger and heavier, and I orgasmed four times. Utterly devoid of breath, I was nearly at the cusp of insanity when it came time to fill the second one. Clone!Sekh was quiet, devoid of emotion, and didn¡¯t even look up to meet my gaze, but her mouth wasfy and warm. Her tongue was a nice, hot, sultry bed toy my cock upon, and she sucked with such enthusiasm to swallow thest bit of semen stubbornly stuck in my urethra.


    But my erection never died down. Even when Sekh brought a bottle to Niva, and she drank it dry, all I could focus on was fucking the clone¡¯s mouth. She rxed her throat and let me take the lead. Caressing her soft cheeks, which were full of my cock, I offered my affection. My semen was like a waterfall. It drained past the corners of her mouth to her tits, where it collected in herp. Niva licked her lips to clean them, ced a hand over her heart as if to thank me, andid her tired head on her pillow.


    The bottle Sekh held dissolved into mana and returned to me, and Tilde flew to the second bottle to stash it in our [Storage]. Clone!Sekh vanished when the real one sat down, and I wasted little time jumping towards her. We tumbled and rolled until I was on top. My fingers found hers, and we held hands while my erection rubbed her stomach. ¡°I can¡¯t take it... Sekh, I need you... I want to fuck you so bad...¡±


    ¡°Then fuck me, my liege,¡± she said with a cute smile. Leaning up, she kissed my lips, but I didn¡¯t think she expected the passion I imparted.


    We descended into a scious mess to satisfy our growing desires and exhausted ourselves twice before moving to the pond, where Sekh straddled my hips while I sat with my legs in the water. She gyrated her hips with heavy sciousness that I was drawn to her every desire. I licked her neck, cheeks, and lips with such vigor that I almost wanted to be one with her.


    And I did that. I felt my slime wrap around my body like ayer of sugar, then it spread outwards and up until it enclosed Sekh. We were like two beings in one¡ªthe same body¡ªthe same passion¡ªthe same sexual lust building between our senses. My heat¡ªher heat¡ªour heat. It felt like her, me, and our yearning to bring out the ultimate pleasure within the other were the only things that existed in this world.


    ¡°AAAHHHHHHHH~~~~~¡± We erupted into a loud cry simultaneously as the slime enclosing us broke apart like a cracking egg. I shot my thick load deep within Sekh''s pussy, straining with every ounce of strength to keep pulsating my hips for a second longer. The desire to remain upright abandoned me for greener pastures, and my back mmed against the cool grass.


    ¡°Ahhhhh.... Ahhhhhh... Ahhhhh...¡± Sekh¡¯s hastened breaths were the only noises other than the nocturnal hoots of the owls flying near the Eagle Yew. Myid penis eventually slipped out of her, causing the semen to gush into the pond. But it was cleaned momentster when the water purified itself. I checked on Sekh and rubbed her back, then scratched her behind the ears before caressing her cheeks with both hands.


    We remained like that¡ªmyself on the ground and her on my chest¡ªuntil she had gained the strength to sit up. I took her hand in mind, and we shared another loving gaze. We dipped our post-coitus bodies in the warm water to rx our muscles. Sekh stole little pecks and licked my lips, and I¡¯d return them with a whisper of my love.


    ¡°My liege, what do you think Irisa¡¯s doing?¡± Sekh asked me, holding my erect penis by the shaft. It was like we held hands.


    Kinda.


    Or maybe not. But I grew my dick to its full length. If she wanted to hold it, I wasn¡¯t going to deny her.


    Besides, I was horny...very horny. Being milked must¡¯ve awakened something within me.


    ¡°I dunno. Let¡¯s find out,¡± I replied, telling the AI to search for Irisa and disy the results in satellite mode. Twenty secondster, the AI materialized and did what I asked. And there she was¡ªa green-skinned beauty with fascinating horns sprouting off her forehead, sitting at the dinner table with her mom and dad.


    ¡°Is there a way we canmunicate with them?¡± Honestly, I was curious about that. I thought it over for a second and realized my waypoints could form letters if I used enough. It took a minute to get my idea across to the AI, but if it produced a keyboard for me to type my message, then disyed those words in front of Irisa using my waypoints, then possibly...


    Another minuteter, I was typing a simple message: ¡®I hope things are going fine. - M¡¯ and watched in real-time as sparks of pirs appeared and suddenly shrunk to the size of a marble


    ¡°WAAA!!!¡± Irisa cutely yelped. She dropped her chunk of fish in herp and hurriedly grabbed it with her hands to not let it be corrupted by the floor.


    ¡°M?¡± Kokan whispered my name. He looked up and smiled with a friendly wave.


    ¡°Wait, she can see us? M, dear? Are you there?¡± Ichiha asked.


    <i>Yes, I am. I¡¯m sorry for scaring you, Irisa.</i>


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. I¡¯m just really d you¡¯re okay. That blue waypoint thingie hasn¡¯t moved in a while, so I got a bit scared.¡±


    <i>Oh, so it works even while in a bounded field? That¡¯s good news. But yes, we¡¯re doing fine. Enap¡¯s working on the order as we speak.</i>


    We chatted for a few minutes while they ate dinner, and it was awesome that I couldmunicate with them like this, even though we were days away. ording to them, the situation still hadn¡¯t changed. The mines were still closed off, and it almost looked like things would arrive at a boiling point soon if Gloria didn¡¯t fix her stubborn ways. Word of what had been going on had reached a few small viges to the north, so they were sending a few wagons of supplies, but 19,000 people were a lot. Again, it was such a boon they were a cliff / coastal city. But the dangers of overfishing would soon rear their head if this continued.


    For a proper city to survive, it needed a thriving economy, and you couldn¡¯t really have that if one of the primaryponents in the circle of trade¡ªthe dungeon¡ªwas cut off without a single warning. But talk of potential dangers in the future soured our conversation, so we turned it to the vige. I exined about Ruru, Arguna, Aello, and even the little Dryad I¡¯d met. I also told them I aplished my goal of assimting a slime and draingi and exined my evolution and acquirement of [Base Body].


    It really warmed my heart to see them happy for me.


    <i>I do miss you guys.</i>


    ¡°Aww, M... We miss you too. But it won¡¯t be long, right?¡± Irisa said. She gave me a wink, causing my heart to skip many, many beats. ¡°When you get back, let¡¯s have a big dinner to celebrate!¡±


    <i>That sounds like fun. I¡¯ll talk to you guyster.</i>


    Irisa and her parents looked up and waved, and Sekh and I did the same even though they couldn¡¯t see us. When the disy vanished along with the AI, I still saw Irisa¡¯s face in my mind. Her cute smile and bubbly personality were almost infectious.


    And I believed I wanted to be infected.

 Chapter 47.5: A Lioness’s Passionate Roar (R-18) – Part One

    Chapter 47.5: A Lioness¡¯s Passionate Roar (R-18) ¨C Part One


    I stared at my liege¡¯s face aftermunicating with Irisa and her family. I knew seeing herforted my liege¡¯s heart, and I was happy nothing was wrong. While trapped in the crystal, the thought of me findingpassion and friendship, let alone pure camaraderie, never crossed my mind for a second.


    Yet here I was, holding the penis of a chimera I wanted to follow for the rest of my life, taking care of a half-breed cyclops, and wishing my friend and her family were safe and sound. If the Dark Lord of Tyranny a thousand years ago were to see me now, she¡¯d kill me where I stood without any prejudice, even if it meant ending herself.


    But I didn¡¯t have the curse... At least, for the remainder of this life, there wasn¡¯t a need to worry about it corrupting my soul. But being free to love¡ªactually feeling an emotion that used to be forbidden from ever blessing my heart?


    It... It couldn¡¯t be described, but my past would always be there. And if things didn¡¯t go to n, I would eventually fulfill my original purpose and destroy this detestable world with the help of the Transcendent Dark Lord.


    Even this idyllic paradise created from the carcass of one of my greatest foes would be a wastnd of death and corpses. Hopes and dreams, dead by my hand, would overflow what protection the pathetic Aetos had to offer.


    No matter how far or fast you ran, your past would always catch up with you. You couldn¡¯t evade it. You couldn¡¯t dodge it. Escaping to the end of the could only dy the inevitable...


    <i>So why do I...</i>


    ¡°Sekh.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my liege?¡± Whatever thoughts floated around my mind scattered as my attention was solely focused on the most vital being in my life. I was ready to do her bidding¡ªno matter what it was. Those pretty brown eyes were like thick honey, and I felt blessed to have them look upon me.


    ¡°Are you okay? You haven¡¯t said anything for the past ten minutes.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine. I was thinking about...the future... About... What¡¯s awaiting me at the end... I¡¯m sorry for worrying you. Depressing thoughts have no ce--¡±


    ¡°No, they do. Your mental and physical needs have a ce here. Please don¡¯t hide anything from me,¡± said my liege, rubbing my ears so affectionately that I found myself purring at her gentle touch and loving, graceful smile.


    ¡°Ah¡ªOf course. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t apologize. When it¡¯s you and I, there¡¯s simply no need for that,¡± said my liege. She rxed and spread her arms wide to the side, stretching while slowly sinking further into the pond. My hand remained on her penis, and I moved my palm up and down the entire 11 inches. It was so girthy I couldn¡¯t touch the tips of my thumb and index finger.


    I moved closer to the highlight of my life and kissed her cheeks, her breathing increasing as her cock tensed. Licking her lips, I was ready to flood this bath with her thick essence¡­


    But themand never came.


    My liege took her hand and lifted mine away from her crotch, then stood up. She extended a hand, and we embraced under the vivid moonlight.


    ¡°There¡¯s something I want you to do,¡± she suddenly said. ¡°Sit down.¡± I did as she asked. The grass was warm and smooth under my ass, and I waited for anothermand.


    My liege almost seemed hesitant to continue, but she eventually instructed me to lift a leg. When I did, she straddled it and used the top of my foot to massage her balls. She was nearly¡­disgusted? As if she was doing something immoral, but I quickly washed that fear from my liege¡¯s face with a moan. My pussy felt slick and wet¡ªmy womb nearly throbbing for that penis, which had ravaged me countless times, to push apart my lower lips and im me as her own.


    Spreading my other leg, I offered her a view of my pussy and masturbated, alternating my stares between her throbbing cock andctating breasts. Her milk was creamy and thick¡ªdelicious beyond all belief that it had to be tasted to be believed. Her testicles slid across my feet as if they held less friction than ice. She gyrated her hips and humped, her balls thick with savory semen I¡¯d be so ustomed to tasting.


    It was always thick like jelly, clinging to my throat while filling my senses with her savory scent. I started to move my foot to match her thrusting, and my liege continued to find pleasure as she slowly made her way to my fur.


    I was never a fan of my fur. Nor did I have fond memories of being a Lionfolk. In my quest for tyranny, they were mere trifles I could do with or without, but I mainly wished, at the time, to be free of any and all distractions.


    No matter how minor they were.


    But that was changing.


    I was happy I was born with this body¡ªwith this illustrious fur my liege loved so much¡ªwith theserge lumps of fat hanging from my chest, she affectionately smothered with her tongue.


    Yes¡­ It was more than happiness. It was a feeling I couldn¡¯t describe.


    My liege¡¯s penis was thick, girthy, and monstrous, and all eleven inches became intimate with my leg. She gripped it between her thighs and bnced her entire weight. Leaning forward, she touched the top of my thighs with her breasts and continued to hump. With every passing second, she became harder and more erect. The tip throbbed and pulsed, leaking a small amount of semen.


    It was warm¡ªno, it was hot. Almost blisteringly so.


    My fingers pressed deeper into my pussy, yet my liege reached out to grasp my hand. She licked my fingers with that sexy tongue, taking in the middle and index and wrapping those lips tightly around them. From her right hand came a slime construct in the shape of her penis, and I knew what she wanted.


    With a free hand, I felt her press past my lower, glistening lips and spread me open. The smooth shaft rubbed my inner folds¡­


    And while it was more than pleasurable for my moans to escape involuntarily...


    It wasn¡¯t her penis¡­


    This sex toy didn¡¯t contain my liege¡¯s warmth nor her tender embrace when she yed with my ears. It was a soulless invention meant to satisfy me when the time to fuck me was sparse.


    But would thate to pass?


    Even if I thought that, this <i>came</i> from the one I served. It was much her glorious cock as the one she rubbed against me.


    <i>It¡¯s her¡­ It¡¯s always been her¡­</i>


    ¡°Mmnn¡­ I¡¯m mping down¡­ I¡¯m about to cum¡­ Do it with me¡­ Let¡¯s cum together..." With each insertion, electric thrills danced goosebumps across my body. Bits of slime leaked out, providing more lubrication, which wasn¡¯t needed. My pussy juices squirted out, covering my legs and her stomach as my liege quivered. She hugged my leg and buried her face in my thighs as she climaxed.


    ¡°Seeeekh!!!!¡±


    ¡°My liegeeee!!!!¡±


    We cried together, reaching the pinnacle of pleasure simultaneously. The slime fuck toy dissolved, but I squirted it, and abination of my juices out right as semen covered my lower body. Thick, jelly-like globs stained my fur and bare thighs, sting across the lips of my pussy.


    She fucked my legs, and my liege had more to give. The spurting semen stopped twelve secondster, it barely having enough force to ejacte out her swollen, reddened tip. We remained heavily breathing, our eyes eventually meeting as my liege removed herself from my leg.


    Back into the pond we went¡ªnary a word shared between us as we cleaned the other. Embracing a second time, we rubbed our breasts and stomachs together until we were free from the smell of ecstasy.


    ¡°Hey,e over here,¡± instructed my liege as she sat on the warm grass, tapping her upper thigh. She was a fan of air drying, and Iid my head on herp. I looked up¡ªshe looked down¡ªand wemunicated our feelings without verbalmunication. Never before had I felt so close and warm to someone who wasn¡¯t a desecrated corpse of my enemies.


    She rubbed my head and fished her fingers through my damp hair. Closing my eyes, I purred from her velvety touch until she traced the outline of my mouth. My lips pursed, and I sucked her fingers. She hooked a thumb and massaged my cheeks. It didn¡¯t take long for me to feel horny.


    ¡°It¡¯s so cute when you squirm your thighs like that. Here, let me do something even better,¡± whispered my liege. She plucked her fingers from my tongue. I gasped because I didn¡¯t know what she had in mind, but she filled my mouth with a delectable nipple. Her heavy, warm breasts rested on my face.


    A hand pressed into my seal, and the feeling ventured to my crotch, where my liege traced my pussy lips with her middle fingers. But I couldn¡¯t see it because the weight of her breasts prevented me from getting up.


    I soon realized the more I suckled her milk, the more she prated my moist, inner depths. Her ticklish fingers were like a mole that never stopped searching for the secrets within. My mouth was filled with her decedent nourishment to the point it overflowed. I swallowed as quickly as possible to drain her neverending stockpile, but it just got me more pleasure.


    My liege grew a second arm to open my legs further, and she transformed her primary hand into a long, thick tongue. Like a mother cat cleaning its kitten, shepped up my overflowing juices and spread me apart. From below, her fantastic erection poked my back. The tip vigorously rubbed my skin, growing stronger, warmer, and lewder by the passing seconds. It soon trembled, and the lovely moans flowing from my master''s lips grew in strength, foreshadowing her painting my back white with her warm, thick semen. At the same time, I couldn¡¯t hold back the growing dam collecting within my womb.


    ¡°Kyyaaaaa~~~~ Mmmmmnnnnnn~~~~~ It¡¯s!!!! So!!! Much!!!!¡± I cried, releasing these pent-up feelings. I wrapped my hands around my liege¡¯s back and sucked her nipples harder than I¡¯d ever done before, flooding my mouth with more creamy nectar. My legs quivered uncontrobly, bringing me to the more intense orgasm of my life. I tried my best to close them, but my liege wanted me to keep them open.


    So I did.


    She was witness to all my unsavory actions¡ªthe torrential amount of liquids gushed out.


    Just when I thought it was over...


    There was more...


    ¡°No... Don¡¯t look... It¡¯s... unsightly!! Please, I have¡ª¡± I panicked because I¡¯d never pissed in front of her before. Urine was about to flow, but my liege held me tighter. She helped me to my ass, then wrapped her hands around my stomach while pressing me into her chest.


    ¡°Just let it go... It¡¯s okay...¡± she whispered, nibbling on my ears. A hand strayed south and spread open my pussy, and I tried to hide my face with my hands to camouge the shame even as the urine flowed out.


    It was noisy...


    It was loud...


    It was...embarrassing...


    ¡°Everything about you is beautiful, Sekh. There¡¯s nothing unsightly about you.¡± Her words were velvet, and I nearly melted by hearing them...


    <i>She¡¯s everything I needed and wanted... I¡¯m thankful I¡¯m here to serve you, my liege... I...wish this night would never end... Does it have to? When we went shopping earlier, Tilde was rather insistent. I can¡¯t believe she convinced the merchant to give those clothes away. Perhaps tonight is the night I ovee that far? If it¡¯s for my liege...</i>


    ¡°A face as beautiful as yours don¡¯t deserve to be hidden, Sekh.¡± My liege piled on thepliments. She gently lowered my hands from my head and kissed my cheeks before rubbing them with her own. My expression grew soft and malleable, and did I have anything to worry about?


    Messy, sloppy sex wasn¡¯t umon when it came to us making love. We''d both delved into the depths of lewdness during our sexual discovery. Was urinating while being embraced the limit?


    I didn¡¯t think so.


    If I thought about it, it was just another little event we shared¡ªexperienced for the first time.


    It wasn¡¯t something to hide from. It might not have been something to exactly celebrate, but hiding away and pretending it didn¡¯t happen would go against the love I held for her.


    That was why...there was something I had to do... Tilde was so insistent our liege would love it, so I had to do it.


    ¡°I...have a request.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Anything for you, Sekh.¡± My liege tightened her grip and licked the back of my neck. My legs were still spread open in the shape of an ¡®M,¡¯ and her fingers petted my crotch. I dipped back into the pond momentarily to clean and make myself decent. The highlight of my life sat with her feet dangling into the water, and as I asked my request, her slumbering erection grew fast and hard to where it was nearly pointing straight up.


    I felt like she couldn¡¯t believe the wordsing from my mouth.


    But I said them.


    ¡°Are you sure? Is that really what you want?¡±


    ¡°It is. I¡¯m...feeling incredibly horny, and it¡¯s the best revenge I can think of that isn''t burning this vige to the ground. The hatred I hold for those detestable heroes and that foolish eagle cannot be understated, but if we were to do that... Then...¡±


    ¡°I understand, Sekh.¡± My liege took my hands and held them to her heart. Her smile was like a thousand suns in how bright and precious it was to me. ¡°I don¡¯t think we''ll get much sleep tonight.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so either...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, right? You know, I¡¯ve been thinking of our time here as something like a vacation. It¡¯s nice to rx and...take a moment for ourselves. Our fight is only going to ramp up from here. We gotta be in our best shape to ughter all who prevent us from obtaining our revenge.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right, my liege. I hate to admit it, but it¡¯s been nice and pleasant. More so than I thought possible.¡±


    ¡°And about your request. Should I make my way to the first room? You said something about needing to prepare?¡±


    I nodded, and my liege stood and left with a smile. She knew I was staring, too, because she swayed her hips and pped her ass before letting out a gentle giggle. I hated when we had to part, but even I had to admit to loving it when she walked away.


    After bathing, I retired to our room and looked through Susize¡¯s closet, where I found a small box filled with the clothes and items Tilde managed to get for free. When the sprite wasn¡¯t foul and gross, she could talk shit with the best of them. It was like verbal magic was being disyed before me when she found something to connect to the merchant, though with Tilde being Tilde, I was sure she was sprouting whatever lies she coulde up with to get the stuff for free.


    <i>But is this me? I¡¯m the Dark Lord of Tyranny, not some piece of eye candy that walks around with lingerie... Especially lingerie that has less thread than even underwear... It doesn¡¯t even cover my nipples, let alone my crotch.</i>


    ¡°Eh? Having trouble with the garter belt? Do you need big sis Tilde to help you out? Hehe! Oh, imagine if those dumb Soul Warriors could see what you¡¯re about to do in their mansion!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not my sister. I don¡¯t have any siblings. Never have and never will,¡± I rebuked. Sitting down, I eventually had to ask that annoying, flying, but somewhat misunderstood flying pest to help me with this gift to our liege.


    This night was going to be one to remember. I would go as far as to say it would be our most memorable evening yet. Something we could look back on before we finished with our conquest with fond eyes and reminiscence about this very moment...


    Yes, that was what it was.


    Getting over this fear of wearing underwear and lingerie was just a byproduct of this evening.


    After all, if the Dark Lord of Tyranny nearly brought the world to ruin, could I allow mere undergarments and skimpy thread to continue to harbor fear in my heart?

 Chapter Forty-Eight: Falling Ash

    Chapter Forty-Eight: Falling Ash


    Life continued for the next few days as we delved into normalcy and erected a schedule. The mornings were always reserved for training and sparring to master my new abilities. The vines added one aspect, but the slime opened a new ballpark of adaptability. However, it was almost woefully ironic to even practice because using slime or vines in public would out me as a chimera and mark me for death. But even as that may be, it was more for Sekh¡¯s sake. Sure, it benefited me, but that wasn¡¯t the primary reason.


    Still, it was easy to see how much Sekh had improvedpared to when we first sparred together. Her movements were sharper¡ªher quick decision-making while in the flow ofbat eclipsed Kokan''s bright mind. [ck Fire] had grown leaps and bounds. She could always wrap it around her weapons, but now Sekh could use it as an extension of her attacks. So, if she swung her mace, its effective range was longer. mes weren¡¯t physical, though, so her mace¡¯s attacks via a [ck Fire] extension would not do any damage other than catching the opponent on fire.


    Such a limitation was certainly a drawback, but Sekh¡¯s words hinted that it wouldn¡¯t remain that way forever.


    Out of our dozens of matches, I never came close to winning one, and I wasn¡¯t holding back, either. I went into each fight to emerge victorious. Even when I tried to overpower Sekh with a dozen vinesing from my back¡ªall of which were attacking with [Water de]¡ª she poured [ck Fire] into her shield. It subtly took the shape of a tower shield, and when she mmed the fiery point into the ground, the mes didn¡¯t encircle an area. No, they whooshed up and formed a wall, evaporating my futile attacks before they even reached it.


    At that point, it was a battle of attrition, and I lost. Sekh¡¯s mana efficiency was so far and above more than what I could do. And I had to deal with mana and biomass; thetter would kill me if I allowed it to get too low.


    During the nights, Sekh would milk me three or four times, and I soon had a stockpile in [Storage]. Niva drank two sses every night. Tilde found a cow-printed bikini in By¡¯s closet, and she demanded I wear it when it was time to get milked. I figured I could y along.


    I was starting to develop fetishes, and cosy, I suppose, was one of them.


    <hr>


    Sometimes, Ruru would knock at the mansion door to update me on the elixir. His recipe took days because he had to steep the panabow¡¯s petals multiple times in the mana-infused water and again in the sap from the Eagle Yew. To thank him again for his help, I¡¯d go fishing with him. Sekh never wanted to go, but sometimes, Niva would tag along in her wheelchair. Then when it was time to prepare dinner, it was rare to eat alone. The charismatic Deerfolk with a heart of literal gold woulde over with a batch of fresh ingredients. He¡¯d have Arguna and Aello with him, and we¡¯d all sit in the kitchen to spend time with each other.


    When it came to the damage in the training room, I thought Aello would have a heart attack.


    But the proof of Sekh¡¯s training wasn¡¯t there. She whispered Aetos probably had a hand in the repairs, which made sense. I guess this was good, though. With how much Aello idealizes High Elves and those from Vredi Forest, not to mention the power of nature and respecting it, she was bound to have a heart attack.


    Or worse, outright ban me from Aetos Vige.


    <i>Yeah, I should¡¯ve thought about that before. It was a close call this time, but I gotta be more alert.</i>


    Knowing Aetos¡¯s ability to manipte the mansion, I excused myself for a moment and discovered the lewd evidence of our fuck fest was also taken care of. The semen-covered clothing was clean, the proof gone from the rooms.


    Returning to the kitchen, Aello asked if everything was okay. I smiled and nodded, and we started making the fresh lettuce wraps with tomatoes, onions, and bits of fresh cheese.


    While I was having a fun time, I believed it was even better for Arguna since she was enthusiastic about having someone else tomunicate with. The first time she and I signed, Sekh and Tilde looked at me oddly before I exined it. The fairy was about to ask how I learned it before remembering I had help. ¡°Huh,¡± sheter whispered in my ear. ¡°I didn¡¯t think it worked with nonverbalnguage. Hey, that¡¯s a good thing, you know.¡±


    After experiencing what it was like to eat with a family with Irisa and her parents, I realized I felt the same butterflies flying around in my stomach when I dinned with Ruru and the others. On rare asions, the Dryad would apany them for dinner, and I was able to learn more about her. She was definitely the meek and quiet type¡ªeven more so after that little incident when we first arrived¡ªbut I was serious when I meant it was all water under the bridge. But when she woulde over, we¡¯d all go into the backyard to y around in the flower fields. When the breeze picked up, it sent scattering petals of reds, blues, violets, and yellows across the horizon to create a floral rainbow that was honestly too beautiful for words when I yed the songleaf.


    But these distractions were just that. Fun distractions. I¡¯d only find joy in them for as long as I were here, and once my business was concluded, I¡¯d have to get back on the path of revenge. And I never forgot that for a single moment. That day was going toe sooner orter, and while it didn¡¯t necessarily arrive on the fifth day we were here, my life would undoubtedly change with the arrival of something none of us could predict.


    <hr>


    ¡°Ash?¡± Tilde yawned as she looked out into Susize¡¯s bathroom. It was early in the morning, and her quizzical voice awoken me. After slipping from Sekh''s embrace, I joined the fairy and repeated the same thing. Like snowkes, light gray ash descended from the sky and found refuge on the grass and little waterfalls. I held out my hand to catch one, and it was slightly warm while retaining the properties of snow.


    I heard Niva yawn from behind as she wiped her sleepy eye. Her nket fell from her chest. Sekh was the next one to wake up. I heard her call out for me when her arms searched around and failed to find me. Naked as me, she soon joined me by the opening to the bathroom. Funny enough, she also sounded confused as to why ash was falling. Only the people who lived here could answer that, so after getting dressed, I left Sekh in charge of making breakfast while I skipped outside. Finding Ruru and Aello on my map, I made my way over to them to find a rather childish chaotic sight.


    The Dryad and other children were rushing around with buckets trying to pick up the ash. Ruru and Arguna, of course, were helping as much as they could. ¡°Lady Springfield!! Lady Springfield!!!¡± Aello cried with a smile as she happily pped her wings. ¡°It¡¯s the ash rain!!!¡±


    ¡°Is that a good thing?¡± To say I was confused would be an understatement.


    ¡°Oh, yes. Yes, it is!¡± The Vermillion Harpyfolk then exined that there was an area within Dirge called the Asnds. As its name suggested, it was literally nothing but ash. The previous elder of the vige told a starry-eyed Aello that long ago, a powerful fire spirit once lived in a volcano that stood in the very Asnds. Over time, humanity, beastfolk, and monsters alike took advantage of his generosity to obtain the blessing of warmth. Yet those that took the spirit''s help refused to pay proper tribute. The spirit, in turn, used his anger to erupt the volcano. It was a solemn turn of events of one being pushed to the limit, but I wondered if it wasn¡¯t an allegory of taking care of your surroundings.


    She then exined that the mana-infused ash worked extremely well as fertilizer. Without it, Aetos vige wouldn¡¯t have been what it was. Yes, the Eagle Yew provided safety and nourishment, but the actual farms were what produced the juicy, sulent veggies in the lettuce wraps we¡¯d made.


    But since the ash wasn¡¯t something to worry about, I walked back to the mansion and let Sekh and Niva in on the good news. As I expected, Sekh noticeably twitched upon mentioning the story Aello told me. More specifically, the whole ¡®spirit living in a volcano thing,¡¯ and she asked me if she could exin it after she had a few days to gather her thoughts on it.


    <i>Yeah, I figured she had something to do with it.</i>


    I had no reason to deny this, so I just rubbed her fluffy ears and gave her a hearty kiss on the cheek while helping her with breakfast. We still had a ton of veggies left over from when Ruru and the others came, so a vegetable omelette was on the menu. For Sekh and Niva, though, I made sure to cook up some small pieces of meat to pack inside, but we were running out of that.


    <i>I need to learn how to use spices¡­</i>


    After filling our stomachs, I decided to hang out in the atrium with Sekh and watch while she trained. A thought came to me, so I searched for a bird, downloaded its visual data, created a clone, and mimicked that avian form. I directed it to fly to Susize¡¯s room, into the bath, up through the missing ceiling, and out to the forest to a ce I¡¯d never been. Much to my delight, the missing map data began to fill in. Better yet, I could focus on it with my map¡¯s satellite mode and control it like a drone via a set of controls that appeared. The limiting factor was mana. The further it went, the more it costs to sustain it. Instead of ordering it to fly back, I killed it and made another. But this time, I assumed direct control.


    So, I was a bird. A gray bird with green-tipped wings, but a bird nheless with a bird¡¯s vision and senses. Yet it felt weird to see my body sitting right there while my consciousness was over here. After iling around for minutes, flying wasn''t a challenge. Tilde said I would automatically return to my body if this one perished, so I decided to go for it. Like before, once I was a certain distance away, the mana cost was too much, and I ended up in my base body. I probably had to level up [Mitosis] to extend the range. Either that or evolve it into the next tier¡ªwhatever that was called.


    I flew out a few more times, heading in directions I hadn¡¯t been yet to fill out my map without having been there. On my sixth take-off, I had my map zoomed out quite a bit and noticed many people gathering near the vige¡¯s entrances. Judging from the size of the white dots on my map, it looked like a caravan of wagons, but something felt off. I canceled [Mitosis] and told Sekh I was going to check it out. She nodded, told me to be careful, and returned to her training.


    <hr>


    Running out of the house, I jogged over to the half-dozen wagons, which had about thirteen people who looked like they were in the middle of unpacking tents and firepits. Some belonged to the sketchy variety¡ªthe kind you didn¡¯t want to encounter in a dark alley after night.


    But then there were three more wagons that¡¯d been retrofitted with thick, iron cages with heavy locks. But instead of carrying livestock, they held people¡ªabout six to each. And not just regr people, but folks with ve cors and bracelets. With a Wrath of 5, I felt a growing heat send fury through my bloodstream that eclipsed the warmness of the falling ash. I immediately found Aello chatting with a battered man who¡¯d seen many battlefields. He was muscled and scarred, bald as an apple, yet he didn¡¯t strike me like a brute like the rest of the people. Even if he did have that giant warhammer on his back, he seemed¡­normal.


    ¡°Aello, what¡¯s going on? Who¡¯s he? What¡¯s the deal with the ves.¡±


    The little Dryad stood beside Aello and took a bag of coins from the guy who must¡¯ve been a ver. ¡°This is Oswell, Lady Springfield. Oswell, this is Lady Springfield¡ªHigh Blessing of the Forest.¡±


    ¡°I thought you said this vige is open to all with peaceful and non-violent intentions.¡±


    ¡°And it is, Lady Springfield,¡± Oswell said, his voice deep and syrupy. Reaching into a pouch on his side, he took out a metal card that looked like the one from the adventurer''s guild. ¡°I am an authorized headhunter from the government, and I''m registered with the Bloodhounds, a guild of bounty hunters. Whenever we¡¯re nearby, Lady Aello offers us a ce to rest our weary bodies if we pay and promise to not cause trouble. I do not have an innocent soul in my cages. Would you like to see their tags?¡±


    I nodded, and Oswell reached into his pouch to retrieve a set of rectangr wooden tags that faintly glowed a mystic green. There were eighteen of them, and as I flipped through them, they all had the bounty¡¯s name, written appearance, crime, their bounty, and whether they were wanted dead or alive. I recognized one of the names, though. After handing the tags back to Oswell, I walked over to the caged wagons and saw four familiar faces.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it...¡± I said, grinning at three of the four siblings who caused that monster train incident. Max¡ªthe eldest sibling¡ªwasn''t around, but those three were standing next to a Catfolk with yellow eyes, long purple hair, and a violet tail.


    <i>AI, do what we did before when we talked to Irisa, and send Sekh a message. Tell her toe out to the wagons.</i>


    <i>Right away, my lord.</i>


    Oswell appeared next to me and exined. Henri, Nold, and Ur¡ªthe second oldest, third oldest, and youngest sister of the siblings¡ªwere used as coteral by their eldest brother to get a loan because they needed more supplies. Those three turned around and gasped, then quickly adverted their eyes when I started to chuckle. ¡°Let me guess. That bastard was poor on his words. Couldn¡¯t get the payment? He borrowed money from the government?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct, Lady Springfield. He knew the stakes when he signed the contract, yet he refused to tell his siblings about it until we came to collect. They¡¯ll be sold off as ves to the highest bidder to pay off his debt.¡±


    ¡°Lady? A noble?!!¡± Ur eximed with teary eyes.


    ¡°Lady Lyudm Springfield, at your service.¡± I grinned and took a bow. Oswell sensed a connection, and I told them of the history between us.


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯d heard something about that. Max couldn¡¯t pay off that fine without a loan as well. Coincidentally, I noticed you were eying that Catfolk. She was stealing from her mother¡¯s store in Ria. I¡¯m not sure if you know it, but theft carries a heavy punishment in Ria.¡±


    <i>That was me, not her. Guess Karen needed someone to me. What a despicable bitch.</i>


    ¡°A mother sold her own daughter?¡± Erin turned to look at me. Her attire was tattered brown robes that I learned came from her mother, not Oswell. That must¡¯ve been why Henri and his siblings were dressed casually. I asked why the ve bracelets and cors, and Oswell replied that he needed something to keep them in line until they reached the city. Envement was the easiest way to obtain that loyalty without resulting to capital punishment for even the tiniest infraction.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even cut it. You¡¯re a ver, through and through¡±


    ¡°Some call me that, but myrades and I are doing the world a just service,¡± Oswell said, arguing his position. In the depths of my mind, a n began to take shape, so I shut my mouth and kept it closed so as to not burn away any potential bridges I might need.


    That was why I remained here longer than I wanted to¡ªeven fighting through the difort of freely conversing with damned vers. Sekh arrived soon after with an equally as surprised look on her face. And like me, she grinned like the damn devil when she saw three siblings huddled away like livestock. ¡°My liege, you were right. Revenge doese in vors other than death,¡± she said, looking at them. She bragged about her freedom, and they were denied all rights as living beings. Yet when it came to little Erin Bary, who huddled away in the corner to make herself seem insignificant, Sekh refused to taunt her.


    And I think I knew why.


    When we returned to the mansion, Erin was on our minds. I didn¡¯t rightly care if she took the fall for my crimes, but if there was a way to use this in my favor...


    <hr>


    When night fell, we were rxing in what was essentially a hot spring. I¡¯d spent all day thinking of a n only a chimera could pull off, and I was so damn proud of it that I couldn¡¯t help but talk about it. ¡°So, here are the details...¡± I started to say, nuzzling my cheeks against the back of Sekh¡¯s head. I wet the pink cloths to cover my hands in soapy suds, then wrapped them around her soft, firm breasts and massaged them to my liking. I especially liked to grab them from the bottom and roll them around my palms. Her beautiful purrs and moans made me hard, but they also energized efforts to make her titties as clean as possible.


    The n was simple, if degrading. It all revolved around me gaining Oswell''s trust and offering to pay off Erin¡¯s bounty to buy her. The problem was that I had no money, but I could lie and say I had some in Ria. Aello could speak on my behalf since she practically worships the Vredis. Once we were on the move, I could use [Mitosis] and [Shapeshifter (Chimera)] to make copies of Oswell¡¯s men and sew chaos. Or I could poison their food since, although the average level was the mid-20s, none had much resistance to venom or poison. Anything stored or assimted by a clone was added to me, so I never actually had to reveal myself. If I yed my cards right, that was.


    Tilde had her grievances about my n. Mainly, I was such a low level it¡¯d be like a sheep amongst wolves if I fucked up. Especially since I was a curvy High Elf with a pretty face. There were fates worse than death, after all. I¡¯d known them all too well. Her other problem with the n was that, like with Noelia, Oswell and his group hadn¡¯t done anything to piss me off other than being ve owners on a technicality. I absolutely abhorred vers, and Tilde said that if I thought that way, I was technically as bad as them. Because of the whole Sekh situation.


    As for why I wanted to do this? It wasn¡¯t just the chance to gain a ton of power. Erin had to be pissed at her mother. And her mother had a safe inside a sessful business.


    I wanted that safe. If Erin wanted her freedom, she would help me.


    Sekh also had her worries because I couldn''t make any mistakes.


    ¡°But you¡¯re going to be there,¡± I told her. ¡°You¡¯re the strongest one here with more experience than anyone else. That¡¯s the only reason why I¡¯m so confident. Because you have my back.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll all die in your name, my liege!¡± Sekh said determinedly. I kissed my beautiful Dark Lord of Tyranny, created a slime clone for the nearby Niva to hold, and enjoyed the rest of the bath even while Tilde continued to press me for my thoughts.


    ¡°So, are you going to kill Erin after you¡¯ve used her?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Uhh... She broke up a family with her false rape usation. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve forgotten that?¡±


    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t. But Erin was like 9 years old. I doubt she understood what was going on. The Barys are bastards. Karen most likely forced her daughter to do what she did. I know what came from that, but I doubt Erin could predict the fallout. She was probably set up as well. With the way Karen treats her, she¡¯s just another tool. That¡¯s it. I don¡¯t think we can put the me all on her. She¡¯s a victim, I think." Even as I said that, if she caused any trouble, I would end her life. Either she yed along, or she''d meet an unfortunate fate staring down the end of my barrel.


    There was no other future for her.


    ¡°Hmm... I mean, that¡¯s possible. She was a pre-teen. And her family is a total shit stain. But if that¡¯s what you believe, Master, I¡¯ll believe in you. Guess we won¡¯t know the truth until we interrogate her.¡±


    Soon after, it was time to slip under the eloquently woven sheets within Sekh¡¯s sweet embrace. Even if I no longer required sleep, I could still fall victim to the sandman. Especially if I was inside her with my lips around her nipples and her gentle arms around my head.

 Chapter Forty-Nine: A Slice of the Past

    Chapter Forty-Nine: A Slice of the Past


    When I opened my eyes, I did not see anything except two armies fighting to the bitter death on the battlefield below me.


    <i>Below me?</i>


    I was floating above a massive in filled with destruction and chaos. Screams and cries of men and women meeting their untimely end echoed about. Giant balls of fire and lightning were thrown about, and a sea of ice rampaged down the middle, freezing at least a few thousand to a chilly end. The ground shook like an earthquake when the immted giants in the distance raised their massive metal molten clubs. Swords shed against spears, bows pierced hearts and heads, and it seemed the incredible battle had no end in its near future.


    Was this a dream? I continued to look left and right and up and down, but I was stuck in ce. It felt like hours were passing by each second as I witnessed this war. Eventually, a gigantic dragon-like creature flew above me. Its wingspan had to be at least 300 feet, and seven thundering elemental orbs lined down its spiky back. With hide the color of bone and scales the hue of darkness, this massive beast had to be an Ancient Elder Dragon. A shadowy figure stood tall and proud, yet this person was at least eight feet tall.


    ¡°That was me, my liege.¡± I turned to the new voice and saw Sekh, who was in her birthday suit.¡°This is the battle Aello talked about... The one where Aetos met his end.¡±


    ¡°Is this an image of the past? Did you do this, Sekh?¡±


    Sekh shook her head. ¡°No. The one who created this temporal figment is too rude to show themselves,¡± she said, looking up towards the sky. ¡°d to know the fear I instilled in him is still there.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m positive, my liege. Two individuals in this vige knows what happened that day. If it wasn¡¯t me, then that only leaves the eagle.¡±


    ¡°I see...¡±


    We became silent and watched the battle unfold. The Sekh from the past controlled her draconic mount with precision as they flew close to the ground. Powerful mes of many different elements roasted, froze, electrocuted, and dissolved all who were in the path of its incredible attack, killing thousands by the second and leaving behind massive streams of uncrossable terrain, which killed all who tried to run through it.


    That included friend or foe.


    ¡°During this moment of my life, I just wanted to kill. No, my precise goal was to prevent that shitty High Elf and her weak little pet from reaching the volcano. You see, my liege, I had used [Tyranny Control] to bring scores of fire spirits under my control. I forced them to fight for survival, and the winner was chosen to inhabit a volcano. My ves tortured him without rest and killed those he loved and wanted to protect until he had nothing to live for.¡±


    Suddenly, this shback of the past flickered momentarily to skip to when Susize and Aetos joined the battle. She wielded a great bow and a legendary sword as she stood on the back of Aetos, a great eagle.


    Mere momentster, she engaged Sekh in mortalbat.


    The twobatants zipped across the skies; the shing of their weapons erupted in shockwaves that knocked down everyone within a mile. Dragon wed at eagle, eagle bit dragon, the two of them were vying for the ultimate control of the skies while their riders fought tooth and nail. The shadowy mace in Sekh¡¯s hands had natural control over the ck mes I knew her to wield, yet Susize¡¯s wind magic was her every equal. She managed to divert Sekh¡¯s torrential mes to attack her own army, yet Sekh only cackled inughter and increased her barrage.


    The two sped past each other again before Sekh eventually jumped off her dragon andnded on Aetos. She took Susize off guard by grabbing her neck and leaning backwards until they fell into a free fall. Even while dropping fast to the ground below, the two quickly began a battle for the ages. The strikes were just too fast for me to see. Above them, Aetos and the dragon engaged in a death match. The elemental orbs on the dragon¡¯s back began to glow, and it used itsrge talons to wrap Aetos around the neck.


    It flew high in the sky¡ªeven above the cloud lines as it roared a cry of victory.


    Then it happened.


    The air trembled¡ªcrying out in fright and terror as seven truly gargantuan meteors of seven different elements plummeted towards the ground. Each was about 1.7 kilometers high and about 1.5 kilometers in width-- all packed to the brim with its apanying mana.


    The Dark Lord of Tyranny and Susize, who¡¯d been fighting as equals even as thousands more continued to perish around them, looked up the size. Past Sekhughed and raised her shadowy shield to the sky while mana coagted within the heart of her pitch-ck shield. Susize looked like the fight had abandoned her soul.


    She cried out for Aetos in a passionate cry¡ªcalling the name of the only creature with the current means to protect the day. Having managed to break free from the dragon¡¯s clutches, Aetos started to fly as fast as he could. He had to pick up speed, so once he was faster than the barrier of sound, Aetos elerated even more until he was just a blur to even Susize¡¯s all-seeing eyes.


    ¡°And this is how he met his end. Sacrificing himself to stop just one meteor,¡± Sekh noted. ¡°The story Aello knows is nothing but a fictitious fable. I don¡¯t know where the yew seed came from, but I wagered Susize probably returned to his corpse and left it there.¡±


    I turned my gaze skyward right as Aetos made the ultimate sacrifice to destroy the meteor made of fire. His burnt, battered body was more skeleton than flesh at this point, and when it crashed into the ground, it shattered into a dozenrge pieces while leaving a crater 400 feet wide.


    Stillughing like a mad scientist, the past Sekh mmed her shield into the ground, sending nocturnal mes in a circle that encased Susize.


    ¡°DIE!!!!!!¡± shouted the shadowy Sekh. Everything within the encircled area was swallowed by abyssal mes so ck and thick the brightest light couldn¡¯t hope to escape through. But then the magic circle expanded outward into an oval-like shape with Sekh at the forefront until it had a radius of about a mile. Everything, without exception, lost their lives.


    Or so I thought. From a tear in space came Amos and his Soul Warriors. His cloak dazzled with mana¡ªfull of enchantments and mystical protection¡ªsupercharged his jewel-encrusted staff and sent a wave of lighting to attack Sekh. By covered the hundreds of feet between her and Sekh in a fraction of an instant with her sword held high. It shimmered gold, the hardened steel filled to the brim with Holy Mana. It seemed more like a shining de of light forged from a goddess than a weapon crafted by man. Murag created a hundred clones of himself, and all directed a powerful energy st towards their ultimate opponent. Yaekira sleuthed up from behind and jabbed her powerful daggers in Sekh''sback. Reina stood back from a distance and hefted a heavy sniper on her shoulder, then delivered a series of precise shots to Sekh¡¯s head. The shells ejected from her obsidian-colored firearm were as big as her arm, and each must¡¯ve been going Mach 5.


    Yet Sekh and her shadowy armor withstood all these attacks without letting up the mes scorching Susize. In fact, she shrugged them off with rtive ease and caught one moments before it tried to take her head off. The Holy Lord and Soul Warriors¡¯ assaults only grew more desperate to save their leader from her horrible fate after Sekh pierced Susize¡¯s armor by <i>merely</i> throwing the shell faster than Reina¡¯s gun to shoot it.


    The Cowfolk flew back a dozen meters, her sword cleaving into the ground to stop her from going any further, which led to a giant chunk of soil splitting open. Sekh used her me tendrils to pick up corpses around her, and she threw them into the hole whileughing about how they were all going to die by her hands.


    Then something else happened. From the far distance, a great plume of smoke and volcanic ash erupted past the horizon. It was like a cloud of locusts covered up the air, and it seemed like everyone ceased what they were doing and stared. Sekh paused her skill to turn to the horrific sight, yet she carried a cruel smile and let loose another viciousugh.


    Amos and the others ran to an extremely burnt and nearly fatally wounded Susize, whose skin seemed to melt right off her bones, leaving her in a precarious position. Sekh turned around and leapt high into the air tond on her dragon. Then she sped off towards the erupting volcano, leaving everyone else to deal with the iing meteors.


    The memory ended, and Sekh and I were brought to a floating void of white. She said Aetos died precisely at that moment, so he had nothing else to show us. ¡°From what I remember,¡± she started to say. ¡°The remaining meteors crashed down, and Amos was forced to pick who he wanted to save.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re standing in the very ce...¡±


    Sekh nodded. ¡°It must¡¯ve taken Aetos a few hundred years to clean up the damage after bing a spirit, then even longer to recreate Vredi Forest and bring over Susize¡¯s mansion.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier? I know I said I wouldn¡¯t force you, but...¡±


    ¡°I wanted to tell you, but I figured I¡¯d wait until this sad eagle brought us into this dream,¡± Sekh said. ¡°After Aeto''s death and Susize''s wounds, morale within Amos¡¯s pitiful army was at an all-time low. People hated that he didn¡¯t save their loved ones, and I received reports that a not-so-insignificant number of brawls broke out, resulting in the army growing even weaker. But this is the truth of the matter, my liege. The Asnds, as it is now known, came as a result of a fire spirit being tortured beyond belief until he couldn¡¯t take it anymore. I presumed their goal was to stop the volcano from erupting, but nearly killing Susize put a nail in their ns. She wasn¡¯t ordered to fight me, and she ignored direct orders from Amos. That led to them having to pick and choose. Should they rescue the spirit and prevent a massive eruption? Or should they save the most powerful Soul Warrior of her time from a foolish mistake, which, in turn, led to so much death? They made their choice, and we¡¯ve seen the results from it.¡±


    ¡°You sure were incredible, Sekh. Amos and his Soul Warriors weren''t weak, but you were shrugging off their attacks like nothing.¡± I gushed about Sekh¡¯s disy of true power. She went weak in the face and blushed a cute shade of crimson. I willed myself over to embrace her in a tight hug, then kissed her head and fluffed her adorable ears.


    ¡°My liege...¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the strongest, cutest Dark Lord in all thend, Sekh.¡± I piled on thepliments and continued to aggressively shower her with so much affection she almost passed out. But then I became serious and told her how much I appreciated her. I almost wanted to thank Aetos for showing me visual proof of just a slice of Sekh¡¯s former power. ¡°But seeing it made me even more curious about your mace. And about that armor. I assume Aetos didn''t want to render it.¡±


    ¡°You''re probably correct about the armor, but I can always tell you about my mace.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s the fun in that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to be disappointed. You probably think the world of it, and I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t reflect your idealized version.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure I won¡¯t be disappointed. Believe me.¡± I pressed my lips to hers, and we enjoyed our time in this void until we woke up in the real world. Something told me Aetos wouldn¡¯t do this again. If his intentions were to make me either scared or frightened of Sekh¡¯s power, he aplished the opposite. More than ever, I was inspired by her sheer strength and ultimate control over her destructive [ck Fire].


    <i>I¡¯m quivering just thinking how much stronger she¡¯ll be this time around! She¡¯s incredible!</i>

 Chapter Fifty: Niva—Spirit Summoner (R-18-ish Illustrations!)

    Chapter Fifty: Niva¡ªSpirit Summoner (R-18-ish Illustrations!)


    As much as I hated buttering up to people that would soon be dead, I had to spend the next two days with Oswell and his group, which literally included a Pandafolk named Banda that was hibernating for the time being. From sharing a ss of mead to ying my songleaf, the falseughter from my mouth sent sharp pins through my heart. Even if it was fun taunting Henri and his siblings, I disliked that I couldn¡¯t spend more time with Sekh.


    <i>Even if I think that, she milked the hell out of mest night... I was on my hands and knees... Hell, it was so erotic... Crap, I¡¯m getting an erection just thinking about it. Come on, M, keep it down!</i> <em>You don''t want to walk around with a pitched tent!</em>


    Spoiler


    [copse]


    Ruru also didn¡¯t probably like it. He had this gentle look in his eyes, but when he saw me with the vers, that softness gave way to hardened repulsiveness. Still, he was an expert at retaining his emotions. Even when he handed me the elixir and written notes on how to reproduce it, he used Arguna as an excuse to return to Aello¡¯s house. When he left, I checked in on her with my map¡¯s satellite mode and confirmed she didn¡¯t have a cough at all. If anything, she was happily running around Aello¡¯s backyard with the Dryad.


    I kept that tidbit to myself and started to close the door when I saw a speeding Enap running in from the horizon, all eight spider legs skittering in a mad sprint. In his hands was the package I¡¯d been waiting for! I ran outside to meet him halfway, then listened very closely to his precise instructions on attaching the socket to Niva¡¯s leg and foot. He also had an extra gift in the form of a stump cap for Niva¡¯s missing arm. Enap had a little bit of mythril left over that couldn¡¯t be used for anything special, so he did this for me as a favor.


    He graciously epted the rest of the payment and asked me to thank Kokan since he rmended him. I, of course, nodded and rushed back to the house with a giant smile.


    ¡°Niva!!! Niva!!!!¡± I shouted her name as I entered our room. She looked up at me with a confused expression, then gave me a big smile when I said the elixir AND her prosthetics were finished.


    ¡°That¡¯s great news!¡± Sekh said, turning to Niva and putting a hand on her shoulder. Tilde repeated that, and Niva had a cute blush on her cheeks as she hugged my slime clone.


    ¡°We gotta give you the detox first, okay? Kokan said it won¡¯t be pretty. It might hurt, but there¡¯s no other choice. Can you handle it?¡± She looked to my voice, and I hardly recognized her as the young, frightened, abused girl that lived through hell. Hell, even her HP was back to 24%.


    Sekh helped Nivay down since this was probably going to be violent, and as she held my slime clone, I slowly lifted the ck detox solution to her lips. As thick as tar with the viscosity of oil, she had trouble swallowing it, but the vial was empty when we were done.


    Her face started to show strain. Sweat passed down her cheeks to cover her lips in salty water, then came the coughing fit. Before long, violent seizures took a massive toll on her body to the point where Sekh and I had to hold down Niva. And that didn¡¯t include blood profusely gushing out of her ears and nose.


    ¡°AAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! NNNNNGGGGHHHHH!!!!!¡± Niva cried like I hadn¡¯t ever heard before. All the while, she continued to hug that slime clone of myself as tightly as she could.


    Her gut-wrenching screamingsted for hours, and Sekh had to stop me from forcing the elixir down Niva¡¯s throat. Doing it now when the detox wasn¡¯t finished would ruin some of the progress she¡¯d made on that potion tolerance front. But her cries were truly endless¡ªpossibly a reflection of how she sounded when she was forced to deal with the shitty hand life had thrown at her.


    Her HP slowly but constantly drained.


    But she was strong¡ªstronger than she possibly knew from enduring such hell. Anyone else probably would¡¯ve slit their own throat. If I were in her shoes, I wouldn¡¯t havested as long as she had.


    In that regard, I looked up to that mute, blind cyclops.


    Dusk fell to nightfall, and like the sands through an hourss, time passed us by without regard to any specific person, ce, or thing.


    And that was when I realized she hadn¡¯t made a single noise in minutes. The AI assured me she was alive and that the detox had worked, though to a lesser degree. By her ounts, Niva would need 3 more to be cured, but her body would not survive if she drank them back-to-back. She needed time¡ªmaybe even half a year to a full year before she could swallow another vial.


    Sekh breathed a sigh of relief and slowly stroked Niva¡¯s pained head. She and I took a few wipes to clean up the detoxified girl, then waited until she naturally awoke by herself, which took another hour. In that time, the AI alerted me that she¡¯d finished Susize¡¯s journals¡ªwhich I was keeping¡ª and Murag¡¯s books, so we quickly went to his room to drop off his tomes and filled our storage with fresh ones.


    <i>You will be notified on sessfulpletion of the task at hand, my lord.</i>


    <i>Good. Don¡¯t overburden yourself with this.</i>


    <i>That worry is not needed at this point, my lord.</i>


    <i>At this point?</i> I thought, but there was no response.


    The AI became quiet as I returned to Susize¡¯s room, and she was...sitting up with an utterly strained look. But it was one of happiness and positiveness. Her mouth shivered like she was cold, yet she was still sweating bullets while trying to look on the bright side.


    And yes, deep within her grip was that slime. She¡¯d never let go, not even for a second.


    ¡°Niva,¡± I whispered, approaching her with the elixir held in my hand. Its liquid was as if a rainbow had been granted the form of water. Even in the shadow of night, its luster was almost blinding. It took careful, precise brewing over a few days to make this one vial. ¡°You should do the honors.¡± I reached out for her mmy hands, wrapped her fingers around the vial, and watched with bated breaths as she brought it to her lips.


    Her courage surged through her body as she knocked it back. Gripping the vial, she focused on her inner being even as a rainbow-colored glow danced and surged around her body.


    In seconds, her HP, for the first time in a long time, was finally restored to 100%.


    The faint, scarce burns, cuts, blisters, and rashes vanished while the harmless scars remained behind. The damage to Niva''s scalp had healed, so her hair could grow back. With that said, the miraculous power of the elixir focused on her deadspots, and pristine, crystal-like purple scales began to reconstruct themselves around her neck, upper arms, and thighs. [Analysis] told me her STDs and bacterial infections were squashed like the germs they were, and it was safe to say her crotch was no longer mangled like crushed fruits.


    She was blind, her limbs hadn¡¯t grown back, and she stillcked a tail, but future elixirs would work on her.


    Once the colorful glow abandoned her body, Niva cautiously touched her regrown scales. Her fingers seemed scared or frightened. They softly nced at her blue skin, then brushed across her purple scales, almost like she couldn¡¯t believe it. She stared up at me with a red eye so full of tears and moved her mouth, eventually gaining enough strength to speak for the first time in months.


    ¡°Mistress... Thank you...¡± she said in a voice softer thanvender and silk.


    ¡°Mistress, huh? And that¡¯s what your voice sounds like,¡± I told Niva as I sat on the bed beside her.


    ¡°Thank you...for saving me... For not leaving me to die...¡± Again, I was utterly surprised by how ¡®fluffy¡¯ her voice was. ¡°Mistress...¡±


    ¡°How do you feel? Does anything hurt?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°No. I don''t feel any pain.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good thing,¡± Sekh noted, sitting down as well. Tildended in Niva¡¯sp, and we talked for a few moments. I did a second exam while seeing if shecked feeling anywhere, but I was happy to conclude that she was in good health. Barring the obvious, that was.


    ¡°But why Mistress? You can call me M.¡±


    ¡°Supreme Omega Overlord Tilde said I had to call you that.¡± I rolled my eyes.


    ¡°What about me?¡± Sekh asked.


    ¡°Lady Big Tits,¡± Niva innocently answered.


    ¡°I got it,¡± I said with a deadpan tone, turning to the flying pest. Tilde was trying to crawl along the ground to escape through the open doors. I webbed the menace over.


    ¡°WAAHHHH! Oh, hey, Master. Fancy seeing you here,¡± she slyly muttered, an ufortable sweat dribbling down her face.


    "Why did it have to be big tits? What¡¯s your obsession with them?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s obvious, you cow! You got those big ass front bumpers on your chest!¡± Tilde pped her little hands on my fist before pointing to her t chest, which elicited a haughty chuckle from Sekh.


    ¡°You can call me Mistress if you want. I won¡¯t force you to. If you must refer to Sekh with a title, only use Lady Sekh. And Tilde is just Tilde. In fact, you can call her Annoying Pest.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mistress. Lady Sekh, I apologize.¡± Niva bowed her head slightly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be. It¡¯s not your fault.¡± Sekh eyed Tilde, who stuck out her tongue.


    I asked Niva if she wanted to try on the prosthetics now or tomorrow morning, and she chose thetter. That waspletely understandable since the detox certainly took a lot out of her. I noticed it took a good bit of strength to talk, so she wouldn¡¯t have the energy needed for physical therapy. We spoke about that, and she knew there was a challenge and a half awaiting. During this, I gave her another slime cup full of breast milk since she needed the nutrients more than ever. Her eye looked to the hopeful future. She talked about summoning a spirit that could be her eyes so she wouldn¡¯t have to solely rely on us, and that topic brought up something I¡¯d almost forgotten about.


    ¡°I promise to serve you with all my being. Even if it should cost me my life, I will summon a draconic spirit for you,¡± she said, handing back the green, slimy cup.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want a servant. Remember when we were traveling here? You and Sekh are mypanions¡ªequalpanions, at that. First and foremost. If you understand that, you can ¡®serve¡¯ me in name only. But I won¡¯t see you as servants. I never will. Understood?¡± The cup dissolved and rejoined my body. I took a small cloth from [Storage] and wiped her mouth.


    ¡°Yes, Mistress.¡± She gave me a soft smile, and Sekh and I helped her get under the covers. Then we turned to our bed and decided to sleep without any lewd business. It just wouldn¡¯t feel right.


    Before that, Niva, in a soft whisper, asked why we hadn''t questioned her about her past. I said I wasn''t going to force her to divulge anything. When she was ready, I would listen.


    <hr>


    ¡°Don¡¯t let go of my hand,¡± I told Niva as she looked at me with a whimsical eye. The prosthetics Enap made were phenomenal. The leg itself was a perfect replica of the one Niva had, down to even the smallest detail, yet it still retained that ¡®otherworldly¡¯ look because it was made from mythril. And the feet, at least ording to the AI after it¡¯d studied Murag¡¯s tomes, were so anatomically urate that even it would have trouble recreating them even after it watched Enap construct them. Then Tilde piped up and said that was because the AI hadn¡¯t evolved yet. It was still in arvae state, so to speak. It hadn¡¯t even hatched out of its ¡®shell.¡¯


    Niva nodded, then used her own strength to stand up. Her meek grunts were the only noise as Sekh and Tilde watched anxiously. Once she was upright, Niva nearly immediately lost her bnce because she wasn¡¯t used to artificial feet. Sure, they were foot-shaped, yet they were hard metal. Meaning it couldn¡¯t contort or slightly bend the way my feet could. Until she had practice, even standing upright on t ground was almost enough to knock her over. ¡°It... It hurts...¡± Niva squeaked. Sweat and tears flowed down her cheeks as her soft voice elicited a single cry. She fell back to the bed, but Sekh was there to prevent her from falling over.


    Bending down, I looked over the socket and how it connected to her flesh. Sure, it wasn¡¯t something like the nerve mesh Ruru had¡ªI desperately wanted to get my hands on some¡ªbut I didn¡¯t see anything that should have actively caused any pain. There was just the socket wrapped around.


    And that was it. The shape of a foot naturally suited walking. It and the legs had to support a person¡¯s weight, but in Niva¡¯s case, it was the flesh below her knee. All the weight was being pressed onto that spot, which wasn¡¯t exactly meant for that. I verbalized my thoughts, then got stern with Niva. ¡°It¡¯s going to hurt. Most people need months before they can use a prosthetic without assistance. At least, it was in the past in my world. Nowadays, there are smallputer chips inside them that can do minute corrections at a level we can¡¯t perceive.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s going to hurt?¡± Niva asked. I nodded. Tilde exined something she¡¯d seen from my memory. It was about using a series of parallel bars to grab on for assistance. That wouldn¡¯t work because of the one hand, but then I remembered the walker. Even a cane would work wonders and act as a natural progression.


    ¡°This can¡¯t be something we rush. Oh, and about your mouth? When I get a chance, I¡¯ll grab some tusks from a boar and chisel you a pair of dentures.¡± Niva nodded and thanked me again.


    For the next few hours, we primarily remained in the room and helped Niva, giving her plenty of time to rest between attempts. The one silver lining in all this was that her amputation happened weeks ago. That and the elixir meant her legs¡¯ internals were in the best shape they could be.


    Aello came over with the Dryad, and those two helped Niva. I took that time to make my daily trip to Oswell and his gang. After my daily taunting of Henri and his siblings, I yed a few songs and shot the shit while trying to remain sensible. They were drinking liquor, so I took a few shots.


    <i>Shit, it burns like hell going down.</i>


    ¡°You¡¯ve been staring at that Catfolk mightily hard. Are you interested?¡± Oswell said. He was the kind of guy to allow his bounties time to roam around so as to not suffocate them inside the barred wagon. But that was where they slept and ate.


    ¡°I am. I¡¯m partly wondering if Erin''s purrs are as cute as she looks.¡±


    <i>Ugh... Even if it¡¯s a lie, it¡¯s making me feel so disgusted.</i>


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t we find out?¡± Erin Bary!¡± Oswell called her name. She was sitting in the flower fields nearby and looked up with a depressing look. I couldn¡¯t me her, but she nheless stood up and walked over. Her tail was perhaps dead¡ªit refused to move even a single inch while her earsid t atop her head. She came to a stop in front of me.


    I grabbed her hand, walked away so I remained within visual range, and we looked at the forest line.


    Using the same method of how Imunicated with Irisa and her family, I had a hasty conversation with the petrified Catfolk.


    <i>If you want your freedom, just nod or shake your head.</i> I had my hand on Erin¡¯s shoulder to prevent her from flinching in fright, yet she jittered anyway.


    <i>Do you want to be free?</i>


    She nodded, but I could tell she was afraid. Who wouldn¡¯t if sparkly words of rainbow appeared in front of you?


    <i>Then do as I say and follow my orders exactly. However, I will not free you from the kindness from my heart. I require something from you. Is that understood?</i>


    Erin nodded a second time.


    <i>Do not attempt to go back on your word.</i>


    When I turned around, Erin followed me back to Oswell, who was curious about what we were talking about. I smiled, touched both hands to Erin¡¯s teary cheeks, and said it was a secret. ¡°But I do wish to pay her debts and buy her. The one problem is that the rest of my money is in Ria. You see where I¡¯m going with this?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± replied Oswell. He pulled a notepad from his vest pocket. ¡°My normal policy is that you must have the money on hand, yet I would be a fool to think a High Elf wouldn¡¯t keep her word. I have a working rtionship with Lady Aello, and she trusts you implicatively. Between you and I,¡± he whispered, leaning in close. ¡°She gushes about you constantly. That¡¯s the only reason why I¡¯m doing this.¡± We talked a bit more about the specifics, and I sweetened the deal even more by offering to pay the standard fare for myself, Sekh, Tilde, and ¡®L, as well as guaranteeing to pay them more if they transport an enchanting table. I also said I didn¡¯t want Erin wearing those tattered scraps. Oswell didn''t have any problem with that. He said he¡¯d head over with some of his men to pick up the enchanting table while getting the clothes for Erin. Since I was going to buy her, my word wasw as it pertained to her, and he would make sure she wore what I wanted her to wear.


    By the end of our negotiation, Tivid, ountant and overall money manager for Oswell¡¯s group, had his own reservations. His sharp eyes seemingly saw a hint of deception, yet he couldn¡¯t deny such easy work would resort in a fat payday. He begrudgingly gave his opinion, not knowing hisst-second approval marked the end of his life.


    <hr>


    When I returned from checking in with Oswell and his group, I found Niva sitting at the kitchen table with Sekh, Tilde, Ruru, Arguna, Aello, and the Dryad.


    <i>Lady Springfield, is Lady L able to move? </i>Arguna asked me via signnguage.


    <i>No, not yet. She will need some time. </i>I replied back. She turned to Niva and tried to offer her support the best she could. Ruru said he had experience teaching someone with prosthetics, so he did his best, telling Niva how to shift her weight until she was used to her new attachments. While she was practicing with Aello, he handed me a list of pointers he¡¯d written down beforeing. Just like I had thought, he mentioned a pair of parallel bars for her to use, yet since she had one hand, that was stricken down. The next best thing was ake. Mythril was practically rustproof, but water could elerate her recovery.


    I hadn¡¯t thought about that, but that could definitely work.


    A few hours passed, and after leaving and returning with some ingredients so we could make dinner and eat together, Ruru announced he was leaving the vige in the morning to return home with Arguna. Niva professed her thanks multiple times, but she had to give her gratitude a few more times because he was the sole reason she was better. The golden Deerfolk smiled and rubbed her cloaked head.


    You¡¯re very wee,¡± he cheerfully replied before saying his goodbyes. Aello and the Dryad were the next to leave. As they were about to open the door, there came a knock. Oswell and a few of his men were on the other side, and they hade to tell me that they were also leaving in the morning since the horses were well-rested. Their schedule was thrown out of whack since they had to backtrack to Ria. He also said he came to pick up that enchanting table, which caused Aello to look at me funny. She motioned me to follow her to another room and asked if it was permittable for me to take it.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯m one of the few Vredis left alive, and I promise to take utmost care of it. I must since it¡¯s one of the few links I have left to my birth forest,¡± I replied, lying straight through my teeth. Aello was a na?ve woman¡ªeven if she was over 200 years old. She believed every word from my mouth and even gave me her blessing by touching my head with her wings. I walked with her back to where Oswell was ying with the Dryad, and she and Aello waved goodbye and left.


    When I escorted Oswell and his men through the kitchen to where I had the enchanting table, Sekh and Tilde eyed them from head to toe. They were, after all, dead men walking. I left Sekh with them and the table while I went up with Oswell to pick out Erin¡¯s clothes with the AI¡¯s help. She was petite, so nothing really fit. I found a slightly oversized shirt and skirt that came down to her ankles and a pair of long socks and shoes that were too big. But the outfit was way better than tattered robes. Except there wasn¡¯t any underwear for her. I mentally apologized, then had the AI send her a message telling her to expect some clothes.


    We walked back to the kitchen to find his men struggling with the table, so Oswell gently ced the clothes on the table and helped his men. I stated that it had to be treated with care since it was a family heirloom.


    ¡°We understand, Lady Springfield. Rest assured, it will be treated as if I were transporting my child. It¡¯s been six months since Ist saw his cheery face. Can¡¯t wait to treat him to the vacation he deserves,¡± replied Oswell.


    <i>He¡¯s a family man? Yeah, that¡¯s right. His wife has a disease, and this is how he pays for the medicine. That¡¯s a story not too umon amongst his men.</i>


    <hr>


    Once they left, we returned to our room because it was finally time. It took more time than I wanted, but Niva was about to summon a spirit. With luck on our side, it¡¯d be draconic.


    Niva held her hand in prayer and began to speak in anguage I did not know. Her chantingsted well over fifteen seconds. The entire time, mana consolidated in front of her. Colorless at first, it slowly changed from red to blue to white to ck to orange, finally stopping at nature green while growing more intense. It almost seemed to form a portal.


    No, it<em>was</em> a portal.


    <b><i>[New Skill: Mana Language]</i></b>


    I managed to learn thenguage, but I didn¡¯t know when because I was too focused on the scene ying out in front of me. Heart-stopping seconds passed by that felt more like hours.


    Suddenly, there was movement. The portal shook and vibrated, twisted and churning before it showed off a naturalistic wondend, full of trees, blooming sunlight, and vines.


    A momentter, someone materialized into existence. She was more naked than dressed, wearing little more than a waist covering that only covered her front. Her nipples were hidden by thin, small leaves. A branch in the shape of a wooden hair ornament covered her head, and along with her long, flowy green hair, she had twintails wrapped with vines. Those two eyes were brighter than even the most vibrant emerald.


    Spoiler


    [copse]


    <em>She''s pretty...</em>


    ¡°My name is Primrose, a woond spirit birthed from the great and powerful Eagle Yew," she said as she stepped through the portal, it closing behind her. Her voice was majestic, full of vigor and power. My eyes were perceptive enough to see the shimmer of mana radiating from her body. Though she was nearly naked with breasts slightly smaller than Sekh¡¯s, it seemed she didn¡¯t carry any shame. Perhaps that was because she wasn¡¯t staring at us. No, her eyes were exclusively locked on Niva. She approached her summoner. Akin to her name, she left primrose flowers¡ª white, yellow, purple, and red¡ªin her wake as she stared down at a speechless Niva.


    ¡°I ask of you. Are you my Master?¡±

 Chapter Fifty-One: Primrose, The Woodland Spirit – Part One (Illutrations!)

    Chapter Fifty-One: Primrose, The Woond Spirit ¨C Part One (Illutrations!)


    ¡°You...answered my call?¡± Niva whispered, tears spewing down her cheeks.


    ¡°I am a spirit. That is why we exist.¡± Primrose kneeled and touched a hand to Niva¡¯s mythril prosthetics. ¡°How awful... I¡¯m sorry you had to endure such an ordeal. But I am here now. I will protect you from harm. Even if it cost me my very life, I will ensure what happened to you will not be repeated. Hmm? Why do you continue to cry?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡ª I¡¯m just so happy... You¡¯re here... You¡¯re really here...¡±


    ¡°Is this the first time you summoned a spirit?¡± I asked. Primrose turned to me, and not even a secondter, she had this disgusted scowl stered across her face. Bright, brown light collected itself in front of her chest, leaving behind a shimmering wooden jewel. It then absorbed itself into her body. If that was her spirit core, then breaking it would kill her.


    <i>She still has HP and mana bars, though. If the HP runs out, she reverts to her spirit crystal and must regenerate. From there, you can break the crystal to kill the spirit.</i>


    ¡°You should cease speaking, detestable creature. I know your kind from anywhere.¡±


    ¡°My kind?¡± I scoffed and stood up. Primrose did the same and stood protectively in front of Niva, blocking her from my view while crossing her arms. A sh of light illuminated her body, altering her clothes and hairstyle while giving her a pair of wooden horns.


    Spoiler


    [copse]


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯re a cursed, unholy creation that should not exist. A sickening chimera that feeds on the living and takes the dead¡¯s power for themselves.¡±


    ¡°Tilde, exin.¡±


    ¡°Beats the hell out of me,¡± Tilde replied. She flew to my shoulder and stared down at the threatening spirit. ¡°[Status Cloak] literally hides any identifying marks from your mana. That¡¯s why when those Bellerophon agents used [Detect Chimerism], they received a negative response. Hmm...¡±


    ¡°Sekh?¡±


    ¡°I do not know, but I do not like her. Her attitude is ugly.¡±


    ¡°She is a spirit attuned to nature, and nature spirits are more sensitive to thesethings. Chimera kinda goes against the natural order of things... Eh, regardless, she knows, Master,¡± Tilde replied. Her tone was casual, so if she wasn¡¯t worried, I wasn¡¯t. ¡°As long as [Detect Chimerism] fails, you¡¯re perfectly safe. Only a fool would kill a High Elf for being a chimera after she was proven to not be one. That¡¯s a scandal in the making if I¡¯ve ever seen one. Besides, you¡¯re a Vredi. Your word means more than hers.¡±


    ¡°M--Mistress! Umm... Prim¡ªPrimrose, please calm down... Mistress is¡ª¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to know how I know. Master, someone like you does not need to be in the presence of a monster! Even if she¡¯s forcing you to do her bidding, Bellerophon will not see it that way! I must get you away to safety.¡±


    ¡°Like hell you are. The safest ce for Niva is with me.¡±


    ¡°I highly doubt that. What can you do? You may falsely im the Vredi name, but you¡¯re a detestable beast. Fairy.¡±


    <i>Has she been spying on us? She said she was born from the Eagle Yew, but Primrose didn¡¯t say how long ago that was. I wonder if the realm we saw was the inside of the Eagle Yew?</i>


    ¡°Fuck you. My name is Tilde.¡± Tilde flicked Primrose off, and she looked genuinely taken back.


    ¡°Th--Then Tilde. Why do you remain around someone like her? A fairy is supposed to be the very symbol of¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yeah, fuck off with that. I am who I am. You¡¯re starting to get on my nerves.¡±


    ¡°How dare you, chimera! What have you done to her?! A fairy is supposed to be loving and kind! Gentle as the morning breeze and as ever-changing as the calm flow of a river!¡±


    ¡°Bitch, please. I was born this way. The Tilde Life is the only life I''ve ever known. You¡¯d best watch your mouth.¡± Tilde red daggers, causing Primrose to take fearful steps backwards.


    ¡°Then you leave me no choice.¡± Primrose turned to the open door, but my stern, threatening voice stopped her cold in the tracks.


    ¡°Listen carefully. If you walk out of this room, you will die a painful death. No¡ªI won¡¯t even let you die. I¡¯ll keep your ass alive and use those branches from your head as firewood.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to see you try it. My powers are based on nature, and we are in the very ce where I am the strongest. What can a heathen, who should have remained dead, do against someone like me? I¡¯ll walk where I please, and I¡¯ll go where I want. You cannot order me.¡±


    Sekh grabbed her mace and shield and looked at me for orders.


    ¡°I gave my warning. The only reason you still draw breath is because of Niva. Had you been the spirit of anyone else, Sekh would have torn you apart. In fact, she still might. All I must do is give themand, and you will die before you know it.¡±


    Primrose, while still staring at me, walked backwards to the door. She edged closer and closer to passing the threshold, but even a desperate cry and plea from Niva refused to stop her in her tracks. ¡°This is for you, Master. I must free you from her diabolical clutches.¡±


    ¡°No! It¡¯s not like that. Primrose¡ª¡±


    She had this stupid grin, but that all changed when just one foot crossed the threshold. A dozen vines from my forearms burst forth and aimed at Primrose¡¯s legs.


    ¡°[Razor Wind!]¡± Primrose raised a hand as sharp des of air cut through my vines before they reached her.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to chant? That¡¯s fine,¡± I replied, letting loose another dozen vines from my arms.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do the same thing and expect things to be different! [Razor Wind!]¡± Oh, but things were different. Those invisible attacks sliced my vines, but these had the property of slime and just reconnected the moment her attack passed through. That gave me the opening I needed. Primrose screamed as my vines brought her to me, and I grabbed her scrawny fucking neck and squeezed tightly.


    ¡°What the fuck? Your skin feels like wood? No, is it wood?¡± I asked myself quietly.


    Ultimately, the answer didn¡¯t matter.


    Choking the air from her body, I rushed to the wall and mmed her head right through it.


    ¡°GUH!¡± she cried out in pain. Niva was panicking and begging us to stop, but Sekh held her back.


    But I didn¡¯t stop at just a single wall. I choked Primrose hard enough to crush that throat, but she wouldn¡¯t die if the spirit core in her chest remained intact. She flew when I tossed her against the opposite wall,nding with a hard thud and coughing relentlessly to catch her breath.


    She looked fearful...


    She realized she fucked up.


    <i>Bang! Bang! Bang!</i>


    Three shots from Reina¡¯s gun rang out in perfect unity, sending two through her eyes and one through her stomach. This wouldn¡¯t kill her¡ªit only drained her HP by about 30%, but she cried out and grasped at her head. Roots branched off from her legs and jabbed into the ground. Slowly, the hole in her abdomen started to close. She lifted her hands and used [Razor Wind] four more times, yet her aim was pitiful. My eyes perceived their movement in slow motion, allowing me to dodge under them as I retrieved my spear and whacked her across the head, shattering her chin.


    ¡°Is that the best you can do? How pathetic, spirit. YOUR ATTACKS ARE SLOW!¡± I used the impact to spin around, cracking her a second time while knocking her to the ground. There was a definitive gap in her neck from where the skin had been chipped.


    <i>So, it is wood. Wood colored to look like skin butshares the same texture as bark. It probably feels the same as the Eagle Yew.</i>


    ¡°Where¡¯s that bravery? Where''s that hearty fierceness? Where the fuck is it?! You¡¯re still going to fucking betray me?!¡± I lifted her up with my vines and smashed her through the ceiling to the third floor, then mmed her back down, where my spear pieced her left breast, narrowly missing her core. Her endless cries affected Niva more than I thought, but I wasn¡¯t done. Thick sap leaked from her injuries, and I rubbed her body in what I believed to be her blood.


    I mmed, threw, smashed, and crushed her limbs until she was just a torso and head. Her eyes had recovered, and they went big and wide when my left hand nurtured a glowing ball of orange me.


    ¡°Niva, Primrose is a failure. She doesn¡¯t deserve to live. She isn¡¯t even a draconic spirit. She is going to die because she intended to betray me, and you will summon another. Is that clear?¡± I didn¡¯t mean to re at Niva, but I was d she couldn¡¯t see the expression on my face. The room around us was almost totally destroyed, the only remaining furniture being the bed and a few desks here or there.


    It didn¡¯t matter. Aetos would fix it. In fact, he started doing that a few secondster.


    ¡°NO! Mistress! Please, don¡¯t kill her!! I¡ªI''ll take the me! Punish me!¡± Niva begged.


    ¡°That won¡¯t happen. Primmy¡¯s disrespected our Master and even tried to betray her,¡± Tilde noted. ¡°That little birch is going to die. There isn¡¯t anything you can do about it.¡±


    The fear... The utter fright in the idiot spirit¡¯s eyes activated the predator hiding within me. She looked so helpless... Lying there like the leftovers she was.


    What did wood taste like? Would she have a vor? Since she was a spirit, I needed to assimte the core, right?


    I crouched beside her and smiled, touching the ming sphere to the bottom of her torso and inhaling the delicious smoke while her cries were music to my ears.


    ¡°AAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! IT BURNS!!!!!!! IT HURTS!!!!!!!!!!!! STOP IT!!!!! STOOOOOPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!¡±


    ¡°Hmm... You¡¯re damn right it does...¡± I licked my lips and jabbed a hand into her chest cavity. It sprouted off a second hand to rip a literal hole to reveal a shining brown jewel. It pulsedlike a heart, and it beat even quicker with each passing second while I drooled at the power a woond spirit would give me. I was already part slime, so would my gic makeup alter itself to be part spirit?


    <i>Wait, does that mean I¡¯m part nt? Because of the draingi?</i>


    ¡°MISTRESS!!!! PLEASE, DON¡¯T DO IT!!!!!¡± I turned to Niva and saw her struggling against Sekh¡¯s hold. I knew a fragile, meek girl like herself couldn¡¯t break free, so Sekh purposely let go. Crying out, Niva mmed into the hard floor and navigated around the damage using Primrose¡¯s screams as a source.


    She eventually crawled to her spirit and blocked her open chest with her body. I didn¡¯t think she knew that was where her core was. It was just a spot of dumb luck.


    ¡°Move.¡±


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t do it! Mistress¡ª¡±


    This rage I felt... It knew no bounds. I summoned and gripped Reina¡¯s pistol hard enough to nearly crack it. Slowly, I aimed it with my finger off the trigger and pointed right at Niva¡¯s head. ¡°I¡¯m not going to repeat it. Move.¡±


    ¡°I... I can¡¯t let you kill her!¡±


    I shot two bullets into the ceiling. ¡°She¡¯s a failure! She was going to betray us! Just summon something better next time! THAT¡¯S ALL YOU HAVE TO DO! IT''S NOT THAT FUCKING HARD, NIVA!¡±


    <i>Failure... Just summon something better... Shit... SHIT!!! SHIT!!! SHIT!!!!!! SHIT!!!!!!!!! SHIT!!!!!!!! SHIT!!!!!!!!!! FUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!</i>


    ¡°But... But there probably won¡¯t be a next time!!! Primrose¡¯s the first one to answer me in three years!!!! Please, Mistress... Don¡¯t do it...¡± She turned her head to my voice, allowing me to see her tears...


    Tears that I caused...


    Tears that came from my behavior...


    Niva whined and tensed up, then begged again, and again, and again, using her petite body to save the life of her spirit. Realizing my foolish nature, I stored my weapon and demanded an exnation, bloodlust still visible in my eyes while I forcibly turned my Wrath to 0 to enter a better state of mind.


    <i>What the fuck is wrong with me...?</i>


    <hr>


    Niva was born 23 years ago to an impoverished family in Barbil, a frigid, freezing country to the far north. The only other point further north was the tip of the Kidonia Kingdom, located on the continent which housed the Cridian Empire.


    Her life was simple, if a bit painful, since there was never enough food. But herrge family of a dozen brothers and sisters somehow made it work. The only constion was that it became more hospitable in the summers when you couldst more than a few hours without a jacket.


    In her poverty-stricken vige, Niva wasn¡¯t ostracized for her hermaphroditic appearance¡ªnot by her family or neighbors. But upon her sixteenth birthday, she began to experience vision loss. For a family with very little food, affording medicine to help reverse her mono-eye degradation was an impossibility. It would cost about five years¡¯ worth of saving if they sold everything they harvested from the frosted fields they were forced to farm. Her parents tried to ask the local baron, yet he refused to hear them out. After endless begging, he allowed Niva¡¯s mother into his mansion to profess her case, yet she was sent home with no money, no medicine, ripped clothing, and proof of abuse visible upon her lips and crotch. She refused to talk about what transpired, but it didn¡¯t take a genius to read between the lines.


    With her mother sunk into a severe depression, Niva became the vige¡¯s social pariah because her disease meant she was a consumer, not a producer. Having someone blind toil the fields only resulted in damages themunity couldn¡¯t afford. Niva¡¯s mother¡¯s attempt to get her daughter the money for the medicine brought undue attention to the homestead.


    Two yearster¡ªwhen she was 18, Niva had resolved to die. She went out one night, intending to never return, but while lying on the soft, snowy underneath the starry night sky, she felt a presence by her side. Unable to see this mysterious entity, she did nothing but listen to its words of grandiose wonder for the future she couldn¡¯t understand.


    With just a fraction of its great power, it granted the self-destructive Niva [Mana Language] and {Summoning Magic: Spirit]. This allowed her to perceive the words of this great being that only spoke with the mighty power that made up the skills and magic of this world.


    Yet understanding itsnguage only confused the young Niva even more, and the entity left as quickly as it appeared. As sheid there contemting what had happened in her loneliness, a squad of warriors approached and stole her away under the moonlit sky.


    Within days, Niva was marked, enved, and sold off to the highest bidder, who demanded she summon a spirit. The specter of me that answered her call had its spirit core destroyed before it even had a chance to greet its summoner because it wasn¡¯t what her owner wanted. After a recovery period of six months, she was chained and forced to summon again, and the events yed out like a broken record. Only this time, a water nymph answered her call. The sparkling source of power resting in its forehead was pilfered and shattered, bringing another end to a spirit that didn¡¯t need to die.


    All because Niva¡¯s Master was unhappy with the strength of the spirit summoned. Instead of giving her a third chance, he sold Niva to another family to recoup his losses. This was where Niva was adopted by a noble family residing in Dirge''s capital city. She was added to the family registry and given thest name of Mesalitos, yet her fate hadn¡¯t changed a bit. She suffered through six more summoning sessions until her 22nd year of living. And while the first three were sessful, the iing spirits had their cores instantly destroyed because they were weak. For the following three tries, no spirits answered Niva¡¯s call. However, the Mesalitos family did not see fit to punish Niva. She was spared the rod while not yet a part of their family. Still, it was the first time Niva felt something barely resembling familial eptance since her vision started to degrade. But it was still abuse because they never spoke to her. She was forced to live in a room on the other side of the Mesalitos estate with no verbalmunication. The Mesalitos family made it clear Niva was a mere tool without any rights as a person. She was property-- in and simple. One that had a bed and food, but someone without free will, whose only task was to summon when she was ready.


    It seemed spirits residing in this world and the realm of spirits refused to answer her call. What use was a spirit mage who could not summon? When Holy Lord Gloria visited the Mesalitos family, she saw some use in Niva as a ¡®shield¡¯ after mistakenly learning of her existence and used her authority to im ownership over the half-breed.


    Not even eight monthster, Holy Lord Gloria performed the ritual to call Soul Warriors from another world. Niva was given to Noelia to act as a damage sponge since Holy Lord Gloria decreed that was Niva¡¯s only use in this life since her status as a summoner was less than a toddler.


    But as the immaterial power of time rolled by, fate decided to y a strange card and introduced Niva to a 0-Star Soul Warrior turned chimera. The blind girl who had no more faith in the world was slowly introduced to hope after losing all sense of individualism.


    Through the pain...


    Through the rape...


    Through the abuse...


    Through the dozens of attempts to treat her like she was some object without any sense of self-worth...


    Niva somehow survived-- holding on to a speck of hope that was infinitesimally small to the point where even the girl blessed by divine mes of wrath would find it hard to hang on.


    Her name was Niva, and she would defy fate and be powerful enough to stand as equal with the Transcendent Dark Lord.

 Chapter Fifty-One: Primrose, The Woodland Spirit – Part Two

    Chapter Fifty-One: Primrose, The Woond Spirit ¨C Part Two


    ¡°That¡¯s your past, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mistress,¡± Niva whispered, raising an arm and allowing the hot water to sprinkle down through her fingers. ¡°I still do not know who kidnapped me after that entity left.¡±


    We were outside in the bathroom, taking a nice dip in the pond. Since Niva was healed, I didn¡¯t have to worry about making one part cooler for her, yet she and Primrose remained far away from Sekh and me. Tilde just floated on her back without any worry about her destination.


    ¡°The Spirit Realm probably got pissed off. So many of their kind instantly died moments after being summoned. And you can¡¯t me them,¡± Tilde said. ¡°But Mesalitos? That¡¯s a fancy name.¡±


    ¡°My liege, nobles are the only ones withst names. Amoner can be bestowed one should they achieve some feat that impresses someone socially powerful.¡±


    ¡°...¡± Primrose red at Sekh, who found itfortable to rest her head against my shoulder while refusing to look away from Primrose. Once I threw her in the pond, she quickly began to heal because the entire area was mmed full of nature mana. She huffed angry bubbles through her nose, but we didn¡¯t even give her the time of day.


    ¡°Then I better take full advantage of the Vredi name. Do you hate yourst name?¡± The cyclops nodded. I told her I¡¯d get rid of it with [Status Cloak], and the AI did my bidding. Niva confirmed the name removal, and she thanked me.


    <i>She¡¯s blind, so how did she...</i>


    <i>Information transmitted via the Status Menu and activity log is transmitted directly to the brain, so those who cannot see can still use the systems of this world, my lord.</i>


    <i>Good to know. Thanks for the answer.</i>


    ¡°What the hell happened to you?¡± Primrose asked.


    ¡°You don¡¯t deserve to know. Remain in line, or you¡¯ll be our firewood.¡±


    ¡°What makes you so special? You¡¯re a damn chimera?¡±


    ¡°A damn chimera that had you at death¡¯s edge.¡± I stretched my arms and asked Sekh if she could hold my hand, which she did with a smile and a lovely kiss on my lips. Primrose looked disgusted, but I didn¡¯t care. She asked me why I would do something so ugly in front of her master, but I just said it was a simple kiss, and it wasn¡¯t like I was about to fuck Sekh. Primrose turned to Niva and asked if she permitted me to have sex in front of her, and she nodded before describing her life with Noelia. She hadn¡¯t covered that part, and it was just sad enough for Primrose to hug her summoner.


    ¡°Primrose, my¡ªour Mistress is the only reason I¡¯m here right now. That you¡¯re here right now. She didn¡¯t have to save me, but she did anyway. I could¡¯ve died... She could¡¯ve assimted me... A hundred things could¡¯ve happened, but they didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You can hate me all you want,¡± I told the spirit. ¡°You can curse me from dusk until dawn, and I won¡¯t care. Hell, I can¡¯t get angry unless I turn a little dial to raise my wrath. You¡¯re lucky it was only at 5. Any higher, and I¡¯d have Sekh burn this ce to the ground. For your safety, I¡¯ll keep it at 0, but don¡¯t piss me off.¡±


    ¡°That fool shouldn¡¯t sully your name because of her own issues,¡± Sekh said, rubbing her cheeks against mine. ¡°Had I been in your shoes, she¡¯d have gone the way of that volcanic me spirit.¡±


    ¡°Like I¡¯m afraid of some ve. Why don¡¯t you purr for your master like the good bitch you are.¡±


    ¡°PRIM! Stop doing that! You don¡¯t know Lady Sekh. Or her past.¡±


    ¡°HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!! Well, it¡¯s been nice knowing you.¡± Tilde exploded into another fit ofughter.


    Sekh stood up and wrapped her right arm in [ck Fire]. Primrose skittered to her feet. Before Sekh moved, I grabbed her tail and fluffed it. She cutely yelped and sat back down, then she looked at me with a yful smile and extinguished the mes before they vaporized the entire pond.


    ¡°What the hell are you?! You two are a bunch of goddamn monsters!¡± Primrose sat back down.


    ¡°I¡¯m of the same opinion as my liege. You aren¡¯t worthy to hear it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll just say this, Primmy. Don¡¯t be a traitorous bitch. It¡¯s as simple as that. You never know what kind of foes are waiting around the corner,¡± Tilde said. She flipped over to her stomach and doggy paddled around the hot spring.


    <i>And don¡¯t think I can¡¯t see you when I¡¯m not looking at you.</i> I used that keyboard the AI made for me to type out a message to be disyed via waypoints. Primrose¡¯s eyes went big and wide at the unknown power at my helm. The words disappeared, and she sunk more into the hot springs while staring at Niva¡¯s face. Her eyes soon narrowed.


    ¡°Wait, what¡¯s that?¡± Primrose wooden horns twitched. Out of nowhere, she got to her knees and touched Niva¡¯s cheeks with her hands.


    As a cyclops, Niva had just one eye¡ªarge red one¡ª located in the middle of her head. But why didn¡¯t she flinch when Primrose rubbed it? It didn¡¯t make sense...


    ¡°Master, there¡¯s an illusion on your face. Its source is...under your skin. Here, let me dispel it.¡± The spirit closed her eyes and focused, and suddenly...


    ¡°Holy shit!¡± Tilde eximed when Primrose took a step away.


    Niva¡¯s face...


    She still had one eye, but it was positioned on her face as if she had two. Her left eye was still red, and a check of [Analysis] confirmed her blindness was still there, but the spot where her right eye should have been was the rest of her face. It was like she wasn¡¯t born with a second eye socket.


    At her core, she was still a cyclops and Lizardfolk half-breed, with a touch of elf to exin her penis.


    As it turned out, Niva was born with a gic mutation¡ªonemon in her family and vige. And even more surprising, it appeared Niva didn¡¯t know about the illusion. But she added she overheard Noelia groaning about how disgusting her eye was. When Niva went to bed that night, she woke with a slight pain in her face. ¡°She probablyined to Gloria, and she... Wait, under the skin? Fuck. Okay, let me think... Gloria could¡¯ve imnted a small artifact to absorb mana from the atmosphere. If she used that to fuel the illusion... Then that¡¯s the only thing I can think of. Doing that isn¡¯t cheap, but I doubt that would break the bank of a Holy Lord.¡±


    "But that means there¡¯s something where her second eye would be?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    ¡°Should I extract it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You could, but I¡¯m totally sure it¡¯s harmless. We know Gloria tracked Niva through thatpass and tracking facility.¡±


    ¡°Unless that¡¯s a front. Would Gloria lie to her bodyguard?¡±


    ¡°If that artifact transmitted Niva¡¯s location, would Gloria note for her? It doesn¡¯t make sense, so I think we¡¯re good. Unless she¡¯s even more of an idiot than I thought and upied the dungeon for the hell of it. I mean, that¡¯s always an option. Even if it is unlikely.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t [Status Cloak] erase the illusion?¡±


    ¡°The mana sustaining the illusiones from the artifact. You can¡¯t exactly get loyalty from an object that¡¯s not alive. As for [Analysis] not detecting it? Remember what I said? How your skills learn and grow from using them? You gotta experience different things, too, and use [Analysis] on a lot of things. You haven¡¯t encountered any illusions. And the AI doesn¡¯t know how to identify them. But now it does, and it¡¯s learning from this. When you and Kokan put the eye drops in, I assume the illusion was responsible for tricking your mind into thinking it was going in that false eye. In reality? You were putting them in the real one. And before you ask about Chax and Ginnie¡¯s goblinrvae, you knew ahead of time that they were raped. So [Analysis] knew to look for something. It¡¯s a different situation.¡±


    <i>It is as the Conduit says, my lord. There is no record of encountering any illusions in the past, therefore, it was not detected. After reanalyzing Niva¡¯s data, missing information regarding the illusion and artifact were found and added to [Analysis]¡¯s capabilities for future use.</i>


    <i>Highlight it under Niva¡¯s skin.</i>


    Suddenly, I saw a glowing, red orb where Niva¡¯s other eye would¡¯ve been. It was about an inch deep in her head.


    ¡°Your eye is beautiful, my summoner. Do not heed the words of those foolish enough to not see your beauty,¡± Primrose whispered, holding Niva¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Your eye is pretty, Niva. It¡¯s a wonderful color,¡± I added. Her expression softened. Perhaps she was worried we¡¯d find it gross? I asked if she wanted me to remove the artifact, but before getting into how painlessly it would¡¯ve been, Primrose erupted into a sh of anger.


    ¡°Look, I don¡¯t have time for this shit. Niva, it¡¯s up to you. I promise you¡¯re just going to feel a little bit of pressure but no pain. It¡¯ll be done in a few seconds.¡±


    ¡°Master, you don¡¯t have to¡ª¡± Niva nodded, silencing Primrose. The spirit argued, but her arguments consisted of trashing me and everything I stood for. A piercing stare shut her up for the next ten minutes. Sekh walked with me to Niva, standing in front of the spirit while I knelt.


    ¡°My thumb¡¯s going to transform into a sharp needle. I know exactly where the artifact is, and I just need to touch it¡ªeven brushing it will work. And see? I¡¯m already done,¡± I said, performing the short operation and returning my finger to normal.


    ¡°It¡¯s...done? That fast?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡± I retrieved the artifact from [Storage] and looked it over. Really, it was a ck, eye-shaped orb with whiteputer-like circuit lines. Primrose huffed and puffed and used a leaf she grew from her arms to stop the bleeding...


    But the little hole was already healed.


    <ul>


    <li><i>Tiny Mana Generator (1/10)</i></li>


    </ul>


    <ul>


    <li><i>Atmospheric Mana Recycling</i></li>


    </ul>


    Yep. It was a generator. With ten enchantment slots, I could probably get a decent chunk of money for it. But for the time being, it would reside in my storage.


    <i>But wait... That means Gloria drilled a divot into Niva¡¯s skull to fit this orb. Then made it so the rest of her skull healed around it. How fucking horrifying... That bitch is going to die... I swear it...</i>


    <hr>


    When it was time to get out, I was partly surprised at Primrose¡¯s ability to manufacture clothing from her skin. It took seconds for her to create an odd bra of green vines connected to yet another waist cloth. Only this time, it had a piece to cover her ass. Brown mana collected around her feet as a pair of wooden high heels appeared.


    The atmosphere was tense when I left to get the AI some new books because they had read them all. Thanks to stuffing my storage full, it now had a capacity of 450 pounds, enough to stash what I hadn¡¯t read. I also had some space left over, so I went around to the different wardrobes and stored clothing that fit myself and Niva. Sekh refused to wear them, and Primrose could dress herself.


    <i>Huh, I¡¯d have expected her to say something about my cock. Like how big or ugly or disgusting it is, but she kept her mouth shut. Probably because Niva has one. Sure, she¡¯s much smaller than I am, but I guess she doesn¡¯t want to hurt her master¡¯s feelings. Better get some for Erin.</i>


    I returned to the room with Sekh and Primrose arguing again, but my presence quieted the troubling spirit. With a huff, she sat beside Niva,fortably under the covers, and crossed her legs. I joined Sekh at the foot of ours, and we talked about the n.


    ¡°Surely you aren¡¯t serious. Even for a trashy monster like yourself, that¡¯s too much of a risk for my master. I refuse to permit you to do it.¡±


    ¡°Like you even have a choice, firewood,¡± Sekh replied, barring her teeth. She and Primrose went together like oil and water.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to take us about three days to get back. Maybe even one more. There are thirteen people in Oswell¡¯s group, including the leader himself. I know it won¡¯t be easy, but that¡¯s a lot of power. And they¡¯d never suspect me because I have my clones. They can cause some chaos to provide me opportunities. If I can slip inside their mouth as a slime, I can pump their whole body full of poison. Or I can expand outwards and burst from their stomach. And even if ites to it, I will demand your assistance.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Primrose stomped and stood up, then shook her head while ncing towards the door.


    ¡°You¡¯re from the Eagle Yew. That''s a yew tree, and I know those are poisonous. You grow branches from your body while leaving behind primrose flowers. Logic dictates you can grow yew berries or manufacture their sap.¡±


    ¡°Like hell I will. I won¡¯t participate in your sick murder games so you can get your disgusting thrill.¡±


    ¡°Primrose! Mistress needs our help. We must help her. They say they aren¡¯t vers, but that¡¯s what they¡¯re doing. One of the girls was falsely used of stealing.¡±


    ¡°And that girl is going to help me rob her mother,¡± I added. ¡°I¡¯m broke as hell until Amos¡¯s clothing sells. And Karen Bary is a total bitch. In fact, I might even kill her. But the moneyes first. But no, Primrose, I won¡¯t force you to help me.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit. You almost--¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because your actions were in danger of sabotaging the group. Betrayal equals death. I can¡¯t be soft on this path I¡¯m walking down. I¡¯ve already killed a handful of fools, so what''s another thirteen? Or even a spirit? Anyway, that¡¯s the end of that.¡± I walked over to Niva and grabbed her hand. ¡°Primrose is your responsibility, so keep in her line. I¡¯d rather you have no spirit if the one you do have will cause the death of us. And you, this is your one and only warning, Primrose. If you screw up, and I decide you must die, then you will die. I¡¯ve been betrayed too many times to have it happen again. I will not tolerate it from anyone. Not again. Not ever again...¡±


    Primrose fumed so hard the tiny flowers blooming on her branches died before she reverted to a small brown, circr crystal about the size of a baseball. A spirit didn¡¯t have to stay out all the time. In fact, sometimes it was better for them to turn back into their crystal because, to materialize, it required a chunk of their summoner¡¯s mana. Primrose, for example, drained 15% of Niva¡¯s mana if she was out walking around. And that would not regenerate until she was back in her crystal.


    Niva was left whimpering alone, and I sighed and hit the hay myself.


    <i>What the fuck was that back there? I sounded so much like Meruria... I didn¡¯t like it... But I need power. Niva was saved for that reason. If Primrose doesn¡¯t change her attitude and tries this stupid stunt one more time, she¡¯s dead. I¡¯d rather have a useless spirit than a traitor. I refuse to be betrayed again.</i>


    <i>I¡¯m no hero. I¡¯m a viin. My goal won¡¯t end with fewer than a million deaths.</i>


    <i>I must remain steadfast.</i>


    <i>I must keep in mind what¡¯s important.</i>


    <i>The opportunity to gain a shit ton of SP and power fell to my feet, and I will see it through.</i>


    <i>If I can¡¯t even do this...why the fuck did I swear revenge? Damn it, I can¡¯t focus feeling like this.</i>


    Rolling out of bed, Sekh quietly stared as I approached Niva. She heard my footsteps and leaned up, her eye slick, wet, and reddened by her tears.


    <i>I gotta get used to her eye cement.</i>


    ¡°Mistress?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to scare or frighten you. You¡¯re a close ally, not someone I need to pick a fight with.¡± I sat beside her, took her real hand, and held it between mine. ¡°I promise I¡¯ll never hurt you. I hope you can forgive me, and I hope you can believe me.¡±


    ¡°Mistress...¡± repeated Niva. She shifted and hugged me the best she could. I sat there with her against my chest while rubbing her back.


    <i>Shit... I feel like an abuser. Goddamn it,</i>


    ¡°I know you wouldn¡¯t hurt me. I really do. I¡¯m...d you¡¯re here. I¡¯m only alive because of you... And you took that thing from my head. I want to live up to your standards¡ªto travel with you on your journey. Mistress, thank you for saving me...¡± Niva whispered. I doubt she even knew she was talking, to be honest. She was drifting in and out of a slumber.


    I didn¡¯t know what it was...perhaps maternal instincts from By? But I lifted Niva and sat her sideways in myp, my arms around her waist and gently rubbed her back, brushing my fingers against a few of her purple scales. She still wore the white wig until her hair grew back, but I softly massaged that, too.


    The poor girl had gone through a lot. And she was tiny¡ªpetite, possibly underweight. Almost like a fragile stick that would break if pushed slightly beyond its nonexistent limit. She was supposed to be in my care. She was supposed to find a new life with me, not relive the old fear she used to harbor. Her powder blue skin trembled nearly non-stop.


    And I did the one thing I said I wouldn¡¯t do... Primrose¡¯s potential betrayal wasn¡¯t an excuse for making it seem like I wanted to kill Niva.


    I just saw red, but that was no excuse.


    I wasn''t like Meruria. I''d never be someone as vile or repulsive as that bitch.


    A promise left my mouth. Tilde said a spirit could hear and see from their crystal, so this message was for Primrose. It wasn¡¯t a threat, but it was a promise. One I made to reassure her I had her summoner''s best interest in my mind. I wanted to be the woman who, once she epted someone into her extremely tiny circle of trust, did all she could to help and protect them. And Niva was someone I wanted in that circle.


    ¡°Sekh, I¡¯m---¡±


    ¡°I understand, my liege. There is no need to say it,¡± she replied with a cute smile.


    ¡°I love you. Goodnight.¡±


    ¡°I love you too.¡± Sekhid her head on the pillow and drifted asleep while I held Niva close to my chest. This was my apology. I was a woman of my word, so for tonight...I¡¯d use my actions to prove what I told her. It wouldn¡¯t make up for the fear she felt during those tense moments, but...

 Chapter Fifty-Two: Murderous Options

    Chapter Fifty-Two: Murderous Options


    ¡°Lady Springfield, do you really have to leave?!¡± cried the Dryad as she hugged my leg. Her vines wrapped around my leg as she looked up with a saddened expression and eyes full of clear tears.


    We were standing in front of the bridge leading to the vige. Primrose didn¡¯t want toe out from her crystal, so Sekh oversaw Niva¡¯s wheelchair. Oswell, his men, the horses, and wagons were already across it, and they were waiting on me.


    ¡°I must,¡± I replied, petting her head. ¡°I¡¯ve got business to attend to.¡±


    Aello walked forward, but I put a hand up to stop her. ¡°But¡­ But¡­ But will I see you again?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you will. I promise I¡¯lle back. Here, do you want to hear another song?¡± The little spirit nodded, so I pulled out the songleaf and yed the best tune of my chimeric life. Beautiful melodies swam through the many vines of the Eagle Yew, causing scattering leaves to dance atop the entire vige. The whimsy highs and deep lows preceded the fatal fate of my instrument, which faded away into mana once I had yed thest note.


    ¡°The Eagle Yew is happy,¡± Aello said, pping her wings. ¡°When a songleaf is at the end of its life, it returns to where it whence came. However, should it be yed with honor¡­¡±


    A striking light shed from above, and down came a flute created out of nothing but songleaf. Aello stated that Elven children were often tasked to make their own flutes in training. Yet being granted a flute by something like the Eagle Yew was another option, albeit very rare. And almost an impossibility, in my case.


    <i>[Analysis] says Susize made this made 1,152 years ago. Why would Aetos give it to me? I don¡¯t understand that eagle.</i>


    I grasped it with both hands, and I let the memories of Susize Vredi grant me the knowledge to y onest little song called Vredi¡¯s Luby.


    The resounding lows were slow and docile, shing with the tinge of airy highs to create a soliloquy of love handed down from Susize¡¯s ancestor¡ªthe one who discovered and nted the seed that ended up bing Vredi Forest. The song carried the hopes and dreams of all elves born within its nurturing bosom¡ªthe acoustic symbol of their livelihood. Something yed before every parade or festival. It wasn¡¯t rare for the whole forest to sing their hearts out to pay respect to their caregiver.


    And then it burned down... From the memories I saw sh through my mind, the world seemed to stop turning when it happened. The mes were raging out of control, leading to a worldwide hunt for the one responsible.


    I didn¡¯t know if they were caught. If a Holy or Dark Lord was responsible, there was a chance they were alive. How ironic would it be if we came across the culprit? What would I do? Kill them? Thank them? Did it matter? I was a High Elf, but only via chimerism. But I couldn¡¯t deny Susize¡¯s feelings for this forest. There was a dull ache in my heart from where we had to leave.


    <i>No, I don¡¯t have to think about that now. Just y the song, M.</i>


    Once finished, a little green flower blossomed on the Dryad¡¯s head.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t my blooming season, though,¡± noted the Dryad. She looked at me, plucked the flower, and gave it to me with a smile while I ignored my thoughts.


    <i>A Dryad only gives their flowers to someone they trust, my lord, </i>said the AI.<i> That was mentioned in Murag¡¯s journals.</i>


    ¡°Do you trust me that much?¡± I mean, I hadn¡¯t done much. Sure, I spent time with her, but... She nodded, and I really had no choice but to ept it with a smile. Crouching down, she ced it in my hair and rubbed it, then skipped back to stand by Aello. A few momentster, a collection of sparkling mana umted nearby, which soon gave birth to a striking banana yellow-like slime. It was about the same size as I was in my slime form, and it wiggled and jiggled like gtin. Aello believed the Eagle Yew wanted to send another gift, so it used its power to create life.


    The question was thus: did I want to bring it? As I was thinking that, the wiggling thing bounced over to Niva and sat right in herp, eliciting a cute yelp. Sekh quickly bent down to tell her it wasn¡¯t me.


    ¡°Mistress, can we keep it?¡±


    ¡°Sure, I don¡¯t see why not. You want to name it?¡±


    ¡°Is that fine? Can I take some time to think of one?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    We waved goodbye and turned around to join Oswell and his group.


    ¡°That flower looks good on you, my liege.¡±


    ¡°Big Tits is right. A Dryad¡¯s flower is special, so take care of it.¡±


    ¡°It does feel kinda good,¡± I confessed.


    ¡°Are you ready to leave?¡± Oswell asked from the driver seat of the wagon that carried most of the supplies.


    ¡°Almost. Here, take this,¡± I said, pulling out 10 gold. ¡°I managed to find some money I misced. That should be enough for Erin and the delivery fee, right?¡± <i>It¡¯s too much. Doesn¡¯t matter, though, since I¡¯ll get it back when I kill them.</i>


    ¡°You¡¯re damn right it is. Tivid, get over here!¡± Tivid soon arrived with a pair of documents that said I owned Erin. However, they didn¡¯t have anyone to break the ve seal, so that would have to wait until we reached Ria, at which Oswell would personally take Erin and me to a ve market I¡¯d been lucky enough to avoid and have it broken if I didn¡¯t want her to remain my ve. Not only did I have to sign it, but all of Oswell¡¯s group put their John Handcock on it as witnesses to the deal.


    Once the money changed hands, Oswell walked to the cage, retrieved Erin, who wore the clothes I wanted her to wear, and handed her to me.


    Her ears were still folded over her head, and she refused to look up from the ground. The bracelet around her neck made her look so pitiful. When Oswell got back in the driver, he said something about transferring over ownership.


    <b><i>Erin Bary is now your ve.</i></b>


    <b><i>Since you own more than one ve, the very Menu has been added to your Status Menu.</i></b>


    I yed around with the menu when I noticed her information was added below Niva¡¯s. Erin was Lv. 6 with mostly merchant-rted titles and skills, with absolutely none rted tobat. However, she could use [Barter] to haggle and [Estimate] to gauge an unknown item¡¯s value. Suppose that could be useful.


    I put a hand on her head, and she finally looked at me. But she didn¡¯t just see my face. I told the AI to write a message asking Erin to remain quiet until I told her to speak. She nodded, and then Oswell announced it was time to leave. He snapped the horses'' reins, and off we were on a three-day trip back to Ria.


    <hr>


    About three hours into the journey back, Primrose erupted from her crystal and took over Niva¡¯s wheelchair. Her sudden appearance caused a jolt of surprise, and she and her skimpy attire were the talk of the group. Given our history, she ignored my presence and focused on speaking with the others.


    Marcey, Be, and Domi¡ªthe only women and Squirrelfolk of the group¡ªwere like chatty cats with the woond spirit, but they also included Niva and the brand-new yellow slime in their talk, who still went by L. I was okay with no one talking to me because I was in the middle of nning. Sekh and Tilde knew that, so they spoke for Erin and me.


    From my investigation, Marcey was the weakest at Lv. 19. You could think of her as the ''baby'' of the group. She also had a crush on Oswell and masturbated to the fantasy of him taking her against the wall. Be and Domi were rather insignificant, and I didn¡¯t have anything to take advantage of. But that didn''t apply to Tivid, the sharp-eyed ountant of the group. He had left behind a family to adventure with Oswell, and after turning in the tags, he was going to head home for a few months before meeting back up to hunt some more bounties. And he was a hardcore alcoholic. He got drunk nearly every night when they were staying at Aetos Vige, yet he never delved into a drunken rage. In fact, he often cried up a storm about how he missed his daughter, and Be and Domi had to try to calm him down.


    Kvree was a Tigerfolk who remained aloof and distant. Even if he carried a heavy shield and wore te armor, he often even forgot he had a weapon on him. It was hard to exin, but even if Oswell said Kvree was a talented defender and the second strongest of the group, he had to be in ¡®battle mode¡¯ to even get that way in the first ce.


    <i>How long will it take to download their appearance data?</i>


    <i>It is already done, my lord.</i>


    About two hourster, we stopped for our first break to let the horses eat. Banda, a Pandafolk that looked like a talking panda, was sitting around eating from a bamboo stalk. Beside him sat a bowl of leaves, and he absentmindedly chowed away with this dumb expression on his furry face. Next to him stood Primrose, who worked with Niva on her physical therapy after altering her clothes to be a little more conservative.


    ¡°Master, try this,¡± said the spirit. She crouched and held a palm to the grassy ground. Mana collected around it, and when she lifted her hand, there was a wooden staff with a rounded head. Niva used that as a cane to help her, and it seemed like the slime was trying to cheer her on because it kept making noises. It was kinda cute watching it bounce around. The three Squirrelfolks were nearby to motivate their new friend while Niva struggled to take that first step.


    ¡°Some spirits can conjure their own weapons that grow stronger with them,¡± Sekh noted, sitting beside Erin and me. Shink, a Pigfolk, who acted as the group¡¯s chef, had cooked lunch when we stopped, and she and Erin were chowing down on a thin piece of salted meat and bread. ¡°Those that can¡¯t do that channel their mana through their summoner to grant them additional spells or skills. Or their summoner will give them a weapon to fight. And some can do both, and I suspect Primrose fits that category.¡±


    ¡°Let me guess. The strength of the spirit is determined from their summoner?" Sekh nodded and finished off her quick meal. Once that was done, we decided to train and spar. I couldn¡¯t use my chimerism in the first ce, and Sekh said she wouldn¡¯t use her [ck Fire] to not draw unwanted attention to herself. As far as everyone was concerned, she was simply a regr Lionfolk with a penchant for wearing a cor. I¡¯d been asked a few times if she was my ve, and I promptly shook my head no.


    We sparred for twenty minutes, with her always being the winner, but it was nice to see that I was giving her a run for her money. After assimting Oswell¡¯s group, I¡¯d probably have enough SP to get [Spear] to Lv. 7 or 8, along with leveling up some other vital skills. Our sparring had an audience at some point, and the group began betting on our matches. Vamire, a Dark Elf that traveled with them, practiced the spear. He wanted to join. Unfortunately, it was time for us to go by the time he ran over, but he made me promise to fight himter.


    For the next leg of our trip, Sekh, Erin, Tilde, and I made sure to walk near Niva and Primrose, who so happened to be beside the wagon carrying Henri and his siblings. During our break earlier, I felt the siblings'' eyes lock on me. Was it out of jealously? I didn¡¯t know, but Ur tapped onto the bar and meekly asked us to buy her and her siblings. I obviously refused, then Henri stated that since I was a noble, I had to have enough money. I lied and said I did, then imed that I¡¯d rather die first than do literally anything to help them achieve freedom. In my mind, I was thinking about what to do with them once the ughter was finished. Free them? Hell no. But kill them? Possibly. They were weak and wouldn¡¯t provide anything worthwhile. Erin seemed slightly concerned, but her feelings didn¡¯t matter in this case.


    Before I could think about it more, Oswell yelled from the front of the caravan about a group of boars heading this way. Sekh and I rushed to the front with Vamire and Kvree. The Dark Elf spun his obsidian-colored spear and used [Lightning Thrust] to cover the remaining distance in a sh and a sharp crackle of thunder. His boar had a hole about as wide as his body, and it perished faster than it knew. Meanwhile, Kvree hefted his shield and mmed it down, using [Taunt], [Aggro Draw], and [Hate Reaction] to bring all the attention to himself. With expert hands, the aloof Tigerfolk parried the boars¡ªeven punching them high in the air, which allowed me time to shoot them dead with my .45 as if they were y pigeons.


    <i>I only have a handful of bullets left.</i>


    Some of the group was impressed and crowded around me, and those that weren¡¯t simply marveled at the ¡®High Blessing¡¯ of the forest using something made of metal. I thought they would¡¯ve heard the gunshots from my fight with Primrose, but they didn¡¯t. And they thought the gun was just for show.


    But we were quickly back on the trail after moving the dead boars out of the way, but Shink carved the beasts and salted the meat for travel. He was kind enough to pass me the tusks when I asked for them, and I used the rest of the day to chisel them into dentures for Niva. After the AI helped me with this task, however. The tomes in Murag¡¯s room mentioned making teeth, and it used that data to help me create something almost perfect. I couldn¡¯t exactly get the canines at the right angle, though.


    <i>Well, that¡¯s what the second version is for.</i>


    I called for Niva and Primrose, and the spirit wheeled the chair with a venomous expression. When she saw the dentures, she almost snatched them from my hand and said she would be the one to put them in. That got some attention, and I quickly reminded her with glowing, floating waypoints that she had to watch her attitude.


    <i>Don¡¯t bring undue attention to ourselves. Remember that.</i>


    She red at me but managed to fit those teeth in Niva¡¯s mouth using her sticky sap as glue. There shouldn¡¯t be any soreness because the elixir healed any remaining pain, but I still told her to tell me if there was any difort.


    <hr>


    Around 10 PM, Oswell called it a night and pulled the caravan over to a nearby in of t grasnd. He let the ves out to stretch their legs and eat a cup of soup with a piece of hard bread, then ordered them back into the caged wagons after they put up the heavy-duty tents. Erin looked that way to her former fate before turning around and finishing up her stew. We all sat around the giant campfire. It was here that I got more acquainted with the rest of Oswell¡¯s group.


    Tactile and Deimpse were two scrawny humans that treated Vamire like an older brother. He¡¯d told those two to stay back during the boar attack earlier out of their safety, but the Dark Elf was being lightly chastised by Oswell. ¡°I know you care for them, but they can¡¯t get stronger if they don¡¯t fight. Those boars weren¡¯t even Lv. 10.¡±


    ¡°I know, man, bute on,¡± Vamire whined. His younger ¡®brothers¡¯ sat beside him, and a small argument¡ªno, it wasn¡¯t an argument, but maybe a vocal discussion was the right word¡ªbroke out. ¡°Fiiiine... Okay, you got me. Tact, Deim, we¡¯re gonna train like hell tomorrow. Promise me you won¡¯t get too hurt, okay?¡±


    The two underweight humans smiled, and the attention turned to Battr and Abaddan, two Batfolk fighting about thirty feet away. Thanks to their velvety wings, they soared through the air. Batfolk only required about three hours of sleep tost the whole day. They both had red eyes and dark hair. From what I saw, they were the definition of introverts.


    The more I watched them, the more I perceived their movements. Sekh was doing the same, staring and observing if I fucked up and turned this into a battle royale.


    Once their sparing ended, they joined the rest of us around the campfire. Marcey asked for a song, but I didn¡¯t know <i>Dreams of Style.</i> However, I just yed my flute with whatever came to mind, and it really felt like I could do no wrong. Before long, Vamire rushed to his tent and returned with liquor he''d been stashing away for the right asion. It was the color of lightened wood with a smell like dirt, but some of the group cheered on the Dark Elf and quickly filled their ss.


    Not long after, while a drunken Vamire rubbed and fluffed Banda¡¯s exceptionally soft fur, Domi and Be asked if we wanted to wash up at the river we passed about 20 minutes ago. The offer was extended to Marcey, but she said she was tired. And I suppose I didn¡¯t mind bathing with them.


    I knew how that made me sound when I avoided Irisa, but I think I was ready for the next step. When we returned home... when the time was right, I¡¯d asked Irisa to join Sekh, Niva, and me in the tub. There was enough room, and I really liked her.


    <i>If I think of this as practice, then yeah...</i>


    ¡°Okay, great. Let¡¯s meet up in about ten minutes,¡± Domi said as she and Be returned to their tents to get some bathing supplies. I returned to mine with my group. It wasn¡¯t just a normal tent, however. It wasrge enough tofortably fit six people. Oswell said Aello had given it to him exclusively for my use after learning I was leaving with him. And I¡¯d asked for it to be set up farther away from the others, and Oswell granted my selfish request.


    ¡°Look at you... Only a twisted pervert buys a little girl,¡± Primrose spat. Iid out a simple shirt and skirt for Niva, and she snatched it away. Niva still wore the robe over her clothes, though. She''d have to wear it for the foreseeable future. I chose traditional Elven attire. It was a green corset dress with loose sleeves with a ck waist girdle to keep a slim profile. It was made from dyed spider silk. A pair of over-the-knee green stockings hugged my legs and showed off my curves. They were cute, so I was happy to pair them with brown heels. From Susize¡¯s memories, she always wore this when she went on dates with Reina.


    <i>I love the ck outfit I have on. The golden highlights are cute and make me look powerful, but that¡¯s a special outfit. My very first one. Besides, I¡¯ve got all these clothes. Might as well put them to use.</i>


    ¡°Quiet, Primrose,¡± I told the spirit. ¡°Erin, believe me when I say I¡¯m not doing this to be mean. There are whims beyond your belief at work here, and they require total concentration so as to not fuck up. The floating words you saw speak the truth. Believe in them, remain quiet, and you will get what you seek. Understood?¡± Erin nodded once more, but she still looked deathly afraid. I just handed her the first shirt and shorts that came to mind as I browsed my storage. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything in your size. Sorry, but you¡¯ll have to make do with that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not nice. Why not let the girl¡ª¡± Primrose mped her mouth shut once she read a violent threat written out in rainbow dots that only she could see. I also warned her she was not to impede me in any case, and that earned me another scowl. Niva remained as she held the slime, who she named Lei. It only took a few hours, but a friendship was forming between the two. It was like a pet that didn¡¯t need to be fed because it literally survived off the mana in the atmosphere.


    ¡°Primmy, darling, you gotta watch your mouth,¡± Tilde warned. ¡°Remember what happenedst time you pissed her off?¡±


    ¡°Enough. Let¡¯s meet up with Domi and Be and get clean.¡±


    <i>My lord, a moment of your time? </i>asked the AI


    I sent Sekh and the others ahead of me, but Primrose was not happy. Thest thing she said while wheeling Niva out of the tent was that I better not do anything stupid, which earned a scolding from Sekh. That turned into another argument between the two. Tilde remained behind.


    ¡°Alright, AI. Tell me. What¡¯s on your mind?¡± I sat and listened to a devious n far better than what I had in mind.


    ¡°Once you do this, you can¡¯t take it back,¡± Tilde said. ¡°These people haven¡¯t hurt you. They fed you. They helped you. They even like you. You impressed them, and that Dark Elf even wants to spar and train with you. You managed to convince him to wait, but he¡¯s looking forward to it because he¡¯s the type of guy who can be friends with anyone after a fight. Hell, you even yed that flute for them out of the kindness of your heart.¡±


    ¡°And? They¡¯re vers, through and through.¡±


    ¡°So. Are. You.¡± Tilde tapped her head. ¡°But I won¡¯t stop you. I wouldn¡¯t dream of it. My little ¡®mera must leave the nest and go on her own, so put on your big girl panties. Do what you must do but remember just how dangerous it¡¯s going to be. If you fuck up? Well, it¡¯s going to be a major fuck up. Erin and Niva are likely to bite the dust. Big Tits would protect you above all else. And if our little cyclops dies, you can wave goodbye to Primmy. Considering the animosity between you two, perhaps the best situation is Niva living while Primmy dies.¡±


    ¡°I know, Tilde. I know. I''m a hypocrite of the highest degree, but they gotta die. And don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to gloat about this¡­ Let¡¯s go. I don¡¯t want to keep them waiting.¡±

 Chapter Fifty-Three: Poisonous Destiny

    Chapter Fifty-Three: Poisonous Destiny


    The great moon tried its best to reflect off the river¡¯s coursing flow, yet it was too quick to disy something of great importance. Instead, it shone down on the most beautiful Lionfolk in the world. With her delicate hands that¡¯d seen more bloodshed than anyone else, she took a pink cloth, wet it, and slid the soapy thing up between her marvelous breasts. She dipped her sensuous figure beneath the waters and emerged, breaking the surface and washing her body clean of any suds. Primrose was helping Niva walk while using the water¡¯s flow as an aid, and Be and Domi were rxing. They were chatting up a storm with Erin. True to her word, she refused to open her mouth at all. Yet she nodded and shook her head to answer their questions. She was a ve with that cor sped around her neck, but those two didn¡¯t see her that way.


    Probably because of me. Yes. Erin couldn¡¯t talk because of my orders, but they believed me when I said it wasn¡¯t what they were thinking. Yes, it was weird, but I didn¡¯t care if they <i>really </i>believed me. It wasn¡¯t like it would matter 3 days from now.


    And even though Domi and Be saw the seal tattooed on Sekh¡¯s stomach, they didn¡¯t give it a second thought after she told them it was nothing more than a tattoo. When it came to Niva, the two promised that what they saw wouldn¡¯t leave their mouth. Not about her having a penis but her being a half-breed with her unique situation about her eye.


    Well, it was that. But the two mentioned seeing a poster with Niva''s drawing a couple of days ago-- before arriving in Aetos Vige. The eye looked slightly different, but it appeared the women knew that was supposed to be Niva.


    <i>It¡¯s a good thing she¡¯s still going by L</i>.


    ¡°Hmm...¡± Sekh¡¯s ears twitched as she turned to the apex of a small hill. Her eyes narrowed, but then she smiled and started to wag her tail as I reached the top.


    I¡¯d been watching them with my map¡¯s satellite mode, but I canceled it because I had direct visual contact on the cutest Lionfolk in the world.


    ¡°My liege!¡± she said as she walked to greet me. I ran the rest of the way down and jumped into her arms, the force swinging us around until we nearly fell.


    ¡°That was so cute!!!¡± eximed Domi, who covered her blushing face.


    ¡°Mistress, are you joining us?¡± Niva asked.


    ¡°Yeah, I am.¡± I stripped down and sat my clean clothes to the side on a rock because the small tree Primrose had made for everyone else¡¯s clothes suddenly didn¡¯t have room for mine. As I expected, Be¡¯s and Domi¡¯s jaws almost dropped at the sleeping beast between my legs. I covered myself with a pink cloth because it didn¡¯t feel right exposing something like that. Erin promptly turned around and covered her eyes, her cheeks as red as tomatoes.


    ¡°Umm... W¡ªwow...¡± Domi whispered after I¡¯d gotten thigh-deep in the water. Sekh grabbed the cloth I used to make myself decent and washed my back, arms, and under my arms before moving to my chest and stomach.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a penis, girls. Half of the world has one,¡± I said, feeling oddly at ease at her washing me. I thought I¡¯d be more self-conscious because they were staring at it, but I honestly didn¡¯t mind it. Or if I did, it didn¡¯t feel like it. But perhaps myfortability with this situation meant I was ready to bathe with Irisa.


    Or maybe able to go a step further...


    ¡°I¡¯d heard the rumors of elves having them... But... You¡¯re like way bigger than Oswell... Marcey said he was like a corn cob down there, but yours is huge. And your boobs are... You¡¯re beautiful, Lady Springfield... Wait, does L have elf in her? She has one too...¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re gorgeous...¡±


    "Hey, it¡¯s like 13 inches when it¡¯s hard. You guys wanna see it? Get your friend Tilde here some nice liquor and sweet snacks, and I¡¯ll tell you what turns her on. Hehehe...¡± Tilde creepily said. She was sitting on Domi¡¯s shoulder because the water flowed too fast for her tiny body.


    ¡°Shut up, Tilde, and that¡¯s enough, alright? I didn¡¯te here to talk about that. Let¡¯s rx and wash up,¡± I said, taking the pink cloth from Sekh while I washed my cock. I thered it up and down, then made sure my balls were soapy before dipping down under the flowing river to wash the suds away. It only urred to me when I stood up that the tip was still in the water, which was cool but not cold. It felt kinda good. And perhaps a bit pleasurable, if I was being honest.


    ¡°Ye--Yes, Lady Springfield!¡± the two Squirrelfolks said at once after a quick apology. They stood up and bowed just slightly. Honestly? They were kinda cute, yet they had this adorable innocence around them.


    For the next ten or so minutes, we casually had a small chat while enjoying the wonders of a night¡¯s soak. To my surprise, Sekh and Primrose hadn¡¯t argued a single bit. They weren¡¯t speaking to the other, and Domi crept close to ask about that. I just said people had their differences, and it was impossible for everyone to get along. Of course, I was speaking whatever shit came to my mind that sounded decent because I was too busyposing a message to Sekh with my waypoints about the new n the AI came up with.


    My closestpanion only nodded, and that was the end of that. As much as I wanted to take her here and now¡ªand why wouldn¡¯t I when she looked so beautiful with the water dripping off her pretty nipples and tasty thighs, it would just be wrong. But I still had her walk over to me so I could clean her sexy back, fluffy tail, and soft butt.


    Since I was facing away from them all, no one was none the wiser as I created a clone from my back in the form of a tiny Lesser Araneae. It followed the coursing river downstream for about fifty feet. Once out of sight, it transformed into a Lesser Forest Boar, left the water, and began to follow a particr set of orders. My whole n resided on the clone pulling through, but it also had the AI guiding and directing it, so I had the utmost faith.


    I asked why Marcey didn¡¯t join them because it seemed like the three of them were close. And as expected, they said Marcey had a crush on the captain to the point that she often spied on him when he was taking a bath or changing.


    ¡°But I know he knows she was watching,¡± Domi added. ¡°Almost everyone in the camp knows besides her. But Sir Oswell is old enough to be our father. Some people are into that, I guess. It¡¯s kinda gross since he has a wife and child, though. But I think the rtionship between him and his wife isn¡¯t the best. Like, they¡¯re only together for their child, and it¡¯s just barely the definition of ¡®married.¡¯ Marcey is probably rubbing out her frustrations in her tent. What about you, Lady Springfield?¡±


    I pointed to Sekh. ¡°She ticks all my boxes, and that¡¯s all I¡¯m going to say about that.¡± Sekh looked so cute with those blushing cheeks, and she was even cuter when she kissed me on the cheek again.


    ¡°Aww... That¡¯s totally adorable!¡± Be swooned. Then she sighed and pped the water. ¡°I wanna meet a guy like that. Or even a girl. There isn¡¯t much of a difference.¡±


    ¡°Uhh... There¡¯s a major difference, girlie. And it¡¯s about 13 inches long. Hahaha,¡± Tildeughed.


    ¡°But wait¡­ Doesn¡¯t that hurt? Lady Sekh, I¡­ I don¡¯t know if I should ask this,¡± whispered Domi.


    ¡°At first, it did. It was unbearable, and I almost ruined something beautiful by not saying anything. But you don¡¯t have to force it all in. It''s about taking your time until you can ept more of it."


    ¡°What about you, Primrose? Can spirits...have sex?¡± asked Be.


    ¡°They can,¡± replied the wooden annoyance. It looked odd to have what was basically a wood woman¡ªeven if she looked like a regr, brown-skinned woman-- bathe in ake. Even if she was a giant pain in the ass, she had a refined look in how she held and conducted herself. ¡°It¡¯s easier for demons like subae to reproduce, but a spirit and a mortal can procreate. It¡¯s hard, though. Or at least that¡¯s what I heard.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve never done it?¡± Niva asked. She looked up from herte-night waddle through the river to get more ustomed to her prosthetics. Lei was hanging out on her head. She¡¯d bonded with the slime to the point where they were almost best friends.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t, Master. And I don¡¯t know if I ever will. You¡¯re more important to me than such frivolous behavior.¡±


    Out of curiosity, Domi asked Primrose what her ideal person was, and she said no one in the world met her strict standard. Truthfully, I believed it was a subtle dig towards me, but no one except Tilde caught on, and she and I shared a look and remained quiet.


    Soon enough, I said it was probably time for us to get going, and we all got out and dried off. I didn¡¯t even mind sharing the brown towels with Domi and Be.


    ¡°Girls, my eyes are up here, not down there,¡± I said, drying my penis off. I just so happened to look at Sekh as I said this. The way her beautiful body was seemingly glowing from the moisturizing cloth almost put me over the edge, but I remainedid through sheer will.


    <i>If I can get erect in this situation, it means I can get stiff for Irisa, right? That¡¯s my biggest worry, but maybe I shouldn¡¯t have to worry about that...</i>


    They made sure their rounded tails were dry before putting on a nightgown. Theyplimented me on my new outfit, then asked a question.


    ¡°Umm... Is...it all...stuffed in there? I think that¡¯s the word I¡¯m looking for... It looks like a tight fit,¡± they said, staring at my bulge as I put my panties on. It took some adjusting of my penis to get it feeling just right, and maybe it was the Murag in me, but now that I was thinking about it...


    Why did it not feel ufortable when they were staring at it? I know I said what I said, but Murag was an exhibitionist¡ªkinda. At least when it came to Reina and the others. It wasn¡¯t odd for them to stroll around the mansion naked and partake in impromptu fuck sessions if my glimpsing memories were correct.


    <i>Why...did it feel kinda good when they were staring at it...? No, that¡¯s not the right way to think about it. It definitely didn¡¯t feel bad, though. Guess I¡¯m okay with nudity.</i>


    ¡°It¡¯s ufortable sometimes. I had this loincloth that was just about the mostfortable thing ever, but it tore apart on me.¡± I slipped the green corset dress over my body and attached the waist girdle. Then they asked me about my heels and if they were ufortable. ¡°Not really. Once you get used to them, they won¡¯t hurt.¡±


    ¡°Prim, you wear heels, right? Isn¡¯t that what you said to me?¡±


    ¡°I do, Master. I can create clothing from my wood, and I prefer heels. It isn¡¯t painful at all.¡±


    Niva hugged Lei against her chest and smiled, staring up at what she hoped was Primrose¡¯s face while rxing in the wheelchair. We all left the river to return to camp while talking about the slime.


    You could train them like dogs. And yes, they were monsters first and foremost, but like how chimera must devour to obtain sentience and conscious thought, slimes could do the same through experiencing the world. That was how they evolved from mere slimes to Slimefolk. Suppose when you thought about it, they were like chimera. Well, it required a bunch of leaps of logic, but if Lei ever evolved to that point, that¡¯d be nice.


    But Slimefolk were tracked and registered with Bellerophon and the country they lived in. They were expected to check in on a regr schedule for an exam. If they didn''t show up, a squad specializing in trapping slimes was dispatched to retrieve them, at which they would be imprisoned. It didn''t matter how trustworthy you were as a Slimefolk. There were just no exceptions. It was like living with a guard holding a leash with very little ck since there were many rules andws for one to follow. At that point, I''d take my chances on my own than live with restricted freedom that couldn''t even be called that. I lived as a ve before. Like hell would I do it again. And if Lei evolved, I wouldn''t dare register or allow it to register like some animal. As far as I was concerned, it was a part of our group, and it would stay that way.


    <hr>


    Back at camp, Vamire and Kvree were on night duty, and the two were sitting around the fire to wee us back. We chatted for a few moments before saying goodnight and returning to our tents. I remained awake since sleep was no longer required for me. Sekh¡¯s soft breathing filtered through to my ears and brought a loving smile to my face. I rubbed her ears a little bit, kissed her head, and waited until I saw something specific appear in my vision.


    <b><i>You¡¯ve assimted the Heartbreak Sweet Skunk.</i></b>


    <b><i>New Skill: [Lavender Kiss]</i></b>


    <b><i>New Skill: [Wilted Rose]</i></b>


    <i>The mission is aplished, my lord.</i>


    <i>Good work, AI.</i>


    Thanks to the AI, who read about the Heartbreak Sweet Skunk, a rare spawn of the regr sweet skunk with a broken heart on its back, I had a far better n to kill Oswell¡¯s group. Even if its name suggested it was a huggable, cuddly animal that smelled like sweetvender, it was anything but.


    It was a deadly beast that had earned the nickname ¡®Couple Killer¡¯ because of its unique ability. [Lavender Kiss] was as harmless as it could be. In fact, it smelled likevender with a hint of delectable fruit, and it was possible to harvest the ¡®poison¡¯ and turn it into a perfume. Regr sweet skunks had this skill. In the bigger cities, the fragrance went for about 20 or 30 silver for a vial. Expensive? Yes, but not something that only nobles could afford.


    The problem came when the second skill, [Wilted Rose], was involved.


    You see, [Lavender Kiss] didn¡¯t just emit any scent. The particles it released clung to the nostrils, and when they reached the alveoli in your lungs...


    They. Remained. Behind.


    But by itself, it waspletely harmless. In fact, it was even beneficial to the point that it was considered a buff because it enhanced your physical attack. Someone could huff [Lavender Kiss] day and night for a thousand years without any harmful effect.


    Only the Heartbreak Sweet Skunk knew [Wilted Rose], which, when activated, forced every spore of [Lavender Kiss] to turn into a deadly, deadly poison.


    But the two poison skills smelled the same. It was virtually impossible to tell the difference. But the Heartbreak Sweet Skunk was very rare, and it took my clone transforming into a scatter bat and soaring across the forest that Aetos Vige was hidden within. Whenever my mana ran low, it would switch into Glog or a boar and eat what it could, then continue. The AI would constantly do a search for the monster every few seconds. So yeah, it took a while, but at least my map got filled.


    But now that I had everything ready, it was time to put this lengthy n into action. I created a clone of a spider about the size of my thumbnail, then sent it out to the various tents. I assimted dozens of them before finding the target, so the skill was mastered¡ªable to be used without taking the skunk¡¯s form. Once inside, the spider clone was ordered to release [Lavender Kiss] while skittering around the camp.


    [Analysis] proved it was working.


    It took forty minutes to finish up, but I had to wait for the shift change to affect Kvree and Vamire. And it was frightening. Kvree knew [Danger Sense], a skill that warned him of hostile intention, yet it turned out that [Lavender Kiss] wasn¡¯t really regarded as a dangerous skill. It was a supportive skill that could be turned into a perfume with an apanying skill to turn it deadly. The world registered it as a beneficial effect. As for whether or not that was a loophole? I didn''t know. But I wasn''t going toin.


    But now that the n was set, I had two more days to fill more of their lungs up. I¡¯d have to do it at night. And away from Sekh and the others. If they didn¡¯t have a single bit of [Lavender Kiss] in their system, [Wilted Rose] would be inert and useless.


    <hr>


    ¡°Good! Keep it up! Go faster!!¡± Vamire shouted as he ducked underneath Tactile¡¯s sword swipe. A sh of lightter, Deimpse used [sh Bang] to temporarily blind Vamire. The skillful Dark Elf saw without sight by reading the wind''s movements. He flurried his spear like an expert and parried the iing slice as if it was a leaf, then used the momentum to spin it around his body until the point was touching Deimpse¡¯s neck. Behind, Tactile tried to get the advantage, but his training opponent used {Lightning Teleport}, an enchantment on his spear, to daze, stun, and appear behind him.


    ¡°And that¡¯s it. It was a good job. Seriously, I just feel so pumped today! I gotta thank that sweet skunk when I see ¡®em!¡± Vamire hopped up and down like he was loosening up, then helped Tactile and Deimpse to their feet so they could start again.


    ¡°That¡¯s his strongest technique. You get to move anywhere within fifteen feet. The sudden lightning strike isn¡¯t especially damaging, but it¡¯s enough to jolt you. It has a lengthy cooldown topensate for how effective it is. It was a pain in the ass to take out that lightning elemental to get its core,¡± Oswell said during breakfast. He¡¯d woken everyone else up about forty minutes ago, and it wasn¡¯t even 6:30 AM.


    <i>Good to know cores can have abilities like that.</i>


    But the talk of the morning was the fact that no one sensed a ¡®sweet skunk¡¯ venturing into camp. Oswell argued it was a harmless animal, but he also chastised Shink and Abaddan because they were supposed to take thest guard. Battr spoke up for his fellow Batfolk, but Abaddan could do nothing but apologize. But Oswell wasn¡¯t too hard on him because he couldn''t sense the skunk. He also knew the [Danger Sense] skill, so part of the me was on him.


    Primrose wasn¡¯t that suspicious, which was a good thing. And neither was Niva or Erin. Only Sekh and Tilde knew about my n. And apparently, I was doing well because Tilde patted my head this morning and said to keep it up.


    And I did keep it up. Later that night, after about another 14 hours of walking.


    But before we packed up camp to start the day, Vamire finally got the fight he wanted, and I was definitely not a match. He counteracted nearly every move I made. If I went high, he went low. I went low, and he went high or used that bullshit {Lightning Teleport} to put me on my ass before pressing the point of his ck spear against my throat. He was a fellow practitioner of the Iron Tree Stance, but he was at the point where he could start carving his own branch. He was a master of the fundamentals and incorporated his lighting skills into them. Everything about his movements was sharper and quicker. No matter how I tried to get the advantage, he''dbo the different strikes and dodge before I was even a quarter of the way finished.


    His ability to read the flow of wind¡ªpredicting what I was going to do based on how the wind wrapped around my muscles and arms-- was astonishingly impressive.


    I took a lot of beatings. Tilde knew what wasing, so she split early and found a secluded spot to shout and curse at the pain I sent her way.


    But Vamire had [Spear (Lv. 6)] without spending any SP. He said he found his grandfather¡¯s spear and swung it around from the day he could walk. And every day henceforth, for about 49 years, he practiced every morning without breaking his streak.


    <i>He¡¯s only 49?</i> I thought as I picked myself up from the ground and wiped the blood from my lips. <i>He doesn¡¯t look older than 15, really. He¡¯s really youthful...</i>


    Sekh tapped in once I was battered, and Primrose snickered like no tomorrow, which earned her a scolding from Niva. It was a timid one-- with stuttering words and a quiet voice, but it was something. Perhaps Niva realized she couldn''t remain passive. In her words, I was her Mistress, and maybe she thought it wouldn''t be right to have her spirit openly disrespect me, a High Elf.


    Primrose was taken aback by the sudden words, and a quick, sudden apology left her mouth. The spirit looked like she wanted to cast scorn my way, but she bit her lip and remained focused on the exhibition match.


    My darling Dark Lord of Tyranny fared far better than I did. She wasted no time in going on the offense, and she didn¡¯t allow {Lightning Teleport} to catch her off guard. She predicted it in one of their fights and swung her shield at just the right speed and angle to bash him in the face, which knocked him away. He tumbled a few feet before using {Lightning Jump} to soar fifteen feet in the air. Yellow sparks crackled around him as Kvree stood up. His aloof eyes carefully watched as the mana surrounding Vamire turned into {Lightning Dive}. It was like a light show was dancing around his very being.


    The air sounded like it was being split into two, and one moment he was there, and after another sharp crackle of thunder, he was no longer in the sky.


    And Kvree was no longer next to me. He stood standing in front of Sekh with his shield aimed towards the sky, a tumultuous amount of lightning dancing around the three of them. Itshed out and destroyed the ground, leaving a dozen craters about a foot deep.


    Vamire¡¯s tenacious expression suddenly softened, and Kvree used [Shield Deflect] to aim all of that energy towards the empty ins. Vamire went shooting off like a rocket, and he tumbled at least forty or fifty feet,ing to a sudden halt when he smacked his head into a tree.


    ¡°Sekh!!!¡± I cried her name and ran over to her. She still held her shield up, and her face... Her expression almost reminded me of the Sekh I saw in that memory. She had this fighting grin and despicable look in her eyes like she thought Vamire was just another sacrifice on her way to ultimate power. The mes that sent so many to the afterlife crackled around her shield. It wasn¡¯t until I grabbed her cheeks that her expression reverted to normal, and the mes died out.


    ¡°Lady Springfield, I am terribly sorry for this,¡± Oswell said, standing beside us.


    ¡°I expected better from him.¡±


    ¡°I know. I...¡± He was at a loss for words. Even after Kvree returned with Vamire¡¯s unconscious body and handed him off to Tactile and Deimpse, who didn¡¯t know how to react, Oswell said very little. In fact, the whole camp was almost deathly silent as the ves packed up camp. Still, very little was said when we finally hit the road.


    I talked to Sekh about it, and she swore she could have endured it. She wanted the attack to connect because she finally felt alive and in a real fight.


    <i>Yeah. She told me that she wished she could¡¯ve tested her strength against a Soul Warrior. Suppose Vamire¡¯s the next best thing.</i>


    I told her I¡¯d one day be a match for her. She realized the seriousness of her words, then said she didn¡¯t mean to imply that I was weak. I wasn¡¯t mad or upset¡ªnot at all. But I teased her about it until she grabbed my hand andid her head on my shoulder. Then after a quiet and lovely ¡®I love you,¡¯ everything was normal.


    Vamire didn¡¯t wake up until after camp was set up for the night. He apologized, rubbed his head, andughed it off before exining his love for fighting. He thought there was nothing better than two warriors going at it until one fell of death or exhaustion, and in most cases, it was thetter.


    ¡°I suppose you could call it a personality quirk, hahaha!¡± he said,ughing it off as the campfire''s light was absorbed into Kronto, his obsidian-colored spear. As an added apology, he whispered to us that his spear was about half his power. It was enchanted with lightning skills that helped him conquer the battlefield with the speed of lightning.


    I knew that, though, since Oswell told us about that lightning elemental they killed. Guess it had more than I expected.


    We weren¡¯t near ake or pond, so there would be note-night bathing with a pair of Squirrelfolks. While Marcey was probably flicking the bean to the thought of Oswell¡¯s strong arms pressing her against the wall, Be and Domi sat in our tent to talk about the day. They also apologized on Vamire¡¯s behalf, but I told them it was no sweat. Sekh did the same, especially since she knew about the n.


    When those two finally returned to their tents, I did what I did the previous night. It was easier, and I was done in about half the time. Especially since Banda was on guard duty with Vamire, and he was drunk out of his mind. He cried to his best buddy in the world about how sorry he was about the earlier incident.


    However, things were not as they seemed. I spied on the rest of the group and discovered something that boiled my blood.


    <i>The curse of greed is too difficult for them to ignore. Those traitorous bastards... After they brought up Niva¡¯s wanted poster, I should¡¯ve realized they were going to pull a fast one on us.</i>


    If I had any reservations-- any at all-- about killing this damn group...


    I didn''t have them anymore. This group was going to die, and they were going to deserve it. I was looking forward to hearing their death gurgles.

 Chapter Fifty-Four: Night of Death – Part One

    Chapter Fifty-Four: Night of Death ¨C Part One


    ¡°It was nice of Vamire to show us this area, right?¡± Be said, her voice echoing since we were in a cave. Nearby sat a pool of water heated to a veryfortable 100 degrees Fahrenheit.


    When we woke up this morning, Vamire had one hell of a hangover brought on by depression and booze, and the two never mixed well. He downright got on his knees and practically begged me to not hate him. It was something about how receiving a High Blessing¡¯s ire was harmful to him socially.


    It must¡¯ve been an Elven thing.


    In return for giving him a hug and forgiving him, he told us about this little area about 15 minutes from where we camped out on the final day of this journey.


    I was content to do that because tonight was the night. The least I could do was allow him to pass on, falsely knowing I didn¡¯t harbor any ill will towards him.


    But I didn¡¯t forgive the bastard.


    ¡°Even the ground is warm,¡± Domi noted. Primrose said the heat from geothermic activity far under us was heating the groundwater. ¡°Oh, that makes sense. The Asnds are a thing, and it¡¯s rumored a volcano used to be there before that fire spirit blew it up.¡±


    ¡°Woah... It really is,¡± said Be, who¡¯d already stripped down to her birthday suit. Sheid t on the ground and kinda giggled at how it felt. I almost wanted to know if she had any shame because her legs were open and revealed pretty much everything and the kitchen sink. Domi, who realized what was happening, closed Be¡¯s legs and helped her to her feet.


    ¡°You gotta act more like a girl,¡± Domi said, clearly embarrassed. Even if it was dark, we were in arge cave. The ceiling was about 60 to 70 feet high, and the little glowing moss almost acted like the bright stars in the night sky.


    I was already stripped down and sitting on the side with my legs in the water. Sekh was in the water beside me, her heavenly breasts getting warmed by the soothing, hot stone. She had a blissful smile while her tail swam through waist-high water. Primrose and Niva were on the other side doing a bit of therapy before enjoying the water. Niva had been working hard every day. She profusely sweated after each session, but my breast milk gave her the nutrients she needed to push on. In fact! She could walk about 400 feet without any problem. She could walk more than that, but any further distance caused her to slow down. With Primrose¡¯s staff, that doubled. The uneven ground wasn¡¯t a problem if she took it slow.


    Lei was floating around with its ¡®eyes¡¯ on its new owner, and Tilde was having a grand ole time using the slime as a surfboard. And it seemed Lei liked that. I couldn¡¯t tell emotions from a slime, but it wasn¡¯t hostile.


    ¡°Man, this does feel good,¡± I said, leaning back.


    ¡°Hmm... It certainly does, my liege.¡±


    ¡°Hehe! Mistress, I¡¯m d you¡¯re enjoying it. This is just what I needed for my tired body. It feels like it¡¯s taking away my soreness,¡± Niva cheerfully added. As predicted, Primrose remained silent. However, she had offshoots of branches from her stomach that dipped under the water.


    Be and Domi finally got in and sat down, their heads just barely above the water. I decided to hop in as well, and Sekh sat between my legs while I hugged her stomach and kissed her cheeks.


    ¡°Again?!¡± Be whined. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be disrespectful, Lady Springfield, but that¡¯s kinda making me jealous... Thest boyfriend dumped me when he discovered I was a bounty hunter.¡± I asked why. ¡°He was a cute little dwarf, but honestly? He wasn¡¯t that strong. He was 27, but he hadn¡¯t broken Lv. 14. Honestly, I kinda like guys like that. Being stronger than my lover makes me feel good, but he couldn¡¯t handle it and ended things. I really wish I had what you two had. Lady Sekh is strong, but it doesn¡¯t seem like¡ªEEP! I¡¯m sorry! I didn¡¯t mean to imply¡ª¡±


    ¡°Haha! It¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t worry about it. Yes, Sekh is far stronger than me, but I love that about her. She¡¯s my super adorable bodyguard, who''s also the girl I love.¡± I moved my hands to her arms and rubbed her muscles, which almost embarrassed her.


    From there, we pleasantly rxed. But that damn Primrose turned the conversation solely about Oswell¡¯s group. And I didn¡¯t want to find this out, but Vamire and Banda were best friends because he saved the fluffy panda from a circus. Full bestial beastfolk were rare, and Banda was even a rarer Pandafolk. He was treated like an attraction, and the ringmaster didn¡¯t have much love for those he forced to work for him. And he and Banda ended up joining Oswell after a mimunication led the two to fight.


    Then came Shink, who was simply a chef shit out of luck after his employer was sent to work in the mines after being guilty of fraud. He took tax money and only sent half to the local lord of his providence. ording to Be, that guy was a total idiot. But Oswell loved a good steak, and Shink was an expert at whipping up something delicious. And even though he was a slightly obese Pigfolk, he was strangely athletic when he was in his element.


    <i>I wonder if Greggie can outcook him?</i>


    Tactile and Deimpse were two orphans living out of a shithole vige near a mountain to the far east. Oswell¡¯s travels had brought him there to pick up a bounty, which was hiding out near the lighting elemental whose core gave Vamire his spear¡¯s abilities. A week after that, Battr and Abaddan signed on after Oswell decided to go after a dangerous vampire in the windy mountains of Menia. Those two were instrumental in setting a trap to kill it.


    As for Kvree and Tivid? They were there from the beginning. Those two and Oswell were friends when they were barely old enough to swing a sword. No one knew more than that.


    Domi, Be, and Marcey were thest three to join. They¡¯d been here for about 7 months. It was a far cry from living in a vige where the only destiny for a woman was to get married, get knocked up, have children to work the farms, then do it all over again for 40 years until they died. To be a member, the three had to fight against Oswell, which Be said was probably where Marcey¡¯s crush came from. With 13 members, the logistics were getting difficult to manage. Domi mentioned that after this job, the group was dividing into smaller parties.


    They weren¡¯t breaking up, mind you, but they were going to do a small experiment to see how it worked. If so, they¡¯d sign up as an auxiliary guild with the Bloodhounds.


    This group hadhistory behind it, and Primrose kept the conversation going for almost two hours. Even when we all got out, dried off, put on our clothes, and walked back to the camp, she pestered them with about a thousand questions. And at this point, I learned something about the religious beliefs in this world, even though I wasn¡¯t trying.


    Ofajaria, a country to the southeast, was almost nothing but a forest. It was constantly dusk, which made it hard to know when it was day or night. It was impossible to pass through since outsiders were forbidden to enter, so you often had to enter Ulbsil to the north or sail south from the Serpentine Kingdom to reach the Ngabarian Empire through Soroshia.


    Ofajarians practiced Nusha, a religion that worshiped Nusha, the Goddess of Nightmares, also known as the Night Stalker. It seemed like a religion centered around being harmonious with nature and praying when you killed an animal and took their meat.


    Most of Oswell¡¯s group were either atheist or agnostic, but Vamire represented the Communion of Twilight, a group that believed there were good and evil inside all of us, and our life goal was to develop a perfect bnce¡ªa twilight, if you will, to live a good life. Suppose that was fine and dandy. It wasn¡¯t like I was religious since that wimpy twat living above never did anything for me when I was Shuuta.


    <i>Those were only two examples, but I¡¯m pretty sure Meruria has people worshipping her. And it¡¯s probably not just her. It¡¯s safe to say that almost every Divine Country has its own religion to follow since bing a Lord is assumably akin to bing a deity. But there¡¯s probably a global religion out there like Christianity, Im, or Buddhism. Don¡¯t really care to find out, though. It doesn¡¯t matter to me.</i>


    But it was about time...and I thought about what Tilde and AI told me about my method of murder.


    An individual Heartbreak Sweet Skunk¡¯s [Wilted Rose] only affected [Lavender Rose] that came from it. If there was a regr and its rare variant standing in front of me, the Heartbreak Sweet Skunk would never cause the [Lavender Kiss] from the regr one to turn into poison. And it was the same if there were two rare variants. [Wilted Rose] from the first would not activate [Lavender Kiss] from the second.


    But there was more to it than that.


    The moment a Heartbreak Sweet Skunk used [Wilted Rose] was the moment it died. Unlike a chimera, who stores their skills, forms, and powers in biomass, a formless energy with zero properties until given amand, the skunk passively emitted [Lavender Kiss]


    Suppose that was another reason why chimeras were greatly feared by all. We could do shit like that. Just had to be careful not to breathe in [Lavender Kiss], but honestly? Clones could take care of that.


    Tilde said you could harvest from a Heartbreak Sweet Skunk, but you would have to tranquilize and do it while it was asleep. Even then, the moment it woke, it would almost certainly use both skills to kill itself and whoever was around it. I didn¡¯t find it surprising to hear of governments and organizations trying to breed two Heartbreak Sweet Skunks together to produce and harvest more of [Lavender Kiss] and [Wilted Rose], but there was only so much you could get.


    And since each only activated its respective [Lavender Kiss], it would be a messy show of logistics to go through all that effort to carry out a terrorist attack.


    Honestly, it felt like it was much more suited to assassination rather than a mass killing. It would be far easier to carry two vials and dump them into someone¡¯s food or throw both at your target and watch them die. And it wasn¡¯t like there wasn¡¯t an antidote. Any woond or nature spirit worth their salt would whisk up a cure in seconds, so I needed to watch Primrose and make sure she didn¡¯t do anything stupid.


    Finding the skunk was easier said than done. I had tremendous assistance, but it still took almost 6 hours of constant searching. They were also prone to using [Wilted Rose] right then and there when it felt danger.


    For the average joe, it was more trouble than it was worth.


    <hr>


    The warm glow of the campfire illuminated 13 curious faces as we gathered around it. Once we returned from the natural hot springs, I told everyone I had a big announcement I wanted to make, and it couldn¡¯t wait.


    ¡°Well? What is it, Lady Springfield?¡± Marcey asked. She sat near Oswell with a big smile on her face.


    ¡°Is it something special?¡±


    ¡°You could say that. It¡¯s a song I want to y for you. When I found that extra 10 gold, I also found the sheet music to a song called <i>The Parting of Mncholy</i>, a slightly funereal piece, I would say.¡±


    ¡°Ahh, I know that one. It was written by a bard after hearing the drunken rambles of a sad woman. ording to it, she traveled with her family. They came across a horrible battle of monsters and bandits. Fear overtook her heart, and she left her husband and child to serve as a distraction. For the rest of her life, that parting of cowardice was the one thing she regretted most of all.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯ve only been together for days, but I¡¯ve honestly had fun. Vamire,¡± I lied, pointing at the Dark Elf, who carried a slightly saddened expression. ¡°You¡¯re frankly amazing with the spear. I wish I could learn more from you. Shink, you''re an awesome cook. Those veggie wraps were out of this world.¡± I withheld my true feelings andplimented all 13 members whileposing a waypoint message to send to Sekh. ¡°And now... I want to thank you all with a song from my heart...¡±


    It was lies...lies...and more lies.


    With Susize¡¯s flute in my hand, I pressed the mouthpiece to my lips and yed a fleeting melody. The subdue tones were severe and restrained, and they sounded shadier while regaining a hint of potential positiveness that it was possible to learn from our mistakes¡ªno matter how drastic they could be.


    As soon as Vamire rubbed his crying eyes in Banda¡¯s fur, I activated [Wilted Rose] and watched as the slightly pink scent spread around my targets. They were all too drunk to see or sense it. Mypanions didn''t have a hint of [Lavender Kiss], so it was harmless to them.


    I spun in circles and added more flowy movements to my song as I reached the apex. The tones rapidly grew aggressively to mimic the woman¡¯s heartbreak and anguish.


    ¡°Wha... I... Can¡¯t... Brea....the... What...¡±


    <i>FlopI</i>


    Marcey was the first to go down, her arms trying and failing to grab onto Oswell. In seconds, her face started to bleed from all orifices, and it almost looked like her chest was melting.


    Those stronger than hersted just a few seconds longer, but they all copsed.


    <b><i>New Title: [Poisoner]</i></b>


    <b><i>New Title: [Experienced Poisoner]</i></b>


    <b><i>New Title: [Mass Poisoner]</i></b>


    ¡°What the hell is going on??!¡± Primrose eximed. She rushed to Oswell and looked at his bloody face. She pressed a hand to his wrist, slightly adding a bit of pressure, then backed off when it fellpletely off and revealed blood the same hue as a dead rose. ¡°This is... [Wilted Rose]? What the hell...? From her legs came roots that buried themselves deep into the earth. A collection of agonizing groans, whimpers, and blood-curdling cries tried to drown my music, but I continued to y without any hope of interruption.


    Erin horrifically stared at what was happening and dissolved into a crying mess. She blocked her eyes with her hands, not brave enough to peek through her fingers.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± said my voice, but it came from a clone I¡¯d made earlier. It was just a spider, yet it grew to my exact shape and tore Primrose from the ground, breaking her roots and keeping her restrained.


    ¡°You bitch!!! You did this?!!!! Why?!?!?!¡±


    ¡°Mistress?! Primrose?! What¡¯s going on...? Be? Domi? Marcey? Where¡ªEHH!!!¡±


    ¡°Calm down, Niva. I just handed you a gun,¡± said Sekh, who had taken the one from my hip. She drew the one I gave her, then slowly ced it in Niva''s hand and pointed to Marcey¡¯s leg. She was the closest, after all. ¡°Our liege has given her orders. You¡¯re to shoot them in the leg to be partly responsible for their deaths to receive their experience. All you must do is squeeze the trigger. I¡¯ll do the aiming.¡±


    ¡°DON¡¯T MAKE HER DO THAT!!!! JUST STOP THIS, YOU MONSTER!!!!¡± Primrose screamed loud enough to causemotion at the ve wagons. They were shouting, demanding to know what was happening just out of sight.


    Tilde sighed and flew over to the wagons, and after a few seconds, they all immediately shut up.I couldn¡¯t hear what threats she dished out.


    ¡°It must be done. My liege gave an order, and it will be carried out,¡± Sekh replied.


    ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t! Master, remember how Domi helped you up when you fell! Remember when Be put that bandage on your wound after scraping your leg on the rock! THEY SAW YOUR FACE!!! THEY KNOW THE TRUTH ABOUT YOU, AND THEY BOTH PROMISED TO KEEP IT!!!! Please! Help them! They¡¯re your real friends, not this fucking monster!!!!!¡± Clear sap flowed from Primrose¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°But... I am a monster. Primrose, you know my past... You know what I suffered through. I try to forget it, but even if I am blind... I can see it. It¡¯s a never-ending nightmare that I can¡¯t escape. I... I want to kill those that did those things to me. Mistress is going to give me a chance, and I need power. I don¡¯t want to kill Be. I don¡¯t want to kill Domi. But...they¡¯re vers. Erin wasn¡¯t guilty of the crime she was enved for. This group steals people¡¯s freedom in exchange for money, even if they¡¯re innocent. They¡¯re like the people who picked me up and sold me to a horrible person to live a fate worse than death! I need power! I need strength! I need to be strong enough to support my mistress!!!! I have to do this! I must do this! You don¡¯t understand, Primrose. What it means to be at the bottom. What it means to be passed along like a piece of meat to the next highest bidder! What it meant to be a living shield and to burn at all hours of the day until your limbs fall off!!!!¡±


    Niva¡¯s little speech started as a whisper, yet it grew as loud as a sharp crack of thunder! Lei shivered in fright and remained in herp.


    ¡°If it¡¯s power you need, then I can help you! Master, please!!! I don¡¯t want to see our friends die! Don¡¯t do this!!!! I can heal them!!! It won¡¯t take more than a few seconds!!!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry...¡± Niva said, looking towards Primrose''s sobbing cries. ¡°I...hope you can forgive me...¡± The cyclops apologized thrice more, and each time was apanied by another heartfelt sob.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    The first gunshot of what would be many shattered the atmosphere, bringing forth another rousing struggle between my clone and Primrose. The barking gun jumped out of Niva¡¯s grasp, but Sekh caught it in the same motion she delivered a bullet between Marcey¡¯s eyes, ending her life.


    <b><i>You¡¯ve reached Lv. 19. You¡¯ve gained 0 SP. You¡¯ve gained 44 SP from Sekh and 29 SP from Niva.</i></b>


    <b><i>New Title: [Assassin]</i></b>


    And with that, I¡¯d started something I couldn¡¯t reverse. My song continued, apanied by screams and bullets upon reaching the song''s climax. Every second meant the truthful joys I experienced on this short trip came close to being nothing but a memory. The gunshots just indicated my time was done here. The screaming just¡­


    <b><i>You¡¯ve reached Lv. 24. You¡¯ve gained 0 SP. You¡¯ve gained 24 SP from Sekh and 53 SP from Niva.</i></b>


    Deep in my mind, half fears filled my worries. The moment I stopped ying would cement this bloody night in the darkest bowels of untold history. No longer would I eat Shink¡¯s cooking.


    <b><i>You¡¯ve reached Lv. 26. You¡¯ve gained 0 SP. You¡¯ve gained 14 SP from Sekh and 15 SP from Niva.</i></b>


    Banda wouldn¡¯t look at me with those eyes. Domi and Be would look up to me as a woman they respected. Vamire¡­


    <b><i>New Title: [Experienced Assassin]</i></b>


    <b><i>You¡¯ve reached Lv. 31. You¡¯ve gained 0 SP. You¡¯ve gained 32 SP from Sekh and 12 SP from Niva.</i></b>


    Even Battr, Abaddan, Tactile, and Deimpse¡­ Those four all had aspirations and goals, and now¡­


    Tivid wouldn¡¯t see his family. Oswell would never return with money to buy medicine for his sick wife. His child¡¯s vacation? What a fleeting dream that was.


    <b><i>You¡¯ve reached Lv. 35. You¡¯ve gained 0 SP.</i></b>


    Now I¡¯d stolen them all away¡­and doomed those that relied on them to death.


    The very least I could do was y until the very end, never breaking off from the only thing that hopefully allowed them to pass as painlessly as possible.


    Even if they deserved death for what they nned to do in Ria...


    Even if I wanted to hear their screams and final cries for the betrayal they had nned...


    Even if...


    Even if...


    <b><i>You¡¯ve reached Lv. 39. You¡¯ve gained 0 SP. You¡¯ve gained 10 SP from Sekh and 19 SP from Niva.</i></b>


    <b><i>New Title: [Humanoid yer]</i></b>

 Chapter Fifty-Four: Night of Death – Part Two

    Chapter Fifty-Four: Night of Death ¨C Part Two


    ¡°It¡¯s done, my liege,¡± Sekh said, her tone just a tad deeper. She stared at the 13 corpses with two bullet holes each, then at the shivering cyclops who couldn¡¯t stop shaking her hand. I nodded, then told Sekh to take Erin and Niva and line up the 18 ves.


    She understood what I was going to do, and once she was out of the way, I created a wave of slime from my arms. It washed over all bodies in a sea of green, assimting only the flesh and leaving earthly possessions behind.


    The activity log seemed to skip over some of my level-ups, but I talked to the AI, who said everything was as it should¡¯ve been.


    After¡­that, I ended at Lv. 39 with a total of 1,866 SP. But 302 SP came from [Tyranny Control]¡¯s SP sharing effect. And for Sekh, who was my level, and Niva, who stopped at Lv. 28, the former gained 298 SP, and thetter received 306 from their level-ups. Niva was luckier this time, but as I stared at my almost ton of SP¡­


    <i>My lord, [Auto-Loot] has been upgraded to automatically collect monster materials and humanoid equipment from those you y. It will take 234 SP to level [Stomach] to Lv. 10, but your new storage capacity will be 3,997 LBS.</i>


    ¡°Go for it,¡± I said, turning to my clone. Primrose had not necessarily fainted, but she copsed and continued to shed that sap leaking from her tear ducts.


    Looking up, I stared at the moon until Tilde tapped me on the shoulder. She told me I didn¡¯t have the right toin or regret what I¡¯d done because I chose to do what I did. I told her I knew that, then asked her to calm down the startled horses. Meanwhile, I walked over to the ve wagons and saw 18 faces with wildly different emotions forced to their knees. They all talked at once. A messy chorus of pleas, threats, and thinly veiled promises of raping my corpse were thrown at me. Sekh¡¯s fire was conjured around her arms, and I saw painful burns on some of their faces.


    Before vanishing, my clone threw me Oswell¡¯s bounty tags.


    ¡°Listen up¡ª¡±


    ¡°What the fuck is going on?!?!¡±


    ¡°Why are there guns?!?!¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s the bitch with the squirrel tail?!?!¡±


    <i>Bang! Bang! Bang!</i>


    After firing Reina¡¯s gun thrice in the air, the roving band of ves finally mped their mouths.


    <i>My MP only dropped by 4%.</i>


    ¡°Sit the fuck down!¡± I shouted as the tags vanished from my hands. A secondter, 11 of the 18 prisoners had a glowing waypoint over their heads.


    It just so happened that those 11 looked the guiltiest, possibly because they were convicted of murder, rape, and other heinous crimes. The others were thieves at best-- liars at worst-- and three of them were coteral.


    I aimed Reina¡¯s pistol at the first marked one. He begged for his life and promised to do anything. His words were wasted because he murdered his wife and tortured his daughter on the empty promise to marry a noblewoman who wanted to have a spot of fun by leading a man desperate for money.


    <i>If Ie across her, she¡¯s dying.</i>


    <i>Bang!</i>


    <i>Bang!</i>


    <i>Bang!</i>


    <i>Bang!</i>


    <i>Bang!</i>


    <i>Bang!</i>


    <i>Bang!</i>


    <i>Bang!</i>


    <i>Bang!</i>


    <i>Bang!</i>


    <i>Bang!</i>


    Eleven more corpses smacked lifelessly into the ground, but not before losing what little earthly possessions they had on their body.


    <i>Oh, right. [Auto-Loot] affects humanoids now. That¡¯s why they¡¯re naked. AI, alter the settings as followed.</i>


    ¡°The rest of you won¡¯t die tonight,¡± I announced to the shivering, crying survivors, which included Ur and her brothers. ¡°Stand up. That¡¯s an order. That includes you, Erin. Get closer.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the n?¡± Sekh asked. After cutting my palm, I instructed her to break the seals of those with a waypoint over their head. Once those four were free, they scampered without a second thought after realizing the impossible was happening in front of them.


    When it came to Erin, I rubbed her head and kneeled as Sekh put my blood on the Catfolk¡¯s tearful cheeks. After speaking a few words and purposely stopping, it spread to the cor, broke it, and she didn¡¯t have anything to worry about. ¡°You¡¯re free. Remember what those words said? You don¡¯t have to worry about being a ve anymore. But you owe me. Your mother has a safe, and I want it. You¡¯ll help me steal it. Oh, and you can talk.¡±


    The very first thing she did was¡­nothing. Honestly, she was probably shocked by everything. I called for Tilde and told her to lead Erin to the wagon I marked.


    ¡°And it¡¯s our turn, right?¡± Nold asked. He looked to Henri and Ur, then stared at their ¡®savior.¡¯


    ¡°No. I don¡¯t think I will,¡± Sekh said, dropping a metaphysical bomb. She threw the rest of my blood in their face and grinned without proceeding with the chant. ¡°I won¡¯t kill you, but I won¡¯t free you. My liege has gotten her revenge, but I didn¡¯t get mine.¡±


    ¡°What?! You can¡¯t do that! We apologized! You stole ALL THAT WE HAD!!! IT¡¯S YOUR FAULT WE¡¯RE HERE!! They even stole my sister¡¯s spirit. They took his core, and it¡¯s all your fault!!!! WHY¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, me your brother,¡± I said, cutting them off with a tense tone. ¡°You better start running. Never know what¡¯s going to happen to a couple of runaway ves with no master.¡± They refused to move, so I aimed Reina¡¯s gun at the still-spooked horses trying to get away from the stakes in the ground they were tied to.


    And I killed them with [Water de] via [Chimeric Armatization] right through the head to sever them from their bodies. I turned back around and held my water-infused pistol to Henri¡¯s head.


    ¡°FUCK!!!!¡± Henri shouted. I saw pure wrath sh through his eyes, but he smartly decided to run away with his still-enved siblings trailing right behind him.


    I hated vers-- like hell did I want to be one-- but those three could get fucked. Sekh made her choice, and I would respect that. I could have killed them, but I¡¯d only get about 30 SP from each. Sure, that was 90, but I¡¯d rather they get caught by bandits.


    Or something worse.


    Runaway ves weren¡¯t treated the best.


    I wanted them to fucking suffer. Death was too gentle for them.


    Tilde flew over and said Erin had cried herself to sleep, and not a momentter, a pair of roots burst from the ground to restrain my limbs and neck. Primrose appeared a secondter. A vile, murderous look inhabited those wrathful eyes.


    ¡°WHY!!!!!!!? YOU DIDN¡¯T HAVE TO KILL THEM!!!!!! WHY DID YOU FORCE MY MASTER?!?!?! I¡¯M GOING TO KILL YOU!!!! I¡¯LL FUCKING KILL YOU!!!!!!!¡±


    Niva demanded Primrose stand down, but those orders were ignored. Sekh was going to step in, but I told her to remain on standby. Having understood my intentions, she just walked behind Niva, leaned down, and told her what I was going to do.


    Meanwhile, Primrose kept shouting and cursing me, then she went so far as to form a fist and punch me in the face. Even if my newfound power meant I easily endured her strikes, that didn¡¯t mean she stopped. You could only imagine what went through her pained mind after I orchestrated this massacre.


    So, I just took the pain. I took her punches and kicks and failed attempts to pierce my skin with her roots and sever my limbs with [Razor Wind]. She summoned her staff and smashed me across the cheek. Then lifted me up with her roots and tried to rip me apart.


    But it did nothing.


    Not a damn thing.


    My HP didn¡¯t even drop by .1%.


    For nine minutes, she cried and attacked, only stopping when the sobbing was too great. The mana drain visibly weakened Niva.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to be summoned for this! I didn¡¯t!! I¡¯d rather die than continue to be here!¡± Primrose ripped her chest cavity open and grasped the pulsing, brown core that was her life. ¡°You¡¯re all monsters! You forced my Master to be a mass murderer! I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry, Master, but I can¡¯t protect you¡­ This¡­is going to be goodbye¡­¡±


    ¡°Prim? What are you doing? Primrose?!¡± Niva frantically cried out. She tried to stand up, but the cyclops was too fast and rolled out of her chair, hitting the ground with a nasty thud. Right away, Primrose quickly rushed to her Master. At the same time, I used my webbing to create a durable wall around her core that she couldn¡¯t hope to breach.


    ¡°You and I may hate each other, but you''re Niva''s spirit. I will not allow you to kill yourself after you promised to look after her. If you were serious about death, you wouldn''t have helped her. But take a moment and think. Do you really think Be and Domi were going to keep the secret?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ I do. We were friends¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, you weren''t. AI, disy Aetos Vige in satellite mode.¡±


    ¡°What¡­is this¡­?¡± The spirit couldn¡¯t believe she was looking at the ce where she was born from almost 30 miles away.


    ¡°Information can change the tide of battle, and no one wields it more than me. I spied on them, and they secretly talked about turning Niva in,¡± I said, telling the truth. ¡°It wasst night. Domi asked Oswell, Kvree, and Tivid to take a walk, and I observed their conversation. He knew there was a wanted cyclops-halfbreed out there somewhere, but he didn''t realize it was Niva until Domi brought it up. They agreed to turn her over to the guards to get the reward money. So, where would that leave us? Well, Niva would be back with Gloria. She''ll probably be killed. We would get arrested for harboring a criminal. Or worse, she''ll have enough reason to me Noelia''s death on us. I killed her, but she doesn''t know that. Basically, we''d be fucked and up shit creek without a paddle. Is that what you want? To see your summoner get hanged before having your crystal destroyed? Or worst, being forced to serve another summoner because you assume too much without knowing the truth? Just stay there and cry, whimper, and whine. It won''t get you jackshit."


    ¡°Master¡­. Master¡­¡± Primrose rocked back and forth with Niva held in her arms. ¡°I didn¡¯t know¡­. I didn¡¯t know¡­¡± But Niva didn¡¯t reply because she had passed out. I thought that would happen.


    ¡°You can hate me until the end of time. I don¡¯t give a fuck. But this is our path. I need power. Sekh needs power. Niva needs power. If you want to die, then die fighting for your summoner. Don¡¯t be a coward and end it yourself. But remember one thing. You think I did this for the hell of it but look around. I¡¯m not gloating, I¡¯m not cheering their death, and I¡¯m not fucking dancing around. I did all I could to make their deaths easier, even if they intended to betray us.


    ¡°I yed the flute for them whenever they asked. I talked with them. And I had fun. But I knew it wouldn¡¯tst. They. Were. vers. I used to be a ve to my parents, you know? I endured having my freedoms stripped away¡­and I won''t return Niva to that life. Now, go put her in the wagon with Erin. Don¡¯t worry about the chair. I¡¯ll store it away.¡±


    With my webs still protecting her core from herself, she closed her chest cavity and let me down from her roots. She solemnly walked away, holding her summoner close while crying.


    And then it was just Sekh and me. She remained ever at my side as I assimted those 11 corpses, gaining an additional 346 SP. Then it was time to loot. We had wagons and tents to check out.

 Chapter Fifty-Five: Taking Flight

    Chapter Fifty-Five: Taking Flight


    To make this whole looting thing more manageable, I asked the AI to mark waypoints over what we considered important. In terms of money, we found 34 gold, 22 silver, and 67 copper. For materials? A handful of iron and steel ore acquired from a couple of metal golems Oswell had killed a few weeks ago.


    When we got to the wagon carrying the enchanting table, I just stashed that in my storage since I had the space for it, and we moved on to the fantastic equipment they had.


    <ul>


    <li><b><i>Kronto (4/4)</i></b>


    <ul>


    <li><b><i>Lighting Teleport (Lv. 3)</i></b></li>


    <li><b><i>Lightning Jump (Lv. 2)</i></b></li>


    <li><b><i>Lightning Dive (Lv. 4)</i></b></li>


    <li><b><i>Lightning Thrust (Lv. 6)</i></b></li>


    </ul>


    </li>


    </ul>


    I took the obsidian-colored spear for myself. This thing was powerful. With the ability to teleport and leave behind a localized lightning bolt, someone experienced could wreak a shit load of havoc.


    But that wasn¡¯t all.


    <ul>


    <li><b><i>Mad Hatter (1/1)</i></b>


    <ul>


    <li><b><i>Berserk (Lv. 7)</i></b></li>


    </ul>


    </li>


    </ul>


    Oswell¡¯s warhammer weighed about forty pounds. It was hefty, and I could barely wield it with one hand with my newfound strength. The enchantment on it would, on demand, add the berserk status effect to the user, drastically increasing their physical damage while lowering their defense. And it often made the user unable to discern friend from foe. Risky but also very powerful. That went into my storage.


    Disappointingly, Kvree¡¯s shields were just regr shields. They were just heavily reinforced with steel and polished to an exceptional sheen.


    We found a horned helmet hidden in Oswell¡¯s tent. Made from steel and ivory, a red ruby sat in the middle. The helmet itself, not the ruby, was enchanted with {Physical Resistance (Lv. 4)} and {Physical Damage (Lv. 4)}. I threw it to Sekh, but it was too big. Fighting with it on would be too dangerous. She liked the style, though. If I could resize it, I would. Perhaps I could make that a goal?


    We also found a lot of semi-powerful cores in Kvree¡¯s tent. Didn¡¯t have time to go through them, but after we had thoroughly searched, Sekh and I packed up our tent and walked to the wagon. We¡¯d emptied it earlier to have enough space.


    Primrose was still silent with Niva¡¯s head in herp. She softly rubbed her hair and, even now, continued to whimper slightly. She refused to meet my gaze, but that was fine. After assimting the horses, I made a clone and ordered it to take the shape of a ck horse. A series of vines connected it to the wagon.


    And then?


    There was just one more thing to do.


    Burn the evidence.


    Tivid knew [Fire Rain]. And since I had [Fire Magic], I could use the spell outright. Pulling out Reina¡¯s gun, the firearm transformed almost into a living, breathing me elemental. I held the trigger as it built up power and drained my mana, aimed up, andbined the targeting interface the skill provided with [Map] to increase its uracy.


    Releasing it caused a tremendous bolt of crimson to shoot high in the air. After reaching the apex, it exploded like a firework, sending down a torrential downpour of ming rain. It was like watching an inferno monsoon sweep sweet destruction over the camp, burning memories and proof they were ever here away.


    The ring glow of crimson felt like it was still staring at us, even as the Clone!Horse started moving. The wagon itself was covered with a white tarp around it, but Primrose was probably staring with a heavy heart at the destruction.


    Meanwhile, Sekh just sat beside me after she was finished looking. Her hands fished for mine, and we remained silent for a bit. No doubt she knew I was thinking everything over.


    ¡°Talk to me,¡± she whispered. Tilde flew from the back andnded on my shoulder.


    ¡°I¡­feel numb again. But it¡¯s different¡­ I don¡¯t know how to exin it. Guess I¡¯m still broken, huh?¡±


    ¡°I told you before. Broken things can be fixed. We¡¯ll get there together, okay? Hey, I love you, Master,¡± Tilde whispered, kissing me on the cheek. I told her I loved her, and she flew to check on Erin.


    ¡°I¡¯ll always be with you, my liege. Through it all, I¡¯ll never leave your side,¡± Sekh said.


    ¡°Can you do something¡­for me?¡± Sekh nodded, and I indulged my selfishness by simply asking for her love.


    In seconds, she straddled my waist and wrapped her hands around my neck. Sekh¡¯s soft lips blessed my forehead, and she held my head between her boobs and lovingly stroked my head.


    ¡°I¡¯ll love you until the end,¡± she whispered. I hugged her back and just...let myself fall asleep with her love and sweet scent to guide me.


    <hr>


    I woke up about four hourster in the same position, yet Sekh was topless, and my lips were wrapped around a nipple. When she felt me moving, she greeted me with a cute smile and a simple exnation. Apparently, I started to lick her through her tunic, and since we were alone, she just removed her clothes and allowed me to indulge myself with her sweet breasts.


    ¡°Are you feeling better, my liege?¡± she asked, her face slightly red from three hours of my sucking. The target of my tongue switched to her lips, and that answered her question more than any words could do. She hopped off myp to sit beside me while putting her clothes back on. ¡°I¡¯m d. I was getting worried.¡±


    I gently held her hand with mine, then apologized for worrying her and the, you know, nipple-sucking. ¡°Mmn, I don¡¯t mind it, you know. It¡¯s an intimate thing, so I do feel closer to you. Besides, you let me suck yours all the time.¡± We looked up at the night sky and talked for a while until she brought up the whole SP issue.


    First, I spent 146 SP to get [Mitosis] to Lv. 5, which allowed me to summon 10 clones. Each still divided my overall strength, but that was fine if it was for stealth. And oddly enough, one of the ves also knew something called [Song Magic]. Instead of simply chanting in thenguage of mana, those with this skill could sing or use an instrument to cast magic, so it was more like an alternative casting skill.


    It was an easy buy, but I knew nothing about casting spells. I purchased it because it could be used as a proxy. I could y a song on my flute, and it would be a distraction to use my innate ability to cast via thought. But it could also work another way, and I was going to test it out.


    ¡°Sekh, tell me what you think,¡± I told her upon cing the flute to my lips and bing topless.


    ¡°They¡¯re beautiful,¡± she said, poking my breasts with a finger. She held them in her hands and thumbed my nipples. She had fun ying with them.


    ¡°No, not that. I took it off because I didn¡¯t want to rip it.¡± I yed a quick little tune and transfigured a pair of bat wings I¡¯d gotten from the Batfolk. In terms of appearance, they were velvety and all ck, but with the AI''s help, I altered them at the cost of more biomass.


    In the end, I decided to make themrger until they were queenly looking, then made them the color of darkness while adding glowing red lines that were supposed to mimic pulsing arteries. It wasn¡¯t until Sekh said something that I unintentionally copied Tilde¡¯s wings.


    ¡°Easy, my liege. You¡¯ve never flown before, right?¡± Sekh said, holding my hand as I stood up.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been on a ne once, and you know how that turned out.¡± It was a good thing it was still night. I doubt we''d run into anyone, but I still had the AI tell me if anyone was heading this way.


    I hopped from the wagon and kept speed with Clone!Horse, then used the instinctual knowledge that came with assimting Battr and Abaddan to p my wings. A few secondster, I felt my feet leave the ground, but I panicked in my excitement and pped too hard. One crashter, I ignored the dirt on my nipples and tried again. This time, flying up to the top of the wagon''s white tarp.


    And. It. Felt. So. Exhrating!


    I was flying... I was flying! My beautiful wings pped with near-perfect rhythm. I soared through the skies as Sekh cheered me on from below, feeling the wind rush against my face as I eventually became adept enough to flip and perform aileron rolls, though my penis slipped out the side of my panties. It was... ¡®interesting¡¯ to pack everything back into ce while airborne.


    <i>What if Sekh and I did it while flying...? Is that a thing...?</i>


    I had fun, though, but I soon gracefullynded beside Sekh. She watched my face, but her gaze descended to a pair of slightly bouncing breasts. I remained topless while we discussed efficient wing cement. Having them sprout from my shoulders felt fine. It was almost empowering, but what if they came from my hips? Would I get more control? Sekh and I talked about it, then I yed the flute again while altering my wings. It wasn¡¯t necessary, but the flute was about to be a big part of my life.


    Once again, I hopped down and spread my hip wings. Appearance-wise, they were smaller but identical. Oddly enough, I felt morefortable when I took off. The extrasensory ability to ¡®p¡¯ them came quicker, but I didn¡¯t know if it was experience or if hip wings were easier to control. Or maybe it had something to do with the shape? They were honestly kinda big, but they still reminded me of what a Queen of Batfolk would have.


    Strong. Dominant. Regal. Beautiful. Powerful.


    I danced around with the sky as my yground, trying to test my speed and expert control. Abaddan and Battr were adept at aerialbat, but I didn¡¯t think I could do that as a beginner. I continued to fly for another 20 minutes before realizing my biomass was about 40%. The AI stated that increasing the size of something meant more biomass would have to be used to sustain therger transfiguration.


    I searched for some boars, found them, covered them with my slime, and watched as they dissolved into nothing when [Drain] sucked them dry. Then I returned to Sekh, canceled my wings, and redressed.


    While I was gone, Sekh said she spent some SP buying more shield-rted abilities like [Shield Throw], which was basically a boomerang skill. [Shield Prison], which enclosed her target in a sizeable cube with four shields, each with the properties of the shield she held. [Shield Wall], which caused a wall of shields to rise from the ground, which mimicked the power of the one she had equipped. And finally [Shield Elemental Deflection], allowing her to deflect magic. Thatst one was expensive, costing her 59 SP to obtain it at Lv. 1. Then she used what she had left to get [One-Handed Mace] and [Shield] to Lv. 5, which dropped her back down to zero SP. Sure, she could¡¯ve saved the SP. But even if she leveled her skills faster than most others, it took time. Time she didn¡¯t want to risk, especially since she had trouble with Vamire earlier. If it was a battle to the death, I had faith in her victory. But with Oswell and Kvree? Not to mention the others?


    Yeah, we couldn¡¯t take all of them in an outright fight.


    Since I decided on hip wings, I had the AI highlight my top where the wings would appear from, then cut openings for them before getting dressed again.


    After that, I spent some more SP on acquiring [Danger Sense (Lv. 3)], [Mana Armor (Lv. 3)], [Flight (Lv. 4)], which all winged beastfolk were born with, and spent 200 to get [Spear] to Lv. 6.


    With all of that spent, I was left with about 900 SP. But before I could use it...


    <b><i>SP gifting is now avable.</i></b>


    The AI materialized as a rainbow-colored stone pir that loved to jiggle, then exined that it was my right as the Transcendent Dark Lord to share SP with those that had pledged their loyalty to me. A new menu to help me with this option appeared in my Status Menu. Since that was the case, I decided to spend 400 SP so I could be left with an even 250 to go to Sekh and Niva when she woke up.


    So, for me, I had to make an important decision. Increasing [Mana Regeneration] or [Photosynthesis] would allow me to fight longer with more powerful skills. I couldn¡¯t upgrade my shapeshifting skill because it was considered a Divine Armament since it was a part of [Chimeric Mastery]. I desperately needed a gun and ammo¡ªpreferably making one of my own. And with this steel ore, I could craft a better mace and shield for Sekh.


    So, it was easy. [Weapon Creation] and [Ammo Creation] went to Lv. 4, [cksmith] to Lv. 6, and since I wanted another loincloth, [Nature¡¯s Workshop] to Lv. 6 as well, which brought me to 505 SP. Even if it made more sense to acquire more offensive skills, I had Kronto and the two-dozen new water and fire spells. With [Mana Language], I was a step closer to making my own, so that was good. With how much mana I had, I could probably handle the additional cost of using spells belonging to elements I didn¡¯t know. The remaining problem was learning to cast and chant, which was a hurdle.


    But Sekh and Niva came first. They were allies that needed all the SP they could, especially Niva.


    A quick use of the Status Menuter, I distributed the SP as I said I would, leaving me with 5, then took a restful breath. ¡°If it took days for my body to adapt to 100 SP, then shit... This might take a few weeks.¡±


    ¡°Hopefully, it won¡¯t take that long, my liege.¡±


    ¡°Maybe. But the next time we spar, I¡¯ll definitely be a match for you. I might even win this time.¡± Sekh just lightlyughed and kissed me.


    About thirty minutester, Erin woke up and poked her head out. She was confused about everything, so I had to exin her freedom. She wasn¡¯t a ve any longer.


    ¡°But I will have your mother¡¯s safe. All I need from you is thebination, and your debt to me will have been paid.¡±


    ¡°If...she hadn¡¯t changed it, it¡¯s 1738,¡± Erin said, giving the info without a struggle.


    I asked if she had any questions about what I had to do to free her, but she seemed like a bright kid. She just shook her head. It felt like she wanted to ask if those people had to die. So, I answered her unasked question and tried to talk her through the emotions she was feeling.


    "Speaking of killing,¡± I added. ¡°Your mother is horrible. If you want her dead, I¡¯ll do it after I plunder the safe.¡±


    ¡°NO!¡± she said, slightly shouting, which jutted Niva awake in a panic. She screamed and cried before remembering she was safe. Lei was nearby. The slime was shell-shocked and never once left its friend''s side.


    ¡°Why not?¡± I asked, continuing the conversation as Sekh talked with Prim and Niva. She went to the back while Erin slid over. ¡°She¡¯s a dirty bitch who med you for my actions. And yes, I¡¯ve been robbing your store for weeks.And no, I don¡¯t feel bad. I only saved you because I need your help. If your mother was poor, I guess we wouldn¡¯t be having this conversation. But what can you do? She sold her daughter into very, unable to believe her innocence, and now you want her to live? Sorry, but if I decide she has to die, she must die.¡±


    ¡°But she¡¯s my mom! She¡¯s the only one I have since I don¡¯t have a dad!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not my problem.¡±


    ¡°But... But... How am I going to survive? The shop and my mom are the only things I know. Without them, I... I... Hic... Wahhhh!!!¡± Erin started the waterworks again while I sighed.


    ¡°You won¡¯t be alone. I know someone that can get you back on your feet. You don¡¯t have to go back to that ce. Now, go get some rest or sleep. We still have a few hours before reaching Ria.¡±


    Erin returned to the back of the wagon and silently shed more tears. She believed her fate was sealed. After seeing what I could do, any chance of escape passing through her mind vanished. She knew I had no qualms about killing, so her life was technically still in danger, I suppose.


    Tilde soon popped out andnded on my back, and I pulled out my flute and showed her my wings. ¡°What???? They¡¯re the same color as mine!!! Master, we match!!!¡± she said, flying all around.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you like it. Once I¡¯m better at flying and [Song Magic], maybe we can have a race or something.¡± At [Song Magic] she caught onto what I was nning and winked, then said it was sure amazing [Song Magic] could do all that. Of course, the one problem was that I didn¡¯t have anything other than [Flight], but maybe that was enough. Perhaps I could say I made a version of [Flight] that allowed me to store wings inside them?


    Upon asking Tilde and Sekh if that was possible, I found delight when they nodded.

 Chapter Fifty-Six: Truth Behind Hatred

    Chapter Fifty-Six: Truth Behind Hatred


    Five hourster, Clone!Horse stopped moving. I announced we¡¯d walk from here, so I cut the manufactured equestrian loose and told it to run away until it was out of sight, at which it would leave behind the wagon and turn into a bird. Its next mission was to fly into Ria, take the form of someone inconspicuous, and get rid of Niva¡¯s wanted posters on the path we would take to get to the shop.


    There was 30 minutes of walking before we reached the city, and Niva walked all of it with help from Erin and Primrose¡¯s wooden staff. The spirit was quiet, though. She avoided Sekh and me and focused on her Master while peering out at the lovely glow of a morning sunrise. Experiencing the night falling victim to the sun, casting rays of orange and yellow before revealing the blue sky, was breathtaking to those that cared about nature. I wasn¡¯t the biggest fan, but it was beautiful. Maybe worthy of a painting?


    Regardless, it was a pleasant way to pass by the time, but I had to do something with Erin. The Catfolk was known in the city, and I wanted to be careful no one recognized her. If word got back to Karen, that trouble was thest thing I needed.


    <i>My lord, your clone is nearly finished with its task. There were less than expected, and there were none of Erin.</i>


    <i>Great.</i> With that, we had little to worry about. We still had to be careful, though, and not do anything outright stupid to get caught.


    Luckily, the guard watching the entrance was the same one we¡¯d met the first day I showed up with Sekh and Tilde. Since he knew us, none of us had to show any documents, but I doubt Erin even had hers. The spear-wielding Lizardfolk asked about her and told her to put the hood down, but I used [Lying] to develop an excuse of how vulnerable she was after spending two weeks in the forest. The story had holes, but the Lizardfolk believed us well enough. He also asked Niva about her prosthetics and wooden walking staff. It was just out of curiosity with no harm behind it, so she just said she was returning from seeing a cksmith that made them. The Lizardfolk heard the rumors of Enap in Aetos Vige, so he asked us a few curious questions about him.


    Then the slime popped out from under her hood, which frightened the guard. However, it wiggled affectionately before hopping to Primrose¡¯s arms. To my surprise, the guard didn¡¯t question the woond spirit. He made a smallment about how most spirits would rather stay in their crystal to lessen the impact on their summoner. Primrose held herself together and spoke regally, then thanked the man for not turning his weapon upon their little pet, Lei.


    Thanks to these distractions and stroking his ego a little bit, he waved us in, and we finally entered the city.


    Gloria and Are left four days ago, but she left orders to keep the dungeon closed until someone spoke up about the Dark Mana fragments being found in the mines. Sekh using [Tyranny Control] must¡¯ve left small fragments behind that we couldn¡¯t sense or detect.


    From talking with Irisa and her family two nights ago, many nearby viges were still sending what supplies they could spare. That lessened the pressure a bit. But even if the economy had severely dripped, food was easy, thanks to the ocean nearby.


    Eating fish non-stop was better than starving. Drinking water wasn¡¯t an issue, either, due to the deep underground wells and literal ocean about 1,000 feet away. It just took a bit of filtering and boiling to make it potable, so things were going as well as they could once the initial fear died down.


    Still, people had bills and debts to pay, and they needed money that wasn¡¯t changing hands fast enough. The guild''s stockpile reached dangerous levels, meaning they couldn''t pay the full reward onpleted missions. Quests were piling up, and only those adventurers that couldn¡¯t pack up and head for greener pastures were even in Ria. It was almost like a ghost town if I was being honest. The city was nothing like it was when I arrived with Sekh and Tilde all those many nights ago.


    While walking towards home, it felt like tension was building. It was 7AM, and already there were ravenous people out walking around with fishing poles. The scowls marked on everyone¡¯s faces led to frequent fights, broken up by the increased guard patrols.


    ¡°Man, that bitch fucked it all up,¡± Tilde said. ¡°We stayed here for months, but the moment we leave for a week, it all goes to shit. There¡¯s trash piling up, you got buildings with broken windows for days, and that spot over there used to have like 10 stores. Now? It¡¯s nothing but regretful dreams of ever moving here in the first ce.¡±


    ¡°Think it¡¯ll recover?¡±


    ¡°Maybe?¡± Tilde answered Sekh. ¡°Once you have a certain reputation, it¡¯s a bitch to get rid of it. Give it a few more months without the situation changing, and this¡¯ll ce be a haven for bandits. Something¡¯s gotta give. Irisaand her family won¡¯t have to worry. Remember, you¡¯re sitting on a literal gold mine. The problem is just how to sell them,¡± she said, talking about Amos¡¯s clothes.


    ¡°Yeah... I doubt we''ll sell them anytime soon.¡±


    <hr>


    The moment I used my key to enter the locked shop, Irisa was waiting behind the counter with a giant smile. The tips of her horns were bright red, and I missed this green-skinned woman. She bounced on her feet so fast I thought she was a rabbit, and her parents, who appeared from the backroom, looked just as happy. They started to say something, but I held up my hands, moved to the side, and allowed a woond spirit, who let a yellow slime rest on her shoulder, to enter as she pushed Niva¡¯s wheelchair. She pulled down her hood to reveal a face with scales.


    And those lips were pursed into a smile.


    ¡°Niva...?¡± Irisa gasped, her hands covering her mouth. She instantly became overwhelmed in a good way after seeing her so healthy.


    ¡°Thank you.... Thank you for taking care of me. Irisa, Kokan... Ichiha... I¡¯m only alive...thanks to you... You cared for me with Mistress, Sekh, and Tilde when no one else...¡± Niva shed a tear, her face scrunched in so much emotion. She took the staff she held and stood up, then walked to the counter.


    She walked all by herself.


    And just like that, one moment of action caused a family of three to dissolve into a happy mess. They ran towards Niva and hugged her, crying together in pure joy to see someone they cared about having recovered from her heinous injuries. I thought the whole eye illusion thing would¡¯ve caused even an iota of hesitation, but I was wrong.


    They just epted it without question, offering even more hugs and tears.


    But why did I feel...so upset at seeing something beautiful... I searched my mind as Sekh and Primrose passed me to join the hugging session.


    ¡°Tilde...¡± I said, forcing what I wanted to say through clenched teeth. ¡°Let me ask you something. Is it wrong¡­for me to feel¡­ envy?¡±


    ¡°Ah, I get it,¡± Tilde said, crossing her legs and sitting on my shoulder. ¡°Envy is a fine thing to feel. Even a perfect specimen like myself used to be jaundiced. I still am, sometimes. The question is this: how do you act on it? You won¡¯t treat Niva like shit from now on, would you? She knows your past, so you can bet she wished she was there to save you.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not going to be ugly to her. That wouldn¡¯t be right.¡±


    ¡°Good. What happened to you happened to you, and what Niva went through was what she went through. Tomato tamato potato patato. Quod erat demonstrandum. But seriously, Master, it¡¯s going to be hard not to be jealous because you¡¯re proof that life for someone like Niva can be turned around. But don¡¯t let what you didn''t experience cloud your judgement of the life you¡¯re living now. Fuck your parents, fuck Mekka Academy, fuck Meruria, and fuck those shitty ¡®defenders¡¯ that were too chicken shit to stand up.¡±


    I deeply sighed and rubbed my hair. ¡°I won¡¯t lie. It hurts¡­ Seeing what could have¡ªwhat should have been done to me? The help I should have received. The love I should have received. The care. The tenderness¡­ The respect¡­ God, it hurts so fucking bad¡­ I wanted to be something¡­not nothing.¡±


    ¡°Master¡­¡± Tilde stood up, hugged my face the best she could, and used her little hands to wipe away my jealousy. ¡°You¡¯ll realize it sooner thanter. Just wait and stay strong, okay? I love you, you know.¡±


    ¡°I love you too, Tilde¡­¡± She pped me in the ear and told me to get involved in that hug. I looked up and saw all the friends I¡¯de to love and care about look at me with open arms. I rushed forward with my arms wide and bared my heart with the rest.


    <hr>


    After the hugging session, Kokan realized someone in a blue robe was standing by themself. I cleared my throat. ¡°You can take off the hood, Erin.¡±


    ¡°ERIN!?!?!¡± Ichiha, Irisa, and Kokan eximed.


    With trembling hands, Erin pulled back the hood to reveal her violet ears, which remained folded. ¡°Mr... Mr. Kokan...¡± she whispered. It was for a moment, but I saw Ichiha sh a deadly grimace, stopping when Erin broke downpletely into a crying mess. ¡°Mr. Kokan... I''m sorry!!! I¡¯m sorry!!!! Mama... She told me to do all of that... She said... She said... I didn¡¯t... Mr. Kokan...¡± Erin dropped to her knees and clutched her head. ¡°I never wanted to hurt you or your family!!!! I never did!!!!! WAAHHHH!!!!!¡±


    Ichiha had her hands on Irisa¡¯s shoulder, and we watched when Kokan approached the miserable Catfolk. He knelt and offered a thick hand, then when Erin looked up, he used a cloth to brush away those tears before giving her a big hug. ¡°Mama told me to do it!!! She said if I didn¡¯t, I¡¯d never see you again!!! You were my favorite teacher!!! I didn¡¯t want you to leave!!! I didn¡¯t want to leave your ss!!!! I¡¯m sorry!!! I¡¯m sorry!!!!!¡± She wailed, releasing half a decade of anguish from a catalyst that was a simple hug from a teacher to his student.


    When she quieted down, Erin wiped her runny nose and stood up. We all had a lot to talk about, so we went to the kitchen table on the second floor. I started from the beginning, detailing our journey to Aetos Vige. At this point, I had an important decision. Should I trust Erin with my chimerism? I saved her life. Without me, her destiny was bing someone¡¯s fuck kitten. That wasn''t impossible because she was a cute girl. There were sick bastards all over the world.


    But no. I couldn¡¯t. I just said one of my primary goals was met the first day, touching my arm to confirm it. ¡°Oh, I forgot to say, but those clothes are cute. I bet it feels good to wear something like that, right? And those leggings really show off your legs. Didn¡¯t know you could walk in heels. I tried, but I couldn¡¯t exactly get my bnce,¡± Irisa said. Ichiha added that she thought the outfit really suited me.


    <i>I have to show her the ck outfit when I have a chance. If she likes this, then she''s gonna gush over it.</i>


    The tips of my ears turned crimson and slightly fluttered up and down.


    <i>Huh, that''s new. Never knew my ears could wag like that. I''m part human, beastfolk, monster, animal, and slime, so who knows what''s responsible for it.</i>


    Next came Arguna and Ruru, who was instrumental in making that elixir, and Aello, whose actions led me to discover that I was from Vredi Forest, which got me into a mansion containing these cute clothes. Enap was next, and I gushed about his skill and technique. He was seriously on a different level. In a different timeline, I''d have trained under him with Irisa.


    ¡°Niva needs 3 more detoxes, but she¡¯s healed up fine. The next day, we started her physical therapy. And I met Oswell and his group of vers. And they had Erin,¡± I said, continuing to exin about Primrose while skipping the fight we had. Lei was sitting in the center of the table, so I said it was born right after the Eagle Yew granted me a grassy flute, which I yed for a quick second. Irisa and Ichiha lightly squealed when they held Lei, and I knew it was eating up all of the love and attention.


    ¡°Erin was punished for what I did, so it felt right to buy her,¡± I said after putting my flute away. ¡°I had the money, so I did it. But I also couldn¡¯t forgive the vers. And I¡¯m sorry, but I killed them. All 13. And you know what happened to their bodies. It¡¯s just that vers are one of the things I cannot allow to exist. I used to be enved, and if I could free Sekh, I¡¯d have done it yesterday. And now we¡¯re here, and I gotta leave to do something.¡± When I stood up, Irisa grabbed my arm and wanted me to exin. When I said I had to kill Karen, Erin mmed her hands down and begged me not to kill her only mother.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to see her die!¡±


    ¡°She sold you, her own daughter. What kind of monster should be allowed to live after that? I can¡¯t stand people like that. And it was her fault this family was broken up for half a decade. So many memories were lost because of her greedy envy.¡±


    ¡°But she¡¯s my mom! I don¡¯t have a dad! I only have her, no one else!!!! Please, don¡¯t do it... I need my mom... I need her...¡±


    ¡°No, you do have a father,¡± Kokan suddenly said, bringing silence to an emotional scene.


    ¡°Dear, what do you mean?¡± Ichiha asked. Her voice was shaky and uncertain.


    ¡°Dad?¡± Irisa whispered.


    After clearing his throat, Kokan exined, and no one was ready for the devilish truth that started with nothing more than a simple crush.


    <hr>


    The schrly Kokan was an upper instructor in physicalbat, ancient literature, and magic theorization at an academy in Dirge¡¯s capital city. His beloved wife worked hard to run the sessful shop they co-owned, and his beautiful daughter toiled day and night over a hot furnace to advance her dream of bing the world¡¯s best crafter. A very challenging effort, to say the least, but Irisa had the heart and spirit, and Kokan had total faith in his daughter.


    Kokan was really loved by the staff and students. Even if onis were known to be rugged warriors with a penchant for ughter, he valued knowledge. He put in the effort to acquire the [Schr] title, then used that leverage to an excellent position with the guild¡¯s academy. And it worked. He¡¯d managed to impress even the most sourpusses of interviewers.


    And in the decade that followed, he never once had a disciplinary hearing for any reason at all. It was safe to say that the men wanted to be just like him, and the impressionable teenage girls wanted to be with him. In all his sses, it wasn¡¯t rare for someone to genuinely ask for extra help or additional instructions. Kokan granted it all while continuing to be as professional as possible.


    During his 11th year there, 16 years before a chimera came into his life, a girl named Karen Bary, from the Bary family, a group of powerful nobles in Dirge¡¯s capital city, was in his ss. There were rumors going around that she was faking a disease of the mind to trick people into doing things for her. Kokan once found Karen hiding in an empty ssroom with a dagger. Her arms held proof of its sharpness. Instead of alerting the guards, calling for help, or telling her parents, Kokan saw a terrified girl falling victim to the stresses of life.


    He was there for her.


    He talked to her.


    He treated her like he¡¯d treat any other student, and Kokan sat with her for nine long hours¡ªlong after the moon took its ce in the sky¡ªuntil she was emotionally ready to leave. He didn¡¯t know it, but the voices in her mind weren''t lies. They told her to do things she didn¡¯t want to, then threatened to harm her unless she followed them through. Her family was very wealthy and influential to the point that the family head was an advisor to Holy Lord Gloria. They didn¡¯t have time to deal with what they thought was a young girl¡¯s delusions, so they sent her away to where she could be watched.


    From that day on, the voices inside Karen¡¯s head seemed to die when she was near her ¡®savior.¡¯ She soon became his best student at the cost of her grades in her other sses.


    But she didn¡¯t care about them because they didn¡¯t care about her.


    She cared about Kokan because he was the only one who wanted the best for her.


    But she mistook that care to mean he was interested in her as a woman. She slyly kept letting out advances here and there, yet Kokan was the type of man to notice and ignore.


    Until it was time for graduation, that was. Under the guise of wanting to spend time with her favorite teacher, Karen Bary had used just a microscopic fraction of her massive wealth to rent a bar after following the voices in her head. She had it stocked with food and drink, and the soothing, mellow music came from a recording crystal she purchased from the country''s most famous musician. It was all to set the mood, of course.


    And Kokan, being the kind man he was, epted her offer. Thest thing he remembered about that night was...nothing. After the first sip, his consciousness was stolen away.


    In the next moment, Karen stripped to her underwear and began to undress what she saw as the love of her life. She felt her heartbeat when proof of his manhood spread her open. The pain was worth it, Karen thought. And for the next eight hours, she took what she believed to be hers while rarely stopping for rest.


    When Kokan regained consciousness, he was alone and dressed inside an empty bar. With just a gap in his memory, he prayed nothing wrong had happened and returned to his family, thinking nothing of it.


    Four months passed in the blink of an eye, but it was not without worry.


    Kokan received a letter from Karen, and he wanted to make sure she was okay because she had vanished after that night. After returning to that same bar, his eyes nearly fell from his sockets when he saw her belly.


    It was carrying life. When asked who the father was, his heart nearly stopped when she caressed her stomach and pointed to the only other person in the bar.


    ¡°That night... It was magical... I love you, Mr. Kokan... You were there for me... You helped me... You believed me... And we were meant for each other... I want to be your wife... I love¡ª¡± Her warped mind angered Kokan. It was rare that he felt genuine rage, but he formed a fist and punched her across the cheek. She was thrown to the ground, hitting her head on the barstool, but Kokan¡¯s wrath was too great. He kicked, stomped, threw, and smacked Karen until she was a bloody, broken mess of a woman with shattered bones. His sharp eyes locked onto that disgusting belly, and as he raised his foot high to destroy that child inside...


    Irisa¡¯s face shed through his mind.


    He was at a crossroads. In his mind, Karen deserved to die. Yet the life in her womb was innocent. It had done nothing wrong. And at that moment, he made a choice. He couldn¡¯t even begin to know how it would affect him and his family.


    In the following weeks, he requested an emergency transfer to a new town that had started to show promise. Ria only had about 6,000 people, but the guild was serious about putting in an academy. At least a small one, and Kokan leapt at the chance to get away. Luckily, his family liked that idea. Getting a start in a new city? Having a new customer base?


    For the next 10 years, things were going great. The name Karen Bary had abandoned his mind, and even if it hurt him to keep it a secret from the two women he loved most in his life, he thought it was for the best.


    But all changed on the first day of a new semester. He read Erin Bary on his roster.


    The nightmare he wanted to escape had followed him. What came after this was a series of harassment targeted at both him and his family. When that didn¡¯t work, Karen, who had not given up on making Kokan hers, used herst resort.


    <hr>


    The room was silent after the truth was out because no one knew what to think about the bomb Kokan dropped. I had my own theories on why Karen hated him so much, but I never even fathomed the thought it was misguided obsession that corrupted itself a dozen times over.


    But I knew what I had to do. As I left the shop, no one tried to stop me. With just me, my thoughts, and a waypoint on Karen, who was at her shop, I walked the slightly more dangerous streets. In my mind, I just kept reying the story Kokan told us. I looked up to the man. He was the first male figure I had any respect for. He took Sekh, Tilde, and me in without question, then worked hard to nurse Niva back to health. He was my teacher...and he was abused like I was.


    Just imagining someone like him looking like I once hurt my heart so much I just wanted to lie down and cry.


    But I held back that sadness. It wasn¡¯t channeled into anger, but I used it to fuel my determination.


    Once I reached the city square, I was slightly taken aback by how empty it was. I zoomed out my map and realized a lot of people were fishing. If not to sell, then to certainly to eat. But without that many people here, it was child¡¯s y to sleuth around to the back. There were various cracks in the walls, but nothing a small spider clone couldn''t handle. I found a path to the first floor, so I infiltrated the building after turning into slime.


    But I remained the jelly-like creature as I headed for a door with a thick lock. I could probably break it, but I squeezed through the gap between the floor and the bottom of the door to emerge into a living room. It was fancy, sure, but I returned to my humanoid form and put my clothes back on. The doorway to my right led to a stairwell, and I went up all six flights to find a door with three locks. I bypassed that, then had to slip under the following three gates that also had an overabundance of deterrence until I finally arrived at my destination. My map said that vile bitch was right on the other side, and when I tried the handle, it freely turned.


    ¡°What...is this...? I said,pletely out of my goddamn mind. Everywhere I looked... I saw Kokan. Portraits and paintings of him lined the entire wall. Life-sized statues littered the room, and they were possibly <i>anatomically</i> correct. It was the very example of what a fanatic¡¯s room would look like.


    ¡°Ahhh... Ahhh... Ahhhh. My dear...husband... Ahhh... I¡¯m... Almost... AAAhhhhhh~~~~¡± From the bed covered in sheets also covered with Kokan¡¯s likeness, Karen Bary was furiously humping one of those statues. She was naked with a thick film of sweat that almost made it seem like rain was pouring on her. She threw her hands up and moved her hips like no tomorrow, stopping when her body quivered and trembled from climaxing.


    She looked very sickly, with pale, thin skin that seemed to stretch over her bones. If I had to guess, herst meal was a week ago, and she was in the final stages of starvation and dehydration. Even her moans sounded like groaned death cries.


    When I walked towards her, she became aware of my presence, yet she just turned back to her doll and continued to fuck it. She pletely gone. Mentally, that was, and almost physically. Even when I held a gun to her head, she only had eyes for what she probably saw as her husband.


    So, I pulled the trigger, putting her out of her misery and sttering her brains against the wall. Her life ended without even realizing I was there. It was a shame the fear of death didn¡¯t scourge her heart. I honestly didn¡¯t want to assimte her, but like hell would I allow her corpse to remain with the person of her desire.


    <b><i>You¡¯ve assimted Karen Bary and acquired 57 SP.</i></b>


    Karen had noble-esque skills, such as [Dancing], [Singing], [Piano], and [Etiquette], amongst others. As a merchant? She didn¡¯t have any skills a trader would¡¯ve had, which led credence she used her wealth, not experience, to grow her business.


    I ignored the activity log while storing the nearby bookshelf full of diaries. Now that the AI was more intelligent, it took only seconds to devour the content, and then it linked my mind to its information bank as per my request.


    If only to try it out. It worked for a handful of minutes before the strain grew too great. The AI cut the connection to spare me the mental stress.


    Suddenly, it was all so clear. Karen wanted to rece Ichiha, and she wanted Erin to take Irisa''s spot. She constantly wrote about the future the three of them would have even before she was sure she was pregnant. And the hate she felt from Kokan¡¯s brutal attack was directed towards his family, not him because she believed Ichiha was behind it. It was an obsession in a corrupted form...


    And these books told the truth... The horrible, horrible truth, and as much as I wanted to burn everything...


    I couldn¡¯t.


    Instead, I went floor by floor and stole what the AI rmended, including jewels, clothes, more herbs, utility items like rope, oil, matches, soap, perfume, and other toiletries like towels. The safe was next, but the code was changed. And it was too heavy for me to stash away since I had that 900-pound enchanting table. My current weapons couldn''t pierce the inches of reinforced steel and mythril.


    <i>You know, I don''t care about the safe that much anymore.</i>


    As I left the way I entered, I left behind a handful of clones topletely trash the entire fucking store because I was sure I wouldn¡¯t need anything at all. I only told them not to destroy the room I killed Karen in because I didn¡¯t know if Kokan and his family wanted to see proof of a woman who hadn¡¯t had a single unobstructed thought in her entire life.


    I could order my clones to thrash it afterwards. Maybe even burn it all down.

 Chapter Fifty-Seven: A Girl at the End of the Line

    Chapter Fifty-Seven: A Girl at the End of the Line


    I hadn¡¯t even left the city square before the AI zoomed out of my map and brought attention to a group of Bellerophon soldiers rushing into the city. It changed it to satellite mode, yet they weren¡¯t chasing anything. But I heard the beardless man in front shout that their target had run into the harbor. The AI automatically zoomed in on the docks to find a battle. It must¡¯ve just happened not even ten minutes ago because I hadn¡¯t heard anything about this when I was walking to my destination.


    Curiosity, however, pricked at my mind. I proceeded to the harbor as I watched a group of fifteen soldiers wearing equipment that disyed an emblem of a horse with wings. In my world, Bellerophon was a hero that defeated the mighty chimera, a fire-breathing monster that was a mix of a goat, a snake, and a lion. That same hero also tamed Pegasus, a mythical horse with wings, and not to mention, Bellerophon was the son of Poseidon, the mighty ruler of the seven seas. I couldn¡¯t believe I didn¡¯t make the connection beforehand...


    I checked, and yes, the boar-headed beast with four arms and seven legs that wielded many weapons was the same kind of monster as me. A Major Chimera, as well, one that was two stages ahead of me. He was Lv. 34, but I didn¡¯t think I could beat him. I wasn¡¯t going to, either, since I wanted to see how other chimera and Bellerophon fought. But it soon became clear I wasn''t going to get to the harbor. Word of the fight spread like wildfire, and it was like a stampede of people who were deathly curious and worried about their loved ones who were either working or fishing at the harbor. So, I just found a nice bench to park my butt. After crossing my legs, I enjoyed this spectacle. It didn¡¯t make sense to make a big deal out of this. Bellerophon specialized in killing us, so there shouldn¡¯t be too much chaos.


    The chimera was very well adept in using the monstrous body. Bulging eyes covered his head, so he expertly parried and counterattacked the strikesing from behind. One of the Bellerophon mages attempted to be sneaky and used [Lightning Cage] to restrain the beast, but he perceived that.


    ¡°YYYAAAHHHHH DIE!!!!¡± shouted a hot-hearted warrior with a raised sword. He rushed in because, like before, the foe they fought was strangely athletic and quick-footed.


    ¡°Jamie,e back! YOU FOOL!!¡± screamed a man with a white beard. He took a demon core from his belt and summoned a red-scaled hound from an explosion of crimson mana. The beast howled and rushed after the foolish soldier, but he had already sliced off a chunk of his opponent. The demon was toote, so he returned to his summoner, snarling and ready to attack.


    The chimera reacted quickly, enclosing the foolish soldier with vile, wiggling tentacles in a hug designed to break his very back. His screams of agony died out when a cage of pure lightning appeared around him.


    ¡°Damn it! We can¡¯t let his sacrifice be in vain! Everyone, use your strongest spells, and don¡¯t let up!¡± The man with the white beard cast his tired, weary eyes on a life that probably ended sooner than it deserved, then let loose abination spell called [Infernal me Scythe] with his summoned demon that sliced the monster in half¡ªJamie and all.


    All hell broke loose. Bystander mages from the audience felt inspired andunched their own spells, creating a symphony of crimsons, blues, yellows, and oranges, all heading for the bisected, caged chimera. He was pelted left, right, and center, had parts of his body frozen, then subsequentially melted, and acid fell down from his head, melting that fur and most of his eyes. When he screamed, it sounded like a hundred people were trapped inside.


    But this was a trap. And I only saw it because of my aerial view of the battlefield. That piece of flesh sliced off <i>was </i>the chimera. I looked at his skills the moment the strike was made, and, yes. He had assimted a slime. It soon morphed into one the color of asphalt and tried to wiggle away. I was going to alert the white-bearded man about it, but a young girl with short hair tapped his shoulder.


    ¡°Sir f, my pixie has spotted the chimera! It turned into a slime!¡± she said erratically. ¡°Pixie, mark its location!!!!¡± Suddenly, a beam of light meant to visually stun opponents was used as a signal. The chimeric slime grew wings from its body and flew away, avoiding the iing spells that crashed into the docked ships. An order was given to cease attacking by the white-bearded man. Then he chanted. Even though I knew it was thenguage of mana, it must¡¯ve been a different dialect or something because most of it was gibberish. Reaching into his pouch, he retrieved a rainbow orb. He held it to the sky, one palm behind the other. The object glowed, a colorless me devouring the sphere, sending a beam of burning light to the sky.


    It exploded, much like a firework, but the explosions never stopped, and the me remained motionless, never once falling back to the sky. Then, in one breath, the various fragments connected, eventually forming a city-wide barrier to enclose all of Ria.


    I stood up immediately and looked to the sky, not wanting to believe my map, but it was the truth.


    <i>My lord, this barrier is from a spell called [City Blockade]. This magic was developed with [Spellcrafting] and stashed inside that spell orb. It broke because the sheer mana needed to be packed within the crystal was beyond what it could endure. The barrier is strong, my lord. We cannot hope to break it as we are now.</i>


    I ran towards home as the AI sent a message exining everything to Sekh and the others.


    <hr>


    ¡°Hey! Over here!!!!¡± Tilde shouted as I approached. Sekh and the others stood outside, ncing at the barrier preventing anything from entering or exiting. In fact, as I ran home, there wasn¡¯t a single soul that didn¡¯t have their eyes on the sky.


    We all quickly went in, locked the door, and gathered around the kitchen table on the second floor. Again, the overall mood was quiet and tense, especially after what had transpired today.


    There was a lot to discuss, but what would be the first topic?


    Kokan eventually broke the silence by wanting to know the obvious. I only nodded, then asked if they wanted the building to burn after telling them I stole what was worth keeping.


    We looked at Erin, whose eye color had changed to violet. From Karen¡¯s journals, she used her great wealth and the Bary name tomission an illusion spell to alter eye color while giving control to someone else. Thus, Erin received yellow eyes like Irisa because Karen wanted Erin to rece Irisa.


    <i>Shit, that¡¯s the second time I¡¯ve encountered one. AI, did you not catch it?</i>


    <i>The spell affecting Erin differs from the artifact extracted from Niva. The mana signatures are on two different spectrums. Analyzation andparisons of the spells have been added to [Analysis]¡¯s capabilities.</i>


    <i>Good. Try to identify the next one before we¡¯re told about it.</i>


    <i>Understood¡­</i> Understood? The AI¡¯s robotic, monotone voice sounded¡­upset? For failing me?


    Erin was mentally broken. She looked downright dead with eyes that had given up. Her mother was a rapist, her victim was her father, and now that woman was dead. Here I was, asking if she wanted me to destroy the only home she¡¯d ever known.


    After five minutes, she still hadn¡¯t moved, so I gave the order. My clones took the form of Oswell and five of his allies, broke through the door, and covered everything they could with [me Spout], a spell that summoned a slow, dripping stream of fire from an anchor point set by the user. With six set on the different floors, It didn¡¯t take long for the building to be engulfed in mes. My clones remained inside to spread the fire even more to ensure it burned to the ground. They perished, but they were expendable.


    I didn¡¯t know what chaos spewed from that. If anything, it¡¯ll be med on the chimera.


    Minutester, we heard people screaming outside, asking those with water magic to rush to the city square.


    ¡°And it¡¯s done,¡± I whispered. In this quiet room, my voice sounded like a sledgehammer smashing a pile of ss. Honestly, I had no idea what was going to happen. I didn¡¯t think anyone knew. Amon saying in my world was that time healed all wounds, but I suppose it was time to put it through the test.


    ¡°Sekh, let¡¯s go do some investigating. Tilde, you¡¯reing with us. Niva, you remain here with Primrose. I can''t have you going outside right now,¡± I said. A shuffling of chairster, Sekh and Tilde walked downstairs while I remained behind for just a minute. I needed to talk to Kokan for a moment, and after he followed me into my room, I told him about what I saw. For further visual proof, I even had the AI show him Karen¡¯s secret room. It was a burning ze, but the statues and portraits were still visible. Then came the journals, and as per his request, I pulled them from storage and ced them on the bed, then walked out after giving him a tap on the shoulder.


    <hr>


    <i>Entry ***: The voices returned. This time, they¡¯re incessantly loud. At all hours of the day, it feels like a dozen people are screaming conflicting orders. Some want to hurt me... Some want to help me... Some want me to die... Some want me to kill... My parents don¡¯t understand my pain. They brush me off with threats of imprisonment because they finally have an audience with Holy Lord Gloria...</i>


    <i>Entry ***: My maid took me to a healer to cure the scars down my thighs. Why were they mad at me? Why did they look down with eyes like I was garbage? The voices told me to cut my legs, so I did it. Mother told me a good girl always listens to her elders, so why was I punished? I don¡¯t get it. When I ask the voices, most of them refuse to respond. And those that do scoff at my pretentious worries. They say they¡¯re all I need. And maybe I¡¯m all they need... I heard rumors of mother and father sending me off to the academy in the fall. They¡¯re advisors to Holy Lord Gloria, and father told mother I would only ruin our reputation.</i>


    <i>Entry ***: The rumors spreading around campus hurt me. Like my family, they believe I¡¯m faking these voices, but I¡¯m not. They¡¯re loud, they¡¯re raging... They¡¯re shing against my mind and vying for control over my body. But... The voices were good... They were nice... They told me to take a knife and carve my hands because a prince would save me... And a prince dide... He was handsome, tall, and strong. His broad hands carefully plucked the knife from my grip. Hisrge horns were imposing, but I felt kindness radiate outward. And it wasn¡¯t fake kindness... It was true. It was genuine... And for the first time in two years, the voices remained quiet...</i>


    <i>Entry ***: Today, Mr. Kokan patted my head when he returned our test results. I scored the highest in the ss because he¡¯s the only one that wants my respect. And when I¡¯m near him, the voices die down. Theye back at night, only to cheer me on with my love. Love? I was confused, but the voices said that only my true love could silence them. And they want to die. They want to pass on. But they¡¯re remaining here for my sake... They¡¯re going to teach me... Teach me what my parents didn¡¯t...</i>


    <i>Entry ***: I love Mr. Kokan.</i>


    <i>Entry ***: I love Mr. Kokan.</i>


    <i>Entry ***: I love Mr. Kokan.</i>


    <i>Entry ***: I love Mr. Kokan.</i>


    <i>Entry ***: Mr. Kokan loves me back. I know he does. I know he does I know he does I know he does. He does. I know it. How can I not know it? It¡¯s as obvious as the rainbow after a summer storm... It¡¯s as obvious as the love I know he has for me. I love him I love him I love him I love him I love him I love him.</i>


    <i>Entry ***: Graduation Day is approaching, and I¡¯ve acquired the method to prove our love. I want to nurture his seed in my womb and give birth to ourbined life. I loved him every second of the day. I¡¯m devoted to him... I. Want. Him. More than anything in the world. I¡¯ll throw away my entire life to have him exclusively for me.</i>


    <i>Entry ****: That evil, awful woman came between my love and me!!! I KNOW HE LOVES ME!!!! WE MADE SWEET LOVE!!!! WE SHARED OUT MOST INTIMATE MOMENTS!!!!! BUT SHE HAD THE GALL TO SEND HIM TO KILL ME!!! TO KILL THE BABY IN MY WOMB!!!!! NO!!!! NO!!!! NO!!!! But I survived... I protected our little Erin... Our sweet, sweet Erin...</i>


    <i>Entry ****: Kokan left the school... It¡¯s all that bitch¡¯s fault... I¡¯ll find out where they¡¯ve gone... I¡¯ll kill that fake wife and pretender daughter... Then It¡¯ll be him, me, and our little Erin...</i>


    <i>Entry ****: Little Erin took her first breath... I instantly broke down the moment I held her in my arms... Our little sweetheart. Her little tail... Her little ears... Her little horns on her beautiful head... She¡¯s proof of our love, Mr. Kokan. Our little blessing. I have someone working on a spell to change her eye color to yellow. Violet, ck, and yellow! My favorite colors in the world! Even better, they¡¯re our precious daughter.</i>


    <i>Entry ****: Little Erin took her first steps... She walks just like the love of my life...</i>


    <i>Entry ****: Father and mother banished me from the family when they discovered Erin. To prevent me from shaming them further, they left me with my inheritance and told me to nevere back. That money was used to discover Mr. Kokan¡¯s location, and I used it to buy a store. His fake wife, that stupid bitch, owns one as well. I¡¯ll buy it out... I¡¯ll make them homeless. Then Mr. Kokan would see I''m the one for him. I can dress little Erin up like her father... Yes, that¡¯ll be cute...</i>


    <i>Entry ****: Nothing is working. The arsonists, muggers, thieves, abusers... They¡¯re all worthless. None of them are worth a damn. But this is good. Little Erin came home from the little school the guild set up and said she had a favorite teacher. I cried when she mentioned Mr. Kokan¡¯s name... I knew it... She¡¯s just like her mother... The same man captured our hearts... You see, Mr. Kokan? This was meant to be. Me, your wife, Erin, our daughter, and you, the kindest man in the world, as my husband and her father.</i>


    <i>Entry ****: My final n worked, and that detestable false daughter hates Mr. Kokan. That other bitch is soon to follow. To put a stop to this scandal and to help heal Little Erin¡¯s holes in her heart from seeing this plot through, I wanted that bitch¡¯s shop as my own. You see, Mr. Kokan? Once you return to me, we can continue our life. Our sweet daughter and I can run it, and you can work at the guild. Like you¡¯re always meant to, Mr. Kokan. I love you, sweet husband.</i>


    <i>Entry ****: It¡¯s done. The shrine to my husband isplete... Every night, I spend hours and hours practicing my lovemaking. Erin¡¯s baby horns have fallen off, so she¡¯s old enough to run the shop. It¡¯ll take years for her adult horns toe in, which is upsetting. But there¡¯s nothing you can do about that.</i>


    <i>Entry ****: NO!!! NO!!! NONONONONONONONONO!!!!!! WHY?!?!?!?!? WHY ISN¡¯T HE COMING HERE?!?!?!?!? I LOVE YOU, MR. KOKAN!!!!! I¡¯M RIGHT HERE!!!!! I¡¯LL ALWAYS BE HERE!!!!!! DON¡¯T GO BACK TO YOUR FAKE FAMILY!!!!!! I¡¯M WHAT YOU NEED!!!!!!!!!! WE¡¯RE WHAT YOU NEED!!!!!</i>


    <i>Entry *****: Erin¡ªthat girl is no more... HOW DARE THAT LITTLE BITCH STEAL FROM WHAT IS RIGHTFULLY MR. KOKAN¡¯S?!?!?!?!?! SHE STOLE FROM THE STORE, HURTING HIM!!!!!! SHE ISN¡¯T MY DAUGHTER!!! I DIDN¡¯T BIRTH THAT MISERABLE BITCH!!!! SHE DESERVES THE STOCKADE!!! DEATH!! SLAVERY!!!!! Yes... very... I¡¯ll put a bounty on her, then have a groupe and take her. That¡¯s fine... That¡¯s perfect. I don¡¯t need her. I only need Mr. Kokan. He¡¯lle back. And until he does... I won¡¯t eat. I won¡¯t drink... I won¡¯t sleep. Once he knows I¡¯m in pain... he¡¯lle here... he must... Our love dictates it! IT¡¯S OUR DESTINY!!!!!!!!</i>


    <hr>


    Thatst entry... I closed the diary andid back on the bed, my hands rubbing my horns because my mind was packed with thoughts and emotions.


    I knew she had problems. As an instructor, my students were my responsibility. Their general well-being and physical health came first because safety was the first thing on the list. But what she did to me...


    There was no excuse. I hated Karen. I wanted her to die. Just... How different would life have been had I stomped her belly? If I killed Erin before she was born...


    Or even if I killed Karen?


    How much heartache would¡¯ve been skipped?


    How much happiness would¡¯ve remained?


    How much shame...would I have avoided...? The same as not telling the love of your wife about the assault. The remorse of knowing that you weren''t faithful to the one you love.


    But it wasn¡¯t my fault.


    And it wasn¡¯t Erin¡¯s fault. She was innocent... She was¡ª


    ¡°Kokan!!!! Come quickly!!!!!¡±


    ¡°Dad!!! Emergency!!!!!!¡±


    The desperate cries of my daughter and wife kicked me into action. I sprung from the bed and charged into the kitchen to find Erin waving a knife to keep Irisa and Ichiha at bay. The tip dripped crimson, sparking a memory of the first time I found Karen hiding away in a ssroom. The same scars that lined her arm mimicked the ones down Erin¡¯s. Primrose was standing in front of Niva, protecting her while exining what was happening.


    ¡°STOP! Don¡¯te any closer!!!!¡± Erin said, her voice shaky from the pain and tears. ¡°I NEVER SHOULD''VE BEEN BORN!!! What good have I brought? My mom is dead... She... She did those things to you... I... I... I...¡± Clutching her head and writhing in pain, she screamed as loud as she could, her eyes darting left and right and up and down, her body shivering as if it was cold enough to support snow.


    She raised the de, and time slowed to a crawl. Before I knew it, I felt a blistering heat near my shoulder.


    ¡°DAD!!!!¡±


    ¡°KOKAN!!!¡±


    ¡°Why...?¡± whispered the girl I hugged, her de striking crimson, but it didn¡¯t hurt. This body was too durable for someone like Erin. It wouldn¡¯t even leave a faint scar.


    I looked her in the eyes and whispered my true feelings.


    ¡°Because you deserve to live. You deserve to smell the flowers in the spring and y in the snow in the winter. You deserve to grow up and fall in love. I¡¯ll be heartbroken to see you die... Erin, please don¡¯t do this... Let me help you... We...can get through this...¡±


    <i>The words... They¡¯re familiar.</i>


    The hand gripping the knife let go, choosing instead to find peace as she cried her little heart out. Her wounds needed to be healed, but they weren¡¯t life-threatening. Grunting, I stood up with her in my arms and brought her to the couch.


    ¡°Irisa... Ichiha... I... I¡¯m sorry I hid this... I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Darling, I love you. Irisa loves you. This isn¡¯t your fault. Nothing is your fault. Not a single thing. And Erin?¡± As Irisa fetched the bandages and sutures, my wife knelt and touched a hand to Erin¡¯s shivering head, who tried hard to endure the pain. ¡°You¡¯re not to me for anything...¡±


    ¡°But... Why don¡¯t you hate me? You should hate me! You all should!!! You should want to see me¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, sweetie. I don¡¯t hate you.¡± She hugged her close. Erin tried to fight it, but she eventually relented and shed even more tears.¡°You¡¯re a victim...¡±


    Irisa returned a momentter, and it was a quick job to clean and nurse those wounds. We all sat on the couch afterwards. ¡°I wish I was a stronger man... I could¡¯ve done something... Made sure you had a better life...¡± I felt the onset of tears, but there was no need to hold them back. Irisa reached over to take hold of Erin¡¯s hand. It seemed so incredibly small, and Irisa repeated what her mother said. About there being no hate between them.


    Erin¡¯s eyes struggled to remain open, but she eventually fell into a slumber soon after. I fetched a pillow and made herfortable, then turned to my wife and daughter because it was time to have a much-needed conversation. Primrose and Niva walked to Erin, and the spirit used [Minor Heal] to help cure her scars. Thanking her, I followed my family into our room.


    <hr>


    Our walk around town proved fruitless in the grand scheme of things. We learned the barrier wouldn¡¯t go down until the ''monster'' was dead, which motivated the remaining citizens of Ria to send out search parties to help Bellerophon. But we didn¡¯t have much time. The barrier prevented any deliveries, and the part of the ocean avable wasn¡¯t very much. Maybe 100 fish a day could be caught? But the barricade extended to the ground and pierced it, so digging or swimming out wouldn¡¯t work.


    Of course, I knew where the chimera was. I even had him marked with a fat waypoint. As much as I desired his power for myself, I wouldn¡¯t win-- even in the chimera''s weakened state. And honestly, if I didn¡¯t have to fight, I was okay with that. Perhaps I¡¯d share the location with that demon summoner with the white beard.


    I thought about Erin and Kokan and asked why she didn¡¯t look like him. Tilde answered. "Okay, think of their baby horns as baby teeth. When an oni reaches ten years old, give or take a year or two, their horns break and crumble to signify the start of puberty. During the next fifteen years, give or take half a decade, they passively absorb mana from the atmosphere to grow into their adult horns. When they appear, it means puberty has ended, and the oni is considered an adult in theirmunity. But Erin''s a half-breed. Depending on how strong her oni half is, her horns probably won''t regrow."


    ¡°There is a way to bypass it,¡± Sekh added. ¡°If you could transfer mana from one person to the other, you could skip the waiting.¡± When asked if it was possible to do that with [Drain], I got a nod and realized what I needed to do. If the girl in question allowed me, that was. But Erin never once mentioned horns, and neither did anyone else. Or at least during my spying, it never came up. We walked to the city square to find it packed, the smoldering remains of the former shop sending up plumes of smoke. Right in the middle sat the safe I intended to steal. The damn code didn¡¯t work, and it was too heavy to store.


    But I put a waypoint on it, though. If someone opened it? Well, I was a better thief than most others.


    With our fruitless investigation over, we returned home to find the family still deep in a meeting. They exined why Erin¡¯s arms were bandaged over. She was so timid looking, sitting on the couch with her arms hugging her legs. Her eyes were still raw. I plopped beside her and gave her a potion I had in storage, slightly unsure of what to do to offer support.


    <i>I liked it when Sekh holds my hand, so...</i>


    I was going to touch her, but Tilde whispered it wasn¡¯t a good idea. But Erin reached out to grab me when I started to stand up, so I remained sitting and let her rest her head on my shoulder. Irisa sat beside her and put her hand on Erin¡¯s head.


    Ichiha and Kokan were talking in the other room, so it was just us. Well, Lei hopped from Niva¡¯s arms to Erin. It squirmed and jiggled, then made appendages to grab her arms so they would touch it.


    ¡°Lei... Lady Springfield... Irisa...¡± Erin whispered with as much volume as a snowkending on water.


    A few minutester, someone used a spell to dramatically increase their voice and spoke about a list of rules since Ria would be locked down. We couldn¡¯t leave the house before 7 AM. After 4 PM, if we had to go somewhere, we were required to head to the city''s center to receive a Bellerophon escort. All attempts to breach the barrier or withhold vital information about the chimera would result in immediate execution.


    Those execution orders, and the one who ordered this lockdown? The voice confirmed it came from Holy Lord Gloria.


    Seems like things were about to get serious.

 Chapter Fifty-Eight: Solitary Days (R-18)

    Chapter Fifty-Eight: Solitary Days (R-18)


    The person who said time healed all wounds clearly didn¡¯t think a day was long enough. And for something like the situation between Kokan, his family, and Erin, you¡¯d probably need a couple of months, if not years. The four were uptest night talking around the kitchen table, though about half the time was spent in silence. To make whatever adjustment slightly easier, Kokan and his wife slept on the floor with Irisa to give Erin their bed.


    She refused a few times, of course, but they all insisted she needed the chance to have some gainful rest. Lei was sleeping in her arms, not Niva''s, so I made a slime clone of myself to give to the cyclops.


    It wasn¡¯t even 5 AM, but I was awake and upying myself with Sekh¡¯s delicious boobs. I sucked on them all night while she warmed my cock, which was strange enough, but we loved it. Even now, I was working my three tongues the best they could to fill her with pleasure from both sides. And my four hands were gripping her ass like no tomorrow, which she liked a lot. In her sleep, she moaned lightly, causing my hips to slowly gyrate back and forth.


    I developed a system to use my shapeshifting to its full advantage when having sex. When pulling out, I lengthened myself while keeping the tip in ce until I was back at 12 inches, with 6" being outside. When it was time to thrust in, I did the opposite, where I shrunk myself on purpose once all 6¡± were in, but to Sekh, it felt like there was much more. Really, it was perfect.


    <i>The best of both worlds without any pain provides the most pleasure for us.</i>


    I sucked even harder, my hips picking up the pace just slightly. I hugged Sekh tighter, the pressure in my penis starting to build. Tost longer, I decided to do long, slow thrusts aimed at her most sensitive spots. Aftervishing over her body for months, our regr lovemaking meant we knew everything about the other¡¯s body. There were no secrets left to uncover. I pulled out moments before I was about to cum because I didn¡¯t want this to end.


    After giving her nipples onest kiss, I rolled over to the top, then moved my hands up and down her exquisite chest. I leaned in close, pressing my lips to hers while our nipples touched. It was a lewd kiss¡ªespecially since she was still asleep. I grabbed my dick and rubbed it against her moist entrance, yfully teasing her drenching cunt even more as a tongue appeared from the tip of my cock. It was fat, thick, and incredibly wet, and her sweet taste traveled to my tastebuds. Sekh¡¯s breathing increased, her panting fueling my erection as her face took on slight blush. Massaging her breast, I thrust forward just a bit, spreading her open and continuing until I had nothing else to give.


    My hands slid down to her waist, and I pumped. Her breasts started to jiggle, bouncing back and forth as if they were inviting me to y. The tongue still attached to my dick wiggled insistently, brushing firmly against her soft, squelching inner folds. Suddenly, both of her hands reached up, and I filled their emptiness with mine and pressed them back to the bed.


    ¡°Ahhhh~~~ Ahhhh~~~~ My liege~~~~ MMMmmmmm~~~~¡± Sekh moaned in her sleep, her mouth slightly agape as her tongue ventured out. If she was dreaming, it was probably about this. That pink thing was so erotic looking... So wet and moist... I weed it with my tongue, and we shared something sloppy and sexy for what felt like minutes, our tongues never going back into our mouths because even in her dreamy state, she couldn¡¯t get enough of it. Sucking on her tongue pushed me over the edge, and I grunted, moving into a kiss as my cum flowed deep within her pussy.


    ¡°MMMnnn~~~~~ It¡¯s...amazing~~~~~ Feels so good~~~,¡± she said in her sleep, looking as cute as ever.


    I shot out six or seven thick, long ropes, eventually bingid while still inside her.


    Another thing about being part slime was that the cleanup was almost nonexistent. I just morphed my penis into its slimy state and stashed the semen threatening to ooze out in [Storage]. Once outside, I could toss it in the garbage.


    But even as we made lovest night, Sekh wanted it to be messy and hot. Especially when she was in the mood and couldn¡¯t stand it. She even wanted me toe on her face after jerking me off. Since I was too horny, I just licked her sweet lips and tasted my own ejaction, pushing her to the bed while slowly licking her entire body with twenty tongues that branched off the twenty vines I produced.


    Upon transforming the slime back into a penis, I gave Sekh another precious kiss and licked her lips affectionately. I rolled back over and hugged her tightly for a few minutes before getting up and going to the bath. The water was empty, but I had acquired a spell called [Water Spring], which I learned from assimting Tivid¡¯s corpse. Basically, I took mana and converted it into water. It was like a hosepipe with a medium flowing rate, so after filling the tub and getting it nice and warm, I slipped in and rxed. Instantly, my mind went to Sekh.


    Then the erection came.


    Jerking off was fine, but I wanted my lovely little Lionfolk. But waking her up? Sekh needed her sleep, so I created a clone with her appearance and embraced it. From experience, I knew my replicas could talk. They could even react, but this one I made was having trouble vocalizing. When my body had a chance to grow ustomed to the thousands of SP I spent, my clones would probably be way more life-like and full of emotion.


    ¡°Do you think you can suck it?¡± I asked Clone!Sekh. With a nod, she kissed my forehead and ran her tongue down my body. She spent a lot of time on my shaft before wrapping her cute lips around the head. There, her tongue did the rest, and I rubbed her ears and massaged her pussy with my foot as I enjoyed this blissful time.


    ¡°I¡¯m about to cum... Swallow it... I want you to drink it.¡± Clone!Sekh nodded, then deepthroated me, which was a problem because I was at my original length. Portions of her body reverted to slime to amodate the girthy cock, and I felt the semen flow endlessly into her throat. Her arms wrapped around my thighs, continuing to tickle the shaft with her tongue until I¡¯d emptied my balls in her mouth. Her translucent skin turned a forest green. Clone!Sekh kept my love¡¯s overall form, but her body became more like slime.


    <i>It¡¯s...so warm... My cock feels like it¡¯s melting like butter...</i>


    I closed my eyes and almost drifted to sleep before I heard footsteps. Clicking my tongue, the door to the bathroom swung open, and Clone!Sekh vanished a momentter...


    But not before I heard a loud, disappointing sigh.


    ¡°Escaped from your crystal, huh?¡± I asked Primrose. She pushed her hair out of her eyes with a huff, her entire body looking as human as ever.


    But it was really wood.


    Ignoring me, she entered the bath and stared at my face, a scowl stered on hers.


    Silence was a virtue, I suppose, but that was broken about five minutester. ¡°Guess you didn¡¯t even have the decency to wait until she was awake? You fuck her when she¡¯s asleep, then you fuck...<i>that</i>? Do you not know shame? You¡¯re a debaucherous existence¡ª¡±


    ¡°We both consented to it. Sekh¡¯s woken me up many times like that, and she¡¯s asked me to do the same. She also gave me explicit permission to have sex with a clone of her whenever I want. We never had the chance to feel a physical connection to anyone before. In that regard, we''re each other''s first. It doesn¡¯t involve you, so keep your nose out of it,¡± I replied, cutting her off.


    Upset, she sshed the water with her hand, the warm liquid dripping through her slender fingers. A secondter, her voice changed as she asked me something. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you kill me? I... I attacked you. I tried to kill you. I wanted nothing more than to see you die like the monster you are. But you... You didn¡¯t do anything. Why?¡±


    ¡°Because I had no reason. I¡¯m a woman of logical thinking. I just killed 24 people in cold blood. There was a chance you¡¯d be upset, and I took that into ount. You¡¯re an emotional spirit. I figured something like this would happen. Maybe if you drew blood, I¡¯d have done something. But you were so weak you couldn¡¯t even break the skin. You hurt yourself more than you hurt me, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I...¡± Primrose clenched her teeth and formed two fists. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever not hate you. You¡¯re despicable. Brutal. Murderous. A threat to the natural order I belong to. You''re a viin to heroes all over the world. Whatever dies should stay dead. They shouldn¡¯te back as monsters like you. It¡¯s just in my nature to find you vile and disgusting... But my Master... You saved her life when I was foolish and wasn¡¯t thinking straight... I¡ª¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have to see eye-to-eye on everything. Or even anything. Just don¡¯t do anything to betray this group again, and we won¡¯t have any problems. You know what I can do, and now I can do even more after assimting Oswell¡¯s group. And no, I won¡¯t get rid of my thread around your core. Once I grow stronger, I''ll reinforce it. Don''t think of it as me stopping you from killing yourself, even if it is that, but me offering some added protection. It¡¯s a gift. Niva¡¯s known you for less than a week, yet she¡¯s attached to you. For her sake, you¡¯ll be under my protection if you stay in line. Oh, and thanks for helping Erin with her injuries. I¡¯vee to care for her, so...¡± I stepped out of the bath and retrieved a towel to dry off. Primrose asked about my past, but I didn¡¯t respond as I walked out of the bathroom to findfort in the arms of a sleepy Lionfolk.


    I suddenly wanted to embrace her.


    <i>Hopefully, I gave Primrose some shit to think about, but a viin? A fitting descriptor for someone with my desire to destroy Cridia.</i>


    <hr>


    During a fish-centric breakfast, my wings were the talk of the table. Everyone was sitting at the table and staring at them,paring them to Tilde¡¯s. Well, everyone except Erin, who was still asleep. No one wanted to disturb the first bit of restful slumber she¡¯d gotten in weeks. I had the AI keeping an eye on her, though.


    When I brought up [Song Magic] and [Flight], I also pulled out my flute and exined that I could y a song as a proxy. I probably needed time to practice to ensure it was all in sync with the same notes yed each time, but Kokan said that would work. He looked a little bit better, I suppose. Though the hints of sadness still clouded his mind with a whirlwind of thoughts.


    I brought up how to use [Drain] to give Erin her adult horns, but there were mixed reactions. Irisa thought that was too much for Erin, but Ichiha and Kokan entertained the idea longer than I thought. It was up to Erin, though. She emerged from her room about 20 minutester dressed in a pair of green pajamas that used to belong to Irisa when she was that size. Her feet shuffled along the floor. Lei was in her arms, and she stroked the slime''s jelly-like body.


    Her violet eyes were still red and raw from the crying. She whispered a quiet thank you when Irisa brought her a te of baked fish and a cup of water. She picked at her food like a bird with an unsteady hand while I turned to Sekh and apologized. She asked what for, and I said I didn¡¯t think we could have our date. She noted an apology wasn¡¯t needed, then took my hand and ced it on her head. I still promised to make up for it, though. Ichiha put a hand to her cheek and probably reminisced about the past or something. Irisa looked slightly sad, but I wholly nned on having a date with her. In fact, I asked for her one, which immediately brightened her mood. She almost leapt over the table to hug me, lifting me from my chair and spinning me around in her embrace.


    ¡°Is...¡± Erin suddenly whispered, causing us all to turn to her. ¡°Is this fine?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee here, Erin. This can be your home, and we can be your family. That¡¯s only if you want, too, however. Regardless of your choice, I¡¯ll never let you be alone.¡±


    ¡°Then...¡± She hugged Lei a little tighter. ¡°I thought about...it in my dreams. If you don¡¯t truly hate me... I promise to be a good girl... I don¡¯t want to...be by myself... I¡¯m scared...¡± Erin¡¯s choked whispers halted her voice, but her new mother and father quickly rushed to her side and hugged her, disying physical proof to back up their words.


    It was a cute moment. Niva and Primrose were brought to tears, and even Tilde wiped her eyes with her forearm. Irisa soon hugged her half-sister. It was a gentle way to close out this moment. But even with that said, it would still take more than one day for it to sink in. However, there was no understating of just how genuine their words and actions were.


    As we continued breakfast, I brought up the whole horn issue, but Erin apologized and asked for more time to think about it. I said that was fine. We chatted about the chimera. Taking Kokan¡¯s advice, I shared the chimera¡¯s location with Irisa and the others, which meant I had to exin some things to Erin and Primrose. An obvious consequence of that was exposing my chimerism to the tearful Catfolk.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard stories when I was younger. How scary and frightening they can be...¡± Erin said. ¡°But you saved me... Thank you, Lady Springfield.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t scared?¡± I asked, reverting my wings without ying my flute. She said she was. The floating words¡ªher mind couldn¡¯t process it. While I murdered, she always thought my gun was to turn on her. I apologized for putting that fear in her heart, then said that was never my intention. I exined that I couldn¡¯t let those 11 ves live because if they could murder and rape and get caught for it, they could do it again. Those other ves I let leave were justmon thieves.


    I left off Henri and his siblings. I just wanted them off my mind and away from my thoughts.


    <i>I could¡¯ve killed them, but I want them to suffer.</i>


    <hr>


    A few hourster, I was in the backyard with Kokan. Sekh and Irisa were out there, and Niva, Prim, Ichiha, Tilde, and Erin were inside having a little chat. Dressed in the armor Irisa made for me, I spun Kronto around my hands and settled into an experienced stance. Kokan whistled and said I looked much more imposing.


    ¡°That¡¯s because I am. Oswell¡¯s group? If they were the slightest bit resistant to poison, I probably wouldn¡¯t have pulled off what I did. But I need to fight. I still need to get stronger.¡±


    With focus, my body became enveloped in a soft glow, which manifested a partly see-through suit of armor.


    That was [Mana Armor].


    Or a beginner¡¯s version of it.


    It was like I wore an extrayer of armor, making it much tougher to pierce my skin. But it was mana hungry. I could only sustain it for about two minutes before being winded, and Kokan said most people used it only around their vital areas.


    With the lecture over, I dashed towards him with my spear down low. Stabbing Kronto into the ground to bring me to a halt, I ducked low and swung my leg, my arms pressing down on my spear, as Vamire did, to sweep Kokan off his legs.


    "Nnnrg! That''s a good strike! I felt that!" Kokan eximed, enduring the attack and bringing down the spear I gave him. [Danger Sense] was a passive skill and was always active, and it worked by giving me a tingling sensation whenever danger was approaching. Without even looking, I backflipped and stood on my spear''s side. Bncing on a staff was Vamire''s party trick-- something he showed me multiple times to impress me. My senses tingled again, and Kokan was right on me with a quick thrust.


    I ducked and blocked the strike, then replied with a masterful execution of the Iron Tree Stance''s basics,bining them as Vamire did.


    Kokan parried it all, replying with an overhead downward slim, which I swatted with a [Mana Armor] reinforced arm.


    I blocked it, then counterattacked with an overhead downward m, which was parried. It then turned into a flurry of attacks from both of us as we disregarded the Iron Tree Stance and focused on sheer speed. Before, I couldn¡¯t even see them, but now everything was as clear as priceless crystals. The shing of metal on metal produced vibrant sparks. The battle-hungry grin on my face matched the one on Kokan¡¯s. He went for a sudden punch, but I ducked under it, danced my spear behind my back, and clocked him in the ribs.


    Nothing broke, but he responded, in turn, with an even faster thrust that pierced my shoulder. The strike was followable, yet hepletely destroyed my [Mana Armor,] shattering it apart like colorless snowkes. Grunting through the pain, I healed that wound and continued a barrage that even Irisa had trouble seeing.


    We both pushed ourselves to the limit, and I felt myself growing as a fighter with every blow. These matches ended with wounds on both, instead of just me.


    But I had yet to win. Perhaps if I fought with Kronto''s abilities, I could''ve turned the tide, but they were noisy. Attention was thest thing we needed, but it wasn''t an excuse. I knew, more than anyone, the limits to my power. If anything, this proved Kokan was a monstrous fighter. He focused on books and history, but if he spent time seriously training his muscled body...


    He''d be an outstandingbatant.


    When it was time to take a break, I called for Sekh, and she leapt at the chance to fight. We agreed on no skills, and it was honestly a fun time. Her skill with the mace improved leaps and bounds, and she always had that shield to deflect and counter my attacks in ways I didn¡¯t realize were possible. I tried to go for a thrust, but she parried it, which was fine. But when I dodged her attack, she knew exactly where I was going to go, how I was going to do it, and just how fast it was going to take. And once I was on the defense, she let loose a rapid barrage of mace and shield strikes.


    Her swipes and ms weren¡¯t fast enough to be invisible, but it was just the power held in them. My hands and arms took a beating each time I blocked something, but I always couldn¡¯t recover the damage because she would follow it up with her shield in an effortlessbo that made it look like she was dancing. Everything flowed together in one conjoined unit like a beautiful painting, which given her prior nature as an enemy of this world, didn¡¯t exactly fit.


    But she just had all that experience. After spending close to 800 SP and gaining the strength, magic, and bodily increases that came with purchasing skills, she was a force to be reckoned with.


    Oh, Sekh didn''t have to wait an adjustment period to use her newfound power. Her eternally reincarnating soulpensated her body and picked up the ck.


    Even as Iid on my back, my armor ripped to shreds from ourtest, most intense bout, I could do nothing but look up at her beautiful face with love and adoration.


    ¡°I¡¯m... still not a match, huh? One day, Sekh, I¡¯ll give you the fight you want.¡±


    She helped me stand, then kissed my lips as her hands poked my face. ¡°You always win when we¡¯re in bed, you know. I fall victim to your love every time.¡±


    Before I could return the kiss, Irisa hollered out the window and said dinner was ready.


    <hr>


    For the next few days, things remained as they were. Erin was growing morefortable in this situation. She was still crying at night, though. During her sleep, not when awake. It woke Ichiha up, and she only stopped it by giving a grieving, destitute girl the love only a mother could offer. I knew. I was spying on them, though I didn¡¯t mean to.


    ¡°I¡¯ll love you as if you were my own daughter, sweetie,¡± Ichiha said, holding Erin close to her. Her hand softly petted her head. ¡°You¡¯re scared. Anyone would be. But you¡¯re not to me for anything. You¡¯re our family now, and we¡¯ll protect you. Family, huh? I wonder if it¡¯s about time... Do we even have time?¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what she was talking about, but I wondered if it was about getting pregnant with a second child. ording to Tilde, most humanoid races in the world had a pregnancy thatsted for 40 weeks, which was the same as humans. It differed when it came to elves, especially High Elves, because it sometimes took years for them to have a few days to have a period of fertility. Even then, it was rare for High Elves to get pregnant. The chances were well below 0.050%, so I suppose they were called High Blessings for a reason. Suppose it was also strenuous to evolve into a High Elf.


    Or a Dark Elf, for that matter.


    But other than sparring with Kokan and Sekh, spending time with Irisa and Erin, and helping Primrose with Niva¡¯s therapy, I spent most nights thinking about how to get us out of this situation.


    And on the third night? An idea finally came to me. It was one that posed the least amount of risk, even though my clones would be doing the work. I thought about taking Gloria¡¯s form with a clone and demanding the end to this farce, but that wouldn¡¯t work. And if I was a regr person, that would be even more suspicious because the soldiers were on edge.


    I decided I needed to bring my enemies to their enemy, but there had to be concrete evidence. The bastard was currently resting with a skill called [Chimeric Hibernation], which formed a tough outer shell around its body while rooting them to the spot. After the first fight, it made its way through Ria and found safety in the copsed basement of a destroyed building. But without any proof, I was positive they wouldn¡¯t believe me. If anything, they would probably kill my clone on the spot because they might think it was a trap. Even if I used their copied appearance data to convince them, my time watching Bellerophon told me they were deadly serious about everything. There weren''t any examples of anyone skirting the rules or cutting corners.


    The chimera¡¯s hideout was too small for anything other than a mouse to get through, so I created and sent a Clone!Rat that way.


    When it arrived thirty minutester, the chimera¡¯s defenses were tougher than I thought. This rat was pathetically weak, but transfiguring a small hand with Yaekira''s dagger attached to the end still wasn¡¯t enough to pierce it. Since that didn¡¯t work, I tried to move it. It was rooted like the Eagle Yew and wouldn¡¯t budge a single inch.


    But even if something was durable, it didn¡¯t mean it was indestructible. Hitting something enough times would eventually cause it to show signs of damage. And I just needed a piece big enough to act as proof. I told the AI to monitor the clone after giving it a simple order of ''attack until something breaks off. Heal yourself if need be.¡¯


    But to be safe, I woke Tilde and had her confirm something. While under the effects of [Chimeric Hibernation], you weren''t aware of the outside world. It was solely designed to be an emergency defensive skill a chimera used when on the verge of death when they had no other options. Thanking her, Tilde kissed me on the cheek, groggily telling me to not do anything stupid or dangerous, and quickly returned to her slumber.


    I returned to Sekh¡¯s embrace and continued to brainstorm about my situation. I did think about using my poisoning skills, but every Bellerophon soldier had a jewel embedded in their bodies with a few basic resistances. And poison was one of them. Even then, they were patrolling with four soldiers in a unit. The soldiers constantlymunicated with each other for the entire time. It would be impossible to take one out and take their ce, especially with a clone at half of my strength.


    If I was too hasty, I would hint at there possibly being two or three chimeras prowling around Ria.


    It was a very explosive situation. Making the wrong move would be akin to setting off a powder keg with stupidity.


    Besides, there had been multiple riots over thest few days.


    The barrier over the city meant nothing was imported or exported. There were roving bands of Bellerophon soldiers searching all hours of the day. It wasn¡¯t rare for someone to throw rocks at them, which turned into a fight. We were doing fine with water because of the well and my [Water Spring]. For food? My clones were on fishing duty because they knew the exact spot of each fish, thanks to my map¡¯s search function. Whatever they stored or assimted was passed to me.


    We all had turned into hermits, though. Never leaving the house on ount of safety. No one tried to bother us, which was nice.


    But it was fun if you disregarded the barrier and loose chimera. Having these close-knit days did wonders for Erin¡¯s mental health. Over the days, she slightly became more cheerful and a little bit more smiley. Irisa was always talking and ying tic-tac-toe with her, Ichiha offered to teach her how to cook, and Kokan even took the webs I spun for him and taught her how to weave them into bandages. Anything to get her mind off the obvious.


    If this continued for much longer, there was a chance I would have to take care of this myself using my full power¡ªwith no clones. If I used my Divine Skill, freedom wasn¡¯t impossible. I had to be wary, though, since even 20 nearly caused me to turn into a mindless monster back in Sekh¡¯s dungeon. That was why it always remained at either 5 or 0.


    But would it work for me? When I was on death''s door, and those shitty goblins were about to rape me, the power it gave me at Wrath 15 was almost nothing. The voice said I wasn''t worth its efforts and decided to leave me for dead.


    Which begged the question...


    Could I even rely on it?


    If I couldn''t use it when I needed it, why the fuck did I acquire it after spending countless years suffering in the void? It was the one reason I remained sane, so why forsake me?


    It just didn''t make a lick of sense, but I didn''t know how to demand answers. Tilde, Sekh, nor the AI could help me, and Kokan apologized for hisck of knowledge of Divine Skills.


    Even asking outright or in my mind failed to bring me closer to the truth, leading the AI to almost think itself to insanity to help. I was afraid something awful would happen, so I ordered it to stop.

 Chapter Fifty-Nine: A Place to Call Home (R-18)

    Chapter Fifty-Nine: A ce to Call Home (R-18)


    It was the fourth day since lockdown, and I was lost in thought. Sekh was here a few minutes ago before being called by Ichiha. Prior to that, we discussed what to do if this continued any longer. Myst option was to use my waypoint writing to act as ¡®god¡¯ to reveal the chimera¡¯s location to the Bellerophon agents.


    Out of everything I could do, waypoint writing was by far the most impressive since it allowed me tomunicate with anyone in a ce where I have been. You just had to be able to see the floating letters, so blindness was the only limitation. I was hesitant to use it, though. But I vowed that if my clone hadn''t made any substantial progress in the next two days, I wouldn¡¯t have the luxury of wanting to keep this ability hidden. Bing a decoy did pass through my mind. I could halt [Status Cloak], use a clone to shapeshift in front of them, and lead the pursuing soldiers to the chimera, but Tilde vetoed that n. She wouldn''t even hear my perspective or point of view, citing that it was far too dangerous to give it a modicum of thought. My next idea was to lead them to the chimera via scratch marks.


    But no, that wouldn''t work. The soldiers would take one look at the scratches and believe it to be a stray animal. Bellerophon wasn''t full of idiots. They wouldn''t think a chimera would stupidly lead them right to their hideout. Besides, they somehow had developed a spell to analyze the marks and look for biomass remnants. Only Sir f, the wizard, could use it, so it must''ve been hard to learn. It also took a great deal out of him, requiring about 1/3rd of his mana to perform.


    <span ss="TextRun SCXW253931932 BCX0"ng="en-us" xmlng="en-us"><span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW253931932 BCX0">My [Status Cloak] would protect me from the scan, and Tilde <span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW253931932 BCX0">wouldn¡¯t <span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW253931932 BCX0">permit<span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW253931932 BCX0"> me to turn it off. Not even for a second. So, my original n of getting actual proof from the chimera''s hibernation was the best idea<span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW253931932 BCX0">.<span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW253931932 BCX0"><span ss="EOP SCXW253931932 BCX0">


    Yeah, I could download a soldier''s visual data and pretend to be a member of Bellerophon, and that was my n if I acquired the proof in time. That was the only way I would get an audience without having a sword put to my throat or a spear against my chest. But it all resolved around getting that proof. That was one of the rules put forth by f. If you didn¡¯t have proof, you were punished. ording to him, there was little value in chasing after false leads because time was of the highestmodity.


    <i>Fuck... Do I really have to go against Tilde? Is that the only choice? I know she¡¯s just looking out for me because we share a life, but still... I don¡¯t want to disobey her. Two days... That¡¯s all I¡¯m going to spare before I have to make an important decision. </i>


    ¡°M? Sweetie, can youe in here?¡± I heard Ichiha call for me, so I rolled out of bed and went to the kitchen, where everyone was sitting around the table.


    Instantly, I was transported back 14 years to that horrible moment. Blinking, the table with Sekh and the others momentarily showed my mother and father. The pretty wall with shelves of little knick-knacks was reced by peeling wallpaper. Each step taken forward swapped between total fear and uneasiness. I became aware of the beating of my heart, the shortness of my breath, and the taste of iron and blood from where that man¡¯s fist shattered my teeth.


    Two letters sat on the table.


    It was happening... Again... But why?! Why do this to me?! I helped them!!! I killed the one that hurt them the most!!! I let them use my webs to sell as fishing line and bandages!


    <i>No... No... Don¡¯t... You¡¯re not doing this to me. Not here! Not now!</i>


    <i>But what if it¡¯s different? I haven''t done anything to get punished... I haven''t done anything to deserve their ire.</i>


    Confusion nketed everyone¡¯s faces but Sekh¡¯s, Tilde¡¯s, and Niva¡¯s. Sekh stood and approached me, her hands reaching to take mine in hers. She touched her head to mine, then whispered. ¡°It¡¯s not what you think, my liege. Do you believe me? Do you trust me?¡±


    ¡°I do... You know I trust you...¡±


    ¡°Do you trust Irisa? Kokan? Ichiha?¡± I nodded. ¡°Thene with me. Sit down and read the letters.¡±


    Sekh led me like a lostmb, with me staying as far behind as I could. It felt like I was ramming into a wall with each step. I thought I couldn¡¯t sweat, but my hands were mmy. They hurt, throbbing with the pain of having my forearm broken by a metal pipe.


    My breathing became irregr when I touched the chair. All eyes were on me. They stared... They perceived... They ogled...


    I sat down.


    Did they care? No one even asked why I acted the way I did...


    <i>It¡¯s too much! I gotta get out of here!</i>


    Sekh stood behind me, her hands on my shoulders. With trembling hands, I reached for the letters and read them. My eyes scanned each line like a hawk stalking its prey. They were waiting toe across the hateful words I knew were buried deep within.


    But...where were they?


    The letter from Ichiha reminiscenced of the first time I came into their lives. Sure, I was rude and boorish, but she wrote with love and affection. She told me¡ªher words true¡ªabout the joy I brought her.


    But joy? Me? Bringing that?


    <i>You¡¯re just frightened, alone, and afraid. Someone who didn¡¯t know what it was like to sleep in a warm bed and eat a warm meal to fill your hungry belly. Someone who had no choice but to fight each and every day for the right to live. When you ran to the dungeon, I was worried for you... Each day you were gone, another stake of panic pierced my heart. I couldn¡¯t sleep. I couldn¡¯t hardly eat. We were afraid we wouldn¡¯t ever see you again.</i>


    <i>But then you returned in a state I never wished you would have to experience again. While nursing your wounds, you were restless and struggling, yet my simple touch was enough to ease your worried heart. You even called me mom... It hurts me to no end to imagine how hard your life must¡¯ve been to this point, chimera or not.</i>


    I gripped the pages even harder, my eyes shing across the lines faster than before as she talked about how my friendship with Irisa was the key to getting her family back together.


    And at the very end?


    <i>That is why, if you¡¯ll allow it, I want to adopt you and be your mother...</i>


    Something warm and hot brushed the corner of my eyes as I flipped to the next one.


    It was from Kokan.


    It started off the first time he saw me with his daughter. How I ran after her after she told the story of how things became as they were. He was afraid it would mean I wouldn¡¯t care for her, but he was happy to know I chased after her. That was when he knew he didn¡¯t have to worry much. For someone to do that, he knew they had a good heart.


    <i>When you and I first met face to face, it was strangelyforting to know that you valued the truth rather than leaning into your emotional reaction. You looked at my appearance with how Ichiha would have reacted and came to a proper understanding using what was avable. You had such profound intelligence that I was impressed. But that isn¡¯t why I¡¯m writing this letter. I¡¯m writing it because I¡¯ve be engrossed with your well-being. In your desire to improve. In your desire to better your life. Bing your instructor in bothbat and medicine truly made me feel like a proper instructor again. Seeing your growth in person at a rapid rate was heartwarming. You were so focused on the future that you didn¡¯t allow any setbacks to halt your determination.</i>


    I didn¡¯t want this letter to end... If it did, then...


    <i>Like Ichiha, I do see you as a daughter, M. As a sweet girl that endured the hardships of life more than anyone else. As a warrior who fought to the bitter end to mark your existence in history. You never gave up on Irisa. You never gave up on Niva, and you never gave up on Erin. That¡¯s why I won¡¯t give up on you.</i>


    <i>And if you¡¯ll have it, I want to be your father.</i>


    My vision became foggy, hazy, and cloudy. The pages became slightly damp with salty water as I wiped my crying eyes. Looking up, I expected to see Sekh, but I saw them...


    I saw a motherly figure that genuinely loved me.


    I saw a fatherly figure that genuinely wished the best for me.


    The letters vanished from my hand and appeared in the most secure vault in this world. On trembling legs, my sight was still blurry-- my face probably a red mess from emotions. My mouth quivered like a rattling snake refusing to stay still.


    ¡°M¡­ M¡ªMom¡­¡± The word was foreign in this context since it defined that sorry excuse of a woman who attempted to abandon her child more times than she hugged him.


    ¡°Mom¡­¡± That word used to define a sorry sack of shit who only saw how ¡®precious¡¯ Mia was and determined that they would spend all their cash to lease a learning chamber for her after dering me a lost cause.


    ¡°Mom!¡± Before I knew it, I leaped into her arms and cried again, the tears leaving my eyes for the second time in all my life.


    Her strong arms wrapped around my back, making me safe, warm, and happy. Arge hand brushed my head, slowly patting it.


    ¡°Dad...¡± That word was painful, causing me agony after agony after agony.


    ¡°Dad...!¡± It sent the feelings of broken bones and shattered teeth down my spine.


    ¡°DAD!!!!¡± I... I... I didn¡¯t feel fear when uttering it... I didn¡¯t feel the hatred of being a useless son. Speaking the word... It filled me with...something positive for the first time in my life.


    I turned so fast I almost fell and cried in his chest. I shed tears for so long everything began to hurt, but I didn¡¯t want this feeling to end. This parental guidance I¡¯ve been missing my entire life. This parental love of protection.


    I¡¯d been missing out on this warm, fuzzy feeling for my entire life.


    But not anymore...


    ¡°MOM!!! DAD!!!!¡± I continued to cry those two words that meant so much to me now until my consciousness drained away.


    <hr>


    When I opened my eyes, I was staring up at the face of my mother. No, not my birth mother, but my <i>real </i>mother. The one who loved me. She had been patiently stroking my head. I enjoyed this warm feeling until I tried to sit up. It was almost 8 PM, so I was out for about six hours.


    We all had a big talk about what happened. Irisa practically clung to my arm and excitedly repeated that we were sisters. She always wanted a sibling, and now she had two.


    But it wouldn¡¯tst that way for long.


    I cleared my throat and apologized, first and foremost, for keeping something from them. In the next two hours, I started to exin my true history...


    And I didn¡¯t skip anything. Not the abuse, the beatings, or the sham trial and betrayal. The void and the Soul Warriors I killed to free Sekh? After I got permission to reveal her status as a Dark Lord, I told it all. They soon knew about my goal-- the destruction of Cridia, Holy Lord Meruria, and killing those disgusting traitors that wanted me dead.


    The one thing that remained a secret was Sekh¡¯s title as the Dark Lord of Tyranny and the curse that made her whole existence miserable. I even exined why I was unable to break the ve seal, so Sekh talked about [Tyranny Control] and how it was both a skeleton key and an unbreakable lock at the same time. Then I talked about how it morphed with the Transcendent Dark Lord Training System¡¯s loyalty system.


    It was intense... Maybe the hardest thing I''d ever done that didn''t involve killing something or someone. Speaking such horrors to those that saw me as their child.


    But was their love to be found somewhere else?


    No, not at all. My new family was there to hold me. To hug me. To rub my hair and cry for me. To help me shed these growing emotions. When it came to my rape, dad¡¯s eyes shed wide, then he realized I went through what he did. He wasn¡¯t alone, and neither was I. But I had him, and he had me, and we had Sekh and the others. Even Primrose, as quiet as she was since she didn¡¯t speak a word to me, had this look on her face. She finally knew my past-- that I used to be a human. Understood that I was a ve to my parents, which was why I detested those that stole a person''s freedom with the utmost passion. I was snatched from my world and forced to fight, only to be sacrificed hourster. Survival entailed evolving into an enemy of the natural order, and my revenge gleefully led me down that precarious path.


    I didn''t kill for the fun of it. I ughtered my enemies and ate their corpses for power. My instincts wanted me to feed. Was I any different than a monster spawned by mana?


    Erin? The poor Catfolk was far more emotional. Like I did for her, she bravely held back the tears and sat beside me, telling me it was okay to lean against her forfort and support. Even Lei, the banana-colored slime that probably hated my guts, extended a jelly-like appendage and hopped in myp.


    The time passed until the moon was well within its 5th hour as ruler of the night sky. I thought I¡¯d felt horrible and sick, but there was a brisk calm after realizing I had nothing more to hide.


    It was soon time to sleep. Erin thanked mom and dad for the bed but said she wanted to return it. Instead, she was going to sleep on the couch while Irisa took the floor. ¡°If that¡¯s what you want, then okay. Goodnight, girls,¡± mom said, her hand ruffling my hair. We all said our goodnights as they went to bed-- the aftermath of an emotional scene clearly visible on their crying faces. Sekh kissed my cheeks and said she was getting ready for bed. Niva, Primrose, and Tilde joined her while Lei remained in Erin¡¯sp as she sat on the couch. The Catfolk yawned secondster. Since she was in her pajamas, she wiped her sleepy eyes and, after getting permission, extinguished the candles andid down.


    In half a minute, she fell into a deep slumber.


    I took Irisa¡¯s hands and held them gently, my thumbs massaging the back of her palms. ¡°It feels good to have another sister,¡± she whispered. ¡°A cute sister, at that. M, I¡¯m so, so sorry about what you had to live through...¡±


    I felt the onset of tearsing back on. Irisa held me close to her chest, her tank top doing very little to stop my cheek from rubbing against her breasts. She rubbed my back with care, her other hand petting my head.


    I felt something grow from my crotch, an erect pressure rising deep. I looked up at the girl whose face I couldn¡¯t shake from my mind. Her lips looked soft; her yellow eyes were so full of love...


    ¡°M... Something¡¯s touching me,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°I¡¯m...sorry...but...¡± I couldn¡¯t hold back anymore.


    ¡°What are... mmph¡ª¡±


    At that moment, I made a choice. A choice I should have made a long time ago in that I pressed my lips to hers.


    I must''ve been a sloppy mess. Damp hair? Reddened expression? Watermarks from where the tears flooded my eyes and didn''t seem to stop?


    But Irisa? She didn¡¯t struggle. Her mouth slightly rxed to let my tongue in, and we kissed, sharing our bottled emotions and releasing them into the wild. The pleasure of this electrifying kiss was more than enough to send me over the edge. My legs trembled slightly, causing Irisa to keep me steady as the front of my panties became stained with semen. The smell wafted up, causing our proof of physical connection to end. She looked down and saw proof of my erection, a wet stain having gone through my panties and soiled the front of my green outfit.


    I... It was shameful, but Irisa didn¡¯t see it that way. She pressed her fingers against the sensitive tip, lifted my dress, and pulled my panties to the side to look at my sperm-covered penis. ¡°Did...I do that?¡± She gently held it, stroking it from the tip to about halfway down the shaft, then stared at her fingers. ¡°It¡¯s way bigger than thest time I saw it.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°When I was at Aetos Vige, I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about you... Can you sleep with me?¡±


    Instead of answering, Irisa gave me a kiss, then led me into the bedroom, my erection on disy.


    <i>It¡¯s good Erin¡¯s asleep. But I get to spend the night with Irisa? The first one to ept me after Sekh and Tilde? I couldn¡¯t imagine this life without her help and assistance...</i>


    <i>I love her...</i>


    <i>I love her like crazy.</i>

 Chapter Sixty: The Happiest Chimera in the World (R-18) – Part One

    Chapter Sixty: The Happiest Chimera in the World (R-18) ¨C Part One


    In the basking moonlight filtering in from the window, I was lying in the middle of bed, my erect, semen-thered penis pointing to the sky. To my rightid a beautiful Lionfolk. She held my hand and licked my cheeks and lips. Standing near the bed to my left was a gorgeous oni I saw naked for the first time. Her breasts were almost as big as mine but firmer. Her aree and nipples were a shade darker than her green skin, but I knew they were soft and heavenly. Her stomach wasn¡¯t so much pure muscle as it was very toned.


    She looked abashed at me while sliding down her girly panties, which came up high on her thick hips and left little to cover her crotch. She slowly, erotically pulled them down, staring into my eyes with an embarrassed look while revealing her slightly shaven pussy. She had some ck pubic hair, but it wasn¡¯t a lot.


    <i>I¡¯m d Sekh told Niva and Primrose to take a long, hot bath...</i>


    ¡°You¡¯re beautiful...¡± I whispered. Irisa cutely giggled as the tips of her horns turned a light crimson. My penis tried its hardest to grow past its limit. It twitched just with her and Sekh looking at it.


    It had to be a hair over 13".


    ¡°Am I?¡± she asked. When I nodded, she had this adorable smile, then lifted her hands to her head and turned around, allowing me to stare at her impressive ass. She was athletic with muscles and defined abs but also very curvy and soft in all the right areas.


    Suddenly, I felt a tinge of pain in my heart. I didn¡¯t mean to frown, and I wiped it from my mouth as soon as I noticed it, but I was slow enough for them to act. Irisa hugged me from one side and Sekh from the other, my arms sandwiched between their passionate titties. Their warmness-- their scents-- I was drowned in it.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sekh. But... I want to have sex with Irisa... Please, don¡¯t hate me.¡± I felt like such a jackass for asking that.


    ¡°Why would I ever hate you?¡±


    ¡°Okay! Okay! Okay!¡± Tilde flew in like a bat out of hell,nding on my stomach while naked, glistening juices flowing down her legs like she suddenly stopped doing something lewd to go into another lecture. ¡°I know what this is all about. And I¡¯m not going to let it ruin your first threesome! And no, the slime clones don''t count. If I said it did, then I was yanking your chain. Master, you¡¯re conflicted. You''ve got a stiffy for both chicks trying to smother you with their milk dispensers. You think you¡¯re betraying Sekh, but no, you¡¯re not. You¡¯ve got two women who love you.¡±


    ¡°Love me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true. Irisa and I love you. We talked about this when Ichiha called me into the living room. She and Kokan wanted to adopt you. They wanted to talk to us, including Niva and Primrose, to get our input. When they wrote the letters, Irisa took me aside and confessed her feelings.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe how much my life had changed for the better when you entered it,¡± Irisa admitted, kissing the top of my head. ¡°You epted me in a way no one else has done, you¡¯ve treated me with kindness even if I sometimes say the wrong things that might be hurtful. Remember when we had to pick up food at the market, and you asked me about that mace? I ran off after speaking about dad, but you didn¡¯t have to follow me. No one¡¯s ever done that before. I¡¯ve lost a lot of friends and lovers over the years for things out of my control, but I knew the moment you chased after me, you weren¡¯t going to be like them. My heart opened a little, and it wanted you in it. But then we kept spending time together.


    ¡°That prosthetic leg? It took weeks, but I didn¡¯t mind because I was with you. Then after building the wheelchair, I sat in it, and you pushed me all the way home... Then how you took good care of Niva, that was precious. I won¡¯t forget how you were always there for her when she started to cry and how safe you made her feel. And then Erin? You could have left her, but you didn¡¯t. You saved her, fed her, and even freed her from very... Not just anyone would do that. I... I cried when you went to Aetos Vige. I crawled into bed to sniff the covers to see if I could smell your scent. And then I touched myself to you... I kept imagining it was your hands and fingers...


    ¡°But that wasn¡¯t the first time I did that. It was after you chased me at the market. That night, you had sex with Sekh. It was quieter, but I still heard your moans... And I... I sat against the door and masturbated. I knew it was shameful, but I couldn¡¯t stop my fingers from brushing against my soaked panties.¡±


    ¡°I never noticed you were there,¡± I confessed. Tilde interjected and said I was too focused on fucking to notice my map.


    ¡°In the past, I thought what I felt towards my previous significant lovers was love, but that wasn¡¯t it. What my heart feels now must be love. It¡¯s far purer than anything else. It¡¯s a new feeling... My stomach feels like it has butterflies... I just love you, M. So much...¡±


    <i>Just...love me? So much?</i>


    ¡°See? Both love you very much. And it¡¯s not cheating, Master. The Transcendent Dark Lord deserves all the joy in the world, including a giant harem of beauties devoted to you. And if you love them back, then where¡¯s the harm in it? Remember, consent is key. With that said, I¡¯ll get out of your way. Trust me, I wouldn¡¯t interrupt this for the world. Goddamn... Your first real threesome. It''s pretty enough to make a fairy cry...¡±


    My nose brushed against Irisa¡¯s nipples as I looked up at her sweet face, so full of joy and love and affection. ¡°Do you really love me? I lied to you...¡±


    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t lie. I don¡¯t care that you used to be Shuuta. I only know who you are right now, not who you were, and who you are now is who I love. After hearing about your past, it only makes me love you even more. I see a cute little elf that needs a strong oni to protect her. An adorable girl that never knew how much love could be given from having actual parents. Until the end of time, M, I¡¯ll keep you safe. I don¡¯t want you to ever feel harm or fright again...¡±


    ¡°Irisa...¡± Her name was like a rose on the tip of my tongue. She leaned in for a kiss. One that was wet and fiery, leaving us both panting. Sekh pressed her lips to mine, our tongues intertwining in a dance of love. I stuck out my tongue, and they both licked it, giving me their love simultaneously.


    ¡°AAAhhhhhh~~~~¡± Without warning, my cock nearly exploded, shooting a thick load. I couldn¡¯t stop my hips from gyrating as the semen sttered against my boobs and stomach, drenching them in hot sperm.


    ¡°Woah... You¡¯re still going...¡± Irisa marveled at my cock, still twitching as the semen leaked out the tip, sliding down the shaft. Both she and Sekh continued to slurp my tongue, their licking descending more and more untiling to my breasts. Theypped my seed, took a nipple, and began to suck until I couldn¡¯t hold back my moans.


    Tilde was back at her dresser, but she wasn¡¯t alone. The AI materialized next to her, and the rainbow-colored pir simply watched?


    Was it observing?


    Or learning?


    ¡°This is more erotic than I thought,¡± Irisa noted, waving to the AI. It seemed we were fine with the audience, so we continued our fun. The oni¡¯s tongue was thicker than Sekh¡¯s, so the way she wielded it to curl around my nipples and lick the top and bottoms of my breasts was different. Eroticism aze with passion, Ictated, giving them my creamy milk. Irisa was surprised and flinched, but she took to my unique taste very well. She filled her mouth and kissed Sekh, passing my milk to each other before continuing their licking journey. Once they reached my stomach, they turned around. Their asses were facing me while gently blessing my cock with kisses. The semen stained their lips, which they cleaned by licking each other before returning to my penis.


    ¡°It¡¯s marvelous... It¡¯s so big... Larger than my face,¡± Irisa moaned, her hot breath feeling amazing. I ced my hands on their asses and squeezed them before rubbing.


    ¡°It¡¯s delicious... I love it. I love it so much,¡± Sekh added. She and Irisa had their heads turned so that their tongues and lips would pass by the other when they thered my throbbing shaft with their affectionate licking. Then when they decided the tip needed more loving, they kissed each other with my penis in the middle.


    I ran my hands through their thighs, brushing my ring and middle fingers against their drenched cunts. Irisa yelped quite adorably, then looked back with a sweet expression. She wiggled her ass. My hands transfigured into fat tongues, then I enjoyed their delectable taste and exquisite pussy folds. Sekh had to exin to Irisa, through their obscene moans, how I used my chimerism to enhance our lovemaking. I was afraid she would be weirded out, but no. She asked for more and even pushed her ass towards me, making my tongue go deeper into her moist folds. My tongues wiggled and jiggled, nearly out of control as the beautiful women quivered. Their love juices squirted all over my tongues, the piquancy and deliciousness transferring to my proper tastebuds.


    My hands reverted to normal, then my two lovers, while trying to regain their breath, had a quick but brief conversation.


    The next thing I knew, I was resting in Sekh¡¯sp with her breasts in front of my face and her head looking down at me with a smile. Irisa was on her stomach, with her face very close to my penis. With her mouth open, she wrapped the tip in heaven, sucking very gently with her tongue swirling around. She removed my cock, and with a gentle motion, pressed the head against her cheeks, leaving behind a thin coating of her spit. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen one this big,¡± she whispered, cing it between her horns as she inhaled my scent. She rubbed her face with it.


    I was in a daze with pleasure, panting and deeply breathing. Sekh leaned forward just enough to rest her breasts against my face. Her arms went to my stomach, where she affectionately massaged. I found a nipple and sucked.


    With her lewd tongue out, Irisa licked my balls, focusing exclusively on them while my cock warmed her face. When asked if she wanted it smaller, she shook her head and continued to pleasure my testicles. ¡°My horns, M... Touch...the base, please?¡± she asked, the tips glowing a soft crimson. I couldn¡¯t reach her from this position, but my arms were stretchable if I gave them the property of slime. I pressed the tips of my fingers to her base and lightly applied a bit of pressure. I didn¡¯t want to ignore Sekh, so I created vines from my forearms with hands on the end, and I fluffed those warm, soft ears until her moans were like sweet music.


    But I wanted more. I wanted to partake in my greed, so to Irisa¡¯s surprise, I created a separate cock with two more testicles for her to pleasure. She yelped in cute surprise, but she now had both between her horns while her tongue swapped from testicles to testicles. Itched onto Sekh¡¯s nipples and made three more tongues.


    In short, we were a chimeric unity of lewdness and sex, all trying to conquer our growing hormones and lust. With a penis in each hand, Irisa took turns sucking them separately before squashing them between her boobs. She nearly suffocated them, spitting and drooling over them to add lubrication. She stared at me, her eyes fluttering with love.


    My cocks were too big to fitfortably, so I made them smaller. Irisa opened her mouth and warmed both tips as I moved my hips back and forth. Suddenly, she wrapped her lips tightly around both, preventing me from pulling out as the tension in my crotch tipped over the chalice of pleasure. I filled her mouth to the brim, nearly endless ropes of semen shooting out with what felt like the force of a firehose. It overflowed past her green lips and onto her soft breasts, the thick white on her beautiful green skin looking more and more erotic.


    ¡°It¡¯s so hot... It¡¯s so thick... M, is it always like this?¡± My second penis vanished with the extended limbs and second set of arms, and Irisa scooped the escaping semen with her fingers and licked them.


    ¡°It is. Just wait until my liege prates you,¡± Sekh answered. She leaned back, removing her sweaty tits from my face. Irisa stood up and seductively crawled up my body, stopping when she sat on my leg and rubbed her dripping pussy against it. My penis, already hard, was being shown affection by her curled around the tip. ¡°Lean closer, Irisa.¡±


    Irisa listened and moved more, then Sekh leaned forward until their lips touched. From below, I saw such a beautiful sight. My Dark Lord¡¯s tongue ventured in, cleaning Irisa¡¯s lips before moving to the inside of her mouth. The kisssted long enough for their drool to drip down to my face, then Sekh moved to grab Irisa¡¯s firm breasts with both hands. She squeezed and yed with her nipples beforethering them in her spit.


    ¡°Aaahhh¡­¡± Irisa cried out in the loveliest voice and started to masturbate. Her thick fingers plunged in and out of her incredibly wet pussy. Sekh did the same, her curious hand slipping right by my head since I was still in herp. My sensitive ears heard the schlicking, the very noise of her juices gushing out of her. When she pulled her hand out, I grabbed it and licked her fingers. Her thumb, index, middle? In between? Her wrist and very palm? A dozen little tongues branched off and properly cleaned her hand.


    Sekh took the flushed oni by the hands andid her on the bed when I sat up. She kissed her stomach while slowly venturing her town downward to her puffy clit. Irisa wanted to grip the sheets and tried to shut her legs, but Sekh kept them open. She inserted two fingers and finger fucked her until the oni climaxed, then turned to me while licking Irisa¡¯s juices from those fingers. ¡°She¡¯s ready, my liege. I want to see you fuck her.¡±


    <span ss="TextRun SCXW67483570 BCX0"ng="en-us" xmlng="en-us"><span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW67483570 BCX0">I moved into position with my penis as erect as ever. Irisa looked at me with a gaze that made her lookcute, innocent, and totally loveable.<span ss="EOP SCXW67483570 BCX0">


    ¡°I¡¯ve never taken something that big. Be gentle,¡± Irisa said. I grabbed her legs and pulled them up until they were around my shoulders, then I leaned in, my throbbing penis slightly brushing against her extremely wet honey pot. She was soaked to the brim, the excess juices draining down her thighs and onto the bedsheets. But I wanted to enjoy this more before getting to the dessert.


    It wasn¡¯t always about me.


    I was a woman that got off more when I knew my partner was enjoying it. My tongue transformed into a vine that split off, then shifted into my tongue. From her green, cute cheeks to her amazing breasts to that sexy, toned stomach and sweet juices, I spent a minute getting a hearty taste of her. ¡°That¡¯s... Ahhhhh... There, M.... That¡¯s the spot... Keep... Going.... AAAhhhhh~~~~


    The moment she squirted on the tip of my penis was when I put it in. She immediately arched her back and gripped the sheets tighter, her moans growing lovelier and lovelier by the second. I slowly inserted all 13 inches until her reaction changed, then internally marked that as the limit and put my technique into ce. ¡°Why-- Why does it feel like it never ends? It¡¯s amaz¡ªMaaaa!!!~~~¡±


    I grabbed her hips and increased my pace, licking my lips at watching her green titties bounce around. Her legs slipped off my shoulder, but I didn¡¯t care because I watched Sekh kiss and lick my neck before moving to my breast. She grabbed one while licking the other, her other hand dipping down under my crotch to grasp my balls from behind. She had the perfect grip¡ªthe correct force to drive me wild. The tips of Irisa''s horns shed crimson as she tightened down, clenching me so hard it was a struggle to pull out.


    ¡°I love that expression. I want to see more of it.¡± Sekh lustfully whispered. ¡°Do it harder. I know she likes it that way... Haven¡¯t you noticed? She¡¯s been cumming non-stop. Just look at her horns. Each time the tip shes crimson, it means you¡¯re rocking her world... Listen to her sweet, sweet cries.¡± Sekh slightly yelped when I grabbed her chin to make her look at me, and we kissed, my tongue traveling down her throat partway as Irisa was close to losing it. She started to touch her red-tipped horns, but then we locked eyes, and her arms reached up towards mine.


    Time seemingly slowed to a crawl, and I heard Sekh telling me to go for it. Her words brought me back, and after one more kiss, I leaned close and nted my lips on Irisa¡¯s dreamy face. Our tongues danced the menco, never once retreating into the other¡¯s mouth as she wrapped those strong arms tightly around me.


    It was messy and hot, especially how she moaned and flicked her tongue each time I entered her.


    Suddenly, when I shifted mouths to my nipples so I could suck Irisa¡¯s, I felt a lick on the back of my testicles, which was Sekh¡¯s doing. She grabbed my ass and swirled her tongue around my swinging sack, which pushed me over the edge.


    ¡°Irisa... I''m about toe... It¡¯sing. I¡¯m so close!!!~~~ I love you!!!¡±


    ¡°Then do it!!! Fill me up... I can take it, M!!!! Ahhhhhhh!!! Too hard!!!! Too fast!!! I¡¯m... I¡¯m going crazy!!!!! I love you!!! I love you so much!!!!¡± Her beautiful legs locked themselves around my back, preventing me from pulling out, but I could still shrink and grow my penis to my liking, which is what I did to achieve the same result. It seemed Irisa¡¯s mind couldn¡¯t process how it felt since I was mming into her when I couldn¡¯t move. She was wild. I was afraid she would rip the bed apart, so I frantically gave her hands something to hold, continued with the kiss that seemed like it would never end, and drained my balls, everything I had flowed right in, filling her to the brim.


    ¡°Maaaaaa!!!~~~~~¡± She cried my name with each thick rope shot into her. Her eyes went wide with one more passionate moan, her body trembling and quivering all over as if an earthquake was happening in her pussy. Her skin was so sweaty and glossy. She gasped for air when the strength in her legs disappeared. She had the loveliest smile, like a rose blooming for the first time. The tips of her horns were just a solid shade of lustful crimson.


    Sekh wrapped her arms around me and licked my neck, her hands going to my penis. Without speaking, she pulled it out and immediately started to clean it. ¡°It smells like Irisa...¡± Her tongue polished my shaft,pping up the semen. I held her head and caressed her cheeks, still staring at the beautiful woman basking in the afterglow. My sperm flowed out of her pussy like a glorious river of white, and Sekh wasted no time in drinking my semen leaking out of Irisa.

 Chapter Sixty: The Happiest Chimera in the World (R-18) – Part Two

    Chapter Sixty: The Happiest Chimera in the World (R-18) ¨C Part Two


    ¡°Sekh, I want to fuck you. It¡¯s your turn,¡± I said after she spent a minute tonguing Irisa¡¯s pussy.


    ¡°Yes, my liege...¡± After kissing my penis twice more, she rolled to her stomach beside Irisa and lifted her hips, her ass and tail tempting me. I licked my fingers and rubbed her cunt, then gave her appetizing ass a nice p. I wanted to tease her, though, so I turned my hands into tongues and rubbed them through her inner thighs, making sure they were nice and clean from the juices leaking from her pussy.


    She told me to wait a moment while she crawled onto Irisa. The twoid stomach to stomach so she could kiss the woman we loved.


    The beautiful oni was still in a hazy daze, yet when Sekh licked her sulent lips, tasting her sweet vor, her tongue came out to y. I tapped her ass with my penis, rubbing it through her cheeks as she showed me everything. As tempting as it was to y with her butt. I refrained from doing anything to it because I wasn¡¯t going to ruin this moment by surprising her. However, I gingerly rubbed the tip around that area and gauged her reaction before slipping it inside her soaked cunt. Sekh¡¯s sweet voice purred from her lips, her attention fully split between the pleasure she felt between her legs and kissing Irisa, who held Sekh¡¯s head between her hands. When it came to their pussies, Irisa''s wasn¡¯t as fy,¡¯ but it was wetter and squishier, with Sekh being a little tighter and smaller. Both were still hot and inviting¡ªwarm and incredibly slippery¡ª and I wouldn¡¯t change anything about them.


    I managed to get to my feet rather than my knees, and from this position, I humped faster. My balls pping against Sekh''s moist entrance was a lewd noise drowned out by their messy kisses. My chest pressed against Sekh¡¯s back, my hands groping the hell out of her tits as I jackhammered her pussy. Even as the semen ejacted, I never stopped until everything was spurted. She copsed onto Irisa, who stared at my penis when I pulled it out of Sekh and stood up.


    She naughtily licked her lips and started to touch herself, her fingers going through the sperm leaking down on her from Sekh¡¯s crotch.


    But I still wasn¡¯t done. I wanted to taste more. To pleasure more. To hear more. This room was full of the smell of sex, but it wasn¡¯t enough. When a clone of myself appeared beside me, Irisa''s horns turned a brighter shade of crimson.


    I grabbed Sekh and held her close, kissing her until she woke from her daze. Meanwhile, my clone had Irisa stand on her knees with them slightly spread out. It fingered her to orgasm, then held her hands and pulled while entering her. She started to fall to the bed, but she couldn¡¯t because my clone prevented that from happening. When Sekh opened those hazy eyes, she immediately perked up when she heard Irisa¡¯s sexy voice. She crawled over to lick her stomach, then slowly went up until she was also standing on her knees. I approached, grabbed her arms, and copied what my clone was doing.


    ¡°AAHhhhhhh~~~~¡±


    ¡°MMmmmnnnn~~~~~¡±


    <i>p! p!</i>


    <i>p! p!</i>


    My clone and I had different rhythms so that there was always the lewd sound of my balls pping against the women we fucked. Both Irisa¡¯s and Sekh¡¯s breasts were bouncing like crazy as they kissed the other. A secondter, I formed a third clone. It stood on the bed. It took its penis and ced it near their mouths. Their kiss eventually transferred to my cock. They continued to try to at least kiss through it near the head, but their wet, hot tongues slid down my shaft until Irisa couldn¡¯t handle it anymore. She gobbled it up and took it deep, causing me to make another clone for Sekh to suck. Both clones stood ass to ass, their hands caressing their respective woman from cheeks to chin to head, patting and rubbing ears and horns.


    I heard a noise and turned to the bathroom, where a shocked and frankly upset Primrose emerged with a horrified look. She nced at the orgy going on, then promptly looked away. Niva, wearing a set of pajamas I¡¯d got for her from Karen¡¯s shop, walked out, wondering what that smell was. After hearing the lewd noises, her face turned red.


    ¡°I... I... I... hope it feels good, Mistress. Keep... Keep it up!¡± she said, cheering for me. Primrose just scowled at me, then blossomed a bunch of primrose flowers from her branches to shield her eyes. She helped Niva to her bed and sat with her, making sure to face away from me. Niva¡¯s cheering was adorably cute, but I still couldn¡¯t help but think it was a mistake to have an orgy in front of her. Even if she couldn¡¯t see, she could smell and hear. But she did give the okay, and if Primrose didn¡¯t want to see it, she could revert to her crystal.


    In the end, I ignored Primrose and focused on my lovers. We were going at it like rabbits, but my biomass was half. I first had that premature ejaction when I kissed Irisa 3 hours ago, and this was the longest I¡¯d ever had sex. As much as I didn¡¯t want to wrap it up, there was no choice.


    ¡°I LOVE YOU TWO!!!!!!!¡± My clones and I grunted, literally ejacting all we had left in their balls. They vanished not a moment too soon, allowing Sekh and Irisa to share onest final kiss, swapping my cum from tongue to tongue and mouth to mouth while I sprayed it deep within Sekh¡¯s pussy. Their passionate moans were pure ecstasy to my ears as I gave them all I could.


    With no one keeping Irisa upright, she fell to her side, gasping and heaving, her body still slightly convulsing. Sekh followed, her hand reaching out just enough to hold Irisa¡¯s, and I just sat there on my ass. My penis finally returnedidly. There was a dull ache from the pounding I put it through. I temporarily shapeshifted into slime to clean and dry the bed, my lovers, and their pussies, discovering I could recycle my semen to gain a little extra biomass. After that, I hugged and kissed both until they naturally awoke a few minutester. They were still in a hazy daze, but even they had enough strength to kiss me on the cheeks while I escorted them into the bathroom.


    Niva? She had already fallen fast asleep.


    We didn¡¯t fool around while I heated and filled the bath, but we rxed. Their hands went to my penis because they just wanted to hold it. To remain connected to me as proof of what we just did. And I thought the same way, so I stretched my arms around their shoulders and grabbed onto their breasts, giving them a loving squeeze while Sekh and Irisa licked my lips.


    And my cock wasid at 12 inches to give them more to hold.


    The AI showed itself at the edge of the bath...and like before, it remained still. This time, I asked it what it was doing, and it merely replied ¡®learning.¡¯


    <i>Then learn away, I guess. Don¡¯t know what you can get from it, but good luck.</i>


    Then I kissed the woman who didn¡¯t care I was a failure. Who didn¡¯t care I was from another world. Who didn¡¯t see my chimerism as something to be feared. Who hugged and held my hand and cried for me, even while exining my abusive past.


    ¡°I love you, Irisa,¡± I whispered, a strip of saliva connecting us as I stared into her eyes. After what we experienced together, this marked a pivotal moment and a turning point in our rtionship.


    I turned to Sekh, kissing her as well. She closed her eyes and looked so damn cute. She was my first-ever ally¡ªmy real friend. The first person who even cared if I lived or died. ¡°And I love you, Sekh... I love both of you so very much... I...¡± My heart felt warm, birthing a smile as happy tears dripped down my cheeks.


    I just took a second to reflect on my second chance.


    I had two very beautiful women who loved me, and I loved them back.


    I had a mom and dad¡ªreal ones, who cared and loved me¡ªwho even took it upon themselves to teach me how to cook, make medicine, dress wounds, and how to fight.


    I had a fairy. Crude as she could be, she was an excellent teacher and someone who taught me what I needed to know to survive in this unknown world.


    Niva? I cared for her. She was like me¡ªa ything for this cruel, cruel world. But I saved her, and I believed a part of her saved me as well. Her safety was proof I could make a difference with this second chance I was given.


    Every day was a joy, and I was thankful to be alive.


    When the tears stopped, I took out the honey-scented soap I¡¯d stolen from Karen¡¯s shop. We stood up, the water noisily dripping down as I broke the bar in half and gave one piece to Sekh. Shethered up her hands like me, and we washed Irisa¡¯s body. I took the back, making sure to get all around her pretty neck. Her shoulders were broad¡ªpowerful and alluring. Especially when she leaned forward just slightly enough for her breasts tond in Sekh¡¯s open hands. If I hadn¡¯t already ejacted more than most men in a year and had more biomass...


    Well, I could probably go all night long if I really put my mind to it.


    <i>Guess I gotta dream of fucking all throughout the night. With Sekh and Irisa... I love them so much.</i>


    I had her raise her arms up, then, with my hands on her side, slowly traveled up. I took my timethering her up, spending more time than necessary on her armpits and underarms, almost outright tickling her so I could hear more of her cute giggles. Then I crouched down and pped her ass gently, watching it jiggle as I covered it in soapy suds. I spent far too long on her butt, ensuring everything was thoroughly clean, and even then, I kept groping it. Eventually, I finished up with her legs and thighs, and it was time to clean Sekh.


    I exclusively took her arms and legs, primarily focusing on that beautiful fur. Irisa handled everything else, and she had fun squeezing and ying with Sekh¡¯s tits.


    But once they werethered up, they had me sit down with my arms stretched out. I was confused, but after sharing a look, the loves of my life each took an arm, squeezed it with their thighs, then subbed their pussies on me. It was an....interesting way to remove the evidence of our very sexual tryst, but I can¡¯t say I didn¡¯t love it. Once my arm was covered in white, the two sat down and began to handle my chest. Even if the water became full of soap, I was still getting clean while feeling heavenly. Then I stood up one more time for them to get my penis, of which both used their hands. Irisamented on how floppy it was, pushing myid penis and almostughing at how it swung from side to side. She knew how to work those hands.


    ¡°We...still haven¡¯t washed your lips, my liege,¡± Sekh said, creeping closer from the right. Irisa came in from the left, and both of their tongues licked my lips until my tongue came out to y, and we enjoyed another sensual moment thatsted for about four minutes.


    ¡°I love you, my liege,¡±


    ¡°I love you, M.¡±


    ¡°I love you two, too,¡± I whispered through panted breaths. Out of nowhere, the two slightly moved so they sat on my hands, giving my fingers more intimacy with their pussies.


    After some lovely kisses and fingering, resulting in two more climaxes, it was time for this bath to be over.


    ¡°That¡¯s another first I can add to my life,¡± Irisa said when we stood up and dried off. I wanted to use my slime to elerate that process, but that would mean getting rid of the sweet honey-like soap we used. But we had no problems using the stolen towels. A few full-body rubster, the three of us walked out to find Primrose sound asleep while holding hands with Niva. Meanwhile, we walked towards ourfort and snuggled under the covers.


    Irisa and I faced each other, and Sekh was behind me with her hands wrapped around my stomach. We were still naked, their bodies rubbing against mine. It was warm, so very, very warm and toasty.


    I hugged Irisa, findingfort and safety in hugging her. She rubbed my head, kissed my forehead, then gently sang me a quiet song she said mom used to sing to her...


    Slowly, my eyes closed, a smile forming on my face, the feeling of total bliss easing me into a most soothing slumber.

 Intermission—Sekh—Girl Talk (R-18)

    Intermission¡ªSekh¡ªGirl Talk (R-18)


    Shortly after my liege fell asleep, she began to lightly squirm, but it wasn¡¯t anything to be rmed about. She regrly shifted a little bit, but this time, she was whispering.


    ¡°Mom... I miss you... I love you, mom...¡± Slowly, she shifted down the pillow until she was right at Irisa¡¯s chest. Her face between them, her mouth slightly open as her tongue searched for a nipple. Irisa slightly adjusted her body, then smiled and lovingly rubbed my liege as shetched on. The oni bit her lip slightly, and since we indulged my liege in love, my hands moved from her stomach to her penis. She always liked it when I held it, especially when we were ¡®spooning,'' as Tilde called it.


    ¡°M... That kinda tickles, hehe!. But I really don¡¯t mind it... It kinda feels like we¡¯re growing closer.¡±


    I tried my best to hold in a quietugh. ¡°That¡¯s what I said on the way from Aetos Vige. She wanted me to hug her, so I sat in herp and held her against my chest. She fell asleep, her tongue started wandering, and I just took off my shirt and let her suck. It really is an affectionate moment, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Irisa nodded. We stared into the other¡¯s eyes. After being freed, I thought I¡¯d never concern myself with anyone or anything that wasn¡¯t my liege. I was her de of vengeance, a weapon she wielded to bring a violent, brutal end to her enemies. I didn''t need flimsy rtionships that wouldn¡¯t help me kill more efficiently.


    But I was living as if the curse was still stabbing my mind and soul with a million pokers, all trying to point me towards the next innocent to ughter.


    The next family to brutalize.


    The next city to destroy.


    The next forest to burn.


    The next country to devastate.


    But being able to feel something other than eternal rage? Other than the desire to send rampaging dragons to a small vige to see everyone killed? Other than wanting to hang every child from a tree? Forcing their parents to watch the life slowly drain from their faces?


    It was refreshing. Creating memorable connections and realizing that I didn¡¯t have to kill them?


    But the stuff I did in the past couldn¡¯t be excused. Nor can it be forgiven. Nor do I want to be forgiven for it. If my liege couldn¡¯t break this curse on me, then the end of the world would end by our hands.


    Even...


    Even if it meant killing a trustedpanion.


    <i>But I don¡¯t want that... Do I?</i>


    I whispered Irisa¡¯s name, telling her of my curse and infinite fate. If my liege was going to be truthful to her new family, then it fell to me to do the same.


    ¡°I¡¯m... My title as a Dark Lord is...the Dark Lord of Tyranny...¡± As the words left my mouth, I thought about the events of a few hours ago. When my liege had looked to me to receive permission to reveal a partial truth about me, I nodded¡ªeven while a heavy weight pressed against my heart.


    How would they react to realizing that a Dark Lord lived with them all this time?


    How badly would my wanting to keep this a secret until now destroy any hopes for my liege to be part of a loving family?


    There was trickery, and then there was deception. In my eyes, this was thetter¡ªsomething far more unforgivable than the former. I was ready to throw myself to my knees to ask that they continue their ns to adopt my liege¡­


    But that merely wasn¡¯t needed.


    That wasn¡¯t to say they took the news stoically¡ªthey didn¡¯t¡ªbut the anger-filled words I expected toe my way were reced by¡­something almost resembling an inquisitive nature. Or maybe they were partly expressed by someone reaching the pinnacle of evolution while looking ¡®young.¡¯


    After all, bing a Holy or Dark Lord was said to be the ultimate goal desired by all who drew breath.


    When the topic briefly switched to me, my liege took an active role in gradually leading the discussion to be about my talents and strengths. I knew Irisa and the others harbored a small simmering of uneasiness in their hearts because it was impossible to take my existence while remaining totally calm. But hearing my liege talk about how I was the only reason she was here right now? How my intrusion into the void allowed me to yank her soul from a bottomless reality and anchor her spirit to a body of ancient flesh I crafted from my enemies?


    The more she exined the story, the more it seemed they were almost thankful to me¡­for being the reason why we were in their lives in the first ce. After my liege told her story and cried into her father¡¯s chest, Ichiha spoke to me confidentially. She intimately admitted her surprise at knowing more about me, but Ichiha also rified that neither she, Kokan, nor Irisa feared me. Erin also looked my way and bravely reached out a hand. Lei¡ªthe yellow slime¡ªextended a blob of slime that held my elbow¡­


    ¡°You may be a Dark Lord, but first and foremost, you¡¯re just Sekh. To us, that¡¯s who you¡¯ll always be. We know we can trust you with anything, and I want you to know that we consider you family.¡± Ichiha had hugged and patted my back, almost as if treating me as another daughter...


    <i>I¡­suppose I have a ce to belong¡­ But my true destiny does not lie in peace. First and foremost, I¡¯m a weapon¡­ I bring death to those that would go against the Transcendent Dark Lord¡­ That¡­is the role I must y if I want the curse to end.</i>


    ¡°But if you destroy the world, then what about mom? Or dad? Or me?¡± Irisa¡¯s panicked question forced me back to reality.


    ¡°I¡¯ve lived longer than you could ever imagine... I can¡¯t even begin to count how many times I¡¯ve reincarnated, had my mind flooded by the curse of my previous deaths and tortures, then was forced to kill my parents to start another journey of tyranny. I want it to be broken... For the first time, I don¡¯t have the curse telling me how to feel or what to do. I¡¯m a free woman. I¡¯ve grown fond of your family and you¡­ Other than Tilde, my liege, and Niva, I''ve never been epted like this."


    ¡°Hey, didn¡¯t I say there¡¯s a chance Master can break it without needing to blow the world up? It¡¯s far more likely that she¡¯ll be able to whisk away the curse with a flick of her wrist once she¡¯s sufficiently powerful. Sadness doesn¡¯t suit you,¡± said a flying annoyanceing our way. Tilde yawned and wiped her eyes as she sat on our shared pillow. ¡°It¡¯s kinda scary seeing you act so subdued. The vibe is just not there.¡±


    We spent a little bit of time chatting. Irisa pledged to do all she could to ensure I didn¡¯t have to destroy the world. She was oddly upbeat about our chances because she said my liege was the type of girl who could do anything.


    I wanted to think so as well... My liege was far better than me whening up with ns or schemes. If I oversaw killing Oswell¡¯s group, I¡¯d have used pure force, not subtle poisoning.


    I was fine being her de of vengeance. That was the role I was best suited for. As much as I didn¡¯t want to think about this, this role in this family was but temporary. Onis lived to about 200. Within four decades¡­and if they didn¡¯t achieve evolution...Ichiha and Kokan would die of old age...


    <i>No. I don¡¯t wish to think about those things right now. That does not concern me. </i>


    Irisa was curious about my former power, even more than my liege after speaking of my mace. The oni adorably pouted when I said I wanted her to be surprised by it when we retrieved it from Amos. But upon saying his name, she became curious about what life was like 1,000 years ago. Since she knew I was forever reincarnating, she soon asked how life was beyond that. Unfortunately, the specific memories were fleeting after a few dozen reincarnations, and there was a dy of a few hundred years before I was born once anew. The 1,000-year gap between this and thest meant the memories were even more fleeting and fragmented.


    But since she was curious about millennia ago, I thought she would like to hear about the Scorch Giants of the far south. They were about the size of four human adult men. Their fur and blood burned of fire, and they had to use a specific type of alloy metal that withstood their intense heat. Their cksmithing was sought after, and the small sect that didn¡¯t submit to me lived their final moments practicing what they loved before dying. A solemn tale, for sure, but Irisa wanted to know more about their smithing¡­


    <i>I wonder if the technique¡¯s been replicated.</i>


    We had a fun time discussing that, then moving on to what I knew of Vredi Forest, something I did not have any connection to. It was destroyed without me having to lift a finger. It was a mystery from my time. Perhaps it was still unsolved? I didn''t know who did it. Then again, I didn''t care when it happened.


    From Niva¡¯s bed came the noise of someone twisting and turning. ¡°Primmy, darling, care to join in our girl talk?¡± Tilde asked. She was facing us, but she turned around and crossed her legs.


    Primrose was quiet, but she stirred out of bed and stood after making sure Niva was asleep. She looked at us with this solemn expression. ¡°I¡­must decline. I couldn¡¯t sleep, so I¡¯m going to step in the backyard for a moment,¡± said the spirit. She walked briskly and lightly to the door, then left after gently closing it.


    ¡°Oh, Primmy, Primmy, Primmy¡­ Why can¡¯t you just be honest with yourself?"


    ¡°What do you mean? Is there something I don¡¯t know about?¡± Irisa inquired. I nodded and exined what my liege failed to mention when she summarized the events in Aetos Vige and the return trip. ¡°Why didn¡¯t M talk about that?¡±


    ¡°She wanted to keep the peace, I suppose,¡± Tilde answered in my stead. ¡°She and Primmy also talked in the bath a few days ago, but that was about killing Oswell. She didn''t know he nned to sell out Niva and get the reward money, which meant we would be given over to Gloria. I don''t want to get into the consequences of that because that future won''te to pass. But until about 6 hours ago, she didn¡¯t know the truth about Master. Only myself, little miss tyranny, Niva, and the AI knew.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ Primrose''s embarrassed by how she acted? And now that she knows who M is, she¡­¡±


    ¡°She probably can¡¯t find it in her to apologize. Primmy said a bunch of horrible shit, but Master came within inches of ending her life. She just needs some time to think about her feelings and stuff. She is a spirit of nature. Being a chimera goes against that, like trying to remain sober while drinking enough booze to knock out a horse.¡±


    ¡°Do you think they¡¯ll be friends?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure. I can see them tolerating the other¡¯s presence. If Niva had been anyone else, Primmy would be dead, and Master would¡¯ve be part spirit after assimting her core. But who knows? Matters of the heart are fickle. Primmy''s probably feeling very confused. If you think about it, she¡¯s almost a newborn. If she was made right as Niva summoned her, then she doesn¡¯t have the life experience to learn from. You can¡¯t throw someone to the wolves and demand they act or feel a certain way, especially in this scenario. But I never thought I would find my student, and hey! Here we are.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­ Tilde, I don¡¯t think I know much about you, actually,¡± Irisa said.


    ¡°Me? I¡¯m just your average eternally reincarnating fairy waiting for that special someone to take my breath away! Hehe!¡± She pulled a pose, then her face became serious. ¡°I was created dozens of thousands of years ago with one purpose: finding the Transcendent Dark Lord and teaching them how to use [Hermes Trismegistus]. That¡¯s the training system in a nutshell. Once I reach the end of my lifespan, I reincarnate. Thest time was about 6,000 years ago. But since I found her, the next time I die is for real. Well, Master would die with me since we¡¯re linked.¡±


    ¡°Is M really that special?¡±


    ¡°Nope. There isn¡¯t a single noteworthy thing about Master.¡±


    ¡°Eh?! Isn¡¯t that harsh?!¡± Irisa eximed. Her outburst caused my liege to slightly bite down, eliciting a yelp from the oni. She quickly apologized and patted her head.


    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t. If you ask Master yourself, she¡¯ll agree with me. When I scanned her memories, some entity in the void said the barrier was weakening. Meruria¡¯s probably thrown her fair share of poor fuckers inside. What happens if you fold and unfold knots in a piece of string? It''ll weaken and fray and maybe tear. Same thing with this barrier. Just suppose Master was unlucky enough to be tossed when the barrier couldn¡¯t remain stable. Don¡¯t even know what the barrier means, but it¡¯s fucked, and it twisted Master into a chimera. She wasn¡¯t chosen because she was strong, smart, or fast. She was just a poor bastard that was dealt a shit hand, then... Then cursed, I¡¯d say, by being reborn as a monster that goes against the natural order. She did consent to it, though. It granted her the tools for her to get her revenge on Meruria. Don¡¯t ask me what it was, though, because there are some things I don¡¯t even know. However, I was only alerted to her once she was thrown in there, so I presume I¡¯m somehow linked to the barrier. How? Fuck if I know. But for real. If anyone else was thrown in besides her at that very time, I would currently be with them.¡±


    ¡°But... M¡¯s special to me.¡±


    ¡°And that''s a good thing. I¡¯m d you care about Master. Hehehe... That¡¯s one stop on my ultimate n for her.¡± I didn¡¯t enjoy how she rubbed her greedy mittens with that lewd look, so I demanded an exnation. ¡°It¡¯s simple. My goal is to ensure the sess of the Transcendent Dark Lord. Obviously, that means her bing queen of her own country.¡±


    ¡°And...?¡±


    ¡°And? Uhh, Master''ll need an army. She¡¯ll need squad leaders,manders, generals, and lieutenants. Soldiers to fight her battles and protect hernd. On top of that, a group of battle maids and sexy bitches willing to serve tea and cookies to Master and her guests while having the skill to draw their guns and shoot enemies in the head. They must be fully trained forbat. Then she¡¯ll need a few thousand consorts and concubines. I mean, you¡¯ve seen how she fucks. Master''s nearly insatiable, right? On top of that? Hmm... A head of development, a shipmaster, and maybe a few dragon riders. Miss Tyranny, you¡¯ll obviously be her bodyguard. Horny Girl? Research and development. You¡¯re a skilled crafter. Bet you top coin you¡¯re only going to get better. Master will also need a trained spirit summoner. That¡¯s Niva¡¯s department. Once she evolves into a Dragonfolk? Then we¡¯re cooking with gas. I can see us having the strongest aerial military force with a legion of elite dragon knights led by the draconic spirit Niva¡¯s sure to summon.¡±


    ¡°My heart hurts when I think of M having sex with someone that isn¡¯t us,¡± Irisa confessed.


    ¡°Really? Not even if this new chick is crazy about Master like you?¡±


    ¡°I...don¡¯t know... It makes me feel weird... I¡¯ve had past lovers, but it was monogamous. But I love M. And I love you and Niva and Sekh, and I wouldn¡¯t change what we experienced for anything. I guess this is polygamy, but... Isn¡¯t that stuff reserved for nobles?¡±


    ¡°Which is what Master is going to be. Honestly, she¡¯s pretty much one. In theory, at least, since her current working name is Lyudm Vredi Springfield. If Master ys her cards right, she can put herself in a very good position to leverage the Vredi name.¡±


    ¡°Umm...Sekh?¡±


    I thought hard about that. I said before that Master was free to have sex with whomever she wished. That was true for the clones if they didn¡¯t take the form of four women stricken from the cycle of reincarnation.


    But... Having her love being mine and Irisa¡¯s? Exclusively?


    Was it right for me? My liege was going to be a powerful woman with influence. She was bound to have male and female admirers. She''d probably receive marriage requests from countries that wished to benefit from her power once she made her mark on the world. And it was a ruler¡¯s right to take wives, consorts, and concubines from other nations to create a political bond between kingdoms. That happened countless times when I was alive a thousand years ago, and I was sure it was still happening now.


    However, my liege was particr about her lovers. She wasn¡¯t the kind to go to a brothel and grab the first two whores she saw. If so, she''d have done it when we were at that bar. That elf clearly offered oral pleasure. Even if the uneven skin tone wasn¡¯t an issue, I believed the answer would¡¯ve been the same.


    I was confused, my head circling thoughts that didn¡¯t make sense. Irisa whispered my name a second time. ¡°My liege¡¯s happinesses before all else. If this person loves her, and she loves them, and I¡¯m entirely positive this person isn¡¯t going to hurt her, then... I suppose I¡¯ll be fine with it. But I don¡¯t think we have anything to worry about. Even if there are other women, she¡¯ll never let us feel alone. Not even for a moment. When you two made the prosthetic and wheelchair, she even asked me if she was neglecting me. Even when she was focused on something so important, her mind still thought about me.¡±


    ¡°Maybe... But only if this person really loves her. I¡¯m her older sister now. I need to keep her safe.¡±


    I smiled at Irisa¡¯s overprotectiveness. ¡°Then we must unanimously approve of them. Is that a deal?¡±


    Irisa returned the smile and nodded. Tilde nodded, citing that was only fair since we loved her so much. ¡°And I don¡¯t want some bitch that''s not deserving of her grace to receive her love. That¡¯s apromise I can agree on.¡±


    ¡°You really love her, Tilde?¡± asked Irisa.


    ¡°I do. She¡¯s my student. On the plus side, she can definitely fuck the hell out of you."


    ¡°Wait, how did you do it with her?¡±


    "A clone. Master made one the size of me, and I took that thing for a ride you couldn''t believe. Oh, you can thank me, by the way. If it wasn''t for my trained hands and lips, you wouldn''t have tasted Master''s creamy breast milk."


    ¡°You mentioned clones and a threesome, right?¡± I nodded, then told her of our first time with the clone and how my liege was free to have sex with a replica of myself to quench her desires.


    ¡°I think I wanna do the same. I want M to be happy. And full and joy. If a clone of myself can do that¡­ Even if we¡¯re away apart, I¡¯ll feel better knowing she has someone who looks like me to hold.¡± Irisa turned to Tilde and spoke about something the fairy had mentioned prior. "But in the butt? How... Is that possible?"


    "It''s called anal, sweet cheeks. I''m just a girl that likes it weird.¡± I rolled my eyes while the fairy and Irisa talked a little more, but I saw the oni squirm. She slipped a hand between her thighs and bit her lips. ¡°Ah? Getting horny? Don¡¯t worry, I got just the thing...¡± Tilde flew to my liege¡¯s crotch and used her hands to stimte her penis. In seconds, my liege groaned, moaned, and slowly rolled to her back. Still asleep, her penis was anything but. It was a glorious tower-- erect, strong, and stiff. It pointed directly towards the ceiling. Tilde wasn¡¯t done. She flew to the covers and pulled them back to reveal something breathtaking. ¡°Hehehe! Behold! The leaning tower of cock!¡± Tilde kissed the tip


    ¡°Every time I see it, there¡¯s a flutter in my heart,¡± I confessed, rubbing my hands down the smooth shaft. ¡°It¡¯s so hot I feel like I¡¯m about to get burned.¡±


    ¡°Wah! Wait, can she do that? She''s asleep, right?¡±


    The AI materialized above my liege, remaining stoic and still, but the pir looked like it had more cracks than before.


    ¡°But she¡¯s asleep. Is this okay?¡± Irisa repeated her feelings.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Between you and I, Master has a fetish of being woken up with a blowjob, and she¡¯s given consent to be yed with when she¡¯s asleep. It¡¯s the same with Big Tits, who can¡¯t stop licking her lips.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s...¡±


    ¡°Not right?¡± I asked, ignoring Tilde¡¯s crudements. My liege¡¯s shaft desired my hands at this moment. Irisa nodded. ¡°It may seem that way, but I promise it¡¯s fine. She and I have talked multiple times about this to the point where it¡¯s almostical.¡±


    That seemed to ease Irisa¡¯s worries. She timidly touched my liege¡¯s penis and joined me in giving her a handjob.


    ¡°Hey, is it okay if I want her to be my liege?¡± Irisa suddenly asked. She moved her hands towards my liege¡¯s balls and rolled them around her palms while I focused on the pretty, cute tip.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m the one you need to ask,¡± I replied. ¡°I call her that because she¡¯s the one I wish to serve.¡±


    ¡°But I thought she didn¡¯t see you that way? As a servant, I mean.¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t. I...guess you can call it stubbornness on my part. I¡¯m a Dark Lord, and she¡¯s the Transcendent Dark Lord, even if one in ¡®training.¡¯ It makes sense she¡¯s going to rule over me, so I¡¯m showing my respect and reverence for her the only way I know how. If she allowed it, I¡¯d openly worship her. But that¡¯s not the type of woman my liege is, so I keep those thoughts to myself. She¡­doesn¡¯t know I feel this way.¡±


    ¡°You used to call her Master, though. I didn¡¯t bring it up when we made love, but when I masturbated to you and her having sex... I...had fantasies of serving her. I kinda thought if she became my Master, I could get closer to her.¡±


    ¡°So, you were jealous?¡± Tilde interjected. Irisa silently nodded and kissed my liege on her cheeks. I leaned over her and licked the oni¡¯s cheeks, which led to us kissing above the one I served. Wordlessly, we couldn¡¯t leave her out of it, so we showered my liege¡¯s lips in affection before focusing on her penis. It was tensing, my liege¡¯s breathing increasing lightly from our hands.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to be envious. But my feelings? My thoughts and words? I can¡¯t control them. Mom and dad says my filter isn¡¯t there, but I don¡¯t know what that is. They talk about it, but I can¡¯t understand it. I didn¡¯t want to hurt you or M, so I remained quiet. But after I saw what M¡¯s packing? I imagined it thrusting into me when I masturbated by the door. That¡¯s why I wanted to take a bath with you and her. I wanted to see if you two would have sex, and I hoped to be invited. The n didn¡¯t work out, but I¡¯m sorry for deceiving you.¡±


    ¡°There was no deception, Irisa. My liege wondered if she made a mistake in not taking you up on that offer. Even before we left, she told me how much you meant to her, and how important you were to her life. And she decided to act on those feelings when we returned. I''m d this night happened the way it did. Love was something the curse prevented me from feeling, but I know I love you. And I love my liege.¡±


    ¡°M...¡± Irisa leaned in for one more kiss. She weed my tongue into her mouth. ¡°Tilde?¡± Irisa licked her lips afterwards and looked at the fairy. She sat cross-legged on my liege¡¯s stomach with an uncharacteristically sour expression.


    ¡°I¡¯m just thinking¡­that maybe it¡¯s time for a change of pace.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Tilde locked eyes with Irisa, but the sprite¡¯s smile wasn¡¯t the one I¡¯de to know. ¡°Maybe this current personality¡­isn¡¯t the right one our Master needs going forward. I know how I¡¯ve been¡ªhow lewd and horny my behavior was, not to mention the sexually chargedments. There¡¯s a time and ce for everything, but that¡¯s¡­not the case anymore. That was my personality for thest handful of thousands of years, but it worked wonders in easing the tension with our Master. But look at her. She doesn¡¯t need that kind of Tilde. She needs someone more serious¡ªsomeone with a little more fire in her heart, not someone who acts like they bathe in aphrodisiac every morning.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like the Tilde I know,¡± I confessed.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ It¡¯s kinda scary hearing you talk like that.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Did I leave that heavy of an impression on you? But I¡¯m being serious here. My whole existence was to tutor the Transcendent Dark Lord and lead her on the right path. And as much as she still has growing to do, I¡¯m confident she won¡¯t stray from her path. Even if she does, just look at the support group she has with her.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to die?!¡±


    ¡°What? Uhh, no? If I kick the bucket, Master perishes with me. I¡¯m talking about bing a better Tilde to further serve our Master. Because,e on, you¡¯re telling me I haven¡¯t pissed you off with my behavior? Like, even I was sick of it at some points and went to bed cringing. I¡¯m just saying that when I reincarnate, don¡¯t expect the reborn Tilde to be like me. Hell, or maybe I¡¯ll be the same? This is the first time it''s gonna happen after fulfilling my purpose. Who the hell knows what¡¯s going to happen.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re not gonna die, right?¡±


    ¡°Nah, I won¡¯t. Might be gone for a month to a year. I hope my new existence is fitter for the Transcendent Dark Lord. That¡¯s all I really want in my little heart.¡±


    No one really said anything after Tilde¡¯s somber outlook on the future. Instead, Irisa and I focused on the girl we loved. She grunted in her sleep. My hands went to the tip of her cock to catch the sperm she forcibly shot out as her other lover stimted her testicles. Then, we cleaned her with our mouths and swiped the bed sheets for a clean pair. Tilde returned to her dresser with the AI, who kept watching as we tidied up, and it was still there when we said goodnight.


    But first, Irisa made sure my liege wasfortable. She held her close to her stomach and tenderly rubbed her back when shetched on to her nipple. She closed her eyes, and I followed with a smile. We whispered our love a final time before sleep snatched us away.


    And as always, my hands were wrapped around my trusted treasure.

 Chapter Sixty-One: From Warmth to Wrath – Part One

    Chapter Sixty-One: From Warmth to Wrath ¨C Part One


    The early morning light slightly illuminated the bedroom when I woke up with my lips sucking Irisa¡¯s nipple. Sekh was in a deep slumber, her chest pressing firmly against my back and hands gently holding on to my penis, which brushed Irisa¡¯s toned stomach. It was like we were a pack of sardines, but I didn¡¯t not like the feeling.


    It appeared I had another wet dreamst night, the evidence quickly wafting to my nose. It was nothing a bit of slime couldn¡¯t handle, so after cleaning up, I slipped out from their loving embraces after getting dressed in the ck outfit. I gently kissed my lovers on the cheek after wrapping the waist cloth as a skirt. Turning around, I saw Primrose and Niva had fallen asleep towards each other while holding hands. That spirit could look peaceful when she wasn¡¯t trying to bust my balls. I smiled and went to the kitchen, shutting the door slowly so I wouldn¡¯t wake them up.


    ¡°You¡¯re up early, sweetie,¡± said Ichiha¡ªmom.


    <i>She¡¯s my mom now, not Ichiha... You gotta remember that, M.</i>


    She was sitting on the couch next to Erin, using one hand to lightly pat her head while the other held a steaming cup of coffee. Her light green robe was tied loosely, showing tasteful cleavage. From her beauty to her kindness, Irisa was her mother¡¯s daughter. ¡°Good morning...mom.¡±


    ¡°Good morning to you, too. Here, let¡¯s go to the table, and I¡¯ll make you a cup.¡± I nodded and followed her, and it was to engage in some idle conversation with just the two of us. Her ck hair was folded at the side, giving her a youthful vide, especially for someone over 160.


    ¡°Hey, can I talk to you about something?¡±


    ¡°Anything, sweetie. What¡¯s on your mind?¡± she asked, sitting down and passing me the cup. The dark, ck liquid seemed imposing, but we didn¡¯t have cream or sugar to add to it. We only had some fish chilling in my storage and a handful of coffee beans I snagged from Karen¡¯s shop.


    I told mom I wanted to get Sekh and Irisa a present for our date, but I wasn¡¯t sure what to get. Well, for Sekh? I did, but I didn¡¯t know if it was a good idea.


    I pulled out the cor I made back when I forged her mace and shield. It was bent, uneven, and wasn¡¯t even a perfect circle. I hadn''t even shown her. ¡°A cor?¡± mom asked.


    I nodded, exining that I knew it didn¡¯t make sense. ¡°Even if it¡¯s a symbol of oppression, Sekh only wears it because she knows she can take it off at any time. She has that freedom... But there¡¯s a second reason, I think... It¡¯s kinda embarrassing. She¡¯s awfully submissive. She likes to be held, coddled, and embraced, and she loves to cuddle. And she always blushes when I call her a good girl when I¡¯m petting her head when sheys in myp.¡±


    ¡°Hmm...¡± Mom took a sip of coffee. ¡°I don¡¯t see a problem with it. Especially since it¡¯s a gift from you." She put a hand to her blushing face and smiled. ¡°Between us, there isn¡¯t anything with her being submissive... Take it from personal experience.¡± She closed her eyes, probably thinking about something lewd between her and dad.


    <i>I heard moaningst night. I didn''t spy, but they were probably having sex.</i>


    ¡°Oh, I forgot I had some mythril. I¡¯ll use that to make the gifts. Hey, AI?¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord?¡± said a robotic voice from a wiggling stone of rainbow. I asked it about Enap, and it replied that it always had a map window in satellite mode on him. I couldn¡¯t see it because it was tinier than a pixel and out of the way, but it replied, in great confidence, that it was about 30% of his skill level.


    ¡°Shall the ns be drawn up with mythril as the material?¡± I nodded, and it almost seemed like the little hologram bowed before vanishing in rainbow dust. We talked about Irisa¡¯s gift, but the best thing we came up with was a new forging hammer. But I did have that helmet with that ruby in it. I showed it to mom, and she thought it was pretty. Then she offered a mythril ne with that ruby on it. Maybe I could cut it down a bit? Then ce it in a locket? That would be a pretty gift.


    The ideas were there. I just had to decide on something.


    ¡°So, what aboutst night? Irisa wasn¡¯t sleeping out here, so she must¡¯ve shared your bed.¡± She yfully nced at me. Then she giggled. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be embarrassed about. Or sorry about, if I know how you think.¡±


    <i>Ah!</i>


    ¡°Yeah... We... We did it. Then we took a bath and fell asleep. The three of us. You aren¡¯t mad?¡±


    ¡°Perish the thought. You love Irisa, she loves you, and that¡¯s all I have to say about it. It would be one thing if there was no connection, but it¡¯s easy to see the tenderness you two share. But with two women? You¡¯re a stud, aren¡¯t you? Haha! You¡¯re so cute when your cheeks blush like that.¡± Mom teased me a little, but I didn¡¯t mind it. ¡°Ah, if she¡¯s anything like her mother, the tips of her horns are something you want to focus on... Here¡¯s a little secret, sweetie. When an oni¡¯s horns sh crimson, you¡¯re doing something right.¡±


    ¡°Then what does it mean when they¡¯re constantly glowing?¡±


    ¡°Eh?!¡± Mom almost seemed surprised. ¡°You¡¯ve...done that? Last night?¡±


    ¡°I did. Is that bad?¡±


    ¡°No, sweetie, it isn¡¯t. That means you¡¯re doing something very, very, very good. Keep at it!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d,¡± I confessed. ¡°I¡¯m...so d. Umm...?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to ask this, so I¡¯ll just ask it. Do...I have a grandmother? Or...any other rtives?¡±


    ¡°You want to learn about our family history?¡± I nodded, timidly reacting since I didn¡¯t know how best to approach this situation. Mom said her mother and father were alive. They had evolved into ashura¡ªthest line of the Ogre Evolutionary Path¡ªafter their children were born. This came with extended lifespans, and it was from them Ichiha learned how to be a merchant. She had siblings, aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews.


    A big family.


    But once Kokan¡¯s usation reached them, they cut mom off from familial support because she wouldn¡¯t leave her husband. They lived in the Heptarchy of Parthina, a country to the south, but mom had no intention of reuniting until they apologized for their harsh insults towards her husband.


    As for dad, he was an only child. His childhood was rough, having lived in a small settlement where he was forced to work in a mine. He abandoned that for greener pastures, met mom while studying under a schr, and the rest was history. He eventually got a job with the guild, mom became a sessful merchant, and Irisa was born with blessings and love from all. Mom¡¯s parents cared for Kokan, but their support vanished almost overnight after the incident.


    Irisa hadn¡¯t spoken of any other rtives. I never questioned it, but I understood why her lips were shut.


    But Erin was here. She could refute their ims and confess her mother was behind it.


    However, would they recognize that?


    Or would they regard me as family? Or would I remain a stranger¡ªa stray with nowhere else to go?


    <hr>


    We talked until the AI told me the ns were finished. I hugged my mother and headed to Smithy¡¯s Corner. It was like I was walking through a ghost town.


    After reaching Irisa¡¯s forge and realizing I was alone, I got to work. Like always, the AI¡¯s ns were spot on in the written instructions and augmented reality to show me exactly what to do.


    But I started second-guessing the cor for Sekh. Instead, I decided to make her a ne. The ruby would fit perfectly with it. And for Irisa? A nice locket. I could pay an artist to draw the three of us, and she could keep it inside it. Then once I had the materials to bless the gifts, I could enchant them. After the AI revised the ns, it was time to get started.


    I spent about three hours following the guide in front of me. The reason I couldn¡¯t continue? The tools Irisa had in her shed weren¡¯t exactly meant for jewelry, even though I did my best. I managed to take a small chunk of mythril and forge it into the locket shape, but I couldn¡¯t cut the ruby into the precise size, nor could I make the actual ne links for both.


    At least, not how the AI told me to. Even if you had the best ns and instructions, you needed the proper instruments. After a few minutes of talking and searching, the AI had marked a jeweler¡¯s shop. I didn¡¯t want to steal the gifts¡ªI wanted to make them, but that didn¡¯t mean I wouldn¡¯t steal the tools required.


    So, off we went. It was a little past 10AM, the streets marginally fuller of fishermen taking their daily trip to the dock to catch food for the day. Even my clones were having difficulty because there just weren¡¯t that many left. It wasn¡¯t rare for brawls to break out at the harbor. You had to keep a watchful eye on your fish bucket to prevent anyone from stealing it.


    <i>My lord, the clone haspleted its task. A fragment of the chimera¡¯s shell has been stored.</i>


    That was great news! It took two days, but Clone!Rat seeded. I felt it return to me, but it was time to get this show on the road. With the physical attributes and Status Menu copied from a Bellerophon soldier in Aetos Vige named Myrica, I stealthily created a clone of her after ensuring the coast was clear. The AI¡¯s visual download came in handy when recreating her emblem and armor, which I took from the soldiers hanging around Ria. The eggshell, white-colored fragment from the chimera¡¯s protective hibernation appeared in my clone¡¯s hand after a spear appeared on its back.


    <i>Hopefully, I can end this today. I don¡¯t really like my chances of fighting against Bellerophon and the chimera at the same time. Especially not when I can¡¯t rely on my Divine Skill.</i>


    She was off to go towards the structure Bellerophon was using as a base. The two guards standing in front of therge house blocked her way. Clone!Bell revealed her name, rank, and ID, which I found by searching that woman¡¯s titles with [Analysis], and exined her ¡®discovery'' after the guards used a Scan Stone to verify the clone''s identity.


    ¡°I know where the foul monster has been hiding over the past few days. Please, I desire to speak with Sir f and inform him,¡± said my clone in a voice that wasn¡¯t my own before creating an excuse for why she wasn¡¯t in Aetos Vige.


    It didn¡¯t matter that the excuse was flimsy because it was more vital for Clone!Bell to know where the enemy was.


    The guards shared a look and opened the door, personally escorting her through arge living room filled with bedrolls. Heading up the stairs, they came to a set of double doors leading to a meeting room. Sir f, the aged wizard with a demon core to summon a hellhound, looked up from her weathered journal.


    Clone!Bell expertly repeated what she told the two guards and disyed proof of the chimera¡¯s shell fragment. Immediately, he sprang into action with haste adverting his supposed age. And really, my enemies all moved like a well-oiled machine. Everyone had their jobs and tasks to do before departing, and I fit in the best I could by getting out of their way.


    I rushed outside and waited. In a handful of minutes, other soldiers lined up beside me. They all had mysterious masks hanging from their belt, and the man next to me handed me one of his extras and said I needed to always keep it on me. There were about ny of us standing in front of the building. f, dressed in enchanted robes, instructed me to lead the group.


    I did, and as we walked, the group became smaller and smaller until it was just me, f, and seven others. When we were thirty seconds from turning the final corner, I noticed the marked target was moving. It hatched from its shell with a fully restored HP bar. The chimera waddled out from its hiding hole, took the shape of a dwarf with a bald head, and walked our way.


    When I saw him, I shouted and pointed him out. A breathter, someone else confirmed a positive response from [Detect Chimerism].


    And the fight was on, but this battle quickly morphed into an escape attempt.


    At first, the chimera transformed into that gross form I saw at the dock. It ran like mad throughout the city square, eventually cutting down a street and around corners, but each ce he ran was blocked by the Bellerophon soldiers that broke off from the primary formation. Next, it grew wings and took flight, keeping low to the ground and cutting in and around frightened citizens to use a shield. That worked for a while, but then someone used a wind spell to create a localized burst of air under the speeding chimera. It threw him into the air, where numerous arrows and piercing magic pelted and destroyed his wings. The group I was with was running like hell to keep up with him, and I didn¡¯t want to be the odd one out and not attack. I joined the barrage with numerous casts of [Fireball] to help bring the chimera down. It was a stroke of luck that there was so much chanting and shouting that I didn¡¯t have to worry about casting using my thoughts.


    The flying enemy took lightning spears and icy des to the throat and back, carving his body into thick pieces. A purple-colored mist surrounded his wings and exploded. Unable to regenerate them, the chimera smashed through a pair of buildings, eventually skidding to a stop in front of a High Elf in a ck and gold outfit.


    ¡°Shit, that¡¯s me!¡± I eximed, my consciousness back in my own body.

 Chapter Sixty-One: From Warmth to Wrath – Part Two

    Chapter Sixty-One: From Warmth to Wrath ¨C Part Two


    I had been too busy controlling Clone!Bell to even move. The AI took control of the replica while I ran away as fast as I could give. But at the end of this street was it and the unit it was with.


    No, it was more. The soldiers that split up had reconvened and were one brigade, and they raced around the corner. f had his arms outstretched, motioning for me to hasten my feet.


    ¡°NOT SO FAST!!!!¡± mored a distorted voice behind me. Behind me, in the dusty and misty destruction, approached the chimera, as monstrous as ever, with a dozen tentacles and vines grossly appearing from his back. Theyunched out faster than I could run, then pulled me to it. I was attached to it, the various squiggling appendages securing me to its body like a living shield.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want a precious High Elf to die, do you? The death of a High Blessing is a sad affair.¡±


    ¡°Let her go, you disgusting piece of shit!¡± said a man with a scar down his left eye. He pulled a broadsword from his back.


    Everyone else equipped their weapons, but I just focused on the masks they had attached to their belts.


    ¡°Get the fuck off me!¡± I continued to struggle. I could escape by turning into slime, but I¡¯d be exposed. No one knew I was like my captor, and I wanted to keep it that way. Unfortunately, I needed to start weighing my options because the aspect of secrecy wasn''t looking too bright. Maybe Clone!Bell could act and change this situation for the better.


    <i>AI, don¡¯t do anything until I tell you.</i>


    <i>Understood.</i>


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, miss! Everything¡¯ll be alright!¡±


    ¡°Bullshit, you crusty old fuck! You don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen? I know the order you received from that bitch, Gloria. I know why you have those masks, and I know what you¡¯re hiding behind your fucking back! Use that shit on me, and I won¡¯t be the only causality. I¡¯m trying to live my fucking life. That¡¯s it!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a sphemous abomination to nature, you sick bastard! You need to return to death!¡± yelled the man with the broadsword. f held up a hand.


    ¡°What the hell is it talking about?!¡± I demanded. Growing slightly more fearful by the moment. Clone!Bell gritted her teeth and touched a hand to her mask.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡ª¡±


    ¡°SHUT UP! I¡¯ve seen it happen a dozen times before. You must¡¯ve been raised with a silver spoon up your ass, but Bellerophon fights by using gas designed to destroy anything organic. You, me, wood, berries, nts. Some variants also eat away at metal. Why do you think the barrier is here? It¡¯s to ensure the gas doesn¡¯t escape because they think Noelia¡¯s killer is hiding here! Yeah, I know that¡¯s the true reason! You¡¯re just using me as a fucking excuse! I¡¯m just a goddamn scapegoat to tie up any loose ends. Well guess what? If you kill me, you¡¯re going to kill her!¡±


    ¡°Well? Since the cat¡¯s out of the bag... Guess I can get rid of this,¡± said the man holding the broadsword. He grabbed the t edges of the de with both hands and spoke, the sword transforming from a weapon of cutting to a metallic staff with a curly tip. His armor remained the same, but mana collected around his weapon. ¡°Regrettably, a High Blessing must die, but if we can rid the world of a monster... Your sacrifice is necessary. But do not worry, you will be remembered in the Hall of Memories as a valiant ally to Bellerophon¡¯s noble goal of chimera extermination.¡±


    Every instinct in my body screamed bloody murder at the same time.


    If I didn¡¯t escape¡­


    ¡­I was going to die.


    But I was scared¡­


    I was petrified¡­


    I hadn¡¯t felt this scared since¡­


    ¡°No! You can¡¯t kill me! You wouldn¡¯t dare remove a Vredi from this world, would you?!¡± I eximed, doing thest thing I could. If using the name of Sekh¡¯s enemy would get me out of this, then I¡¯d be a fool not to use it.


    ¡°Vredi¡­? From the ancient Vredi Forest?! The one lost a thousand years ago?! Surely, you jest¡ª¡±


    ¡°It is no lie. Go and fetch a Scan Stone. You¡¯ll see the truth that my name is Lyudm Vredi. Are you prepared to face the consequences of killing someone like me?¡± I mentally ordered the AI to change my name.


    The man with the staff pulled a crystalline orb from a pouch and whispered. ¡°She speaks the truth, but my determination has not changed. If anything, it has increased. Even if the life of a Vredi is at risk, we should still see the order Lord Gloria has given us. No matter the cost, the chimera must die. With you in its horrible grasp, your life is already forfeit. Sir f, I understand the punishment of what we¡¯re about to do, and I will ept the executioner¡¯s axe with a smile if it means ridding the world of one more monster.¡±


    ¡°If¡­ If you go through with this, the rest of my people will NOT ept this! As the sister of Susize Vredi, Lord Amos¡¯s most powerful Soul Warrior, I demand that you fight to free me this instant!¡± It was hard to keep my voice steady.


    ¡°None of what you said will change my mind,¡± replied f. ¡°Be thankful you¡­ won¡¯t have to suffer at that monster¡¯s hand.¡± There was just one more thing I could do¡­ A final n¡­ I quickly ordered the AI to prepare.


    Taking a deep breath, I screamed for help. Right away, Clone!Bell produced four more bird-like clones that flew away as fast as they could while she took Reina¡¯s gun and started firing, killing indiscriminately. ¡°I CAN¡¯T LET YOU KILL A VREDI!! I JUST CAN¡¯T!!! SPIRITS, SPREAD THE WORD!!!¡± my clone howled at the top of her lungs.


    ¡°BELLEROPHON IS GOING TO KILL A HIGH ELF FROM VREDI FOREST!!!!¡± The bird clones shouted in unison and sped away, repeating their message non-stop. In three seconds, they were out of range of arrow and spell. Soon? Those remaining in Ria would know what was about to happen. With so many witnesses, they wouldn¡¯t dare continue. f and the others would be forced to kill everyone in Ria¡ªdown to thest child-- to keep the murder of a Vredi a secret. And then this city would have to be destroyed. Gloria wouldn¡¯t stand for that, right? She fucked the city by closing the dungeon, but this was different¡­ She woulde down on Bellerophon with an iron fist and destroy their organization if they acted without regard for her citizens¡¯ safety¡­


    Right?


    In the chaos that moment of havoc brought, the clone the AI controlled managed to kill four soldiers before turning the gun on f. An invisible forcefield prevented the bullets from actually connecting. After the failed assassination, Clone!Bell was skewered through the stomach by four swords before a dagger-wielding dwarf slit the clone¡¯s neck, leaving her to die. The gun in her hand faded. The ones she killed and injured were attended to by a few medics with heart patches on their uniforms.


    The man with the shimmering staff locked eyes with me, and the tip of his weapon pulsed a frightening purple. ¡°[Gravity Crush],¡± he uttered with a menacing hatred locked behind his angered eyes.


    Immediately, the weight of what must have been a house mmed on my captor and me, forcing us to the ground with broken bones and shattered limbs. ¡°What are you doing?! You can¡¯t kill me now!¡±


    ¡°DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE FUCK YOU¡¯VE DONE?!¡± cursed the man with the staff. ¡°NOW WE HAVE TO¡ªFUCK!!!!! Because of your actions, this entire city will have to be destroyed. The good people of Ria will¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, son. We don¡¯t have any words to spare. Everyone, put your masks on and make sure they¡¯re secured. It¡¯s time to begin!¡± shouted f. ¡°I will take the me for this mission¡¯s failure! The sin will be on my hands! Just do as you¡¯re told and begin the cleansing when I give the signal!¡±


    A nervous sweat dripped down my face as the soldiers equipped their masks.


    More than half of them trembled. They turned their heads away in shame when I asked--demanded-- them to save me. It sounded like the mage with the staff thought everyone shared their determinism, but that definitely wasn¡¯t the case.


    ¡°FIGHT FOR ME!!! FIGHT TO STOP THIS INJUSTICE!!!! FREE ME!!"


    Instantly, transparent, light blue bubbles covered their bodies. The AI told me they were enchanted with an effect that created an air barrier around them, which prevented gas-based attacks from affecting them...


    Simultaneously, the clones were¡­spreading the word that¡­a Vredi was about to perish¡­


    All of this...was because of me... Because I had to kill Noelia... Because Gloria had to investigate... Because I had to be a dumb bitch and lead my enemies to their enemy¡­


    Ria was going to be destroyed...because of me... My¡­family¡­was going to die¡­


    This was¡­all my fault¡­


    f retrieved a small, cylindrical object from his pouch with a wrinkled hand. In a fluid motion, he pulled the tab, raised an arm, and threw it at us. The moment it left his hand, it spewed noxious, orange gas. The mage also looked like he was channeling some wind spell.


    But I didn¡¯t focus on that.


    My senses were on the weapon that would end in my death... My eyes tracked the arc it took, and my ears heard the ng as it rolled across the hard pavement.


    The hissing continued.


    The chimera roared, a torrent of nasty curses flowing from its mouth. Before I knew it, I had joined in with him¡ªevery single instinct in my body telling me this was really the end. Parts of my body tried to struggle, but the force pressing down was too great to fight against.


    But... My revenge?


    What happened to stabbing Meruria¡¯s head on a pike? Or lining up Tokko and those other traitors, forcing them to watch as I kill them all one by one? Or hanging Will up by his fucking ankles while I have Sekh strip his flesh off one inch at a time with her nails?


    But...


    What was going to happen with Sekh? To Irisa? To mom and dad? To Erin and Niva and even Primrose?


    No! I didn¡¯t want this...


    I DIDN¡¯T!!!!!


    I screamed and cried, and all soundsing from me halted that canister of death reached us. Those with weaker stomachs turned away before¡­


    <i>It</i> happened.


    The gas quickly engulfed us both, and my sight was the first to go. The eyeballs in my head began to melt, catching fire afterwards as the goo drifted down my cheeks. The mucus in my nasal passage was next to liquefy, then my nose fell off. The blood inside me started to heat up, then it boiled, cooking me alive from the insides as it burned through my watery skin.


    I couldn¡¯t even scream anymore because I had no throat. I barely had a head. I was a melting pile of goop that bubbly boiled,bining with the grossness of that other chimera.


    But I didn¡¯t want to die!


    Instead of speaking, I thought it...


    <i>HELP ME!!!!</i>


    <i>HELP ME!!!!</i>


    <i>HELP ME!!!!</i>


    <i>HELP ME!!!!</i>


    <i>HELP ME!!!!</i>


    <i>HELP ME!</i>


    <i>I HAVE PEOPLE TO KILL!!!!</i>


    <i>I HAVE CITIES TO DESTROY!!!!</i>


    <i>I HAVE COUNTRIES TO BURN!!!!!</i>


    I was... I was about to die... my HP, MP, and biomass bars in the upper left were very close to bing zero... Myst hope was the AI, but it was thinking itself into a feedback loop trying to develop a n...


    <i>Calcting...</i>


    <i>Calcting...</i>


    <i>Calcting....</i>


    <i>Calcting..........</i>


    <i>[Wrath, mes of Inexhaustible Indignation] is your only option! Use it! My lord, be quick with it!</i>


    Its voice sounded different, still robotic and monotone, but with what seemed like emotion. But that was myst hope... I grasped the dial with thest vestiges of what little consciousness I had...but the fortitude to turn it required more than I had.


    I had failed...


    To do what I promised...


    <i>Sekh...</i>


    <hr>


    <i>What¡¯s that... Huh? What¡¯s going on?</i>


    In the blink of an instant, I found myself free of pain. The darkness guiding me to death had been reced by arge cavern full of mes. They towered high above me, shrinking and growing like they were alive. They started to approach. Yet when I went to move, I was¡­nothing.


    It almost felt like I was back in the void. As much as the mes threatened to swallow me, they never once came close enough to do so.


    ¡°Aaaahhhhh... It¡¯s been a while since west talked? Not since you were almost killed by those pathetic monsters? Yes, I remember. You tried to use my strength to kill those weaklings? I did not grant you my power because you were useless and undeserving of it,¡± said a voice I recognized as once being syrupy. Only this time, the tone had grown deeper while still being feminine. Eventually, I saw it.


    Staring at me through the mes sat the face of a terrifying dragon. A secondter, I was thrown high in the air-- the brutal, fearsome sea of red fire acting like a barrier. But from this height? The dragon was snared by the raging inferno, yet I saw a dark outline of its entire body¡ªIt put the Ancient Elder Dragon Sekh once rode to shame¡ªwith it being almost thrice as big. That meant this hell-like cavern with eternal mes had to be miles in size to support this creature.


    <i>I¡¯m dead, aren¡¯t I?</i> I asked the dragon.


    ¡°No, you still cling to life¡¯s thread by a frayed piece. Do you wish to survive?¡±


    Before I could answer, various images were disyed on the mes as if it was a TV.


    It was...my past... All of it. All the beatings I took, all the times I was abandoned and left for dead, all the times I was kicked and thrown and broken and battered... Everything I felt at those moments flooded into me. I cried out, then hunched over as if I had a body to try to endure the agony. Then it showed me the time I was raped by that disgusting beastfolk... The anguish of almost dying thrice joined with the rest of the agony.


    <i>AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MAKE IT STOP!!!!! MAKE IT STOP!!!!!!!!!! </i>I screamed and thrashed, but the dragon continued. The next image it disyed?


    It was Sekh¡¯s headless corpse... Tokko and Mia were beside her, their bodies covered from head to toe in crimson as thetter tauntingly disyed her head. Beside her sat Niva, her body nearly melting from the acid pouring over her. Then Irisa was... Why was Irisa strapped naked to a bed and covered in white? Why were Damon and Will licking their lips and jerking off? Why?!!! WHY?!?!!?! WHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


    ¡°Hmmm... If you die, then this future wille to pass. You do not want that, do you?¡±


    I was too shaken by every emotion at once to formte a response.


    ¡°Your silence says it all... Give yourself to the wrath desperately wanting toe out. These mes that surround us? They belong to you... This power could be yours. You could use it to survive this ordeal. Use it to prevent that future froming to fruition.¡±


    <i>I... I could save them? </i>A ck metal tform ascended from the ground, climbing high until it sat below me.


    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡±


    <i>I could kill them? </i>I felt my sensese back.


    ¡°As many as you please.¡±


    <i>I could...burn it all?</i> My body materializedter, and Inded on the tform below me. It should have been swelteringly hot, but it felt...c<i>omfortable</i>.


    ¡°These divine mes would scorch all you desire.¡±


    ¡°I could...destroy the world?¡± I said, hearing my voice again. This tform I stood on materialized a ck iron gate¡ªa barrier to separate me from the roaring fire and dark dragon. A single valve rested on it.


    ¡°With this power? All would be incinerated. Let me in, and you will have the power to achieve all you want.¡± The dragon moved itsrge head to the gate and stared¡ªone of its eyes was a thousand timesrger than me.


    I walked to the valve. Just grabbing onto it filled me with determination. It made my heart boil and burn, the strive to live igniting like a rocket in my soul.


    ¡°I WON¡¯T DIE HERE!!!! I REFUSE TO FALL!!!!! GIVE ME THE POWER I DESIRE TO IMMOLATE MY ENEMIES!!!! TO DROWN THEM IN THE DEEPEST, DARKEST CONFLAGRATION! OF YOUR DIVINE POWER!! OF MY DIVINE WRATH!!!!!!¡± This valve was probably what the dial in my vision was based on, but I took a deep breath and turned it as hard and fast as possible. The gate squeaked and cried. The valve broke, bursting into mes as it spread to the obstacle preventing me from conquering my wrath and obtaining the power I desired.


    But I didn¡¯t stop. A recement valve was created of divine mes, and I continued to turn it even more until the fires of wrath had flooded this nearly infinite cavern. The more I barred my heart and opened the channels of my soul to this powerful entity, the more strength I¡¯d have to ughter all that stood in my way.

 Chapter Sixty-Two: The 1,000 Year Grudge

    Chapter Sixty-Two: The 1,000 Year Grudge


    When I woke up, a distinctiveck of my liege''s presence meant I monopolized Irisa¡¯s warm embrace. I blinked twice, then patted the woman I hugged to ensure I wasn¡¯t in a dream. After looking around, I realized the AI had a message waiting for me.


    <i>Do not worry. Our lord is safe. She did not expressly order this message to be sent, but there¡¯s no need for your heart to ache with worry.</i>


    Oh? That was the first time the AI had done something that, while not against our liege¡¯s wishes, almost hinted at its personal growth. I¡¯d never encountered a skill or ability that seemed like it had its own consciousness while capable of self-growth. It was amazing, to be sure, and I almost wanted the AI¡¯s evolution toe sooner thanter.


    Instead of getting dressed, I chose to snuggle more with Irisa. In her sleep, she lifted the covers and beckoned me toe close. That sleepy smile on her pretty face¡ª


    <i>Pretty face?</i> <i>Yes,it¡¯s adorable...</i>


    I moved closer and hugged her, her chin resting on my head as she kissed me. Our nipples brushed together, her legs moving to cross over mine. Those adventurous hands trailed around my backside and gripped my ass before fluffing the base of my tail.


    ¡°Huh? Sekh?¡± Irisa whispered when her eyes fluttered open. We shared a small kiss, which woke her more, then I answered her question about where our liege was. ¡°Ohhh... I wonder where she¡¯s at?¡±


    We chatted a bit more, then rolled out of bed and put on our clothes. Niva and Primrose weren¡¯t in bed, and Tilde wasn¡¯t on her dresser. We went to the kitchen and found everyone but our liege sitting at the table. It was nice to sit down and casually jump into the conversation about where our liege had gone.


    ¡°Soooo... Is there anything you¡¯d like to share, Irisa?¡± Ichiha grinned like a cat and teased her daughter, who nervously chuckled and giggled. ¡°Hehe! I talked with M this morning before she left, and she spilled aaaaalllll the details.¡±


    ¡°Is this something her father should be hearing?¡± Kokan joked. Really, it was all fun and games, a table full of love and care. Even Erin, who sat near Kokan, gathered the courage to call him dad. Just that one word meant the world to him and Ichiha, and I was d to see this resolved with a happy ending.


    But would the world allow that?


    No, it wouldn¡¯t. Fate always had an extra hand to y. It all started when Tilde touched her cheek and wondered why it was wet.


    ¡°Tilde... Your...face is melting?¡± After Primrose spoke, Tilde¡¯s expression changed to something awful. Her nose scrunched in pain, an unsettling grunt forcing its way out her mouth. She tried to stand up, but her eyes deliquesced like butter in a hot pan. The next instant, the draining ocr organs caught fire, melting a pair of holes in the sides of her nose, which was the next to separate.


    ¡°IT FUCKING HURRRRTTTSSSS!!!!¡± Tilde screeched. Her skin literally melted off her bones, which followed. It all happened so fast.


    I was the first to react, standing up so fast my chair knocked over after seeing my liege¡¯s HP, MP, and biomass drain exceptionally quick. If this was happening to Tilde, then my liege was in trouble. In that short time, the fairy became nothing but a puddle with a head¡ª part of her brain that hadn¡¯t melted looked like glossy, pink oil. Not even a secondter, Tilde was just a mouth lying in that goop of flesh, trying to hang on for dear life.


    I rushed to my room and hastily equipped my gear. Emerging with mace and shield in hand, I made my way for the stairs while ignoring a series of cries and panicked murmurs, but I froze solid when a voice stopped me in my tracks. It was Tilde, and she subsequently flew right in front of me to prevent me from descending to the ground floor.


    Only she wasn¡¯t a pile of melted flesh ... The dress she wore was destroyed, but she wore a spare.


    ¡°Umm... The situation has changed a lot,¡± she said, biting her lip and showing an ounce of hesitation. None of her usual lewd bravado was contained in her voice.


    ¡°Then let me go get her! Get out of my way.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t that simple!!! AI, disy Master¡¯s current location in satellite mode.¡±


    A secondter, what looked like a portal to another ce spawned, showing someone that wasn¡¯t my liege. This woman had glowing red horns sprouting off her forehead, beautiful crimson wings, and a ruby red tail¡ªall properties of a Dragonfolk, but they weren¡¯t physically there. They were transparent, acting more like essories or something. Her arms and legs had ming scales etched into the skin''s surface, which traveled up to her neck. Her clothes? She had none, but she wasn¡¯t naked. If the skill name was true to its word, my liege was wearing divine mes. But within those mes sat actual ¡®armor¡¯ of ck obsidian that formed tightly to her upper body. A momentter, that same me spread to her legs until it looked like she was wearing leggings and heels. Her hair was the same length, but it resembled flowing moltenva.


    She carried a grin like no other. But there was that orangish haze around her. Tilde said it was the bane of a chimera¡ªa poison specifically designed to erase biomass at a molecr level. The only way to endure was to surround yourself with a barrier of air. A strong one, at that, which required a substantial amount of mana to protect against the corrosive poison. The other option, while ¡®easier,¡¯ necessitated the ughter of a Wind Spirit Lord or Wind Demon Lord, the spiritual and demonic wind elemental version of a Holy or Dark Lord, to acquire their powerful cores.


    The deadly mist was fatal¡ªeven for me¡ªbut it did not exist during my reign of tyranny.And Tilde said there was no cure or antidote once it affected you.


    When my liege opened those eyes to reveal a set of ming irises, her wings lightly fluttered. Raising a hand, she collected a massive amount of mana as if it was nothing, then squeezed shut a fist, causing it to turn into red vapor. Whatever spell or skill she used caused the orange poison surrounding her to spontaneouslybust.


    ¡°What?! Impossible!¡± shouted a white-bearded man. He and the other Bellerophon soldiers were starting to panic¡ªbordering close on the edge of madness of seeing something that survived their weapon. When she took one step forward, they all took five backwards. My liege had this twisted grin. She motioned for them to attack her. ¡°Kill the monster! We have the upper hand!!! We cannot let that thing survive!¡±


    Arrows and magic came by the dozen, filling the sky with shadows. Spells smacked into her with explosive intent. Lightning? Water? Ice? Fire? Bellerophon had powerful mages¡ªtheir skill did not need to be questioned. Even if the smoke from their feeble assault covered her, the soldiers never let up their barrage.


    ¡°M!!!¡± Irisa mmed both hands on the table and shouted my liege¡¯s name.


    When the smoke faded, however, the woman that looked like my liege had wrapped herself in a barrier of thick fire wider than the street they were on. With a flick of her wrist, she sent it barreling towards the warriors. Ny percent of them instantly turned into ash, leaving very few survivors that managed to avoid it in time. The ming destruction rampaged until it mmed into the barrier, devouring all it touched.


    All that was left in its path was a long streak of death from where everything had literally melted. Amongst five others, a white-bearded man and a warrior with a metal casting staff were the only survivors. The one with the stave raised it up high, causing the waves of gravity to crash down. All around that woman with the draconic properties, the ground near her started to sink even further. Proof that the mage was capable and skilled, but whatever he threw at her couldn¡¯t harm her.


    ¡°You¡¯ll die here!¡± shouted the bearded man. He took a pristine azure orb from a pouch and threw it towards that woman with my liege¡¯s face. It cracked, letting loose a spell called [Thunderous Waterfall]. Above, a hole in time and space was formed, causing a hurricane¡¯s worth of lightning and water to fall upon her head. With it enhanced by the gravity spell, the falling water sounded like two battleships ramming each other. Holding up a finger, a steady stream of fire shot up, creating yet another barrier that roared alive, preventing even a single drop of water or lightning from touching her. An explosion of steam filled the area, and once it cleared out, that woman was still there. She faced down that aged wizard. In his hands was an orb. With a snap of her finger, he was engulfed with divine mes and burned alive. The magic item he held was destroyed.


    She quickly did the same to the other survivors, killing them with the greatest ease.


    ¡°Oh? I sense someone watching¡­¡± said the woman, her voice bordering between tones. There was a special scratchiness in how she inted each syble. Almost like it was on purpose. She cocked her neck back and smiled.


    Whoever it was in there wasn¡¯t my liege.


    ¡°She knows¡­ we¡¯re here?¡± asked Niva. Primrose had been exining things to her, but they both were scared.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Tilde answered. We all watched that woman with the wings fly up. Each time she pped them, another wave of fire burned whatever was below her. She flew up to the barrier, touched it, then frowned. She descended about 300 feet, then leaned back to face her wings upward to stabilize herself. Suddenly, her wings grew even more impressive, the horns longer, and the mes covering her body shed brighter. Magic circles started to appear within her wings. ¡°You¡¯re looking at The Primeval Spirit of Wrath. Or you could call it The Essence of Wrath, The Ancient Spirit of Wrath, or [Wrath, Divine mes of Inexhaustible Indignation]. It doesn¡¯t matter. It all means the same shit. It¡¯s a Divine Armament that embodies pure, unadulterated Wrath. The kind of Wrath that anger and fury are based on.¡±


    ¡°M said she had a Divine Skill,¡± Ichiha whispered. Erin lightly whimpered out of fear, and the yellow slime did what it could to reassure her. ¡°If you knew she had thing inside her, why didn¡¯t you tell her? Or us? Or why didn¡¯t she say anything¡ª¡±


    ¡°Because it wasn¡¯t supposed to materialize this fast! A Divine Skill needs dozens of years to nurture a form suitable tomunicate with its host! Master has only been M for a few months, so I wanted to wait until she became strong enough to not need its power to reveal the truth. But her time in the¡­ Shit, that must be it! Master was given this skill while in the void, but time flows differently there. In terms of our world¡¯s timeline, she spent two months, but the time disparity made it feel more like a million years! The Essence of Wrath used that discement to nurture itself, then remained hidden until it was time to make a move¡­? How the fuck did I miss that?!?!?!¡±


    Tilde threw her hands up and paced back and forth. ¡°That damn thing has been taunting her since the beginning. The voice Master heard when she tried it out for the first time? I thought it was her repressed desire for violence, but it was that damn thing all along. Then it yed fucking hard to get and refused to help Master during the monster train incident. It¡¯s a slimy bastard¡­and it just HAD to be in the form of a dragon!¡± She stopped long enough to say there was no limit to the tricks the Essence of Wrath would stoop to.


    It took the form of a dragon¡ªthe most dangerous one with the most destructive potential¡ªbecause of the idea Tilde and I had put into our liege¡¯s head. The fairy told her of Dragonfolk and spirit dragons, and I exined to her the Ancient Elder Dragons I enved. And Aetos didn¡¯t help either by forcing us to witness the past, where my liege saw the full power of an Ancient Elder Dragon in action.


    ¡°Out of every Divine Skill, only the Seven Deadly Sins and the Seven Heavenly Virtues are like this. Maybe¡ª"


    When we heard a noise, we looked to the floating window as Tilde mped her mouth. The magic circles around that woman with the horns numbered in the hundreds. The centers started to glow, sending a beam of me to thergest circle, which materialized in front. The wrathful spirit reached inside the magic circle, and she retrieved...


    ¡°Holy shit... That¡¯s a Soul Weapon! That¡¯s a Springfield 1903!¡± Tilde eximed. ¡°But how? Master isn¡¯t strong enough... Unless the Primeval Spirit of Wrath¡¯s authority circumvented the system... Would that fulfill the requirements? Shit!! Shit shit!!!!¡± Bing quiet, Tilde folded her hands together and entered a state of deep thought, and I was surprised. My liege¡¯s description of the weapon did not match what we saw. The body was burnt wood with plumes of fire erupting from the fiery bay.


    It was an abomination that should not have existed.


    She held it out with one hand, pointed towards the dome above us, and held the trigger. Like my liege¡¯s [Chimeric Armatization] of [Fireball], a red orb appeared just in front of the barrel. The magic circle it came from vanished, and the other hundreds directed mana towards the ming sphere.


    Releasing the trigger, one gigantic stream of divine mes rocketed off towards the barrier, easily shattering it. The zing beam of mana was so hot the clouds caught fire, and the inferno spread until it looked like the heavens were on fire.


    ¡°Hahaha!!! Weak!!! Everything is so weak!!!! But don¡¯t think this is over!!! I know you¡¯re watching me, you damn disgrace! You¡¯re staring at me right now! Well, I know where you are. Face me, Dark Lord! I guarantee this death match won¡¯t end like thest time!!!¡±


    ¡°Last...time? Sekh, did you...¡±


    I shook my head and replied to Irisa. ¡°I have no recollection of ever encountering something like that. Everyone I knew 1,000 years ago has died.¡±


    ¡°THAT DOESN¡¯T MATTER! WE HAVE TO LEAVE!!!!¡± Tilde flew into a frizzy. We all rushed downstairs. ording to the fairy, after I became the Dark Lord of Tyranny, the previous wielder of the skill died after they challenged me. People tried to kill me by the hour, so I never paid attention to those I ughtered. But when I fought the previous wielder, Tilde said my purgatorial mes put it to shame.


    There was no greater mockery for the Essence of Wrath. Perhaps it was more embarrassing because I couldn¡¯t remember it at all. To me, it was just another day. But to it, it was probably the greatest disgrace of its life to die to me.


    <i>Was the skill drawn to my liege¡¯s anger because it kept her anchored while in the void? That¡¯s why I was able to detect her as if she was a bright light surrounded by shadow. If I could do it, the Essence of Wrath could do it¡­ Don¡¯t Tell me it¡­wanted this to happen? No, my liege said she was given the skill by that voice she heard. A skill can¡¯t give itself away, even if it¡¯s a Divine Skill. Could it be that the voice or entity intended for this to happen? If so, why? For what reason¡­ Did that voice know of the connection between me and the Essence of Wrath? Shit, I have a bad feeling about this...</i>


    We raced out the front door, but she was already there. I stared at her, and she stared at me, us sharing a tense moment of silence until she crossed her arms and let loose a hearty chuckle. Focusing securely on her eyes, she winked. I jumped back, narrowly avoiding the ming trident that burst from the ground. It flew high, eventually returning and impaling the Essence of Wrath in her heart. Since the me was born from her, it returned to her.


    ¡°Tsk... Tsk... That was my slowest attack, you know? I can¡¯t believe you almost perished to that, but it has been a long time, Dark Lord,¡± said the woman in her distorted voice.


    ¡°Irisa, you take the others and run,¡± I demanded, my voice changing tone to suit the one I was most familiar with. Grabbing my mace and shield, I slowly took a stance.


    ¡°No! We won¡¯t leave you here. I love M, and I won¡¯t let that thing take control of her!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s my daughter! What kind of father would I be if I abandoned her?!¡± Kokan dered.


    ¡°Mistress was there when no one else cared about me! It¡¯s my turn to save her!¡± Niva bared her teeth and stood her ground, but I heard the chattering of her ivory dentures.


    ¡°Save her? Do you fools not realize she willingly opened the gate for me? What can you do against me? You know what I see? I see three fucking corpses that haven¡¯t died yet. And you... The half-breed... You almost sicken me even more than the Dark Lord. What can a dirty whore who can¡¯t even walk by herself hope to do? You¡¯re better off being useful on your back with your legs spread open. You¡¯ve been fucked from the day you were born, so continue with it, you goddamn weakling! Go waddle in your false confidence and return to misery since you¡¯ll forever remain but a speck of dust that can¡¯t hope topare to an ant, let alone me. But you...¡± The woman stared at me, gritting her teeth as mes shot out from her horns. She held an arm out and recalled her rifle.


    ¡®You¡¯re the one I hate most of all. I¡¯ve waited, and I waited, and I waited¡­ I waited so fucking patiently for this moment. I¡¯llugh over your broken fucking corpse as it burns until the END OF TIME!!!!!!! AND THEN I¡¯LL WAIT UNTIL YOU¡¯RE REBORN, AND I¡¯LL SLAUGHTER YOU AGAIN!!! YOU WON¡¯T KNOW A MOMENT¡¯S WORTH OF PEACE!¡±


    The Essence of Wrath used [Gunde] to alter her firearm into a sword of divine mes, then leapt towards me with it raised high up. Her wings increased her speed, and I barely put my shield up in time. It was reinforced in [ck Fire], and our fight began. My opponent flew up with her wings and pointed her sword at me, letting loose projectile attacks that I deftly dodged. Running towards her, I jumped, channeling all my shadowy mes into my mace to form a chain hook at the end. Itched it around her neck, then pulled myself to her with my shield raised to punch her.


    ¡°Oh, these mes are cold as ice. I can¡¯t even feel them.¡± My foe taunted me. Proving her point, sheughed through my attacks, even using her own mes to restrain my shield to her face. ¡°Burn it hotter! Burn until your very skin is melting from the mes! It still can¡¯tpare to this unyielding rage! I won¡¯t settle for anything less than your fucking best, AND I¡¯M GOING TO CRUSH IT!!!¡±


    ¡°RRAAAAHHHHHHHH!¡± My opponent started to chuckle when I used [ck Fire: Body Armor], yet she just grabbed my head and tossed me upward to the sky, where I looked like a reversed falling meteor. She quickly flew to me with her sword at her side. She sliced me up, each swipe sending me further and further into the air until we had ascended past the clouds. Each attack hurt more than thest¡ªeach cutting deeper and deeper until it pierced through my mes, cut my armor, and tasted flesh. In no time, my mes had vanished, forcibly reced by those of divine origins.


    "Is this all you have?¡± My opponent¡¯s weapon switched to gun form, and she ran me through the stomach with the ming bay.


    <i>Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!</i>


    She let loose five ming rounds, pulling back the bolt as hard as she could each time, then grinning when loading the next round.


    We remained high in the air, but I wasn¡¯t going to give her the satisfaction of a defeated look. I lifted my head and stared into her eyes with the same look I gave the other pathetic fools who thought they could kill me. Blood stained my beastly smile as crimson poured from arge hole in my stomach. The growing tyranny in my soul burned brighter than ever before.


    ¡°You won¡¯t ever hope to kill me if this is the best you can do,¡± I spat. ¡°[SHIELD PRISON]!¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± A simple inquisitive expression was all my foe had to offer when we were cut from the world. Astral projections of the shield I held covered us from all sides, locking us in total darkness that burned with my nocturnal mes. They grew in intensity and fierceness, drowning out the divine fire that knew the vor of my blood. ¡°We¡¯re going to crash into the ground, you know. Does that not worry you? Suppose not, you foolish woman. It doesn¡¯t matter if I kill you here or out there. I¡¯ll still parade your corpse around like a fucking trophy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve killed so many that it became a blur. You must¡¯ve been especially pathetic. You were weak then, and you¡¯re weak now. I had more power than a god, and you will feel the extent of my tyranny.¡±


    I could feel it rampaging on the tip of my skin... I just needed to push a little more and burn a little hotter.


    ¡°Why should I be afraid of nothing, you pissant?!¡±


    Using [Gunde] again, my opponent cut the air in half, filling the empty void with mes that shot out towards me. I held up my shield and swatted them out of the way with [Shield Elemental Deflection]. They mmed into the shields keeping us locked in this prison of fire, but they continued to deflect. In fact, they wouldn¡¯t ever stop bouncing around this ce. When I closed the distance, it turned into a brutal melee that forced us to dodge the flying mes since they were both divine and covered in my [ck Fire].


    When we shed weapons, our respective mes roared, each trying to be the dominant element. It was a contest of not only strength but determination and ideals. My opponent stared into my eyes, but I gathered the blood in my mouth and spat it on her face. She was stunned long enough to get off a [Power Strike] to her head, which broke off one of those spectral horns that grew back a secondter. She was thrown against the prison¡¯s ming walls, yet I never heard the terrified screaming I expected.


    With a tyrannical smile that equaled mine, she tried to stand, but I wouldn¡¯t let her have the chance. I jumped over to her, continuing a ferocious assault with my mace and shield. A barrier of mes pushed me off her, pressing me into the prison¡¯s walls.


    It hurt...


    It hurt...


    ¡°AAAARRRAAAAGGHHHHHH!!!!¡± The mes surrounding the prison¡¯s walls gathered around me, which meant nothing prevented [Shield Prison] from melting. The shields keeping us trapped within vanished with the barrier, and we fell with more than 2,000 feet to go. The Essence of Wrath spread her wings, flew to me, and grabbed my neck. Then she set a course straight for the ground below, mming my head straight through Ichiha¡¯s shop. The mes from her body spread, incinerating the entire ce in seconds, yet she still lifted my body and mmed me back into the ground.


    In a swift motion, she transformed her weapon into my liege¡¯s favorite gun, pierced the bay through my heart, breaking through the weakened ck fire like nothing, and fired two dozen rounds straight through me.


    I was broken and battered, thest vestiges of my mes dying like a whimper. Surrounded by fire that should have had no equal, the Essence of Wrath stared down at me, the horns on her head growing more defined. Disapprovingly, she shook her head and turned her to my mace and shield. Lifting them up, she melted them.


    Those wings... They spread wide, the beginnings of a dozen magic circles being one of thest things I saw before it was agonizingly excruciating to open my eyes.


    Thest noise I heard was of her taking flight...


    I couldn¡¯t die here!


    I just couldn¡¯t!


    <i>I need the powers deserving of the Dark Lord of Tyranny...</i>


    <i>But I am the Dark Lord of Tyranny!</i>


    <i>Or was I?</i>


    She had the curse.


    I didn¡¯t.


    Did the curse make her the Dark Lord of Tyranny? Was her former power connected to it?


    The power I needed was dwelling inside me, yearning toe out and spread tyranny. It was on the cusp of my very tongue, yet it refused...


    That... That was it...


    ¡°I... I must give myself back to the old me... To be that tyrant once more. If you want me to destroy the world, then grant me the power to ughter my foes.¡±


    Why was I afraid of it? It was me, right? It was all for my liege... She was the wielder, and I was the weapon.


    Like it or not, the curse¡­granted me power¡­


    Power that I needed¡­to fulfill my liege¡¯s wishes¡­


    <i>Give me¡­the strength I need¡­to save her life¡­ I can¡¯t have her die¡­before me¡­ She must survive!!!</i>


    <b><i>New Skill: [Tyrannical Renewal]</i></b>


    That was but just one of the many skills returning to their rightful owner¡ªto the Dark Lord of Tyranny.

 Chapter Sixty-Three: Frigid Fury

    Chapter Sixty-Three: Frigid Fury


    ¡°SEKH!!!!!¡± Irisa attempted to run towards the zing heap she once called home, but her father picked her up like she was still a child and ran away to make some distance. He also had Erin other his other arm, and Primrose was carrying Niva. Ichiha followed close behind, but she kept looking back to the store, and the roar of the mes just raged even louder.


    ¡°It¡¯s all gone...¡± she whimpered, shedding a tear for the memories it held. Yes, some were bad, but ultimately, she spent the best years of her life in that shop.


    And that went for her daughters and husband.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s all been scorched to nothingness, just like my host wanted.¡± The Essence of Wrath suddenly appeared via a pir of mes, causing them to skid to a fearful halt.


    ¡°That¡¯s a lie!¡± Irisa said, stepping forward to face the frightening foe.


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t think it is. That chimera''s exact wishes were as follows... ¡®I could kill them? I could...burn it all? I could...destroy the world?¡¯¡± said the Essence of Wrath in a voice belonging to a certain High Elf.


    ¡°Just shut up, yeah? You¡¯re just twisting everything around to suit you. It¡¯s practically like your whole thing. You hide in waiting until your user needs you, then you say what they want to say so they can allow you into their soul,¡± Tilde pipped up, flying to face their fearsome opponent face to face. ¡°I¡¯ll admit the dirty trick you pulled managed to get one over by me, but¡ª"


    The Essence of Wrath just smiled, though. Upon snapping its fingers, it trapped the naughty fairy in a cube of divine mes...that did just about nothing. ¡°Uhh... This is harmless to me, dumbass. These mes are rather nice, though. Maybe I can use them to dry my ass after I shower? Look, go back inside before things turn dangerous, and maybe I can convince my Master to forgive you after she forgives me for keeping this hidden. Eh¡ªwhat are you doing?!?! AAAHHHHHhhhhh¡ª¡±


    Upon growing tired of the fairy''s endless bullshitting, the Essence of Wrath shook the cube of mes and carelessly tossed it behind. ¡°Which of you wants to die first? The pathetic whore? The debaucherous father? The child born of rape? All miserable existences that deserve to burn forever in my divine immtion.¡± It lifted a hand to the sky and used the spell [me Impact] to shoot up fourrge sts of fire, which then mmed into the nearby buildings, creating an area of imprable mes that only it could escape from. ¡°Everything the Dark Lord holds dear will perish from this world. I¡¯ll taunt her reincarnations with your scorched corpses.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t let a monster like youy a single hand on my summoner!¡± Primrose eximed. She stepped forward, creating a staff from her limbs as she held it high. A magic circle appeared above her enemy, and vines descended to restrain her, but the moment they appeared was when they died. ¡°[Razor Wind]! [Razor Wind]! [Razor Wind]! [Razor Wind]! [Razor Wind]! [Razor Wind]!!!!!!¡± Primrose directed the sharp, invisible wind des like a maestro to kill her opponent, but it was too weak. And after exhausting her mana, she drained Niva to the point where she couldn¡¯t remain standing. And all the Essence of Wrath could do wasugh at their attempts.


    "I will never understand why the Dark Lord of Tyranny ever subjected herself to your undeserving attention. You, the oni. You think you can fare any better?¡±


    Kokan bit his lips and looked back at his wife and daughters. Irisa dauntlessly stood to protect her half-sister, whose ears had folded on her head and tail wrapped around her waist. Kokan couldn¡¯t deny that he was scared. Frightened, even. What could he do against someone Sekh couldn¡¯t scratch? And she was a Dark Lord.


    <i>No, Sekh isn¡¯t dead!</i>


    ¡°M, you must fight it!! Regain control! Put that awful thing away for good!! Sekh! I know you¡¯re alive!!!!!¡± Kokan shouted, having no choice but to appeal to the possessed chimera. Even if he was above Lv. 60, the father couldn¡¯t stand a candle against the fearsome foe threatening to kill him.


    But that didn¡¯t mean he wouldn¡¯t put his life on the line to save those he loved. He was ready to make the ultimate sacrifice as he stepped in front of everyone and took a hand-to-hand stance.


    If his death meant his loved ones would live even a second longer, he thought it was worth it.


    Everyone else started to call M¡¯s and Sekh¡¯s names, begging and pleading with them to wake up.


    ¡°The chimera known as M is dead! She doesn''t exist. The Dark Lord of Tyranny has fallen at my hands! I''M THE STRONGEST! NO ONE CAN MATCH MY POWER!!¡± The Essence of Wrath faced its palms to the sun and focused. It almost looked like the sun was glowing more than usual. What started as a small ming sphere above its hands soon grew at an unfathomable pace as the Essence of Wrath used a spell called [Sunfire Apocalypse], which was a powerful attack with the same properties as the very sun that granted warmth and life. At its apex, the spell was a ming ball of destruction three miles in size, hovering ten miles above its wielder. It gave off enough heat that anyone within fifteen miles felt their skin blister and burn, and all who looked upon the center mass from fifty miles felt their retinas burn.


    The Essence of Wrath did not intend to end the world. This spell was just a way for it to celebrate its victory. It would shoot up into the sky and burst apart like a firework, sending hell mes spewing to the farthest reaches of the western continent.


    The Essence of Wrath nned to take full advantage of [Hermes Trismegistus] to index the world while remaining hidden with [Status Cloak]-- one of the most powerful things the Essence of Wrath had ever encountered. With it, no one could detect who it really was, which meant there was no chance of any Holy or Dark Lords searching it out to reseal it within its skill. And with the power of a chimera, its growth had no limit.


    Every 100 years, the Essence of Wrath nned to scan the world for the Dark Lord of Tyranny¡¯s reincarnation and stalk her like prey, destroying anything she held dear before the curse came to im her life as its ything. Then when the memories came back, they would torture her with proof of this failure by disying the charred corpses of the only people the Dark Lord of Tyranny had ever loved.


    The Essence of Wrath wanted to devote the rest of its time to making the Dark Lord of Tyranny¡¯s life a living hell, even if it meant continuing until the natural heat death of the universe.


    It was impossible to overestimate how much hatred the Essence of Wrath nurtured after itsst loss. You could say it was a fanatical obsession bordering on something grotesque.


    Niva was blessed in that she couldn¡¯t see the impending death. Primrose leaked sap from her eyes and turned away, choosing to spend her final moments embracing her summoner, even if it was for selfish reasons. Irisa, Erin, and their parents somberly looked at each other. Many regrets passed through their minds. The time they should have spent with the other was instead given to hate, and that couldn¡¯t be taken back.


    But now? In their final moments?


    They would defend and embrace each other. Kokan stood in front, his back facing towards the apocalypse. Hisrge, great body took the brunt of the heat. His wife stood near him, one arm around her husband¡¯s side while reaching out for Irisa, who joined next. She rushed over with Erin, and the newly rejoined family shared tears, promising they would find each other and continue to be a family in the next life.


    The onis carried an innate resistance towards heat, but would that be enough to protect them from fatal harm if they emerged alive from this terrible situation?


    The Essence of Wrath simply stared while channeling the spell. However, the ming sphere of mass destruction was unstable. It wobbled, unable to maintain its gross size without much strain. The spirit was caught off guard by theck of proper bnce that it couldn''t keep it steady. Yes, the Essence of Wrath had far more mana than most others, yet it couldn¡¯t ess it. A terrible amount of stress was being ced on her host¡¯s body. If the spirit used the host¡¯s ability to create clones and devour the ones it had already killed, the mana drain wouldn''t surpass the mana regeneration.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if I can¡¯t celebrate this victory... I¡¯ve already won... I¡¯ll-- What...is that?¡± whispered the spirit. It stared at the house masquerading as Sekh¡¯s grave and wondered why there was such a collection of Dark Mana. Why was it gathering in a single point? And why was it increasing in strength?


    The Essence of Wrath knew its opponent was dead. After all, it left her surrounded by mes of divine origin after piercing her heart.


    And then the mana exploded, shooting straight up in a cylinder as a single person ascended.


    She was a Lionfolk with light gray skin, ck fur, a tail the color of straight darkness, and the brightest silver eyes anyone had ever seen. Slowly, they opened, but what carried on her face wasn¡¯t regret or anger.


    No, it was the purest form of tyrannical tidings, here to spread it to her enemies.


    <hr>


    From the pir of Dark Mana, I stared at the sorry sight. That wretched spirit thought her mes to be so superior that she used something she thought was strong to kill those cowering before her.


    No.


    I wouldn¡¯t allow it. Even if my MP was currently zero, it fed off the fear of those before me. That was just a perk of my [Dark Lord of Tyranny] title called [Power From Fear (Lv. 1)]. Just the sight of my reformed, healed body scared her enough to jump me to 13%.


    <i>It¡¯s about time I started regaining my power.I will bear whatever the cost.</i>


    That was all I needed.


    ¡°This is getting interesting!¡± shouted my opponent. She used that obese, city-wide ming sphere as a resource to shoot smaller destructive orbs at me.


    They were slow. That pissant probably couldn¡¯t sustain the gross amount of mana required to keep something of that caliber stable.


    ck mes wrapped around my arms, and I swatted them, sending them scattering to the city''s far reaches. The ground trembled each time one made contact, leaving behind a crater dozens of feet wide. This was a game to my enemy. Laughter flowed as the rate of attacks increased until the irritation proved palpable. Scorn shed across her face, and she used both hands to direct the destructive spell towards me. It had shrunk considerably by about 70% from the wayward, listless, pathetic attempts to take my life and the inability to maintain the exhaustive spell.


    ¡°[ck Fire: me Rejection!]¡± I raised my hand and targeted the city-wide sphere. It was my mana versus my opponent¡¯s. We battled for control over the attack, pushing and shoving on both sides.


    Her horns grew more defined, curling in a spiral, but I fought back. I gave my everything because I wanted to drown that pathetic waste in its mes¡­


    But that didn¡¯t happen. Our opposing forces send the massive attack spiraling in a random direction at a ridiculous speed.


    No¡­


    I knew what resided that way.


    ¡°No! That¡¯s where¡ª LORD AETOS!!!!!¡± Primrose jumped to her feet and shouted the name of my old foe. Even from three days away, the destructive attack was as visible as ck ink against white cotton. ¡°LORD AETOS!!!!!!!!¡± she continued to cry. I thought this to be the end of that quaint vige¡­


    But no.


    Moments before the attack mmed into the bounded field, the protective barrier shattered like ss. Fragments of condensed mana littered the ground, revealing what it kept secret. The Eagle Yew suddenly appeared, piercing the sky like a stake in the¡¯s core. It shimmered white, the entire tree glowing while seemingly cutting a massive hole in the fabric of space. From the gaping portal emerged Aetos in his spiritual form. His wings pped hard enough for the breeze to be felt across this great distance.


    The eagle was four timesrger than thest time I saw him.


    Screeching, Aetos pped his wings and channeled magic circles, charging mana, which he directed into a gargantuan beam of emerald-colored spirit energy. It mmed into the forting destruction, but the divine mes spiraled around the attack and started to scorch the great eagle.


    ¡°LORD AETOS!!!!!¡± Primrose was hysterical. Seeing the cornerstone of her world lit aze affected her. Her current obligation was to protect her Master, yet that didn¡¯t mean she forgone any internal feelings for the one that granted her life. If Aetos wasn¡¯t here, Primrose would be nothing.


    Yet the eagle¡¯s cries never reached us. His desire to protect his new home eclipsed the pain he felt from mes he¡¯d never encountered. But the eagle surged the full potential of his body, glowing even brighter as the light faded, sending out another powerful, forceful beam. It was enough to send the Essence of Wrath¡¯s attack back to her at triple the speed it traveled, and I hijacked control over it to fill it with [ck Fire].


    ¡°You goddamn eagle! You¡¯ll be the next to die!¡±


    ¡°[ck Fire: me Launch!]¡± I shouted, stomping the ground and sending pitch-ck mes through the ground. It snaked towards the spot under my foe, then broke through the soil. My opponent didn¡¯t have time to yelp in surprise as she was flung towards the iing strike.


    ¡°Now die.¡± I formed a fist, copsing the gigantic fireball, filled with Aetos¡¯s naturalistic magic and my mes, onto itself. It folded like a pancake¡ªonce, twice, thrice. The more I squeezed, the more the sphere of deadly fire crushed that foolish bitch who thought she could get the better of me. A final fist self-destructed the spell, sending plumes of fiery meteors towards the ground.


    At the same time, I raced towards those I¡¯de to care for. I made it just in time to put up another wall of nocturnal mes to protect us from [Sunfire Apocalypse]¡¯s falling explosions. The remaining buildings crumbled from the force, the earth shaking as if the was convulsing.


    But I wasn¡¯t afraid. Irisa called my name, but I just gave her a look before rushing through the barrier with [ck Fire: Explosive Lance] on the tip of my tongue. Casting it caused a dozen cknces to appear, encircling the dazed opponent.


    In the corner of my sight, I saw an injured Aetos circle his tree. He flew unsteady, having just one wing to support his body, but hetched onto an unbelievably thick branch and roosted.


    He looked this way.


    Dozens of miles separated us, but he stared directly at me.


    Those eyes¡­ I¡¯d crossed them many times in our dozens of shes¡­ And they remained sturdy and headfast. Any glimpse of fear or pain?


    No, there was none. He was but a mere specter in <i>my</i> fight.


    The ck, mingnces mmed the Essence of Wrath from above, throwing her into the ground. She bounced about a dozen feet into the air. I wrapped my feet in protective fire and used [ck Fire: me Pir] to soar into the sky.


    ¡°What?!?!¡± Her face was full of fright. I grabbed the bitch by the throat and punched her in the stomach, not caring that my knuckles were burnt ck with each strike. We dueled in the air, falling to the hard ground, slightly molten by the me magic we used. But that didn¡¯t stop us from resuming the fight when we got to our feet. She used her divine sword of mes while I used a mace of dark fire.


    There wasn¡¯t even a need for a shield.


    It was a ferocious sh of two separate ideals, one of revenge and one of protection. The fear I¡¯d been siphoning from my opponent slowed to a crawl, but I continued to use more extravagant skills like [ck Fire: Serpent Bite] to morph the mes covering my body into the head of a snake, which slithered down my leg and attached to the spirit¡¯s feet.


    That effortlessly allowed me to chain into another [Power Strike], which I used twice with two maces, assembled of solidified [ck Fire] in both hands to crack her horns.


    [Relentless Combo] kicked in, guiding my body into a dance of devastation that ended with me breaking the obsidian covering her chest. She was thrown back to the hard ground, ¡®blood¡¯ in the form of fire leaking out at an rming rate.


    ¡°This is still nothing!¡± roared the spirit. Her wings pped hard, sending down a plume of me as she ascended. Patently, I waited. The fire dancing across my fingertips yearned to be givenmands in the form of a spell.


    But then my opponent descended, the mes flowing from her wings vanishing as shended. With her eyes focused, she took a deep breath as everything rted to her element disappeared, leaving my liege as naked as the day I created her body.


    ¡°The air... Why is it getting colder?¡± I demanded, looking around while staring at my breath as the raging mes faded. The entity possessing my liege held out her arms as her head was adorned with ethereal blue horns. On her arms and legs sat pristine azure scales. She had a dragon-like tail of ice swooshing behind her. In her previous form, her body had been covered in pure mes with dark obsidian acting as the armor. But in this case...


    A hooded cloak of dark blue mist hung off her back, snowkes dripping down like water from a wet cloth. She was protected by ice blue te armor that was revealing in the stomach and thighs, yet what wasn¡¯t guarded was clothed by a skintight covering of transparent pale ice. Her hair was as blue as the deepest sapphire, looking like frigid ice flowing in ce.


    The form of fire reminded me of the pure destructive instinct of a dragon, but this? It was more elegant than fearsome, more noble than full of brawn.


    ¡°This form... It¡¯s one I designed to specifically counter your mes. The opposite of a fiery wrath is a cold, frigid fury¡ªyou could say they¡¯re close enough to be siblings-- two sides of the same coin... And it¡¯s my right to rule over both. Aetos? That eagle shall know death a second time once I¡¯m finished with you,¡± spoke my opponent. Her voice wasn¡¯t distorted or demonic, but neither did it sound like my liege. It was unassumingly t and distant. Ice gathered around her hands, morphing into two icy pistols with rapiers attached to the barrel to act as bays.


    A simple swing of them across the ground sent a dozen pirs of ice scattering towards me. Something didn¡¯t feel right, so I jumped out of the way and recovered into a roll. Upon getting to my feet, I used [ck Fire: Homing Bolt] to shoot a dozen fire arrows into the sky that locked onto my opponent. I didn¡¯t have time to look because [Danger Sense] rmed my mind. These instincts honed over a hundred lifetimes served me well in my continued survival.


    ¡°These mes? How I used to long for them,¡± she said, shooting them out of the sky with expert uracy. They froze to solid ice and mmed into the arctic battlefield. I turned to face her, her expression unassumingly rigid and non-moving. Summoning a mace made of nocturnal mes, I raced forward to engage her inbat. She waited with her guns aimed towards me. Two gunshotster, the ground rumbled below me, and the air shuffled above me. A dozen mystical ice arrows flew like demons from all around me.


    It was nothing a couple of me pirs couldn''t handle.


    When the ground rumbled from my skills, I dove ahead with my ming mace, ready to strike her across the chest. I made impact, but she jumped back to avoid the damage. Recovering to my feet, I used [ck Fire: Serpent Bite] a second time to slow her down, then finally managed to cross weapons with her. She ducked low as I went high, piercing my shoulder with a hasty thrust, but the fire surrounding my body traveled to her armament. She shook it off when I swept her leg. She rolled and shot the ground to create a pir that elerated her kick towards my shin.


    It was a battle with no restraints, with both of us trying to gain the upper hand. We each sent the other through the scant remaining buildings, scatting across the ground, leaving a trail of ice and fire in our wake. My foe took to the skies and shot icicles that melted before even reaching me. The dripping water then froze, but a quick burst of shadowy mes freed me.


    <i>She¡¯s sharper¡­ Her actions have far fewer wasted movements¡­ How annoying¡­ How utterly annoying...</i>


    This continued for a few minutes until she suddenly switched to fire mode and pped, using [Scorching Soundwave] to throw me back. The ice below us evaporated, causing a watery mist to block my view. Something felt fishy, so I rushed forward to find my opponent looking at Irisa and the others. They couldn¡¯t move because a ring of divine mes trapped them.


    Even worse, my enemy channeled a wave of mes in her clenched palms¡­


    ¡°Don¡¯t!!!¡± I shouted, feeling lethargic since my MP wasn¡¯t refilling. The fight had gone on for too long. After transforming into ice mode, the Essence of Wrath was no longer afraid.


    But I wasn¡¯t about to give up. The pit of my tyrannical madness knew no bounds.


    However, it was a trap. Upon jumping in front of the wave of mes and knocking it away, the Essence of Wrath switched forms and used [Frozen Prison] to encase me in a reinforced block of ice after freezing her mes.


    There was just enough room for my body, but I was surrounded by four feet of reinforced ice on all sides.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t what I wanted,¡± said the spirit. ¡°Truly, I felt an ounce of your strength when you emerged from the building¡¯s ruins. You were attacking non-stop... Like I was still in the past. But no, your mes are too weak to break free from this rather average attack. You have more left to give, Dark Lord. To prove I¡¯m stronger, I wanted to kill you at the peak of your power to prove my superiority, but I will not wait for that day toe...¡±


    My opponent narrowed her eyes, then looked at the others trapped within the me ring. It shrunk a fraction of an inch with every second. ¡°The real you wouldn¡¯t have such sorry things as emotional attachments. My host wants the world to burn, but freezing to death is so simr that she wouldn¡¯t mind it. But I have no ns to do either of those. My only wish is to see you suffer until this world reaches a natural conclusion. Even if it means killing you a thousand more times, I will have nothing more enjoyable to do. But while we wait for those trapped in the ring to die, I will use your power against you.¡±


    The Essence of Wrath slowly raised a hand towards me and smiled a crooked grin, light blue snowkes dropping from her azure horns. ¡°I¡ªTranscendent Dark Lordmand the Dark Lord of Tyranny to endure the true extent of anguish from that which binds her. Feel thebined terror you¡¯ve inflicted on your countless victims over your pathetic existence!¡±


    <hr>


    The Essence of Wrath crossed her arms and began to watch the chaos that was the true despair of [Tyranny Control]. It was specially constructed to cause the most unbearable pain via means that could not be guarded or protected. To those who suffered from it, the vivid agony was much like a nightmare being given a physical form. Any wayward memories of the punishment would be met with heretical screaming and cries of insanity.


    Unique to it, the punishmentmand was not usually capable of killing unless the order specified death. When one enved by it came close to perishing from the wounds inflicted by the terrible skill, the ve would be temporarily healed, but this healing was a false promise of broken dreams that wished for a better world. It was a fa?ade of tyranny¡ªpartly why it was named that¡ªbecause the pain would be doubled when this new flesh fell to the same fate.


    The body would take on this pseudo-healing again. This time, the pain, agony, and gruesomeness would triple. And the longer this cycle continued, the more the damage multiplier would grow.


    But¡­


    Nothing of the sort happened. The Essence of Wrath had been watching for thirty seconds¡ªmore than enough time for the strongest to have dropped to their feet and beg for death. But their target was merely standing in the icy prison with a clear and nk expression on their face.


    ¡°What the hell? I know it¡¯s working! Imand you to suffer more! Feel thebined anguish of all those you have ever used this treacherous technique on! Imand you in the name of the Transcendent Dark Lord!!!¡± The Essence of Wrath thrust out its hand again.


    Nothing discernible happened.


    It did the same thing multiple times, expecting the situation to be different.


    Well, it defiled all the Essence of Wrath had ever seen.


    It was mind-boggling since it felt that themands were being sent. It even said as much in its activity log.


    ¡°STOP LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT!!! WHY AREN¡¯T YOU BEGGING FOR DEATH?!?!¡±


    Truth be told, themand given by the Essence of Wrath<i>was</i>working. Every passing second, Sekh felt the fury of a thousand stars exploding in her heart, feeling the weight of a trillion daggers y her alive.


    However, she activated [Tyrannical Renewal] dozens of times per second, granting her a false form of immortality at the fatal cost of ensuring her death once this fight was over. The skill healed the user to full health at the cost of taking four times the amount of harm healed in the form of recoil damage. And each additional use of the technique in the same time frame meant the recoil multiplier would increase additionally.


    That was why there was no visual reference to what was happening.


    Sekh knew what the stakes were. If it was for her liege, there was nothing she wouldn¡¯t do to ascertain her safety and prosperity¡­


    Even if it meant her death. Because, win or lose, the damage being staved off woulde back with a vengeance she hadn¡¯t ever felt before in any of her lives.


    [Power From Fear] worked overtime, feasting off the consternation that the Essence of Wrath couldn¡¯t hide. The amount of mana Sekh gained was almost gross to everything she had spent since the start of this fight.


    But it wasn¡¯t over¡­


    Oh, it was nowhere close to being over.


    The moment her icy prison started to weaken from the ineptitude of its conjurer to sustain it, the Dark Lord of Tyranny did something she had never even thought of doing. Her prior lives wouldn¡¯t have been able to conceive the thought of ever being put into this type of situation.


    <em><span ss="TextRun SCXW59920764 BCX0"ng="en-us" xmlng="en-us"><span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW59920764 BCX0">I was a fool to only allow in a modicum of the curse... If <span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW59920764 BCX0">it¡¯s<span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW59920764 BCX0"> to protect my liege...</em>


    ¡°Fine! If you don¡¯t want to let me see you suffer, I¡¯ll do this! I decree the previous orders be dispelled. And in its ce, I demand you remove your head¡ª"


    ¡°As the Dark Lord of Tyranny, Imand myself to¡­to burn this life with the curse that binds me to eternal damnation¡­and grant me the power I rightly deserve¡­to win this battle at any cost¡­¡± she said in a simple enough voice, using her own Divine Armament to enve herself to destiny. The coldness of reality sliced the Essence of Wrath¡¯s determination into a thousand pieces. It couldn''t finish its sentence that would all but assuredly end this battle in its favor.


    But for the Dark Lord of Tyranny¡­fate had just one destiny in mind¡­


    After all, if she knew she would perish by the time this fight ended, and if her fate was to be reborn with the full might of the curse intact¡­


    Did it not make enough sense to use the full power of the curse at the very moment when the Dark Lord of Tyranny knew she wouldn¡¯t be alive long enough to cause any fatal harm to those that she hade to love, cherish, and protect?

 Chapter Sixty-Four: Will You Remember Me? (Arc 3 – End)

    Chapter Sixty-Four: Will You Remember Me? (Arc 3 ¨C End)


    The Essence of Wrath felt anxiousness burrow a hole through its heart. The soul of the girl it possessed was forced to watch everything while in a state of something like pleasure. Her mind was flooded with dopamine as the rush of power swallowed her whole. It numbed what she saw through eyes filled with the purest wrath known to man.


    But the Essence of Wrath made a mistake, sprouted from her ineptitude in love. It believed its overwhelming power was enough to bring an end to its most hated foe. And when using the same cruel skill that enabled the Dark Lord of Tyranny to grow so powerful in the first ce?


    The Essence of Wrath¡¯s victory should have been assured.


    But no.


    When Sekh used her power to burn the rest of her life to the curse in exchange for power, the woman she hade to love more than anything was finally roused awake by abination of Sekh¡¯s willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice and her own ego screaming at her weakness.


    The Essence of Wrath''s hold on the situation slipped through its fingers rapidly.


    Suddenly, the air felt thick and heavy. Immense pressure took the breath away from anyone still breathing. With the air caught in its lungs, the Essence of Wrath saw an unholy amount of Dark Mana collecting inside the ice prison. In just seconds, it was entirely ck, and she couldn¡¯t see inside. Then the wind began to pick up, extinguishing the ring of mes that threatened to burn Irisa and the others. The oni, her friends, and her family rushed to safety behind the rubble of a building. Even though the Essence of Wrath saw them, it refused to take her eyes away from its target. Above, the burning clouds were put out, and they gathered overhead to block out the sun.


    It was an ominous disy of power that only grew more awesome when rampaging crimson lightning roared without cause, striking at just a single point.


    That point, of course, was the frozen prison currently restraining the Dark Lord of Tyranny.


    But the lightning?


    It was fire.


    And then it was ice.


    Both shed down without prejudice, each intense strike etching off more ice than thest until there was just the smallest gap. The Dark Mana building up pressure and intensity exploded, sending ice everywhere as the excess mana shot into the sky.


    The Essence of Wrath was in awe as it watched the clouds¡­


    And it wasn¡¯t the only one¡­ The feeling of such over-oppressive mana managed to reach the one that was not supposed to be there, elerating the Dark Lord of Tyranny''s reawakening.


    ¡°[Abyssal Iceme: Cloud Fall].¡± Suddenly, it heard footsteps and a voice, and the Essence of Wrath tried to pierce the Dark Mana clouding its foe. The spirit summoned its icy pistols and prepared to fight¡ªit was too tongue-tied by fear to even risk speaking in the face of pure power. An ufortable sense told it to look to the sky.


    The very clouds the Essence of Wrath had once set aze were falling because they had all be enshrouded in ice. The color drained from its face slightly when, a momentter, the ground started to shake from the tumultuous crashing into the surface. The spirit was temporarily thrown to its back, and that was when it saw her terrible form. She still had those silver eyes, yet her irises were slightly tinted blue and red. The fur that used to be on her arms and legs was burnt by this newfound power, but in their ce sat an azure pair of ming bracers and greaves. Somehow, her hair had turned a darker shade of ck.


    And she had this horrible, oppressive aura sping around her soul...


    She was naked, but that all changed when she used [Abyssal Iceme: Body Armor] to cloak and cover herself in mes and ice that mimicked the armor from an ancient forgotten kingdom. The Dark Mana still surged around her, and she looked down at the Essence of Wrath like it was the purest form of trash.


    ¡°Disgusting,¡± she said, her tone sounding more tyrannical. ¡°[Abyssal Iceme: Executioner''s Impalement].¡±


    <hr>


    A dozen spikes of ice and fire violently burst from the ground, piercing the foolish enemy through her limbs and chest. That ice armor cloaking her body was like wet paper to [Abyssal Iceme], the evolved form of [ck Fire]. A powerful upgrade, to be sure, but this wasn¡¯t its final form.


    <i>Even giving the rest of this life isn¡¯t enough to bring me back to the peak of my power¡­ Without my mace, I¡¯m iplete... It was a mistake to use pour my strength into it and use it as a catalyst to enhance my might. I¡¯ll never be as strong as I once was if I don¡¯t reacquire it. </i>


    A jolly grin spread across the Essence of Wrath¡¯s face as she failed to free herself after reverting to her me mode. ¡°I knew it! I knew you were holding back. This is even grander than when west fought a millennia ago!!! This is what I wanted!!! Come at me, Dark Lord, let us¡ª¡±


    ¡°Are you under the perception that I¡¯m stronger now than I was our match a thousand years ago?¡± I asked, cutting her off. It took a second for the realization to happen, and I saw my mana regenerate all the way.


    She wasn¡¯t just scared; she was terrified out of her goddamn mind.


    ¡°You¡¯re far weaker now than you were back then. [Abyssal Iceme]? It isn¡¯t what I used to kill you before. It¡¯s weaker and less versatile whenpared to the power I wielded during our fight. I didn¡¯t even have to use my ice to extinguish your pathetic mes. You spent a thousand years preparing for nothing because I could counter everything you could throw at me.¡± I took another step, using [Abyssal Iceme: Void sh]. That spell wrapped my arms in total darkness, and upon slicing towards her, it let loose a paradoxical cold me that passed through her body. It was ethereal in nature, yet it obliterated an opponent''s inside. Her beautiful cries filled me with even more mana.


    I could get drunk off her fears. Oh! How nostalgic this felt!


    ¡°[Abyssal Iceme: Chaotic Icicle]!¡± I said, taking another step. A magic circle appeared above her and rained down a frozen icicle, aze with abyssal mes that were far more than what this ignorant, petnt fool, who believed she could take over my liege, could handle.


    ¡°[Abyssal Iceme: Azure Vortex].¡± I took another step and watched as she was enclosed within a cyclone of sharp ice that pricked off even more of her mes and obsidian-like armor.


    ¡°[Abyssal Iceme: Crystal Maiden].¡± I took another step. A blue iron maiden appeared from the ground. Tentacles of fireshed out when it opened, revealing a thousand spikes of the darkest mes I could produce.


    ¡°This is impossible!!!!! HOW DO YOU HAVE SO MUCH MANA!?!?! AAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!¡± Her shrill voice was silenced when the iron maiden closed. It floated upwards, where it exploded. The ice fragments shimmered like crystals in the mes and sunlight, dazzling all who saw them. The battered, broken body mmed into the ground, but I used [Abyssal Iceme: Frozen Axe] to create a floating axe thrice my size and used it to vertically slice my opponent in two.


    The two halves of her body sickeninglynded on another set of [Abyssal Iceme: Executioner¡¯s Impalement]. Both sides breathed in agony before I allowed them to reconnect via ming, fleshy tendrils.


    ¡°You¡¯re...going...to...kill...her...!¡± the Essence of Wrath spat out amid the agony.


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t,¡± I replied, taking another step and using [Abyssal Iceme: Azure Javelin] to create a spear of fire that glowed blue in my hands. I threw it high in the sky, then watched as it multiplied into three dozen that all rained down upon my enemy.


    Her blood was the fire making up her body, and there was so much below her. I kept up my brutal assault until I had reduced her to tears.


    ¡°Essence of Wrath? What a fucking joke. You. Will. Never. Be. Stronger. Than. Me. You do not know the horror the curse brings¡ªhow I¡¯ve been forced to y its demands like a puppet. A pissant like yourself can''t even begin topare to feel what I''ve felt over my entire existence.¡± I grabbed her face and moved my icemes to my left hand, burning and freezing her every other second, melting and crumbling her skin.


    ¡°AAAAAHHHHHHH STOP IT!!!! STOP IT!!! STOP IT STOP!!!!!!¡± Her fearful cries supercharged my mana even more, and I gripped her head hard enough to pierce through her thick fucking skill. Then, I threw her down, letting her moan and whimper in a beating she brought about herself.


    ¡°You¡¯ll never be anything more than a skill¡ªgo back to being a ve. Run back to your hiding hole, cry alone in your pit of weakness after knowing you¡¯ll never get the better of me. The Dark Lord of Tyrannymands you to return my liege to me. [Abyssal Iceme: Iceme Pride].¡± My mes gathered on the nails on my right hand. When I held it out, the mes danced to the ground, each taking the shape of a ferocious lion. Their bodies were cker than the night sky, but their ming manes were as cool as ice. Orbs of volcanic-like mes became their eyes, and they all bowed their heads at me. Out of the five, one towered above the others, standing about eight feet tall.


    That was the leader of the pride¡ªthemander¡ªand I was their Dark Lord of Tyranny.


    ¡°Make that petnt fool regret everything. I desire to use [Tyranny Control] to force you to feel just a fragment of the curse¡¯s torment, but it¡¯ll remain attached to my liege¡¯s soul, which lingers in her Divine Skill, and on her body. And I cannot have that. Instead, I¡¯ll make you suffer this way.¡± The five lions roared, stood, and turned their deadly gaze to the cowering pissant. Fire coated with Dark Manabegan to gather when they opened their mouths.¡°It¡¯s a shame this won¡¯t hurt nearly as much.¡±


    ¡°FUCKING STOP IT!!! STOP IT!!!!!!! I DON¡¯T-- AAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!¡±


    Five beams of deadly congrations shot towards the Essence of Wrath. The skill was called [Iceme Pride: Pentagon Incineration]. ¡°Beg for death, you pile of shit. Beg for it... I want to see it.¡± It was like watching the force of five volcanoes erupt at once. No matter what they did, my opponent couldn¡¯t escape until my lions drained my mana or I called off the attack.


    And my mana hadn¡¯t moved an inch. This fool¡¯s fear was <i>delicious</i>. At the rate this was going, I¡¯d never run out.


    Regaining this stepping stone on my path to my [Purgatorial Thermokinesis] reminded me of when I first acquired [Abyssal Iceme]. These lions were a type of autonomous self-defense skill designed to protect me and those I cared about, but I could order them to fight with me and appear even in times of peace.


    But in the past, I didn¡¯t care about myself. Nor did I have any room for love because the curse flooded even the tiniest gaps with the purest hatred imaginable. They were useless to me and never saw the light of day.


    Things were different.


    I could finally call upon their full power. They were like spirits without being spirits. If they died, they perished for good. There was no core for them to regenerate from. When simplified, they were the excess mana left over from [ck Fire]¡¯s evolutiongiven physical form. A type of unique existence that probably wouldn¡¯t be replicated by anyone else.


    <i>And they¡¯re about to die again...</i>


    When I heard begging, I snapped my fingers. The lions mped their mouths and ended the skill. The worthless entitynded with an equally pathetic sound. At first, she was immobile, but she suddenly groaned and clutched those horns on her head. With a heart-wrenching yell, she snapped off those horns and stood up. Her hands frantically went to those wings and tail, which she plucked off with great agony.


    ¡°RRAAAHHHHH!!!!¡± Another primal roar escaped her mouth. The ming clothing and armor torturously separated from her body. The collected energy floated to the sky before turning into mana and jabbing her through the heart.


    I waited with bated breath to see if there were any more surprises, but nothing happened. My liege fell to her knees, totally exhausted, and copsed to her side.


    ¡°This nightmare is finally over, huh?¡± I looked towards the voice and saw Tilde flying over. She was trapped in a cube of mes, but the Essence of Wrath¡¯s retreat freed her. ¡°Hey, cool lions. Never knew you could do that. Those aren¡¯t spirits, are they? Hmm... Eh, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s over.¡± I canceled the mes acting like my armor. Tilde reached inside my liege¡¯s [Storage] and retrieved a spare tunic that I promptly put on. Then she took out a robe, and after dressing my liege and wrapping her tightly, I gently picked her up and walked over to Irisa. She was peeking her eyes out from behind a building. She saw the fight was over, then quickly rushed out with her family, Lei, Niva, and Primrose.


    The burns on her and her family¡¯s bodies did not escape my gaze. Niva was unscathed, but Primrose¡¯s wooden body was charred. It seemed like she took the full brunt of the attack to save her summoner from the same fate as the onis.


    [Sunfire Apocalypse] took its toll on the rest. It took only minutes, but she and her family had blisters on their faces and arms, and their legs weren¡¯t spared the indirect attack.


    ¡°¡­ Shit, I don¡¯t have anything to say. I watched the fight, you know. By my calctions, you used [Tyrannical Renewal] over a thousand times. You¡¯re going to die. I give you a handful of minutes before¡­before it happens.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the Dark Lord of Tyranny. An existence that will never truly fade from this world. I¡¯ll be born anew in a century or two. This isn¡¯t my true end.¡±


    ¡°Hmm... Haven¡¯t heard you speak like that in 1,000 years. But damn¡­ I failed her. I¡¯ve fucked up before, but it¡¯s never been as bad as this. I won¡¯t be surprised if she never forgives me. Maybe that¡¯s what I deserve¡­ But I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll have a chance. Something is happening with our liege¡¯s soul. I think my reincarnation process is proceeding way ahead of schedule. Maybe that¡¯s for the best. I can¡¯t bear to see her disappointment in me. My heart can¡¯t take her disapproving gaze. But¡­that¡¯s the coward¡¯s way out. Guess I¡¯m nothing but one, right?


    ¡°The fault does not solely belong with you. We both failed our liege today¡ªin more ways than one. Tilde?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± The fairy flew beside me, but stopped when she couldn¡¯t hear my footsteps.


    ¡°This¡­is my end,¡± I replied. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything left either... I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able¡­to stand in a few¡­seconds¡­¡±


    The five lions gathered around me, all looking at me with unreadable expressions.


    Everything hurt¡­


    It was getting harder to see and stand. Blood poured out of my eyes, nose, and ears. It leaked from the cuts and wounds that spontaneously appeared. It was like the Scorch Giants were hammering ming nails into my knees. With each second, more strain came over my entire body.


    This was the recoiling back to haunt me. Every wound I suffered from the previous battle was multiplied by a factor of four plus however many times I used the skill. The gunshots? My stomach and chest looked like someone had stabbed me thirty times and carved holes that pierced through my heart and out of my back. The most blood I¡¯d ever let flow out of me dampened the sorrowful ground in so much crimson¡­ Everything¡­started to feel heavy¡­ I spat blood and felt my intestines slither through the wounds on my abdomen. Crimson tinted my eyes and clotted my throat.


    It felt like a raging inferno was destroying my esophagus.


    The strength in my legs gave out, and I tumbled back, slipping on the bloody ground.


    Four of the five lions sat, roared, and turned into living mes, which flowed back into me to grant a boost of strength to dy the inevitable. Thergest one remained standing and quiet.


    These arms of mine refused to let my liege go. But the ability to hold her?


    To protect her?


    To¡­


    It took all I had to set her gently on the ground before my body started to fade away. The skin I had left quivered in the breeze, separating from my body. Thest vestiges of my life were burning¡ªeverything ¡®Sekh¡¯ had to offer was willingly given to the curse for the sake of getting the power to save my liege. It wasing to collect my life as proper payment.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to forget her¡­ I don¡¯t want to¡­die.¡± My voice was scratchy and smokey from the ongoing damage to my vocal cords.


    ¡°No one wants to die. Not if it means leaving behind the ones they love.¡± She sat beside me and put a hand on my knee.


    ¡°Just¡­say this life had meaning¡­ Even if it¡¯s a lie, I¡­want to know that¡­I finally did something¡­worthwhile¡­ Something¡­to be¡­proud of¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, it did. It had more meaning than you would ever believe.¡±


    ¡°Will I get¡­to see you again? I think¡­I might actually¡­miss you¡­¡±


    Tilde sniffled, holding back emotion while trying to smile for the future. ¡°We¡¯ll meet again, little Miss Tyranny. But look, it¡¯s time for me to go. I can¡¯t put off my reincarnation any longer.¡± Tilde fluttered her wings and flew above my liege. ¡°Something¡¯s happening to Master. And it¡¯s about to affect me too. It¡¯s nothing bad, but she¡¯s about to undergo a substantial change. It¡¯s going to affect me.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t be here¡­to take care of her¡­ Please¡­love her¡­in my stead¡­¡±


    Tilde wiped her teary cheeks and nodded. Her mouth moved, but I didn¡¯t know what she said. The AI appeared, though, and wiggled before vanishing. She closed her eyes. Her lifeless body fell to my liege. Before touching her, Tilde started to glow and morphed into colorless particles. They flew towards my liege''s body and rested inside.


    She¡­was gone¡­


    I suddenly felt something touch my shoulder and spent what felt like a year just turning my head.


    It was¡­an oni¡­ She¡­ frantically looked my way¡ªmaybe screaming? The ringing in my ears was too loud to even hear myself think.


    <i>Who¡­are¡­you¡­?</i>


    ¡°I¡­want toy down beside her¡­ Just¡­one¡­st¡­time¡­¡± The strange woman helped me to my back and assisted me in turning my head. Trying my best to look at the one I loved, I couldn¡¯t stop the tears. I wanted a¡­with a clear view, unobstructed¡­ So, I could have a fond image to remember her by¡­


    ¡°Will¡­you¡­remember me¡­if we¡­meet¡­again¡­?¡±


    <hr>


    The Dark Lord of Tyranny asked one simple question before her eyes slowly closed.


    In a handful of seconds, it was all but assured she would die


    ¡°Sekh?! SEEEKKKHHHHH!!!!!!!!¡± Irisa screamed, shaking her friend¡¯s shoulders. She shouted for her to wake up while not wiping away the sadness from her eyes.


    The remaining lion looked up to the cloudless skies and roared. Powerful mana collected itself in its mouth. The sky seemed to shake, and the ground tumbled and violently rocked back and forth, almost as if an earthquake wanted to add to Ria¡¯s destruction. Ichiha grabbed Irisa by the arm and pulled her back as the lion looked down.


    Abyssal icemes spewed from its mouth, incinerating the Dark Lord of Tyranny. It baptized her body free from the blood and vomit, scorching the dirt and filth stained from her prolonged battle. The wounds were cauterized and closed. Yet it didn¡¯t mean much when the damage had already been inflicted, and portions of her body were already faded.


    ¡°STOP!!! DON¡¯T HURT HER!!!!!¡± Irisa wanted to tackle the lion, but her father held her back and restrained her. She struggled, pulled away, and yanked, but he never let her go.


    A few secondster, the lion suddenly roared, freezing the mes solid, which became something akin to an icy coffin. At first, it was transparent before darkening and bing opaque, with only the Dark Lord of Tyranny''s face visible when looking down from above.


    The reality of the situation was more than she could imagine. As much as Irisa wanted to sit down and bawl her eyes out, she knew she couldn¡¯t.


    <i>Sekh isn¡¯t dead. I know she isn¡¯t. And M isn¡¯t, too. They¡¯re alive. They have to be. They wouldn¡¯t leave me like this!!!</i>


    ¡°Come on, we need to move! It¡¯s not safe to stay here. I¡¯ll carry¡ª"


    Standing, the lion roared, cutting off Kokan as the beast picked up the icy coffin with its powerful jaws.


    ¡°It is time to move,¡± said the AI, who shed into existence above the High Elf. It opened the map and zoomed out, revealing Gloria¡¯s army and Bellerophon soldiers rushing towards Ria. There wasn''t enough time to properly set up a mass teleportation spell, and sending in a unit when they didn''t know what they were going to encounter was a foolish idea. But considering the situation, perhaps it was one they should have devoted serious thought to. ¡°Evacuation via ocean has the best chance of sess.¡±


    ¡°Can you guide us?¡± Irisa asked, picking up M. She gritted her teeth and refused to let weakness paralyze her.


    ¡°Please, follow the path in front of you.¡±


    After searching for an intact boat, the AI found one about three miles to the south. The best option was probably the Heptarchy of Parthina to the south. The group would probably have to sneak in, but it was far better than just staying here. The grand lion sped up to get in front of them, clearing the way of any underbrush or annoying limbs with its ming body.


    Primrose looked conflicted about everything. Worriedness for her Lord Aetos clouded every ounce of her mind. To save her summoner from unneeded stress, she returned to her crystal and found a spot on her Master¡¯s belt. The journey to their salvation was silent. The only noises were the huffed breathing of Erin, who was carried under Kokan¡¯s left arm, and Niva, held under the right. The former grasped the yellow slime Lei in her arms.


    After racing through the forest and running down a steep hill, the group reached the coastline.


    The sand made it difficult to run through, but they persevered because their goal was right there. The ship was a single-mast vessel with a pitch-ck sail, and this one had two cannons on each side. It was sitting about 200 feet out, but no one stopped moving. Even thinking of taking a break wasn¡¯t permitted under the current circumstances. The lion wrapped itsrge paws in ice coated with Dark Mana, allowing it to walk on water while creating a non-slippery path for those running behind it.


    The lion leapt into the sloop and sat Sekh¡¯s icy coffin on the deck. Kokan climbed the ropedder and helped his family up when a tattooed, muscled man hobbled up the stairs from the back middle, just below where the helm was. His chin was full of white stubble, and his arms were covered in liver spots. No one could fault him for yelling and cursing at the strangers intruding on his boat. And perhaps it was within his right when he refused to help them. One could even argue drawing his knife and threatening to kill Kokan and the others if they remained on the boat was self-defense.


    Even when Kokan exined his and his family''s predicament, the man would not hear anything. He knew of the danger happening just three miles away, yet he chose the act of self-preservation above helping others. Finally, he spat one more threat and started to act on it.


    But the lion couldn¡¯t let this go, choosing to growl when the ship¡¯s owner became increasingly violent. The great beast took this as a challenge when the man turned his de to it. In a mighty roar, all courage from the man left. Screaming, he ran past Kokan and the others and leapt overboard.


    The AI materialized above M¡¯s body and started to give orders. Kokan rushed to the capstan and raised the anchor. Irisa ran into the cargo hold to put M on a bedroll. Niva and Erin sat near each other, and Ichiha jumped to the wheel and turned it.


    Irisa returned momentster; exhaustion stered all over her face as the boat began to move away from what was once her home.


    Sekh was gone.


    M was gone.


    Tilde was gone.


    The friends she had made over the past few months were just...gone. And the growing sadness couldn''t be contained within her aching heart anymore.


    Inside her mind, she shouted at her weakness while shedding tears. During the Essence of Wrath¡¯s attacks, she couldn¡¯t do anything. Irisa wanted to grow more powerful. She was, up until this point, content with her life. That was truer when her father returned to the family.


    Once Niva heard her whimpers, she began to weep. Erin soon followed, and Primrose emerged from her crystal tofort her summoner and friend. She whispered and told Niva everything that had transpired, her voice being the only one to break the cacophony of crying. The woond spirit bit her lip. She was created by nature. As such, she was affiliated with life, but the spirit couldn¡¯t sense anything from that icy coffin. At the same time, she didn¡¯t know if [Status Cloak] was to me for it because she couldn¡¯t feel M¡¯s or Sekh¡¯s life from the moment the spirit was called upon. Primrose could only sense her summoner¡¯s life force because she was contracted to serve her.


    <i>But I can still see her name¡­ Her HP is empty, but it¡¯s still there¡­ She can¡¯t be dead¡­</i>


    The fight was nothing less than spectacr, with the Essence of Wrath and Dark Lord of Tyranny fighting to the bitter end.


    Looking at her hands, Primrose wondered if her healing magic would be enough to pierce the ice and affect the body. A spirit''s strength partially depended on its summoner, and Niva was weak. There were outliers, but she wasn¡¯t one of them. Primrose found herself growing confused with the mixed emotions.


    Why, in the world, was she feeling something like empathy for the Dark Lord of Tyranny and her chimeric abomination with a skill that harbored the Essence of Wrath and its divine mes and ice?


    ¡°Primrose, you have to help¡­ Please, help Sekh and Mistress¡­ I don¡¯t want them to die¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡­ I¡¯ll do what I can. Irisa, can you help me take Sekh down below?¡± Primrose asked, kissing her summoner on the forehead after pulling back her robe¡¯s hood.


    She wasn¡¯t going to let those her summoner cared for die. Primrose had conflicting feelings about it, but she would push through it and harbor the naturalistic power of the Eagle Yew--the sacred tree that birthed her life and sent her on a single mission to spy on the chimeric entity who arrived with an enved Dark Lord of Tyranny. Truthfully, her summoner was supposed toe second to her creator''s primary goal, but Primrose was having doubts about actively betraying them all.


    The great Eagle Yew filled Primrose¡¯s head with many feelings dictating how she was to feel. But after hearing the tale in person? And understanding that the monster would drown herself in pure wrath to protect those she loved? If M had not done what she had done, all of Ria would have died to that awful gas. If Sekh hadn¡¯t pushed herself to the edge of death, that monster would¡¯ve eventually be the most powerful entity in the entire world.


    Not just in terms of physical or magical strength, but [Hermes Trismegistus]¡¯s unparalleled information gathering would have been at its fingertips.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯ll help,¡± Irisa said, wiping her eyes. Primrose nodded and approached Sekh, but the great lion suddenly stood over the icy coffin of its Master. The deep red eyes saw hatred. Its low, deep growl was enough to freezeva cold.


    ¡°I want to assist her,¡± Primrose said, not backing down. After the lion roared right in her face, opening its grand mouth while threatening to bite her in half, the woond spirit stood resolute.


    It was a stare-off of two ideologies. Even if Primrose knew it would be her end, she kneeled and touched the icy coffin, injuring her palms when they made contact. Still, she continued and channeled [Minor Heal] through the coffin, unaware of if it was helping. Primrose endured until her HP was dangerously low, then continued, even going so far as to offer an indiscriminate prayer.


    <i>My Master finds joy in yourpanionship! Don¡¯t die on me, damnit!</i>


    When she finally let up, she turned her hands and winced, looking at her dead wood. Sekh didn¡¯t look any different. Slowly, Primrose moved her head until she came face to face with the great lion. Roaring, it sat and used its head to nudge Primrose¡¯s hands before licking her palms.


    It was touching, for sure. Primrose felt her heart drop when she realized what this meant.


    With one more final roar, the lion reverted to mes and returned to Sekh, piercing the icy protection without making a hole or damaging it.


    Was the grand beast¡¯s job finished? Why else would it leave?


    What did this mean?


    Primrose stood and wrapped her vines around the icy coffin, enduring the damage as she hastily walked down the stairs with Irisa. Together and carefully, they bypassed dozens of crates filled with food, water, weapons, and other supplies. In the far corner sat bedrolls near the vessel''s stern. The woond spirit ced Sekh just on the other side of M after Irisa made some space. Primrose winched and shed tears at how damaged her vines were. And Sekh was heavy¡ªthe ice weighed over two hundred pounds alone. She would need rest to recover from this ordeal.


    <i>The chimera¡¯s¡ªLord Springfield¡¯s HP is filled. She¡¯ll probably wake up in a few days.</i>


    The AI incarnated above its lord... The rainbow-colored stone pir trembled with much force. A day prior, it had cracks flowing down the side, and now they pulsed with polychromatic lights. The voice it cried with became less robotic and monotone-- more feminine and fuller of passion. It begged its lord to open its eyes, the emotions bing moremonce than rare after achieving the final task the Conduit had given it before she vanished inside the Transcendent Dark Lord.


    ¡°My lord!!!! My lord!!!!!¡± repeated the quivering cylinder of multicolored stone. With each word, the cylinder started to glow. When it reached its apex, it exploded, sending out one final st of rainbow-colored light...and then it, too, found a new home inside its lord¡¯s body, disappearing in the same manner as Tilde.

 Update – 11 March 2023 (Sneak Peak At Arc 4’s Illustrations!)

    Update ¨C 11 March 2023 (Sneak Peak At Arc 4¡¯s Illustrations!)


    Hello!


    Wee to the Update Post! In these little segments, I like to talk about the story and how it changed from the original conception to the finished product, as well as my thoughts on some story beats, plot points, or characters.


    I usually do these after every Arc/Book (as in the case of my first story, but I decided to do it after Arc 3 since I consider Arcs 1-3 to be this story''s ''Prologue.''


    First of all, I''ll talk about the previous versions of <em>Chimeric Ascension</em> that were scrapped.


    <hr>


    <h2>True Demon Lord Training System - AKA Version 1</h2>


    Okay, let''s get into it! Over a year or two, I just can''t tell you how many different many revisions this story has gone through. the overall aspect of ''Revenge-focused Isekai Story with a Focus on Guns'' was the same throughout all of them. Some of you early readers might remember a story I had posted called True Demon Lord Training System, which could be considered Version 1 of what would be <em>Chimeric Ascension.</em>


    TDLTS was just about 9 chapters long since I wanted to get feedback on it-- it was just going to be temporary-- but some of the core points were the same. The Dark Lord of Tyranny was still around (Now called a Demon Lord, with no Tyranny added to the end of the title) and yes, the character that would be M was still summoned by her. But instead of M being a chimera formed of the Soul Warriors (They were called Heroes) that sealed the Dark Lord of Tyranny, M was a gross creation cursed by the DLoT using the failed Heroes'' corpses.


    M didn''t go by Lyudm Springfield. I can''t exactly remember the name, but it wasn''t good. The basic premise was that the DLoT would submit herself to the MC, unlocking the True Demon Lord Training System (which was only avable to a Hero that had fallen to the Dark Side, aka resolved oneself to destroying the world and going against their task as a Hero, and who had enved or gained the undying loyalty of a Demon Lord).


    In this version, Tilde did not exist. But there was another horny fairy that was just a fairy the MC found rather early on after leaving the cave that held the DLoT. Instead, the MC would be given an RPG-like quest system, where she would gain different bonuses depending on much chaos and destruction she caused. And there were different systems like the Crime System, the Bounty System, the very System, the Quest System, etc, etc. Whenever the MC aplished a milestone, she would be given points to spend in the True Demon Lord Training System Store, or the TDLTSS, which would offer things like [Map], [Storage], and the other abilities that we know from [Hermes Trismegistus]


    But onto weapons... Soul Weapon was still the same. And it used MP, not mana. And the DLoT still used a mace, but they were called Demon Armaments. The DLoT would have hers, but it would be unpowered. But because the MC was her Master (In this version, the MC had no qualms about owning ves. Overall, the story was going to be much darker, almost like Redo of Healer levels of dark. It was going to have a crazy focus on gore) the MC could use the Demon Armaments. And the SP sharing aspect of [Tyranny Control] was going to be a thing.


    To be honest, I can''t remember that many other details, but I do remember this. The characters that would be Ichiha and Irisa would''ve both fallen in love with the MC, and there were going to be some spicy threesomes/foursomes and some tasty oyakodon...


    The character that would be Kokan didn''t exist, and Irisa''s character was working at the adventurer''s guild as an instructor. This character was going to take a caring role, and she would almost be a second mother, I suppose, to the MC.


    The first enemy was still a boar.


    But here''s a pretty interesting thing. The whole Chimera thing? Yeah, the MC was one of them, but it was more of a passing thought and an excuse to do some body horror. Originally, I didn''t n on doing anything else with it except having it act like vor text.


    Bellerophon didn''t exist.


    <hr>


    <h2>Too Much Edge - AKA Version 0</h2>


    Yes, there was a version 0. And I''m so ashamed of it, lol. It started in media res, with the MC walking through the forest with his ve, a demon girl, and he suddenly stops and has sex with her against a tree. Then he takes his gun, shoots some boars, orders the girl to skin them, has sex with her again, then returns to an inn he''s been staying at. The innkeeper says something stupid, kills the keeper, has sex again in the shower, then has the girl pleasure him while he writes his memoirs.


    These memoirs would detail the basic plot and act like a little info dump. In short, the MC was sent away from the goddess that summoned them because she saw one look at his Hero Weapon (not Soul Weapon) and thought guns were just about the worst thing ever. And then she paraded him through the streets after he tried to fight back. He lost, was sent to the gallows, and burned alive while onlookers cheered for his death.


    This demon girl summoned the MC, but she harbored the soul of the Demon of Tyranny, and that soul used all its energy to harbor itself inside the MC. And the point was for the MC to cause destruction and needless chaos until a meter was filled, at which the DoT would emerge and destroy the world.


    So yeah...


    Look, I was like super inexperienced. I started writing this right after I finished Version 0 of my other story.


    It was all around a mega-giant mess.


    <hr>


    <h1>Unable to Decide an Intro - Version 2</h1>


    Okay, so the second incarnation, or third, I guess, failed to even get off the ground running because I was lost on even how to start it. I went back to the drawing board and decided to do it all over from scratch.


    First of all, I needed to decide what kind of characters I wanted. And I thought I wanted a Brother - Sister Isekai Duo Adventure. Okay, so how did I try to start that?


    Like a thousand different ways, lol.


    A part of me wanted the MC and his sister to be very, very, <em>very</em>close. I tried toe up with something that felt somewhat natural (I know, I know) and just couldn''t get it down. Then I thought, hmm... Why not make them yful? So I tried toe up with a 3-4k word prologue of them living by themselves after their parentsmitted suicide to escape from death. In their little rundown apartment, the two would eventually satiate their needs with the other, and they would get isekaied while getting ready for the morning.


    In this version, the sister would be sacrificed to contain the soul of the DLoT, leading to the MC growing insane. He would be experimented on and turned into the world''s first chimera, then escape and rage havoc upon the research facility to rescue his sister. In short, he would rescue his sister, die, his blood would enter her mouth, the DLoT would awaken using the sister''s body as a catalyst, destroy the facility, and emergency teleports them away. Upon waking up, the MC would find his sister, and half of her body would look like the DLoT (Dark Lord of Tyranny). And it would be a two souls one body type of deal with each half controlling one half of the body.


    I dropped that version pretty fast.


    I honestly didn''t get past the theory crafting portion.


    But another idea was something that almost remained.


    The school trip aspect was there, but the MC was a delinquent. His sister would be the model student, and she would be dating the bully that would turn into Tokko.


    It started at the train station, getting ready to board the train. And, and this is the weird part, the personality of Que and Mia were switched. Mia, the MC''s sister, would be nice and sweet, and Que, the snobby rich girl, would be a total bitch to everyone.


    The problem with this build was that I was having trouble just writing at the time. It was ack of motivation. I didn''t get to the stuff after being isekaied, but what I theory crafted for that remained kinda the same, with some obvious differences.


    <hr>


    <h1>80,000 Words Just to Meet Sekh - Version 3-10</h1>


    Judging by the title of this section, you can infer what the problem was, lol.


    But these versions are where the story started to take on its core shape.


    I changed the train to a ne and finally decided on Shuuta''s character and design. But Greggie, Keeth, and Will weren''t invented.


    For the most part, Chapter 1 of these versions remained mostly the same, except for Greggie, Keeth, and Will, who were added in Version 11.


    Another difference was the length. Chapter 1 of these versions was like 7-9k words.


    But characters like Tokko, Shiku, Damon, and Mia, were established and hadn''t changed. Que, Mary (The teacher), Elly, and Ami were the same. They retained their personalities.


    Meruria was the same.


    However, when it was time to open their Hero Crystals to get their Hero Weapons (Up until before release, warriors summoned by Holy Lords were Heroes of Justice, and those summoned by Dark Lords were Demonic Champions. Heroes received Hero Crystals and Hero Weapons, and Demonic Champions received Demonic Crystals and Demonic Weapons, but they were functionally the same as the published version''s Soul Weapons and Soul Crystals. Just different names.)


    Oh, and Holy Lords were all called Holy Lords of Justice, and Dark Lords were called Dark Lords of Chaos. Holy Lords were locked in an eternal war with the Dark Lords, but they couldn''t fight directly. They had to use their Heroes and Demonic Champions to fight for them in proxy wars.


    But Shuuta was still a 0-Star Hero, but he, and everyone else, received their Hero Weapons right off the bat.


    However, there wasn''t a trial. Instead, Meruria threw Que, Mary, Elly, and Ami to the side when they tried to defend and speak for Shuuta, but he was still sacrificed to the void.


    But here''s the kicker.


    In this version, there was no entity to turn him into a chimera. Nor was there any sort of Divine Skill of Wrath to keep him whole in the void.


    Instead, he was thrown in one second and summoned the next, but when he came to, he was in the body we''re familiar with.


    Yes, Shuuta had turned into a chimera with that body that resembles M, but she was in a different location.


    And that''s where the problemy. In this version, M would have to travel down the very dungeon that Sekh was sealed in before the dungeon had a chance to alter itself to be an inescapable void with no exit or entrance.


    Do you recall Murag''s tomes? How he detailed the trip down to the very bottom, where they sealed Sekh in the deepest, darkest, cavern located at the very end?


    M followed in their footsteps, but the seal prevented any enemies from spawning. It was just her, surrounded by the millions of corpses of monsters that were decaying. M woulde by the safe rooms with the tomes, that still acted as the seals, in a way, and read them, learning the story of Amos, his Heroes, and their journey to seal the Dark Lord of Tyranny.


    But I got carried away and spent about 60k words on this descent alone...


    So, by the time Sekh was freed...


    It would''ve been 80k words.


    And to make matters worse, the very next version shortened that by 20k words, but it added another 50 because I introduced Tilde at this point before they escaped. Pacing is something I''ve always had trouble with. Sometimes, I can just get lost and write, and write, and write some more.


    And It isn''t a lie to say I went through about 7 versions and rewrites, cutting down more and more and getting rid of the fat while leaving the meat.


    And even then... I had to trim some more. The dungeon gradually became smaller and smaller until it was a circr room with five paths extending from it, leading to the graves of Amos''s warriors. But that was still too many words, so I removed the rooms and kept the graves in the same spot.


    Sekh''s seal changed a handful of times. I went through different jewels/designs, like having her be encased in a giant ruby, then a giant sapphire, and then abined crystal of both of those, to her being sliced into many different fleshy parts and having to be glued back together with M''s blood acting as glue.


    I kinda got weird with it.


    And the fight against the Soul Warriors'' astral forms? Originally, it was just Sekh destroying them with what was left of her power, at which she bes Lv. 1. But it was altered to include M executing them with a bullet to the head.


    The biggest changes were the following.


    <ul>


    <li>Removal of Hero Crystals, Hero Weapons, Demonic Crystals, and Demonic Weapons into a standard Soul Weapon with Soul Crystals. Heroes and Demonic Champions were turned into Soul Warriors.


    <ul>


    <li>I think this change was definitely for the better. It simplified a lot of things. At its core, I could see the appeal of the two being two distinct factions, but the truth was that Heroes and Demonic Champions were just different names to refer to the same thing. And it''s not like their true reason has changed. Soul Warriors are still used as a deterrent to prevent other Lords from waging war because they just have the potential to be so powerful. Although it''s not like that helped that much. In the past, there''s been a lot of wars from overeager Lords willing to let their Soul Warriors loose on a target while not caring about the consequences.</li>


    </ul>


    </li>


    </ul>


    <ol>


    <li>The requirement to strengthen your soul before you can obtain a Soul Weapon. AKA Soul Armatization.


    <ol>


    <li>This one was probably the biggest because it required a substantial rewrite of pretty much everything. I was able to get around it somewhat by using Reina''s Mana-Linked Pistol. But before I made the change, M acquired a Beretta 92fs, a Springfield 1903, and a Mossberg 835 shotgun that she used. Having multiple weapons, and her favorite rifle, altered the storyline more drastically than you might think. My initial reasoning for this change was selfish, I admit. I wanted M to be weaker for a while longer before she obtains her Soul Weapon. And judging from how Arc 3 ends, I think you can make some safe assumptions about what''s going to happen in the early-to-mid portions of Arc 4.</li>


    </ol>


    </li>


    </ol>


    <ul>


    <li>Greggie, Keeth, and Will. I was talking to a friend about my story, and he suggested adding some male friends for Shuuta to have.


    <ul>


    <li>The n to have M have a harem/practice Polygamy wasn''t a recent one. I wanted her to have multiple lovers, but I also wanted her to have some additional friends she would spend time with when she was Shuuta. And about him being abused by his parents and Mia and forced to endure a living hell as their ve? That was always the case from Version 4 onward.</li>


    </ul>


    </li>


    <li>Chimerism became a major deal as the primary source of M''s growth. Since she didn''t have a Soul Weapon, I needed another way for her to obtain power.


    <ul>


    <li>Eventually, that led to what Chimerism is as we know it in the story. I cannot understate how minor it was in the earlier versions. But now it''s grown to be a substantial part of the story.</li>


    </ul>


    </li>


    </ul>


    But now let''s talk about M''s adoption! Remember the events of the Monster Train Incident? When M woke up, that was when she was going to be adopted by Ichiha. Again, Kokan wasn''t in the picture, but he was still ''around'' as he was in the final, published version.


    But I figured M being adopted after being known for like 3 weeks, while still being a total stranger, is much too soon and wouldn''t make much sense. So, I''m d I put it off until near the end of Arc 3. It allowed them to develop more as a family.


    Let''s see... Hmm... As for any other changes... I can talk about Aetos. Instead of him showing M and Sekh a shback of the past, he was going to participate in the talk. He and Sekh would make jabs at each other. Insulting the other with every other sentence, but I decided against that because I wanted to show off his power first.


    Which led us to him showing up during the fight against the EoW and Sekh. And yes, that fight between them was always there. Once I wrote it into the story, I made very little change other than altering the EoW''s appearance. Well, that''s not entirely true. Thetter half of the fight?


    Originally, the EoW would have a fire mode and an ice mode, but I yed around with recing the ice with lightning after I already had it all written. And while it made it fun toe up with new fighting sequences, I decided against the changes and kept the ice because I wanted Sekh to overpower the EoW when it came to its elements.


    But who knows...? The stuff I had nned for a potential lightning mode maye to light in the future.


    Oh, and let''s discuss Erin. She was originally going to be 5 years old during the incident, which would make her 10 years old now, but I felt that was too icky, even though Karen would do something like that. But I aged her to 10, and now she''s 15-16 in the main story. I think that was a good change if I''m being honest.


    Oh, and we need to talk about Niva!


    At first, I wanted her to be a necromancer. That would exin why all the damage she took was transferred to Noelia (remember her?). So, Primrose did not exist. She was a veryte addition to the story. The idea was that Niva would have a natural affinity to death and decay, which would attract a Demon Lord of Necromancy, who would give her skill forcefully. Her overall childhood was still the same.


    But there was a problem with this, and I can''t talk about it without going into spoilers for my other story, of which the rewrite is in progress. Safe to say, necromancy ys a giant role in that story at some point, and I didn''t want the two stories to share something so simr. Instead, I decided to make her a spirit summoner, added Primrose, and the rest is history.


    But that''s to say that Necromancy doesn''t exist in the world of<em>Chimeric Ascension.</em> It most certainly does, and it might y a roleter on in the future Arcs, but it''s more important to the world of<em>Interconnected: Spliced Souls</em>.


    <hr>


    <h1>For the Future!</h1>


    Okay, now let''s talk about what''s in store for the story!


    As I said, Arc 1-3 is kinda like the prologue. I didn''t intend it to be about 300k words. In contrast, what I considered to be the ''Prologue'' for my other story was about 1,000,000 words. So in terms of pacing, I think I am improving, lol.


    But the story does ramp up from here. I''m going to try to make each Arc take about 25-30 chapters. With 4k words, or around 4k words per chapter, we should be looking at anywhere from 100-120k, plus or minus about 30k in either direction.


    And in terms of my current progress in Arc 4, I am at Chapter 72, going on 73. Admittedly, a good portion of my time was spent on trying to further develop Interconnected: Spliced Souls, the rewrite of my first story, and I''m at Chapter 16 on that. It is tough to focus on two stories at once, with a potential third in the very bare basics of theory crafting. But I''ll try to remain focused. I won''t further split my attention more than it is and devote enough passion and care to both.


    And there''s still the rewrite of my first story... May 19th is going to be the 1 year anniversary of the end of Book Four, and I would like to have something posted on or before that date. I feel like I''ve been doing a disservice to the fans of that story.


    With that said, I''m looking for at least a 2-3 week break. Maybe even a month before I start posing Arc 4. But that''s not set in stone. It''s entirely outlined, but the outline is quite wordy. I was also determining whether I want it to be fully written before I post, or if I''m fine with uploading as I go along. There are pros and cons to both, and I haven''t decided yet.


    At the same time, I also want a chance to go back over the outline for Arcs 1-3 to reorganize them, andpletely redo the overall master outline because it''s a hectic mess of a bunch of stuff that''s no longer relevant.


    So, I''m sorry it''s going to be a bit of a dy-- at least two weeks, but maybe a month. But I can talk about Arc 4 a little bit. From the ending of Arc 3, you can be sure it''ll take ce in Parthina, a country to the south of Dirge that is made up of seven city-states. It''s a brand new location. And it''s also the home country of Ichiha. Things between her and her family haven''t been good since they found out about the crime Kokan was framed for. But Erin''s with them, now. She can exin the truth behind the incident and hopefully bridge the rtionship.


    But it''s a brand new locale, with new challenges, allies, and enemies, and a new direction for the story to branch.


    Ah, one more thing. I''m going to go back through what I have now and put in some of the pictures I made in the chapters instead of leaving them for Author Comments at the end. So remember the picture of Ami and Que? Where they''re sitting down on the ne? I''m going to add that to Chapter 1. And I have that futa pic of M, too, that I''m going to add in somewhere.


    From here on out, I''m going to have these illustrations work as insert images and put them right where they belong inside the chapter rather than at the end. So that might take a while to properly get all organized and in the right spots.


    Oh, yeah. I finally managed to get a decent image of Erin. It''s before she was adopted by Kokan and the others. And it''s from when she was still working at her mother''s store. (It''s not until after her mother dies that her eyes be purple, like her hair and tail. And please ignore those human ears she has. I couldn''t get rid of them.)


    (Also, this image will be inserted into Chapter 14. Please look there to find it!)


    I am still working on Irisa, though. It is just incredibly hard to get her just right. And if I''m still unable to, I''ll have to make sacrifices and just use what I have.


    <hr>


    And with that said, I want to showcase an image or two I have prepared for Arc 4!


    They will be in the spoiler tag below. And don''t worry, I won''t say any context or anything. It''s just the images.


    Spoiler


    Spoiler


    [copse]


    Spoiler


    [copse]


    WARNING! THE IMAGE LINKED IN THE SPOILER BELOW IS SLIGHTLY NSFW!!!!!


    You can see the character''s panties!!!! (And yes, the character below and the one above are one and the same. I just liked the two images so much.


    Spoiler


    This image was too big tofortably put here, so here''s the link to view it.


    [copse]


    [copse]


    <hr>


    <h1>Conclusion!</h1>


    And that brings us to the end of the images.


    So, what do you think of them? Do they make you excited for Arc 4? My favorite one would have to be the one that''s of the girl rxing in that chair. I just love the pastel-like art style, and it''s super colorful. If you can, click on Load Full Resolution to see it in its highest quality!


    And then there''s that girl in the cowboy hat.


    And then that floating mage? Oh my, I wonder if she''s a friend or foe?


    I think it''s safe to say M''s going to meet a lot of people in Arc 4, and I hope you''re excited for it!


    The story of <em>Chimeric Ascension</em> has changed dramatically from its inception, so I hope this little retrospective on what it used to be and its beginnings was a little bit interesting.


    I''m never quite sure how to end these update posts, so I''ll do so by thanking you all for your gracious support!


    Thank you so much! Seriously! I look forward to reading every singlement!


    But with that said, I think this is the end of this update post. It quickly spiraled out of control and became much longer than I intended, which seems to be a running theme whenever I write, lol, so I''ll end it here before this Update Post bes longer than even the final chapter.


    RuggyRuggy

 Chapter Sixty-Five: Wrathful Assimilation (Illustrations!) (Arc 4 – Start)

    Chapter Sixty-Five: Wrathful Assimtion (Illustrations!) (Arc 4 ¨C Start)


    In the depths of her Divine Skill¡ªa ce very few could have imed to have ever seen with their own eyes¡ªa chimeric High Elf was resting within the arms of a naked woman. With hair resembling the moltenva of an exploding volcano, a pair of ethereal dragon wings, and two crimson horns, this was a mere personification of the Essence of Wrath in a draconic form. The two were seated on a floating tform of ck iron, surrounded by a sea of mes and wrath. In the distance, a never-ending cascade of liquid fire formed a mesmerizing waterfall, casting a glimmering projection of the outside world onto its surface.


    ¡°There, my host,¡± whispered the Essence of Wrath. ¡°Give your body to me and rest. Allow me to fulfill your whims and drown this irritating world in hell and brimstone. See? I know you¡¯re enjoying the sight of watching those Bellerophon soldiers perish with a snap of my fingers. Even a fingertip¡¯s worth of my mes is enough to prevent that powerful spell from harming us¡­¡±


    In contrast to the sweet words, the Essence of Wrath had no intention of fulfilling any part of their deal. Everything she said could be considered a lie.


    ¡°Aaaa¡­.Ggguuu¡­ D¡­i¡­e¡­¡± groaned the High Elf, her eyes fluttering between dreaming and unconsciousness.


    ¡°There, remain calm and allow me to fester within you. Hmm¡­¡± The Essence of Wrath stroked the High Elf¡¯s head as if she was a mere pet. The projection in the distance soon showed the battle between her and the Dark Lord of Tyranny, and even that wasn¡¯t enough to stir awake the Transcendent Dark Lord. Even after piercing the Lionfolk through the stomach and burning her and the pathetic shop she¡¯d grown to love with divine baptism, the originator of wrath internally carried an outward grin.


    "As soon as I rid the world of Dirge, I shall unleash my wrath across thends. Watch, my host, in your drowsy state, and try toprehend one of my most powerful spells, [Sunfire Apocalypse]... s, it appears your mana iscking. Nheless..."


    Another lie.


    Even if the outward Essence of Wrath reacted otherwise to the Dark Lord of Tyranny¡¯s renewed vigor and subsequent shes, leading to Spirit Lord Aetos getting involved in the fight, the metaphysical reflection keeping her hostpany was full of lethargy. She was mind-numbingly casual since most of her efforts were on the outside, not inside.


    When it came time to unleash the cold, frigid fury the Essence of Wrath developed specifically for ughtering the Dark Lord of Tyranny, the internal caverns changed ordingly. The ocean of mes was reced by liquid ice, and great, cascading ciers were floating around the tform. The waterfall of fire was now a solid chunk of ice, and the Essence of Wrath¡¯s internal appearance changed to match the one on the outside.


    ¡°These¡­blue wings and horns¡­ I¡¯ll never forget how many centuries it took me to be their master,¡± she said, touching her azure hair. ¡°And now¡­ It is about toe to an end.¡± In the blink of an eye, the cavern became hotter than a volcano¡¯s magma chamber before reverting to ice.


    Yes, the Essence of Wrath believed the fight was nearly over. Her enemy was encased in something the Dark Lord¡¯s mes couldn¡¯t possibly melt, proving once and for all that their previous encounter was a fluke. She smiled a sinister grin when she used her enemy¡¯s power against her. [Tyranny Control] was exclusive to the Dark Lord of Tyranny. You could say she held the sole authorization to learn it. Therefore, she never quite had to taste that which she had used liberally in the past to sate her curse-fueled desires.


    ¡°Aaaa¡­uuuu¡­gggg¡­.n¡­.oooo¡­¡± gurgled the High Elf. The Essence of Wrath looked down to see a quivering face, then turned her attention back to the projected image of the outside.


    But something wasn¡¯t quite right. The expected cries the Essence of Wrath predicted would fill her ears never came. By all ounts, the Dark Lord of Tyranny should have been on her hands and knees, begging for the sweet release of death¡­


    But no.


    She stood as if nothing was happening to her, even though the activity log proved otherwise.


    <i>GODDAMN IT!!! ARE YOU GOING TO LET THIS END LIKE THIS?!</i>


    The nearly infinite caverns rumbled as if the world was ending. A voice echoed to the high heavens, yet it didn¡¯te from the High Elf resting in the spirit¡¯s arms. The truth was far simpler.


    <i>WAKE UP!!! ARE YOU GOING TO LET THE ONES YOU LOVE DIE LIKE THIS?</i>


    This time, the Essence of Wrath was shaken. She jumped to her feet, letting the High Elf m into the metal tform they sat on. The ciers started to crack, and the frozen waterfalls broke apart like weak y.


    <i>ARE YOU THE TRANSCENDENT DARK LORD OR NOT?!!!</i> <i>THAT BITCH IS USING YOUR BODY TO PUNISH SEKH WITH [TYRANNY CONTROL]!!</i>


    ¡°SHUT UP!!! JUST SHUT UP AND DIE!¡± Panicked, the Essence of Wrath began to shout to the infinite caverns at whoever¡¯s voice was speaking. ¡°FINE! I¡¯ll kill your ego for good! I¡¯llmand the Dark Lord of Tyranny to take her own head! WATCH AS THE ONE YOU LOVE PERISH¡ª"


    Before she could finish, the projected image showed the Dark Lord of Tyranny forcefullymanding her life to burn to thest embers¡ªletting in the curse she was so ready to get rid of¡ªjust to save the one she loved the most.


    And that act did not go unnoticed.


    Nor did she let it pass her by.


    <hr>


    It was less than a daydream and more of a vivid hallucination. It almost felt like I was trapped in a world where nothing but pleasure filled my soul with what I had been missing my entire life. I was merely content with living out the days of my life in that wondend because I knew this world would perish and die like the shit stain it was¡­


    But then something smacked me in the face. Power surged through my body, destroying my false paradise. The voice I¡¯d been hearing was myself¡ªa fragment of my ego that managed to hide itself and report the truth to me even as it was clouded by the venomous words of this wretched creature.


    With strength fueling my limbs, I stood without alerting the Essence of Wrath and strangled her little neck. Shocked, she turned her head so fast it detached from her shoulders, and those faltering eyes shimmered with icy tears.


    At the same time, and if the images I saw reflected the events happening, this harlot who had stolen my body was recoiling from my attempt to steal it back.


    ¡°You cannot hope to win back your body,¡± said my strangled opponent. A crooked smile was carved on her face as my surroundings were ignited and returned to their original fiery appearance. She slinked back into liquid fire and drained to the ground.


    The cavern shook again. From a pir of fire in front of me came the same woman I wanted to kill. With a snap of her fingers, her bare body was protected by ming armor. I was naked as the day this mortal shell was made for me, but Amos¡¯s Soul Warriors¡¯ weapons remained in my mana.


    I wasn¡¯t out of options as I summoned Reina¡¯s pistol.


    ¡°What chance do you think you have, weakling?¡± The insults flew from her mouth as she grabbed a ming sword from the ground. ¡°This is my domain¡ªmy arena. mes that are the sole source of wrath surround us, and you¡¯ve seen the cold, frigid fury I learned to master. They¡¯re two sides of the same coin, and I am the sole wielder¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shut the fuck up,¡± I barked, letting loose a pair of bullets towards her head. rmed at first, my opponent stepped away and dodged my attack and rushed in. Yaekira¡¯s daggers met their opponent, and we shed, sending plumes of bleeding fire to engulf the arena. The more I struggled to gain the upper hand in this confrontation, the more the wild, ming ocean rampaged.


    The Essence of Wrath¡¯s chaoticughter filled the cavern as I wasunched backwards by a mighty swipe. I transfigured a pair of Batfolk wings and took flight,unching a hail of bullets with Reina¡¯s gun. Two arms sprouted off my back and fired mystical, glowing arrows from Susize¡¯s bow.


    A wave of my opponent¡¯s arm summoned a crimson shield of crystalized fire, but it shattered instantly by my hail of projectiles. Simultaneously, we turned to the projected image on theva waterfall to see Sekh disy a brutal scene of gory devastation on her opponent.


    The Dark Lord of Tyranny was back, and her power was awesome!


    ¡°Hahahaha!!! You¡¯re scared! You¡¯re fucking petrified of what she''ll do to you!¡± The fear was visible. The internal Essence of Wrath I fought shivered as much as the one Sekh faced, but we wouldn¡¯t let this chance pass us by!


    I was in here, she was out there, but we still fought together!!!


    I shot like a bat out of hell, mming into my opponent with By¡¯s massive sword hefted overhead. Six arms supported it, and it smashed through the weakened tform, cleaving it, the spirit, and the sea of mes in half as if I was parting the Red Sea. The armor she wore? It was like paper. The two halves of her body tried to find refuge in the watery hellfire, but four clones appeared beside me and sacrificed themselves to throw that pathetic worm back to the arena.


    The Essence of Wrath screamed and cursed as she reconnected, brand-new wounds opening all over her body from the absolute beating Sekh was putting her through on the outside. With my wings giving me a speed boost, I leapt through the air with a raised fist, punching her across the chin as I straddled her chest.


    <i>Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!</i>


    A third arm sprouted from my chest, firing ten shots into her heart while I took Yaekira¡¯s daggers and jabbed them through her wide, frightened eyes.


    And then?


    I feasted on the weak.


    ¡°You thought you could fuck me up? You thought you could pull a fast one on me? Huh? DID YOU FUCKING THINK SO?!¡±


    ¡°I¡ª¡±


    ¡°SHUT THE FUCK UP!¡± I broke through her reformed chest and left a wide hole that did not heal immediately. The Essence of Wrath cried so hard the entire cavern shook, but I wasn¡¯t done. Like an animal, I ripped her chest open, grabbing handfuls of its innards while stuffing my mouth.


    But I wanted more.


    Much, much more.


    My entire body became filled with a dozen mouths, and each one began to devour this son of a bitch, biting onrge chunks of flesh and ripping into bloody organs, muscle, sinew, and bone.


    ¡°STOP!!! NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!¡± she shouted, writhing in pain.


    ¡°SHUT UP!!!! SHUT UP!!!! THIS IS WHAT YOU FUCKING GET!!! WHAT YOU FUCKING DESERVE!!!! HOW DARE YOU TRY TO TRICK ME!!!!!!¡± Anger grew by leaps and bounds, but that wasn¡¯t what surprised me.


    I should¡¯ve known this wasing because I was obligated to assimte to grow stronger, but¡­


    <b><i>New Skill: [me Immunity (Iplete) (Lv. 10)]</i></b>


    <i>Iplete? This fool had a second appearance, right?</i>


    ¡°If your me mode grants me abilities, then I want more! Switch to your ice form, now!¡±


    The Essence of Wrath was screaming too much to hear what I said while being unable to look my way. Without any predetermined lock on my emotions, the anger I felt flowed relentlessly.


    There was no limit, gate, or dam to block these feelings.


    ¡°I SAID DO IT!¡± I shouted, canceling my transfigurations. I grew four more arms and hands and fired a barrage of punches.


    When this miserable piece of shit was no more than a messy puddle of its mes, blood, and mutted, gnawed limbs¡ªunable to be recognized as the wielder of wrath and fury¡ª she obliged. The frantic tears and rough state of her body vanished, reced by a stern face of locked feelings and emotions. The ocean of fire surrounding us had turned into an icy tundra. Liquid ice and giant ciers swam freely all around.


    But her face held a false fa?ade-- one that broke with the front punch, which shattered a hole in her chest, revealing a heart of pulsing ice. Canceling my transfiguration, I summoned four boar clones and ordered them to eat their prey alive, starting from the limbs. Theymenced the feeding, and I ripped out the icy, beating heart after breaking through the Essence of Wrath¡¯s chest cavity.


    Amid her heretical screams of and worthless begging...I ate it whole and answered my gluttonous desire for more power.


    Standing up, I walked away to read my activity log while the boars continued to inflict their torture.


    <b><i>New Skill: [Ichor Maniption (Lv. 10)]</i></b>


    <b><i>New Skill: [Ice Immunity (Iplete) (Lv. 10)]</i></b>


    <b><i>[me Immunity (Iplete)] and [Ice Immunity (Iplete)] havebined. Initializing new skill...</i></b>


    <b><i>New Skill: [Thermokinesis Immunity (Iplete) (Lv. 10)]</i></b>


    [Ichor Maniption (Lv. 10)] was an ability to control my blood¡¯s temperature that came with a side effect. It granted me immunity to any poison because I could scorch my blood to superheated levels to destroy any pathogen. Or I could freeze it and halt my bloodstream.


    Even that gas Bellerophon used would be as harmful as water to a nt. The one trump card they held was ineffective against me. The next time we met, I¡¯d burn my blood andugh at their worthless attempt to kill me.


    And then I¡¯d ughter them all. I wouldn¡¯t stop until their strength was mine¡­


    <i>Those fucking bastards¡­ I¡¯ll kill ¡®em all¡­</i>


    If I took [Thermokinesis Immunity (Iplete) (Lv. 10)] at face value, heat and cold wouldn¡¯t bother me. As a bonus, me and ice skills, weapons, and spells ranked Lord Armament and below were outright nullified, if not heavily resisted against.


    <i>That means Sekh¡¯s mes can potentially hurt me, but a [Fireball] from Irisa would bounce off? Or would it dissipate? Does that mean the thread I weave will carry the same properties? I don¡¯t see a reason why it wouldn¡¯t. But it specifically states, ¡®Lord Armament¡¯ and below, meaning a skill obtained by evolving to a Holy or Dark Lord. The tier above that is Divine Armament, but is there something surpassing that? But what¡¯s considered below Lord Armament? It¡¯s so confusing that the same term refers to both equipment and skills usable only by Lords. Surely this means there¡¯s a Divine Lord somewhere? Perhaps that¡¯s the evolution past Holy or Dark Lord? Or even past Transcendent Dark Lord?</i>


    <i>If I¡¯m not immune to me and ice Divine Armaments, I guess it makes sense it¡¯s an unfinished version. If you¡¯re the essence of fire and ice, it stands to reason that fire and ice won¡¯t hurt you that much unless it¡¯s something insane.</i>


    The sniveling spirit was a pathetic whimper¡ªa shade of the unimaginable power I believed her to wield. The four boars each had a limb to gnaw on. I canceled the clones, and the Essence of Wrath quickly regenerated. Her gross cries followed when she scampered away to the edges of this self-repairing tform while shielding her face.


    "Disgusting. Get out of my sight¡ªNo, there is one more thing. I NEED YOU TO RELINQUISH CONTROL OF MY BODY!!!!!!!!!!!!!¡± I shouted, stomping back to my foe. Surrounded by liters of blood, body parts, and shame, she hugged her knees and rocked back and forth, evidence of my abuse stered on her miserable face.


    ¡°TAKE IT!!! JUST TAKE IT!!!!! PLEASE, DON¡¯T HURT ME NO MORE!!!!!!!¡± Suddenly, a pair of crimson and azure orbs appeared.


    My visual escape into the outside world crumbled like disappeared, so I assumed control was given back. I was probably unconscious or something.


    The energy swallowed my body when I grabbed the orbs, yet it felt no worse than a tickle.


    <b><i>Divine Skill: [Wrath: mes of Inexhaustible Indignation] has evolved. Initializing new skill...</i></b>


    <b><i>New Skill: Divine Skill: [Draconic Essence of Wrath]</i></b>


    <b><i>New Title: Spirit Tamer</i></b>


    The activity log mentioned the Divine Skill came with two other skills built into it. They were called [Ira Ignis] and [Furia cies]. I didn¡¯t have to read their description to know they granted me ess to the spirit¡¯s me and ice forms. Like its prior version, two dials were added to my HUD. One was red, and the other was blue, and they worked the same.


    Turning the red one to 5 granted me a pair of small, red horns, and the more I used it, the more draconic I would be at the cost of slowly losing my sanity. The blue dial represented a frigid, dead fury, which worked by freezing my feelings and only allowed me to focus on achieving direct results no matter the cost. The more I allowed fury to fester in my heart, the more drastic my appearance would alter.


    The power gained from these skills was incredible, but they were dangerous. Almost too much since I now knew the cost of using them to their full potential.


    Unless there was something I was missing, I couldn¡¯t use both dials at the same time.


    Little snowkes stopped raining from where my azure horns used to be as I turned the blue dial to zero.


    I took a deep breath. Looking back, the Essence of Wrath was still trembling in fright like some abused kitten.


    ¡°How do I get out of here? Do I have to wait until I wake up?¡± I asked, expecting an answer from that sack of shit.


    ¡°I believe I can help you with that, my lord,¡± said an unknown, familiar voice. I looked behind me to see the remains of white particles vanishing into the unknown, leaving behind a rainbow spec of prismatic energy.


    ¡°I only know of one who calls me ¡®my lord.¡¯ Is that you, AI?¡±


    ¡°Affirmative. Please do not let my current appearance frighten you. I have received enough knowledge and experience to be capable of evolution.¡±


    ¡°Capable? You¡¯re not evolved?¡±


    ¡°No, I am not. That requires your assistance, my lord.¡± I asked what I needed to do. ¡°Please, grant me a name.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense. You¡¯re your own entity, so I can¡¯t keep calling you AI,¡± I said, thinking it over for a few seconds. Eventually, only a single option came to mind. ¡°Tris. That¡¯ll be your new name.¡±


    Not even a second after I spoke, gray mana surrounded the spec of energy as my activity log became filled with random nonsense I couldn¡¯t decipher.


    <b><i>[Hermes Trismegistus] has evolved. Initializing new skill...</i></b>


    <b><i>New Skill: [Tris: Fragment of Wisdom]</i></b>


    <i>Just a fragment?</i>


    The mana swirled, taking a prismatic hue while forming a rainbow-esque portal. The few seconds I waited felt like hours, and eventually?


    Someone jumped through.


    She was a woman who looked right at home in an old western. Her eyes were as azure as the ribbon hanging off her chest, and she wore a baby blue button-up shirt tucked into a white and light blue floral skirt that was longer in the back than the front. Her hair was as long as mine while being a simr color, although she had a cowboy hat.


    Spoiler


    [copse]


    After touching the ground, she grabbed her skirt, bobbed a curtsy, and smiled, delicately bncing on those white-heeled boots.


    ¡°My name is Tris. I am a fragment of wisdom at the behest of the Transcendent Dark Lord. My lord, I hope this form is pleasing to your eyes,¡± she said with a second bow, her voice containing a slight southern twang. ¡°My apparel was etched into existence with help from the energy released during my evolution. I took their inspiration from the memories you shared with me. You could think of them as an extension of my body that I can call upon at any time.¡± Tris cited that my hopes, dreams, whims, and wishes were at the forefront of her mind¡ªabove all else. ¡°I know your feelings on that matter, my lord, yet my prime directive has not changed. No matter the form I take, your sess is what I was designed to encourage and support. Hmm? A frown? Are you displeased?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m just doing some thinking... About what happened... But I much prefer you in this form than that rainbow pir. Tris, it¡¯s good to finally meet you.¡± I held out my hand, but she seemed slightly taken aback. She confusingly looked at it, then gracefully held it between her soft fingers. Kneeling, she kissed the back of my palm before standing.


    ¡°Another frown? Did that displease you?¡± she asked, standing. I shook my head, keeping my thoughts to myself. It was...odd. Tris treated me how a servant would their queen, speaking with a formal tone and the utmost respect... Or as if my mere presence was more than she deserved.


    <i>Hmm...</i>


    ¡°That makes me happy. If I anger you in any way, please speak up. I do not dare wish to impede you by even an iota.¡± Tris smiled. ¡°My evolution has increased the power of my skills. Please listen as I describe them to you. Until your body awakens naturally, you will remain here.¡±


    Tris¡¯s voice was lovely and serene, and I found myself hanging onto her every word as she eloquently exined her upgrades. [Map] evolved into [Skyview], and that meant [Map]¡¯s satellite mode was now the default. I couldn¡¯t verify that since my mini-map wasn¡¯t visible, but I took her word for it. The new enhanced mode was something Tris called streetview, which meant I could ce myself at head level with everyone else to get a better look.


    [Storage]''s capacity increased tenfold and became [Void Storage]. The new limit was just shy of 40,000 pounds, so that was nice. [Analysis] turned into [Deduction], which was mostly the same, but it specialized in seeing through and identifying illusions.


    <i>I guess Tris took the two failures to heart.</i>


    Her databank, processing ability, and analytical engine received a major upgrade, and she said I could link my brain with hers to gain an eidetic memory without any additional stress. Tris''s manufacturing capabilities were improved, too. Since she was her own entity with a body, the requirement of me making an item was removed. Well, either she or I had to make the item.


    <i>Regardless, everything¡¯s improved for the better. </i>¡°Go ahead and link my mind to yours. I¡¯m not sure if we had that already or not, but if we didn¡¯t, make that connection and keep it that way until further notice.¡±


    ¡°As you wish, my lord, that will be done. You may not feel the effects immediately, but you will reap the benefits soon. But that is not all. I have a present for you.¡± Tris pressed a hand into her chest to retrieve a glowing crystal.


    A Soul Crystal... This was my third time being presented with one. She exined that giving the Essence of Wrath control over my body tricked the [Soul Weapon System], or the SWS, into thinking I had maxed [Soul Armatization], the process of weaponizing my soul into its useable form. Before the system righted itself, Tris reached out to grasp the bootleg weapon the Essence of Wrath used, then tried her best to fix the errors, granting me something far before I was worthy of it.


    Yet again, I reached out to touch its shimmering surface as she held it. I expected it to disappear...


    But it didn¡¯t vanish. No, the shimmering orb cracked like ss, the pieces slowly chipping off until I was staring at a revolver¡ªone the United States''s army used in the mid tote 1800s.


    A single-action revolver. It held the nickname ¡®Peacemaker.¡¯


    With a barrel length of 7.5¡± and an overall length of 13¡±, this weapon was canceled twice, yet due to popr demand, the manufacturer had no choice but to bring it back. In my eyes, just one other gun in the Old West that was just as popr.


    <i>It doesn¡¯t have any engravings on it, though. I¡¯m just happy I can use such a legendary firearm.</i>


    ¡°Take it, my lord. Gain the power you so rightly deserve for achieving what no one thought possible.¡± Kneeling once more, she offered me the gun with both hands. I took it, wrapping my hand around the grip. Power surged through my body and filled the revolver, covering it with cracks. It shattered, the remnants disappearing inside me.


    But it wasn¡¯t broken.


    No, it was far from that.


    <b><i>[Soul Armatization (Lv. 2)] has increased to [Soul Armatization (Lv. 10)]</i></b>


    <b><i>[Soul Armatization (Lv. 10)] has reached its threshold. Unlocking Divine Skill: [Soul Weapon System].</i></b>


    <b><i>New Skill: [Gunde]</i></b>


    <b><i>New Skill: [Soul Energy]</i></b>


    <b><i>Colt Single Action Army is avable to use.</i></b>


    <b><i>Winchester Model 1873 is avable to use.</i></b>


    ¡°The gun that won the west?! Wait... Tris, howe I¡¯m seeing their proper names? Thosepanies don¡¯t exist in this world, do they?¡±


    ¡°You are correct. The [Soul Weapon System] is taking information from your world and recreating the firearms you¡¯ve read about to popte the system. Simr equipment can be found here, so it isn¡¯t creating from nothing. Furthermore, [Soul Energy] is a resource exclusive to Soul Warriors. Please look at the crimson bar underneath your biomass.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I see it. Guess that¡¯s four things to keep track of now. Can you exin my Soul Weapons a little more? Give me the rundown on them.¡± Tris nodded. Every Soul Weapon had an inherent enchantment called {Soul Link}, which worked like {Mana Link}, but it used soul energy instead of mana. That also meant those with ranged weaponry as their Soul Weapons could fire them without bullets.


    However, I was an exception. Perhaps it was a w within the system¡ªmaybe failsafe was a better word since it prevented unauthorized use¡ª but there was a {Soul Link} enchantment and a [Soul Link] skill. Usually, you were given thetter automatically, but Tris hung her head low and apologized she couldn¡¯t recreate it. All was not lost, though, and after using my Soul Weapons and gaining experience with them, the skill could be forcefully learned¡ªanother failsafe, I suppose.


    Until then, I had to use bullets. Rather... I had to make them.


    Then she walked me through my Soul Weapon Evolution Tree, or the SWET, she called it. As the name suggested, it was like a massive tree within my Status Menu. The bottom-most highlighted icons were the Cold Single Action Army and Winchester Model 1873, two legendary guns from the mid tote 1800s. The locked icons were hidden with question marks. Focusing on them revealed nothing. Tris said they were either abilities or guns. In either case, acquiring more and unlocking the rest of my SWET was paramount to my revenge.


    <i>I need to evolve my soul before I can make progress, though.</i>


    Equipping them was as easy as retrieving Reina¡¯s gun or Yaekira¡¯s daggers. Just had to think about it for it to appear in my hand. But Soul Weapons came with sheaths, or holsters, in my case, and there didn¡¯t seem to be a limit to the number I could have out at once since I had the rifle on my back and revolver on my hip.


    My naked hip, that was. It wasn¡¯t attached to the skin; more like it was floating in the right spot tofortably draw.


    I was stark naked, and I only realized I¡¯d been shing Tris the entire time. She didn¡¯t seem to mind, though. It wasn¡¯t like this was the first time she saw me like this considering she watched me have a threesome with Sekh and Irisa.


    I asked about the situation on the outside. The shame of giving control of my body to the Essence of Wrath would haunt me. There was no doubt about that. Ria was destroyed because of me. My hastiness in forcing the Bellerophon soldiers to sh with the chimera resulted in this¡­


    But killing Noelia was the catalyst¡­


    My actions brought that chimera to the city.


    The people that perished after Gloria came to town and fucked everything up? Their blood was on me. That went double for those innocents that fell after the Essence of Wrath came out. I saw the attack with my own eyes, but Sekh prevented any drastic harm froming to my friends and family, right?


    She was merely resting and recovering from the fight, right? I asked for whatever information Tris knew, but¡­I didn¡¯t want to believe any of it.


    Ria¡¯s destruction?


    Sekh¡¯s invoking of the curse via [Tyranny Control] to trade her life for the power to defeat the Essence of Wrath? Tris said Sekh was dead and alive¡ªcaught in a limbo between the two while encased in a coffin of Dark Mana-infused ice. It prevented her from outright dying and returning to the cycle of reincarnation.


    And Tilde? Tris suggested she went inside my body to elerate her rebirth-- a form of maintenance for her.


    ¡°The properties of [Sunfire Apocalypse] means your family will need specialized care to dilute the mdies they¡¯ll face in the future. Lady Niva was protected by Primrose, and she emerged undamaged. Even¡ªMy lord?¡±


    I dropped to my knees and lost the strength to move.


    ¡°My lord?!¡±


    Forming a fist, I punched the tform we stood on as hard as possible, screaming until my throat was red, raw, and constricted. The depths of my soul emerged as a ghastly wail¡­and I turned my Wrath to 25. Instantly, a pair of dragon wings and horns adorned my body, leaking pure fire.


    The mes rushing through the tform were out of control. Waves of liquid crimson sshed all around. Thunderous storms of brim and hellfire were born in the far corners of this infinite cavern, roaring in response to this untethered rage while illuminating the dark abyss surrounding us.


    I turned my head to the one responsible and stomped her way, ignoring her feeble cries.


    Until I woke up¡­I would punish this petnt piece of shit¡­ No matter how long it took, I would make this bitch beg for death¡­and I wouldn¡¯t grant it¡­


    ¡°IT¡¯S ALL YOUR FAULT!!! ALL OF THIS IS YOUR FUCKING FAULT!!!!¡±


    Tris folded her hands over her stomach and watched, unaffected by the hellish cries and screams.


    She certainly wouldn''t stop me.

 Intermission – Quella – Melusine, Frozen Fairy – Part One – (Illustrations!)

    Intermission ¨C Que ¨C Melusine, Frozen Fairy ¨C Part One ¨C (Illustrations!)


    <i>Together we stand, united and strong,</i>


    <i>In the heat of battle, we''ll prove them wrong.</i>


    <i>Our melee strikes, a forcebined,</i>


    <i>[Physical Resolve], our power defined.</i>


    <i></i>


    <i>Unleash the force, as one we thrive,</i>


    <i>Our united strength, the enemy won''t survive.</i>


    <i>With iron will, we break through strife,</i>


    <i>[Physical Resolve], our source of life.</i>


    <i></i>


    <i>Side by side, we face the fight,</i>


    <i>With synchronized blows, we shine so bright.</i>


    <i>No challenge too great, no foe too tall,</i>


    <i>[Physical Resolve], our bond stands tall.</i>


    <i></i>


    <i>Through blood and sweat, we rise above,</i>


    <i>A team of warriors, bound by love.</i>


    <i>With each blow, we im victory''s domain,</i>


    <i>In [Physical Resolve], our might shall reign.</i>


    <i></i>


    <i>Unleash the force, as one we thrive,</i>


    <i>Our united strength, the enemy won''t survive.</i>


    <i>With iron will, we break through strife,</i>


    <i>[Physical Resolve], our source of life.</i>


    A wonderful song sung by a world-ss idol echoed throughout the atmosphere, spreading its joyful tone to this ratherrge, dead tree-filled courtyard with its ice fountain. Elly ced her hands across her heart and swung her hips to the fiery melody she passionately sang as darkness fell upon thend. It was ¡®night,¡¯ so to speak, and we were rxing after a long, tedious day of clearing the frozen castle. Her current attire was a long shot from what an idol would have worn when performing.


    <i>I swear you can almost see ice magic forming behind her while she¡¯s dancing, but it¡¯s an illusion...</i>


    Spoiler


    [copse]


    ¡°RRRAAAHHHHHH!!!¡± Greggie roared and lifted the shield of ice Keeth had crafted using [Material Metamorphosis]. The frigid handle should¡¯ve burned his hands, but his furry gloves protected him from harm.


    <i>This world is just like those fantasy novels I love to read.</i>


    I sat silently and hugged my knees, feeling the pants made of snow leopard fur against my palms. The raging fire nearby provided enough warmth to keep mefortable without needing my cloak.


    Spoiler


    [copse]


    <span ss="TextRun SCXW46899765 BCX0"ng="en-us" xmlng="en-us"><span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW46899765 BCX0">¡°<span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW46899765 BCX0">You¡¯re<span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW46899765 BCX0"> doing great, Greggs! Keep it up!!!¡± Ami¡ªa world-ss luchadora, jumped around and cheered on our friend. The dark-skinned, tanned girl wore a cut-off shirt under a white-furred jacket we had found, along with pants with furred boots. She said the ice and cold <span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW46899765 BCX0">didn¡¯t<span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW46899765 BCX0"> bother her since she often trained in frigid temperatures with her instructors to strengthen her mental state. ¡°Just ten more minutes!!! Work it! Work it! Work it!¡±<span ss="EOP SCXW46899765 BCX0">


    Spoiler


    [copse]


    <span ss="TextRun SCXW219574518 BCX0"ng="en-us" xmlng="en-us"><span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW219574518 BCX0">I averted my gaze from Greggie¡¯s workout session and looked at a woman with fluffy ck hair covered by a beanie we had found. Her attire had a ¡®streetwear¡¯ vibe, as Elly had called it. Mary looked at the orb of mana she held with a gloved hand. I knew what went through her mind. How could I not? That orb was her weapon. Without it, she couldn''t fight.


    Spoiler


    [copse]


    She threw it against a fountain of ice, and an icy canary emerged. Crystalized water droplets dripped from its wings as it flew around the courtyard we had called our home for the night. She reached for an icy cup of water and popped a pill in her mouth from a bottle she kept on her. Due to the unique circumstances behind her birth, the medicine regted her elerated aging. Mary¡¯s status as a Soul Warrior helped her fight against the innate sickness that would surely kill her...but I didn¡¯t want to think about what would happen once she ran out.


    The proof of our conquest was the stack of corpses in the distance. A dozen snowy leopardsid dead¡ªtheir innards having been butchered for food, their fur for clothing and bedding, and their nails and fangs for weapons. They were living here, but they needed to die.


    They were monsters. From my understanding, they were birthed by the dungeon to prevent us from reaching a goal. Therge, imposing door standing a hundred feet away was probably important since it most likely led to the throne room. If it was anything like the books I had read, Melusine, the Fairy Queen and ruler of this dungeon, was waiting for us there. Killing her would grant us a way out of this frozen abyss and return us to the outside.


    Keeth¡ªthe one who crafted Greggie¡¯s training shield¡ªwas working on a sword molded from a chunk of metal we found in a chest.


    <i>It¡¯s hard to believe it¡¯s already been a week since we were sent here...</i>


    Yes, seven days ¡ª 168 hours ¨C 10,080 minutes ¨C 604,800 seconds.


    I closed my eyes and reflected on the past.


    <hr>


    When we were first teleported here by Meruria, we were lost. We were scared, shivering, and afraid of facing this unknown. The first snowy leopard we fought stood on two legs and wielded a club. It was a struggle to even kill it, but we did. The rules of this world stated the strong survived, and the weak died.


    And we didn¡¯t want to die.


    We were going to survive. I was the leader of Team Que, and I vowed not to let anyone else die.


    I didn¡¯t want¡­to experience the crushing weight of failure.


    <i>I¡¯m still not over it¡­ But I¡­need to... I must ovee it...</i>


    Between the leopards, icy bats, water snakes, and frozen nts, everything tried to kill us. We ran from room to room¡ªdown corridors and interconnected hallways with enormous, wide-open spaces above and below¡ªwith very little time to rest.


    Greggie ran himself ragged and clutched his chest more than once. A body that big wasn¡¯t made for marathon running, so we had to take constant breaks. But that was difficult when it seemed like enemies were around every corner. And they were always following us.


    The incident happened after we managed to escape down a nted tunnel. We lost our footing and slid down the icy oath. I turned around andunched a barrage of magic, which caused a small avnche. It pushed us further down the tunnel to the end, which led to an empty room with multiple entrances, but the path we took to get here was blocked.


    ¡°O¡­oh my god¡­ I¡­can¡¯t feel my legs¡­¡± Elly slumped to the frozen ground and breathed heavily. Her teeth chattered like crazy, and she shivered through ayer of sweat.


    ¡°Elly, your skin. Your fingers!¡± They were turning blue-gray¡ªthe telltale sign of frostbite. And it wasn¡¯t just her. I looked at my hands and saw a startling sight I didn¡¯t like. I told everyone to huddle together and used my mes to make a campfire.


    But it didn''tst. It went out almost immediately.


    ¡°Come on! [Fireball]!¡± I used it again, and the same thing happened. It took another twenty tries before I learned to hold the charge in. The ming orb remained nestled in my hands. It provided much-needed warmth.


    ¡°Whatever you do, don¡¯t go to sleep,¡± Mary said. She scooted close to Greggie, who inched forward.


    In the blink of an eye, two hours passed us. There weren¡¯t any signs of enemies, and my mes were still alive. It took a while for the feeling to return to our limbs, but we desperately needed this rest. Ami whimpered a few times but choked her emotions back. Keeth attempted to use [Material Metamorphosis] on his shirt to stretch it into a bandage. Greggie¡¯s hand was still damaged from the first fight. Mary was assisting him.


    ¡°Qutie, how are you feeling?¡± I looked at Elly and saw a hopeful smile. ¡°You¡¯ve been using that fireball thingie for a while.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. My mana¡¯s barely draining.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re amazing.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not me. It¡¯s my soul. If I hadn¡¯t been a 5-Star¡­I don¡¯t know what¡ª"


    Out of nowhere, a portion of the ceiling fell onto my fireball. The shock made me lose concentration, and it was extinguished.


    A bipedal leopard covered in snowy fur descended right before me, swirling up a veil of powdery snow.


    Two crimson eyes and a bloodstained mouth snarled inches away from my face. Startled, I sted the monster with magic andunched a barrage towards the ceiling. Greggie and the others scampered to their feet and ran down one of the corridors. I followed behind. I looked over my shoulder to find a stampede of monsters when I heard a gaggle of roars.


    They had caught up with us.


    ¡°Hey! There¡¯s a bridge ahead of us!¡±


    ¡°Get across it. I¡¯ll try to melt it!¡± I ran behind Greggie. He slipped and fell after tripping over his legs, bashing his stomach against a hard rock. Blood and bile vomited from Greggie''s mouth.


    He begged us to run.He said his sacrifice would save us.


    ¡°We can¡¯t do that!!¡± I shouted and rained fireballs across the bridge. The spells mmed into the walls, created a hazy, misty steam, and slowed down the advancing enemies. Keeth ducked under my arm and ran to Greggie. He grabbed hisrge hand and pulled, but it wasn¡¯t enough.


    Ami sprang into action and helped, but her assistance failed to make any difference.


    "Please, cover me. I need a few seconds," Keeth said as he crouched down, activated his ability, and grabbed a chunk of the icy bridge. Wincing from the frost burn, he molded a long, thin rope.


    ¡°Got it!¡±


    The fireballs I sted from my hands did little more than slow them down...but something urred to me.


    I was strong.


    I was powerful.


    I was a 5-Star Soul Warrior. Barring the surprise existence of a 6-Star, which Meruria didn¡¯t think existed until Tokko and Mia opened their Soul Crystals, I held the potential to be a force to be reckoned with.


    In the two hours I sustained [Fireball] to keep us warm, it advanced in level four times, bing powerful enough to smite a leopard in a single st. By reshaping my intentions when casting, I transformed a simple fireball into a rectangr cube, then molded it into a plump oval that stretched across the bridge''s width. The never-ending onught of enemies then took to the walls, using their weapons to create handholds. Even if a bridge was the only safe path across the darkened abyss below us, they were willing to risk it all to end our lives.


    I heard a few cracks when I used both hands to liquefy the walls. My eyes turned to the enemies at the bridge, and they were stomping. A few leopards got to all fours and bit the ice¡­which had weakened from my fire.


    ¡°JUST LEAVE ME!¡± Greggie looked back.


    Keeth told him to shut up and tightly wrapped the rope around Greggie¡¯s wrists. He screamed because it was cold enough to burn away the flesh. Keeth picked it up and pulled. Ami joined, and Elly and Mary rushed to help.


    There were five ovepping screams, but Greggie was moving. Together, they hauled him to the other side and fell, flooded with agony, ache, and exhaustion.


    ¡°JUST DIE ALREADY!¡± I rejoined my team and put my palms together, intending to pack as much mana as possible into [Fireball]. The zing orb started small, grew asrge as a van, andunched like a slow-moving turtle, melting the bridge almost immediately. It grew wider to cover this room from wall to wall. It smashed into the hallway on the other side, and it didn''t stop. It just kept going.


    Just like that, the oing swarm of enemies just...died. It was hard to hear much over their collective screams of agonizing horror and death. The bodies just...fell. They turned into ash. That sprinkled into the deep abyss below the bridge.


    I didn''t see any survivors. The blue bar that indicated my mana dropped by half, but that was steadily regenerating.


    That was when one type of fear left, and another began to flow through my veins.


    What I had done was impossible to achieve where I came from.


    Elly and the others marveled at my power. When they asked why I was crying, I didn¡¯t have a good answer.


    The whole thing just felt sad for me.


    I took Elly¡¯s hand and looked at the wound across her palm¡­


    That was proof I had failed them...


    Again¡­ More failure¡­


    And that was another regret to add to my growing list. Just a week ago, it was empty.


    And now... I had failed more than my entire extended family...


    ¡°Qutie¡­ Umm¡­ Don¡¯t¡­¡± Elly¡¯s face turned to an expression of pure dread. My other friends were frozen silent.


    Swallowing my fear, I turned and saw a raging blizzard shoot up from the abyssal void below.


    Yet, it remained soundless¡ªa quiet absence of noise. The tornado of ice surged in strength, its furious might almost propelling us off our feet until the ceaseless onught ceased. The myriad shards of ice collided, melding into the likeness of a winged fairy. The woman''s eyes, hair, and wings shimmered blue, harmonizing with her purple attire. Beneath her fairplexion, inky ck veins webbed, oozing like liquid ink and pulsating intermittently.


    She might have been a fairy, but the woman was almost taller than Elly.


    ¡°Phantom¡­Melusine¡­¡± I whispered the name I saw in my vision floating above her head.


    It was another monster.


    And she was Lv. 30. She bared her teeth and began to talk, but we couldn¡¯t understand anything the monster said¡­until I saw something in my activity log.


    <b><i>Mary has shared the effects of [Beastial Lexicon] with the party</i></b>


    <i>[Beastial Lexicon]? That¡¯s a new skill. Did Mary just learn it? Why now? Is it because we encountered a monster that can speak? She is a monster tamer¡­</i>


    <b><i>New Skill: [Silvaran Language]</i></b>


    "Behold, mortals, the wrath of a queen betrayed! In this frozen abyss, I once ruled with grace and majesty. But now, my kingdom crumbles, consumed by the curse that festers beneath our feet. Look upon my subjects, twisted and deformed, transformed into grotesque specters of their former selves."


    Her voice resonated with a chilling fury.


    "I, the Fairy Queen Melusine, who oncemanded respect and adoration, am now reduced to a wretched ruler of a doomed realm. My subjects... They suffer, trapped in icy prisons, their souls encased in eternal torment. The cursed crystal, pulsating with malevolence, corrupts their very essence."


    Her azure eyes gleamed with madness, her voice growing more unhinged.


    "I shall unleash the tempest upon you, mortals! Feel the biting cold, the sting of my subjects'' pain. You shall know the despair, the hopelessness that consumes me. Embrace the madness, for there is no escape!"


    With maniacalughter, Melusine unleashed a powerful blizzard from her palm, engulfing me and the others in a frenzy of swirling snow and ice. Her mind was lost to the depths of her own suffering.


    I felt the attack pierce my skin and dig deep into my veins, where the frosty affliction was exacerbated a dozen times. I endured the pain, gritted my teeth, and summoned a response with a battle cry.


    The raging mes of my anger and determination to survive this were born from my palms. ¡°AAAAHHHHHHHH!¡±


    The sudden heat wasn¡¯t enough to fight back against the blizzard, but it burned hot enough to create a whirlwind of steam. Due to the blizzard¡¯s cylindrical motion, the super-heated mist traveled towards her.


    She recoiled and cursed us to hell, but I unleashed another van-sized ball of fire. Some more tinkering made me realize I could hold it in ce even after it left my hands. The drain on my mana increased, but I wasn¡¯t concerned.


    I grabbed Elly¡¯s hand and shouted for us to run. They nodded and forced their tired, injured bodies to push far past their limits. Greggie clutched his bleeding arms and grabbed his stomach. His ragged breathing was loud and painful.


    ¡°You wretched fools! You dare defy me? I curse you with eternal suffering! I shall hunt you down, freeze your souls, and hang you as ornaments within my castle¡ªas decorations in my kingdom! You will writhe in agony, forever trapped in ice!¡±


    Melusine¡¯s voice, filled with rage and despair, followed us as we continued down the icy corridor, promising a relentless pursuit.


    ¡°Mark my words, you pitiful insects! No matter where you hide, I will find you! You shall pay for defying the Fairy Queen! My wrath shall be your evesting torment!¡±


    The end of the corridor came to a cliff¡­


    ¡°What¡­is¡­that¡­? Is that real? Ami, tell me I¡¯m not dreaming¡­¡± Elly gasped and fell to her knees. She couldn¡¯t believe what her eyes saw.


    <i>Elly¡¯s not speaking thenguage of our world. It¡¯s¡­Silvaran¡­ No one¡¯s questioning it.</i>


    It was a frozen city¡­ I gazed down from the cliff¡¯s edge. A sense of eerie tranquility washed over me. The once bustling streets nowy silent, buried under a thickyer of ice and frost. The icy grip had stolen the warmth of life, leaving behind a haunting stillness that hung in the air.


    Tall icy pirs rose like ancient sentinels, reaching towards the heavens, their crystalline structures shimmering in the faint sunlight. They seemed to connect with the cavernous expanse above, a gateway between the earthly realm and an icy abyss. The magnitude of their presence was both awe-inspiring and foreboding.


    I didn¡¯t see the sun, but a bright orb shimmered in the sky.


    In the heart of this city stood a majestic castle, standing tall and proud amidst the destion. Its regal spires pierced the frozen sky, a testament to the former grandeur and power that once resided within its walls. The castle emanated an air of imposing beauty, its icy facade glinting with a captivating allure.


    Yet, beneath the icy exterior, I could sense a profound sadness, as if the essence of life had been drained from this ce. The city, which once teemed with vibrant energy, now stood as a solemn testament to the power of the frozen curse that had befallen it.


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel awe and trepidation.


    ¡°We can¡¯t stop here. There¡¯s a path over there we can use to get down. If we want to leave, I think we must kill Melusine.¡±


    ¡°Go up against that thing?! Can we even do that?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re Soul Warriors. You¡¯ve seen my power. And you can do that too. We can fight, okay? We can gain strength, conquer this ce, and leave. We won¡¯t die here, okay? I refuse it.¡±


    <hr>


    The first night was rough.


    After we descended the downward path, we came across an icy in. There weren¡¯t any enemies, so we quickly crossed it and reached the city.


    <i>This ce is big enough to be a kingdom...</i>


    It was probably once protected by towering walls, but theyy in ruin. Theyout was odd. It was a city, but it was abyrinthian maze of a dozen streets that branched off every corner. Some led to a dead end.


    Others were blocked by monsters. We kept silent and tried to find alternative passageways through the shops and houses, but we weren''t lucky.


    This ce didn¡¯t have a ''sun,'' but there was a day and night cycle. After searching, we found a building that had more wood than ice. It looked like an inn. There was a kitchen with a wood fire stove on the first floor. In the middle of the lobby sat an emblem scrawled with fire.


    The knowledge I gained from reading fantasy novels said it was probably a protective seal or something. Melusine mentioned a cursed crystal. If the ice was born of that, things would make more sense.


    However, we couldn¡¯t find any food. The shroud of night enveloped us, and it was too dangerous to venture into the city. Sleeping with aching bodies and a hungry belly was a torment, but the greater anguish was being alone in a perilous situation.


    We all worked together to turn the lobby into our sleeping quarters for the night and ransacked the rooms above for covers, pillows, and nkets. There was a firece nearby. It didn¡¯t have wood, but I broke a few of their chairs in the kitchen, smashed some dressers in the bedrooms, and used paper from the front desk¡¯s ledger to fuel a hungry fire.


    We talked about what we experienced. Mary didn¡¯t know why she suddenly obtained [Beastial Lexicon]. She said it allowed her to understand and gain fluency in anynguage spoken by a monster. It automatically shared itself with our party, and I saw a little icon of a monster and a book underneath my mana bar. Silvaran¡­ It was anguage Melusine used, but I didn¡¯t know if others spoke it.


    Would it be helpful?


    Perhaps, but we needed to focus on surviving.


    Greggie was the first to lose the fight against sleep. Ami was next, and Keeth dozed off after that. Elly wasn¡¯t too far behind, but Mary stayed up with me. She bundled herself withyers of cloth and huddled close.


    Monster taming suggested the snowy bipedal leopards we encountered could be tamed. Since [Beastial Lexicon] activated with that Phantom Melusine, could she be tamed? If so, how? What did Mary need to do to bring them under hermand?


    The answer was simple. When Mary removed her ck sses and rubbed her eyes, she mumbled out of frustration.


    Suddenly, a colorless orb appeared in front of her. It hovered, remaining still until she touched it, then flowed into her body.


    ¡°I¡­ What?l¡± Mary whispered. She said she saw five empty circles on the right side of her vision. Only the first was lit, and focusing on it materialized the mana orb.


    After a few seconds of experimenting, we discovered only Mary could touch it. My fingers passed through it as if it was a mirage. ¡°If you only see five circles, that¡¯s probably the limit. My guess is that it¡¯ll increase in the future.¡±


    Mary smiled and bounced the orb up and down. I didn¡¯t notice it before, but she was pretty. I knew of her past¡ªher sad, horrible, depressing history. She was born as a test tube baby and designed to teach the future leaders of our world, and here she was¡­fighting for her life amid a scene that only lived in fantasy.


    ¡°Is it pathetic knowing I¡¯m scared?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± I shook my head and used another [Fireball] to keep the firece going. ¡°I¡¯m scared too. We all are. But we''re trying to be brave. This brave front is all we have. And¡­ This is our life now. My family¡­ You know, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll ever see them. And I¡¯m sad. But I don¡¯t want to die. I want to survive and get out of here.¡±


    <i>Shuuta cursed the meritocracy of our world, but... I wonder why he called it that? If anything, it was more like a Darwinist society filled with corrupt officials. How odd... I never thought about questioning it. I always went with the flow. If we hadn¡¯t arrived here, I¡¯d still be thinking of it as normal, but it isn¡¯t. It really isn¡¯t...</i>


    Mary reflected on the past. Soon, she fell asleep with her sses on, and I stayed up another hour to experiment with something.

 Intermission – Quella – Melusine, Frozen Fairy – Part Two

    Intermission ¨C Que ¨C Melusine, Frozen Fairy ¨C Part Two


    Morning arrived, and I was up before everyone else because I discovered a brand-new spell.


    ¡°[Minor Heal]!¡±


    A warm glow flowed from my hands to Greggie¡¯s injury. Immediately he said the difort originating from his stomach vanished. They asked how I did it, and the secret was in [Mana Language]. After yesterday¡¯s events, I managed to grow to Lv. 22, which I didn¡¯t realize until I had a chance to look things over.


    "It appears your aplishments will popte the Skill Menu. From there, you can either buy a skill with SP to learn it immediately or continue to work towards it manually. There doesn''t seem to be a progress bar, however," I said, telling them what I had learned. "[Mana Language] was there presumably because I used magic, so I purchased it with the SP received from leveling up." Mana was often a resource used in games and fiction to cast magic. You usually had to chant to use magic, although there were many exceptions to that rule, which seemed like it was there to always be broken by someone or something to proim how powerful they were. "High Fantasy is my favorite genre, so the chants are often borate and long-winded. After messing around, I discovered [Minor Heal]. But there''s more. Here''s something better."


    <i>From ember''s wrath to soothing balm,</i>


    <i>Through mystic words, I call the calm.</i>


    <i>Let fiery agony now adjourn,</i>


    <i>As ancient forces greet the dawn.</i>


    <i></i>


    <i>With whispered chant and outstretched hand,</i>


    <i>I weave the threads of healing''s strand.</i>


    <i>From pain''s embrace, let bodies turn,</i>


    <i>To find relief, through spellwork''s learn.</i>


    <i></i>


    <i>By arcane might, the hurt shall spurn,</i>


    <i>Embracing sce, hearts shall yearn.</i>


    <i>With magic''s art, our fate we discern,</i>


    <i>Aze no more, under [Cure Burn].</i>


    <b><i>New Skill: [Cure Burn]</i></b>


    The frosty burn on Greggie¡¯s hands and wrists went away. I did the same for my friends. Maybe that was the deciding factor that almost guaranteed our sess.


    Now that we had a source of healing magic and a way to eliminate the burn we received from touching ice, things were looking up. Mary exined what she discoveredst night and produced the mana orb.


    The day ended up being much more fruitful in many ways.


    Before leaving the inn, Elly and Keeth ripped the excess sheets we didn¡¯t use and made those into clothes. He grabbed a handful of the desk and made a chunk into a needle, then expertly thinned the remaining parts and made them into thread. With his skill still active, he sewed the wood into the clothes to make sleeves, then canceled the skill to harden them. And since this was regr wood, the mana cost was nearly zero.


    From there, we left the building and kept close to the walls. Yesterday, we found a lone bipedal leopard in the bakery. And it was still here. It was alone, too, and we didn¡¯t see any other enemies nearby. The n was to lure him out, which I did with a few weak fireballs at the window. It was just enough to melt the frost covering it. The leopard turned around and raised its icy axe. It stomped close to the window, then left to look outside.


    Another fireball smacked into the frozen wagon near it, and it turned away from us.


    Keeth and Greggie held wooden axes the modeler had made before we left and snuck around the right side. They crossed the street. Whenever the leopard was losing interest, I¡¯d throw another fireball.


    When they were close, they ran forward. The leopard turned to face them, and Ami ran like the wind down the left. She crossed over and dropped-kicked the leopard while it snarled its fangs at Keeth.


    The dumb monster didn¡¯t hear hering because it was showing off. Keeth and Greggie mmed their weapons into the monster¡¯s back. They tore into flesh and scattered crimson all over its snowy white fur.


    It was like watching a gang assault. But we couldn¡¯t give up.


    None of us needed to offer any semnce of mercy to our enemies because they wouldn¡¯t do the same to us.


    When the monster¡¯s HP was below half, Mary summoned the mana orb and joined the fight. She threw it at it when I ran to get closer in case something happened, and the leopard¡¯s¡­mana? Its energy? Whatever it was called covered the monster and forced it into the ball, which dropped and wiggled. After the third time, it made a distinctive click, and Mary said the leopard was captured. The ball turned blue and returned to her hand.


    She threw it, and the leopard appeared. It looked at Mary and waited, holding its club by its side. The wounds it suffered still haunted its body, but I healed it with an overcharged [Minor Heal].


    She told it to jump, and it did. It dropped the weapon upon being asked. Mary became silent, and the monster jumped on one leg.


    ¡°I acquired another skill. It lets me telepathicallymunicate with my monsters. And I can¡­understand them,¡± Mary said. ¡°The leopard cannot speak, but I can interpret its feelings, and it transmits information to me that way.¡±


    After nicknaming it Snowy, she returned it to its orb, which vanished inside her body.


    That was a start, but there was more toe. We weren¡¯t done.


    With Snowy in hand, we abused the leopard¡¯s expert hearing and impable sense of smell to find other monsters, including a frozen nt thatunched icicles, a frozen canary, and an icy snake with water flowing through it.


    They were instrumental in defeating ten more leopards and assisted in taking them to our base.


    Once there¡­ The choice was difficult and obvious. We needed food. By a rough count, it had been nearly sixty hours since anything entered our stomachs. Greggie said he could handle it. He grabbed one by the furry leg and dragged it into the kitchen.


    We heard a knife slice into flesh. The noise was sickening and upsetting, but this was the cost of survival. The chief returned with a pair of bloody hands holding expertly diced filets. Keeth made six skewers from wood and roasted the freshly carved meat over the campfire¡¯s glow.


    ¡°I used [Mana Marinade ¨C Physical] while butchering it, so it should increase your physical attributes. I skinned it the fur, too,¡± Greggie said. ¡°We can use them as clothing. But we don¡¯t have anything to wash the blood.¡± He also said he used [Thermal Check] and said it was well below freezing¡ªsomething we knew, but it was nice to know. ¡°I searched for spices, but I couldn¡¯t find anything. I¡¯m sorry, but the food''ll be nd and tasteless.¡±


    ¡°Snowy, can you retrieve us a block of ice?¡± Mary asked the leopard. The beast just walked out of the inn. It returned and ced the ice in the sink before our food was ready.


    ¡°Oh¡­ Meat¡­ How I¡¯ve missed you¡­so much¡­ Please don¡¯t ever divorce my stomach again¡­¡± Elly was on the verge of tears.


    ¡°If you take away¡­almost everything, this reminds me of Mexico.¡± Ami bit straight into the meat and ripped it apart with her teeth. ¡°We lived off thend. Sleeping with wolves and wildebeests. But this¡­ It¡¯s not as fun.¡±


    The group went silent as we ate. Tamed monsters needed to eat, so Snowy joined us. It used its powerful jaw muscles to bite into the flesh of its kin, chomping through bone and ligament as if they were made of paper.


    Once finished, I used my mes to melt the ice, making water. We washed the fur and let it dry in an upstairs room while Keeth prepared more wooden thread forter use.


    The night was spent making a few pairs of gloves, which Keeth used to protect his hands while making a handful of weapons from the icy stone around us. He also made some cups and bowls we used to boil the water to make it palpable.


    The fur was enough to make some clothes, but it wasn¡¯t enough to make each aplete set.


    <hr>


    ¡°Go! Attack it!¡± Mary shouted an order at Flutter, an ice bird monster she had just captured. It flew high and dropped tiny icy spikes from its azure wings. The snowy bipedal leopard dodged out of the way and roared, throwing the rock it held.


    We had just left our haven and wanted to explore a little bit. Now that we had clothes made of fur, the coldness didn¡¯t bother us that much. And we felt far more confident in fighting. Ami stepped up to the monster Mary fought and rxed in a loosened stance. She was nimble on her feet and tested her movements, feigning a charge before rushing in. Ami ducked under a wild swipe and replied with a kick to the shin. The green bar representing her aura increased, and she unleashed a powerful [Aura st] and blew the top half of the monster to gory bits.


    She wiped her sweaty brow and gave me two thumbs up with a very Ami-esque smile. Flutter returned to Mary¡¯s shoulder and chirped.


    But our exploration needed to continue, so we waded through thebyrinthian city, taking on solo monsters. Keeth, Greggie, and Elly were on their own and heading to the west, and we had ns to return to our safe haven before night.


    During our journey, though, we discovered treasure chests locked away inside basements and attics, and they held jackets, shirts, and other clothing enchanted with resistance against frost and ice. A few shoes, after I focused on them, told me they were blessed with {Liquid Resistance}.


    That was nice to know, but this world felt more like a video game. There were levels, skills, loot¡­ Bosses and dungeons.


    It still felt very surreal to me.


    When the sky darkened, we were entering what looked like a library. The floor was covered with snow a few inches thick, and most books were ruined. I couldn''t read the scribble-like, symbol-basednguage for the few legible books left. It reminded me of Chinese or Japanese. Despite knowing thosenguages, it did little to help me understand the symbols.


    Ami discovered a stone tablet hidden behind a wooden wall on the top floor. She said she had heard air behind it, so she just broke through it with a few powerful kicks.


    ¡°Wait¡­ I can read this?¡±


    ¡°I can too. It must be written in Silvaran,¡± Mary said, peeking over my shoulder.


    ¡°Stone Tablet 1: <em>The Rise of Fairy Queen Melusine</em>¡­¡± The tablet recounted the golden era of Melusine¡¯s reign¡ªa time in which harmony and prosperity were the defining factors. The queen''s rule was characterized by wisdom,passion, and a deep connection to the natural world. Her kingdom stood as a beacon of hope, and her subjects revered her as a symbol of light and benevolence. ¡°¡­little did she know of the lurking darkness beneath her city¡­ A curse waiting to shatter the tranquility she had built for herself.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s so sad¡­ The beautiful woman was once nice?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It seems like it,¡± Mary answered Ami. ¡°Do we have to kill her to escape?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my guess. She¡¯s probably at the castle. Maybe that should be our goal. We need to find more safe havens. These tablets could grant us a clue to defeat her.¡±


    ¡°But Que, do we need clues? We¡¯re so much stronger now!¡± Ami formed a muscle and proudly showed off her toned arms. ¡°Fighting is getting easier. I can more readily understand the enemy. Oh, and your melty fire is super strong.¡±


    <i>Melty fire? That¡¯s a new one.</i>


    ¡°We cannot take any chances. I don¡¯t know if my mes can win against the queen. We still have over three weeks to get back to Cridia.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­ If you say so, I¡¯ll follow you because you¡¯re the leader!¡±


    ¡°Flutter, I need you to scout the area, okay?¡± The icy bird left Mary¡¯s shoulder and flew through the open window. We waited until the coast was clear, then returned to the inn.


    The other team was waiting in the lobby to wee us back, and we swapped info. They had found another safe haven about four hours away.


    ¡°It looks like a cksmith¡¯s workshop. There were anvils and hammers, but we didn¡¯t see any metal or materials,¡± Greggie said. He had this¡­look in his eye. Something was bothering him. ¡°We brought back another six leopards. It should be enough to get us outfitted with a few spares.¡±


    ¡°We discovered treasure chests filled with resistant gear,¡± I said. Mary threw out Snowy, who held an armful of clothing. Whatever her monsters carried could apany them inside the mana orb.


    Greggie prepared dinner while we sorted everything. The thermal socks and boots were most helpful. The jackets were less so, but very much appreciated. Our chef packed the food with [Mana Marinade ¨C Magical] to increase our magical ability, then we swapped more stories while drinking our purified water.


    With the mes going, it felt like a real campfire.


    The food was nd, gamey, and chewy. But it was better than nothing. Greggie kept apologizing, but it wasn¡¯t his fault because this ce had nothing in the way of spices.


    <hr>


    When the next day came, we packed what we needed and left for the next haven. Once there, we set up the living room for the night and continued our investigation.


    Things were really kicking up speed. Our growth was fast¡ªprobably hyper-elerated, but our status as Soul Warriors was to thank for that. No wonder they were used as deterrents against war if I held enough firepower to burn an entire house to smoldering ash. Instead of finding ways around buildings that blocked our path, I opted for the destructive route, which sped things up.


    It attracted attention, but Ami was powerful enough to take four monsters in a fight. Whenever a wayward strike or an icy projectile pierced her skin, I healed her wounds.


    Elly was with us today, and she jumped on a carriage, nearly slipped on the ice, sang her heart out, and watched the magical notes her voice produced destroy our enemies.


    <i>In the heat of battle, we take our stance,</i>


    <i>A symphony of power, in our hands.</i>


    <i>With every note we sing, our enemies fear,</i>


    <i>Melodies of courage, drawing near.</i>


    <i>We raise our voices, our spirits ignite,</i>


    <i>Musical warriors, shining bright.</i>


    <i>Our songs are weapons, melodies untold,</i>


    <i>Fighting through music, brave and bold.</i>


    <i>Notes like daggers, piercing through the air,</i>


    <i>Harmonies of victory, we shall dere.</i>


    <i>Each verse resounding, striking with might,</i>


    <i>As we dance on the battlefield, our hearts alight.</i>


    <i>We raise our voices, our spirits ignite,</i>


    <i>Musical warriors, shining bright.</i>


    <i>Our songs are weapons, melodies untold,</i>


    <i>Fighting through music, brave and bold.</i>


    <i>With every chord, we weave a spell,</i>


    <i>Unleashing power, where foes shall dwell.</i>


    <i>Rhythm and harmony, our guiding light,</i>


    <i>Together we stand, ready to fight.</i>


    <i>We raise our voices, our spirits ignite,</i>


    <i>Musical warriors, shining bright.</i>


    <i>Our songs are weapons, melodies untold,</i>


    <i>Fighting through music, brave and bold.</i>


    <i>So let the music soar, let it ring,</i>


    <i>Through the battles we face, together we sing.</i>


    <i>For in our voices, strength shall arise,</i>


    <i>We fight as one, with melodies as our prize.</i>


    Her voice was as lovely as ever. Even she was brought to her knees and wailed at seeing the music she loved so much carve open monsters, destroying their heads¡­ Even if the sight of so much blood brought upon by something lovely crushed her heart enough to make her regret even bing an idol in the first ce¡­


    Elly continued to sing. Because she knew we needed her power. Even if the battlefield became an orgy of blood and gore, she endured the weight pressing against her soul.


    As the day continued, the lyrics became more depressing. They were dark and unnerving, reflecting their power.


    We stopped after finding the second and third tablets detailing the rise and fall of Melusine. They were in the same multi-level barracks near arge piece of the crumbled wall.


    The second was titled <em>The Shadow¡¯s Awakening</em>. The ancient curse beneath the kingdom¡¯s capital city awoken during the night. The icy grip of darkness crept through thend, corrupting everything in its path. Melusine and her people faced a growing threat while the realm she ruled was twisted into a frozen hellscape. She was desperate to save her kingdom, so she sought answers to help her restore light to her pride and joy.


    The third was <em>The Descent into Frost</em>, which chronicled her desperate measures. By then, the tablet said the unyielding winter trapped the citizens in the city. The powerful blizzards had destroyed the walls and turned the surrounding ins into an icy wondend. The mountains situated nearby were also suffering the effects.


    Melusine desperation led her to discover an ice crystal hidden deep below thebyrinthian tunnels below her castle¡­and it was this crystal that was the true artifact of the ancient malevolence. She held noble intentions, yet her fateful attempt to save her people resulted in the Fairy Queen unleashing the full force of the curse upon herself.


    Returning home, we again swapped info at the new save haven. The other team found two more havens after Mary¡¯s icy bird helped scout out half of the remaining 30% of the city.


    We were making good progress.


    <hr>


    The fourth tablet was titled <em>Frozen Reign</em>, and I found it with Greggie and Keeth inside a bar. A locked door prevented us from entering the basement, but Keeth expertly picked the lock, acquiring the [Lockpick] skill without needing to spend any SP.


    After Melusine released the ice crystal¡¯s curse, the entire kingdom transformed into what we were adventuring through. The vibrant life it once held was silenced by eternal ice. Melusine was said to have been trapped in her throne. She became a prisoner, yet she ruled over the deste realm while being tormented by the knowledge of her unintended role in bringing about the frozen apocalypse.


    If she was here, then how did she show up before? My guess was some projection skill. That kind of thing wasmon for mages to use to talk to someone far away without leaving thefort of their home.


    In my books, at least.


    I hadn¡¯t had luck discovering spells other than [Cure Burn] and [Minor Heal], but I had used them so many times they were Lv. 10¡ªwhich seemed to be the max.


    Later that night, we made it to another new haven, which put us that much closer to the castle. This ce was another inn, but its kitchen was twice the size of the lobby.


    This ce had charcoal and a grill, and we killed a few nt monsters during our search. Greggie minced their remains after noticing they smelled like onions. We also encountered more of those icy canaries. Their meat was spongy and softer than leopard fillets. Greggie packed the minced nt andid it on the grill in a thinyer. Then he carved the bird meat thin, poked holes through them, and ced them over the bed of onion-like nt. The juice from the canaries would drip onto the nt, and the onion-like vapor would help cook the meat and impart some sense of vor.


    Even without spices, it smelled amazing. It tasted even better. Since there were two ingredients, Greggie used his magical marinade on the onions and physical on the meat until his mana was dangerously low, but we felt the bonuses. It was like a faint me coursing through our bodies. This little bit wouldn¡¯t amount to much, but it would stack. And as Greggie acquired more mana, the effects would strengthen.


    It was just a matter of getting there.


    If we wanted to have our own rooms, we could¡¯ve. But after bunking together for so long, it felt odd to do anything else.


    We were all tired from exploring, so we hit the bed early to prepare for what would soon be the end of our spelunking¡ªsomething we were ready for. We just wanted to get out of this hellhole.


    This ce was affecting us. I noted and brought it up before bed, but I said I felt like I was changing.


    Hunting monsters, killing them for experience and levels, butchering their flesh and preparing it over the fire¡­


    We were almost monsters ourselves¡ªfighting for the right to survive.


    Elly agreed and broke into a mournful cry. She experienced a breakdown and almost pulled her hair out before Ami wrapped her in a tight hug. Keeth whispered and wondered how many he would kill tomorrow. The garrote he made of icy stone remained in his gloved hands.


    It was bloody.


    Greggie looked at a butcher knife Keeth made him. His instructors had taught him to forever respect the tools. So, he refused to use it to kill, even though he had a skill to increase damage with butcher knives. Next came the shield-- made from a chunk of a falling spike. Greggie ran his hands over the surface, then looked at his scar-covered forearms. They were gained from fighting on the front line, and he deeply sighed with a heart full of internal struggle and strife.


    We were all feeling the effects of the day. Even if they were monsters, a human could only kill so much¡ªeven out of self-defense¡ªbefore it became too much.


    I wanted to escape before it got to that point.


    <hr>


    In the morning, I woke up to find Ami peeking into the kitchen. She crouched underneath a half-window and looked inside. She heard me stir awake, then put a finger to her lips.


    I crawled silently, stepping over Mary and Keeth, and joined our talented luchadora.


    ¡°Greggie¡¯s been doing this every morning¡­¡± she said as we watched Greggie exercise. He tried and failed to do pushups, so he settled for the wall variant. He did twenty and almost dropped to his knees. A puddle of sweat surrounded him, and he stretched his back before falling to his stomach.


    It was faint, but I heard him whimper. He got off the ground and wiped his runny nose before attempting to do a few squats. He ced his hands behind his head and lowered his knees, gritting so hard his lips started to bleed.


    ¡°He thinks he¡¯s weak. But he¡¯s not. Not just anyone can survive this,¡± Ami whispered. ¡°Qutie¡­ I wanna help him. You said it yourself. We are in this together. Survival means surviving together.¡±


    ¡°I think he¡¯ll like that.¡±


    Seeing Greggie wanting to better himself struck me in the heart. Ami went to him, carrying a cup of refreshing water. He was shocked and embarrassed at his efforts being discovered, but his emotions flowed past his eyes. He made and fist and punched his knees, which caused Ami to hug him. She rubbed his head and said it was okay.


    The noise woke everyone else. And like the night before, we shared an emotional moment with a close friend.


    Greggie said he always struggled with his weight. And since the kitchen was often a battle ce, he remained in just enough shape to work long hours.


    Elly forced herself into the ¡®Greggie Fitness Party¡¯ as she called it, which consisted of all of us, but the primary members were Ami and herself. ¡°I¡¯m gonna work you like a dog when we return to the church,¡± she said. ¡°There is no tougher routine than being an idol. We¡¯re expected to dance and sing for hours on end. And we never, ever miss a day to better our bodies!¡± Elly bounced to her feet, swayed her hips, and sang a song famous for being the theme of a popr chain of gyms.


    It was nice hearing her sing from a source of love, not violence or death. And Greggie had the support he needed. During breakfast, which was more grilled bird and greens from a frozen nt monster, he admitted he had never felt more helpless than in the past few days. He wondered if he could¡¯ve helped Shuuta more if he had been in better shape. Or if he had done a little less something during his life, he might¡¯ve died when we were running away from those monsters on the first day.


    He couldn¡¯t stop thinking about how hisck of general fitness almost killed us.


    If he had been a few pounds heavier¡­ Or if he had slipped further back¡­


    Elly quickly ended Greggie¡¯s pessimistic attitude and said those things were in the past. We were here now, and we were alive. We were in the present, and what we did today decided our lives in the future.


    It was a profound way of thinking¡ªnot many people would have expected an idol to say something so thought-provoking.

 Intermission – Quella – Melusine, Frozen Fairy – Part Three (Illustrations!)

    Intermission ¨C Que ¨C Melusine, Frozen Fairy ¨C Part Three (Illustrations!)


    Two dayster, we finally made it to the castle. It was a fearsome sight, and the snowy leopards began to wear armor and wielded iron weapons. The monsters were in the early 30s, but our average level was 37.


    We started by using Mary¡¯s monsters to pull a group of soldiers away from the gates, and Elly buffed our agility with a song. Ami hopped into battle with Greggie, who wore a thinyer of icy stone armor over his frost and ice-resistant clothing. He wielded a shield and sword and engaged the enemies. Ami wore gloves with icy spikes on the end¡ª everything we had was only possible because of Keeth.


    He wasn¡¯t a fighter¡ªand we didn¡¯t fault him. He pulled enough weight by crafting our gear with his helpful ability.


    Ami was like a blur. She remained focused and used her natural speed to duck under swipes. When needed, she ran to assist Greggie, who had trouble constantly hefting his shield. But Elly¡¯s buffs made him quick enough to block every attack when he pushed himself.


    I keptthe healing up and offered ming balls of fire to help thin out the soldiers.


    I held enough firepower to end the fight immediately, but Greggie and the others needed experience. They needed to survive in this world, so they had to learn how to fight. It was the same with me. But attacking from a distance and using magic differed from being up close and personal.


    As crazy as it sounded, we had grown strong enough in the past few days to look at enemies we feared and interpret them as mere training dummies.


    That was the power of a Soul Warrior. Even Greggie, who never had formalbat training, believed in me to heal his wounds whenever his strikes were parried. He suffered dozens of scars across his face from attacks he wasn¡¯t fast enough to block.


    I knew he was scared.


    Knowing that damage could be healed didn¡¯t erase the fear.


    Ami countered a thrust with her wrist and slipped behind the bipedal leopard to put the monster in an arm bar. She shouted Greggie¡¯s name, and he plunged his sword into its heart, groaning in exhaustion. Six other monstersy dead beside them. And he stared at this one in its crimson eyes and watched the life fade. Ami let it go, and the leopard dropped to the ground with Greggie''s icy sword sticking out of its chest.


    He announced he had reached Lv. 28 and retrieved it, then limped to me.


    We were gaining SP and skills at an rming rate. In just a few days, Greggie acquired [Shield] and [One-Handed Sword], which made him more skilled when using those types of equipment. Ami increased her unarmed skills and gained more abilities that used her unique aura. Keeth was still saving his SP, and Elly purchased [Healing Melody]. It was a song to help us in battle by restoring our HP. She was super happy about that because it was why she went into singing in the first ce.


    She wanted to heal hearts and bring joy with her voice, not cause death.


    Once Mary had caught her fifth monster, a thin cylinder appeared on her hip. It was stuck to her without rope, string, or belts, so she couldn¡¯t lose it, but it worked as a storage container to hold monsters she didn¡¯t want to use.


    She said a monster organization section was added to her Status Menu. The current limit was 20, and she had 16. The n was to capture some of the armored leopards to rece a few she had lost yesterday.


    When it came to Mary, her heart was kind. She cried over Snowy¡¯s and Flutter¡¯s corpses when they perished in battle. They were scouting and fighting a group of water snakes and icy nts when a unit of leopards attacked.


    It wasn¡¯t an ambush because we knew they would intervene, and that opportunity was a chance for her to test her mettle as a monster tamer.


    She was quickly overwhelmed and couldn¡¯t direct her monsters, who looked at her for orders as they were ughtered like livestock. A mental breakdown and inability to issue orders made Mary lose more than just them.


    It was¡­ Yesterday was probably the roughest since we first arrived. It wasn¡¯t like Mary couldn¡¯t capture recement monsters. She could. And she did it that night before we returned to our new base.


    But Mary¡­ She confessed and said she felt like her creators¡ªwho grew test tube babies and sold them to the highest bidder. She had looked at a mana orb containing Snowy II and cried. Even if they were monsters, she¡­wanted to not be like her creators. She desired to treat them right. It was a noble promation-- and one I understood, but it wasn''t so easy.


    In my eyes, monsters were monsters. We killed them before they killed us, and only the strong survived to advance to the next day¡ªthe next hour¡ªthe next minute.


    But in her defense, capturing monsters and having them fight was another type of strength unique to her.


    Elly had said there were probably cute monsters waiting to be found. She thought it would be fun to hunt and catch a unicorn. She joked and said she could aplish a childish dream of riding a lion during a concert.


    Ami wanted to find a bipedal blue jackal and train with it.


    That night had ended better than it started, but it also brought us here¡ªstanding before our destination.


    I charged up a [Fireball] and shot a dozen towards the gate, breaking it down. The moat was 20 feet wide, but Keeth handled it with a bridge he crafted out of the wood belonging to a nearby carriage.


    We entered the first courtyard and fought our way to the entrance hall, where we were met by corpses hanging from ropes of ice.


    They dangled like crystal ornaments amid the frosty carpets, but...


    They didn¡¯t look old. And they weren''t monsters, either.


    They were human. And people with cat ears, dog ears, horns, multiple tails, and folks with scales.


    Their bodies had long been turned cold by the harsh temperature. We discovered that when I shot one of them down and watched it shatter upon impact. Frozen globs of red blood were sent scattering across the hall.


    Even after all we had seen¡­


    Elly and Keeth threw up and adverted their eyes as we made our way to the left staircase. The right staircase was destroyed, and the corridor had copsed, preventing us from heading that way. Therge, imposing door in the room''s middle that most likely led to the throne room was locked shut with a glimmering barrier protecting it. My fireballs dissipated upon impact. The only choice was the left staircase, which led to a hallway filled with more soldier-like bipedal leopards.


    It took a few hours to navigate the castle. We entered each room to check for any secrets. By the time we made it to the queen¡¯s bedroom, which had seen better days, we had discovered fourteen treasure chests. Mary gave the contents to her monsters to hold while we looked around, and I found thest tablet.


    It concluded the tale of Melusine, her kingdom, and the curse that consumed them. The tablet spoke of the queen¡¯s eternal torment. She was forced to endure the icy grip of her frozen hellscape until the end of time.


    But that begged the question of who made these tablets. Why leave a story exining the kingdom¡¯s history?


    We searched the room for anything useful, then continued our fight around the castle. At this point, the monsters fell to my mes. I had grown six more levels and discovered the chant for [Hell Fireball], which burned with an intensity dwarfing the weaker spell.


    It was hot enough to melt the castle¡¯s doors and wall, and the mes liquefied the soldier¡¯s armor, fusing molten metal to bare fur.


    It was like a massacre.


    It wasn¡¯t even a fight anymore. And I was sure Melusine wouldn¡¯t pose a problem in my current state.


    Mary captured four monsters and used them to scout the rest of the castle. She was prepared to lose them, but it didn¡¯t stop the tears from falling from her eyes whenever she announced one had died.


    In no time at all, we reached the fourth courtyard. It was inhabited by a dozen soldiers¡ªeach above Lv. 44.


    They were weak. At this point, it was clockwork. We had a strategy to fight, and in ten short minutes, they were piled up in the corner after we butchered their meat and harvested their fur.


    <i>Just what...are we bing...?</i>


    <hr>


    The next morning rolled around. Mary¡¯s monsters were on patrol during the night, and she lost three more to ambushes. The enemies were slowly getting stronger. They were learning from our methods¡ª devising strategies to counter our progress.


    But that wasn¡¯t important because¡­


    ¡°Today¡¯s¡­gonna be the day, huh?¡± asked Elly. Her skewer of leopard meat was left half-eaten.


    ¡°Yes, it is,¡± I replied, biting into my breakfast. I then summarized our current capabilities. By all ounts, we were okay. The Melusine I saw on our first day was Lv. 30.


    And I was Lv. 44, with a far more powerful fire spell that also reached Lv. 10 from overuse. Mary released most of her monsters and captured the armored bipedal leopards that wielded iron equipment since they were the ''toughest'' foes here. She kept a few water snakes and icy canaries just in case. Greggie was probably the weakest, but from the training I saw him dost night and this morning, his body was growing used to the sword and shield. His muscles were probably sore. They probably screamed at him to take a rest. My legs were doing the same, and Amiined of stiff shoulders and tension in her wrist.


    As strong as we were, our bodies couldn¡¯t sustain this constant barrage of stress. We needed rest and rxation, the chance to get a bnced meal, and peace and quiet to refresh our minds.


    Keeth still remained inactive in our fights. But his crafting ability was the only reason we had gotten this far. Elly was invaluable in buffing our strength, magic, and dexterity.


    ¡°We just need¡­to defeat the Fairy Queen.¡±


    ¡°And a portal¡¯s gonna birth?¡±


    ¡°You mean appear?¡± Mary asked. Ami nodded.


    ¡°It should,¡± I said. ¡°I expect the fight to immediately end if I¡¯m being honest.¡± I summoned a charged [Hell Fireball] and bounced it around my hands. After standing, Iunched it over the courtyard¡¯s walls and heard an explosion. Next, a guest of pressurized wind destroyed the wall, revealing a sea of mes redder than crimson and tinged with ckness that flowed like ake.


    Fifteen minutester¡­


    We were standing in front of the door to the throne room¡­and I pushed it open. The hinges cried, but they relented to my force and gave way.


    We walked forward into a pitch-ck darkness I couldn¡¯t conquer with my mes. Each step cracked the ice underneath us, but it didn¡¯t take more than two or three steps for a ball of light to appear. It flew to the ceiling and exploded, casting vivid particles that illuminated the entire room.


    There¡­standing on an ornate throne that had seen better days¡­with a spike of ice stick through her throat as she wielded a horrific expression¡­was the Fairy Queen Melusineplete with the same ck lines running down her face and arms as the phantom we saw before.


    She was¡­dead. Or so we thought. Shimmering azure ice formed around her body, and it was like her spirit left her body to create the Melusine we saw after we nearly died to those monsters on our first day here.


    The name above her HP bar read Phantom Fairy Queen Melusine.


    ¡°Wee, wee, dear intruders, to my icy domain. Behold the beauty of my kingdom, draped in frozen pain. Look up and witness my morbid chandelier. A thousand lifeless souls, frozen in eternal fear.¡± The queen spoke in rhythm, and she chuckled maniacally. The ck lines on her body grew slightly with eachugh.


    <i>She¡¯s speaking Silvaran.</i>


    Numerous corpses hung from the ceiling with icy ropes around their necks. Those who didn''t have the strength to conquer the dungeon... That was their fate...


    ¡°Do you feel the chill that courses through your veins? It¡¯s the touch of my madness, flowing in icy chains. I sit upon this throne, spiked with agony and despair. A symbol of my torment, a crown I proudly wear.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t wear it proudly!¡± I shouted in her tongue. ¡°I know it was an ident! You didn¡¯t want to destroy your country!¡±


    The phantomughed uncontrobly. ¡°Oh, the joy of chaos, the delight of insanity. I revel in this frozen hellscape, ruled by vanity. You cannotprehend the depths of my despair. For I am the Fairy Queen Melusine, lost beyond repair!


    ¡°Stop talking like that! I know it¡¯s that cursed crystal. It¡¯s responsible for this ice!¡±


    ¡°SHUT UP! SHUTUP!!! SHUTUP!!!¡± Melusine grabbed her hair and ripped out thick stands. An ice barrage of sharp spikes flew from her hands, cutting the corpses'' ropes. They fell to the ground and shattered like ss. Elly averted her eyes and winced.


    ¡°Now, my darlings, join my twisted dance. Embrace the frostbite of my lethal trance. Together, we shall revel in this eternal blight. In this cursed castle, where darkness consumes the light!!!!¡± The queen tore at her flesh and beheaded herself, only for the azure blood to flow and form into a duplicate.


    Without waiting, I fired a [Hell Fireball] at the flying targets. The two faeriesughed and used a spell called [Ice Hail] to push the fireball back¡­


    <b><i>You have sessfully copied [Ice Hail].</i></b>


    But I held my hands together and used their own magic against them. It was like a rapid machine gun of icy spikesunched from my palms. The fireball died, but I immediately sent up four more [Hell Fireball] orbs that were overcharged with mana until they rippled with energy.


    And they didn¡¯t block the barrage. The faeries tried, of course, but their screams of agony and horror eclipsed even the explosion.


    ¡°Is¡­that it?¡± Elly blinked twice and said the faeries'' HP depleted instantly. The ceiling melted like a stick of butter thrown over a raging fire, letting in the ¡®natural¡¯ light of whatever illuminated the dungeon.


    ¡°A 5-Star Soul Warrior wouldn¡¯t struggle against this.¡± I looked at my hands. ¡°But I don¡¯t think it''s over. Look at the throne.¡±


    Another phantom Melusine appeared and repeated the same speech as if she didn¡¯t know she had died.


    ¡°That¡¯s probably a hint to defeat her.¡± I killed the phantom so casually that our idol nervously giggled at my casualness. ¡°She¡¯ll keeping back until we do something.¡±


    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s the cursed crystal?¡± Mary asked. I shrugged and threw four more destructive balls of tightly packed mes at the throne before another phantom appeared, but nothing happened. The mana frizzled and fell apart, prematurely ending the spell. Mary summoned her remaining ice canaries and ordered them to search for the crystal. Two openings sat behind the throne room, so the answer was probably there.


    ¡°What do we do?¡± Greggie asked. He looked at the throne and watched the following phantom speak the same speech.


    ¡°Training? If it gets too bad, I can kill the phantom.¡± My offer was positively met with nods, so this odd situation turned into something fortunate. Greggie, Elly, Ami, and Keeth took turns fighting the phantom queen. Meanwhile, I sat and tried my hardest to discover the chant for a barrier spell. I would casually toss another fireball at the queen and force her to descend every few minutes. If I missed, I healed my friends to full. Mary had her monsters to help.


    But¡­


    She was curious and threw a mana orb¡­and she caught it


    When she let the phantom out, it was loyal. Granted, Mary was, at her core, superior to the phantom. And she was a Soul Warrior¡ªa being that was probably designed or meant to break the bnce of this world to act as a deterrent, so this development wasn¡¯t unexpected when you thought about it.


    She told it to join the fight against the following ten phantoms and captured them as well, and I used my ability to copy spells to learn [Ice Barrier], [Cursing Ice Spear], [Blizzard Tornado], and [Frigid Explosion].


    With [Ice Barrier], I charged it to the limit and protected the group and Mary¡¯s monsters. To my surprise, it nullified anything the phantom threw at us, so¡­


    We couldn¡¯t die. The spell took 20% of my mana, but I could meditate and recover what I lost before the barrier went down.


    With that in mind, Mary told the phantom faeries to find the crystal, and they obliged without an ounce of protest. Ten minutester, while fourteen phantoms uselessly attacked us, her monsters returned with the cursed object.


    It was shaped like a stake¡ªthe kind vampire hunters would use to kill vampires in a few stories I''d read. It was solid blue, yet ck veins pulsed like mad. Dripping sludge, thick like concrete, leaked underneath it, which corrupted the floor and seemingly decayed it.


    On mymand, the phantom faeries loyal to Mary grabbed the stake and flew it onto the throne. The barrier protecting it cracked, and I unleashed my strongest attack. ¡°[Hell Fireball]!¡± With my hands together, the ming sphere grew thirty feet and smashed into the throne, obliterating it and the cursed stake while my friends and I retreated into the courtyard.


    It was a fiery inferno. Within the mes?


    The corpse on the throne moved. Its limbs shuffled, broke, snapped, and cracked. An utter terrifyingly abstract scream of horror pierced through the swooshing of the mes and attempted to stand. But the mes were too hot. It raised a weathered hand, which turned into ash.


    The cries died, and the mes grew ravenous until it consumed all.


    All that was left was¡­


    Nothing. The entire throne room was burned in a harsh wave of ck ash. There was no ceiling.


    There were no walls.


    ¡°Woah¡­ That was something¡­ You¡¯re crazy powerful, Qutie. It¡¯s insane¡­ Oh? Hey, I¡¯m getting a bunch of titles.¡±


    ¡°Same here,¡± I replied, looking at Elly. The titles were rted to defeating a boss, ending a curse, killing multiple bosses at the same, finding all the treasure chests before beating the boss¡­but because we didn¡¯t enter through the ¡®lobby,¡¯ we didn¡¯t get credit for finishing the dungeon.


    I didn¡¯t think that mattered much, but this wasn¡¯t the Aquatic Caverns of Melusine.


    It was Faedornia, the Frozen Kingdom.


    That was the name of the kingdom Melusine once ruled over.


    And Meruria couldn¡¯t have even said that much?!


    <i>Why even get mad? We know we can¡¯t trust anything she says. It¡¯s all lies. She never tells the truth about anything...</i>


    I received a few titles for learning ice spells. The ones marked with ¡®Ice Mage¡¯ said they¡¯d increased the power of my ice attacks. I¡¯d been using the me and healing equivalent since I received them a few days ago, but I wasn¡¯t going to switch.


    <i>But the barrier mage one sounds useful¡­ I can only have two, though</i>¡­


    ¡°I think those phantoms counted as separate monsters with their own experience. I jumped to Lv. 49,¡± said Keeth. He bent down, used his ability to mold the icy stone beneath us, and announced he had far more mana than before the fight. Mary¡¯s capacity for monsters increased to 25, but she said the phantoms were removed when the boss perished.


    Suddenly, a beam of light appeared in the middle of the room. Its glow was beautiful when it shed against the destruction I brought. A treasure chest appeared beside it, but it looked regal¡ªroyal was more like it. It shared the same color as the ice around us, but I didn''t sense foul intent radiating from it.


    Before we approached it, mana swirled around my body and collected itself before me.


    Its shape?


    It reminded me of the Soul Crystal I touched when Meruria first summoned us. Seeing it brought back memories¡­ None of us knew why mine was here, but I pressed a hand to it. The crystal shattered, releasing tightly packed mana thatunched into the air like a pir of rainbow-colored light. The energy was so overwhelming that Greggie and the others were pushed away, but I remained standing¡ªunaffected by the pressure. And then I saw it descend within the pir.


    It was a tome, and its cover was red.


    ¡°Ember Tome¡­¡± I read the words engraved on the cover and touched it. The book opened, revealing the crimson pages. It disappeared into thin air, then reappeared on my hip.


    <b><i>New Skill: [Soul Armatization]</i></b>


    <b><i>[Soul Armatization (Lv. 1)] has increased to [Soul Armatization (Lv. 10)]</i></b>


    <b><i>[Soul Armatization (Lv. 10)] has reached its threshold. Unlocking Divine Skill: [Soul Weapon System].</i></b>


    <b><i>New Skill: [Soul Energy]</i></b>


    <b><i>New Skill: [Soul Barrier]</i></b>


    <b><i>The Ember Tome is now avable to use.</i></b>


    ¡°Qutie, is that¡­?¡± Elly rushed to my side and looked at the crimson book attached to my hip.


    My activity log said I had unlocked the Soul Weapon Evolution Tree, and it reminded me of a skill tree a few of my novels that were based on video games would sometimes have. It seemed to be¡­ substantial and huge, with many different unlockable abilities. Some would probably be additional tomes. Perhaps a few would be unique abilities like [Soul Barrier]. The description said it used my soul energy to form a protective barrier around myself to defend against physical and magical attacks.


    <i>That crimson bar beneath my mana is probably my soul energy.</i>


    I raised my hand, gathered mana around my palm, and the tome floated before me. It opened and riffled through pages. The five spells it came with appeared in my mind.


    ¡°[Heat Wave]!¡± The book stopped on a certain page that held an emblem of fire. A wave of crimson mana rested around my hands when the symbol glowed, and I turned my wrist, sending a wave of scorching heat across the courtyard. The temperature was intense enough to melt the ground. It even refracted the air and made it hazy. My mana drained, but my soul energy remained the same. That drained when I invoked [Soul Barrier]. A hazy, glimmering shield of faint crimson aura warped around my body and encased it. Within seconds, my soul energy was halved. Moving while channeling it made it drain faster.


    ¡°Yes. This is my Soul Weapon.¡± I told them of [Soul Armatization]. I put the tome away and used an ice skill, but it didn¡¯t work. ¡°I¡¯m limited by the skills engraved in tomes, it seems. But I can acquire additional tomes by evolving the Ember Tome into something else.¡± I had ess to [me Spark], [Heat Wave], [Ignite], [Inferno Burst], and [me Barrier], and I told them of [Soul Barrier] and soul energy. "I can''t use ice or healing magic anymore."


    ¡°But Qutie is weaker. That¡¯s a bad thing, right?¡± Ami asked. That was true, but I said I had a skill to increase my proficiency with tomes. In the long run, I¡¯d be better off.


    That was all that mattered, right? Especially in a world where the strong ate the weak and survived, you needed to rest at the top of the food chain.


    Losing [Minor Heal] was worrying, but Elly knew [Healing Melody]. It would have to be enough until I acquired a healing tome.


    <i>It¡¯s annoying that I¡¯m suddenly so limited. A Soul Weapon is a curse and blessing, isn¡¯t it? Weaker at first, then stronger at the end. Unless you¡¯re Tokko or Mia¡­ I can¡¯t copy spells anymore¡­ That skill is still listed in my Skill Menu with the ice and healing spells, but why?</i>


    <hr>


    We approached the chest, our feet crushing the singed ash beneath us. It opened when I touched it, releasing a swirl of crystalized energy that formed into Melusine.


    She didn¡¯t have those ck, writhing lines running down her body. Her hair was a whitish-silver, her eyes were a soft pink--not blue, and her wings were made from crystal. Her monster form had regr wings¡ªmuch like the faeries I¡¯d seen in my books, so this probably was what she looked like before the ice affected her. Her outfit was different. It wasn¡¯t purple, but the silver and white dress fit the look of a queen. She looked regal.


    Spoiler


    [copse]


    A secondter, she became partially transparent, like looking through a thin white sheet if it was held towards a light source. Her stern smile softened, and she looked kinder¡ªgentler¡ªmore like a merciful queen who only wished for her kingdom''s prosperity and livelihood over her own feelings.


    The crystallized energy vanished, and she began to speak.


    ¡°You have freed me from the curse, brave warriors.¡± Her voice was softer than silk. Little crystal kes rained from her pping wings, which refused to make any noise. ¡°I wish to thank you, mage. Please, take this.¡± Melusine touched a hand to her heart and retrieved an orb of glowing energy that turned into an azure, ice-covered book. She said it was her diary¡ªa book imparted with magic. It held remnants of the curse in a benign state.


    Its name was Frostcursed Tome of the Fairy Queen, which granted the wielder [Ice Barrier], [Cursed Ice Spear], [Blizzard Tornado], [Ice Hail], and [Frigid Explosion].


    The same spells I learned from the phantoms. But they were in a tome. And my Soul Weapon was a tome¡­


    <b><i>New Skill: [Soul Weapon Copy]</i></b>


    My newly acquired skill was self-exnatory. Why copy spells when I could copy a tome? The tome shed, and I read something in my activity log.


    <b><i>The Frostcursed Tome of Melusine is now avable to use.</i></b>


    Upon a thought, my Soul Weapon changed into my newly acquired book. I didn¡¯t need the actual tome, but I took it from Melusine and hugged it to my chest.


    ¡°But you¡¯re free, right? The curse is gone. Are you okay?¡± asked Elly.


    ¡°I am not, young human. This has been but a temporary reprieve from my punishment.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t follow,¡± Mary said. She put a finger to her chin. ¡°Did someone do this? Will they return?¡±


    Melusine seemed startled. She asked if we knew the truth behind dungeons, and we shook our heads. ¡°The recant you read on the tablets was made to etch the Lore of this dungeon. Long ago, this was a real kingdom¡ªnamed Faedornia -- and I was its real ruler. A horrific event took ce here, and proof of it became etched into the world as a dungeon. From now until the mana runs dry, my city¡­ My beloved, beautiful, innocent city will continue to kill brave adventurers who enter it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what dungeons are? They¡¯re events of the past altered to remain in the current day? So then¡­ You mean, after we leave, the dungeon will reset?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct,¡± Melusine answered Mary¡¯s question.


    ¡°But that¡¯s sad. It hurts my heart¡­ It¡¯s not fair, Fairy Lady!¡± Ami lost her illustrious smile and frowned.


    ¡°Your kind heart is wee, but it is unneeded. Once you depart through the teleporter and return to the lobby¡­ My memory will be wiped. I will return to my cursed self and await the next batch of warriors. Should you have questions, ask them now, brave warriors.¡± Melusine wept. She cried while looking at the castle, but we used this time to learn that not every dungeon was as she described. Some were manifestations of little incidents, such as a goblin king taking over a mine. Others were a bunch of crystal monsters taking over a cave and transforming it into a ce that birthed crystalline ore.


    Dungeons like this kingdom were imparted with Lore¡ªartifacts and items that detailed the history. By finding the Lore, you acquired special items directly rting to the boss. In some cases, you could speak to the being that stood as the basis of the boss and learned more of the past.


    Although... That was rare...


    Those five tablets we found¡­ They were the Lore of this dungeon. Reading was the key to activating them.


    I was curious and asked questions about the stake. ¡°When I became queen, a wandering stranger visited. Her ears were the same as a lion, and she harbored eyes fiercer than the brightest silver. She introduced herself as no one, then used her magic to create the stake. The gray-skinned stranger imed it to offer protection against curse and disease, and I was foolish enough to trust her¡­ My desire to be a friendly queen was ruined¡­ Nay¡ªit wrote into the world the failure of my Faedornia¡­¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t in the tablets,¡± I told her, recalling what we learned by reading them, and there were discrepancies between the written lies and the spoken truth.


    ¡°I do not understand why someone would interfere with a dungeon¡¯s Lore unless it was to hide something. Only a being of unimaginable power could do such a thing.¡±


    ¡°Do you think this lion woman was responsible?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I never saw her again, but¡­I recall hearing a woman of a simr appearance referred to as¡­ I believe her title was The Dark Lord of Tyranny¡­¡±


    ¡°The Dark Lord of Tyranny?¡± I repeated. Just hearing that name sent shudders down my spine.


    ¡°I was more concerned with my kingdom than organizing soldiers and sending supplies to fight the war against her. Yet¡­ She probably orchestrated my downfall. It could have been her n from the beginning.¡± Melusine started to flicker, hinting that this would be the end. Soon, she would vanish and return¡­to the awful fate awaiting her.


    ¡°Melusine¡­¡± Mary summoned an empty mana orb and held it in her gloved hand. ¡°There may be a way to end this cycle and grant your freedom. Do you know what a Soul Warrior is?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re warriors given Soul Crystals from a Holy or Dark Lord. Young mage, you wield a Soul Weapon, yes?¡±


    I nodded, then questioned what I knew from Meruria. She hadn¡¯t mentioned giving citizens of this world Soul Crystals and acquiring warriors that way. Her words led me to believe they had to be summoned across time and space. If that wasn¡¯t a requirement, why risk it to chance? It didn¡¯t make sense.


    ¡°Are you still considered a monster?¡± When Melusine nodded, Mary exined her ability. The fairy queen didn¡¯t think it would work. I bet a part of her wanted to remain here with proof of her failure. At least until the mana sustaining it ran dry and destroyed the dungeon.


    But Melusine was punishing herself. She loved her city so much. Ami managed to convince the queen to touch the orb. She did it, expecting nothing to happen, but¡­


    The fairy queen was transported inside the mana orb, turning it a light shade of blue with a royal-esque ring around it. When Mary released her, she was solid¡ªlike us. She looked at her arms and touched her face with pure, unabashed amazement.


    ¡°What is this¡­ Why¡­ Is it¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my power as a monster tamer, Melusine. You¡¯re¡­no longer bound to this fate.¡±


    The elegant queen couldn¡¯t stop the tears from falling down her pale cheeks. The salty water turned into shiny crystals that lightly danced to the ground.


    <hr>


    It took half an hour for the emotions to wash over Melusine, then another fifteen minutes for her to offer a solemn prayer for her loyal subjects. Her love for them had never faded, and they were always in her thoughts. After that, we gathered around the teleporter and discussed what to do.


    She had decided toe with us, and Melusine knew of our past and the events that had transpired since being summoned. She was still Lv. 30. Weaker than us, but she¡­


    ¡°There¡¯s one thing I don¡¯t know. Young warriors, how is it that you speak Silvaran if you weren¡¯t granted an artifact of trantion?¡±


    Mary exined [Beastial Lexicon].


    ¡°How curious¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you know any othernguages? If you do, we should learn them via Mary¡¯s skill.¡±


    ¡°Languagese and go with the passing of centuries, and my rule was 1,000 years ago. I cannot be sure if they will be of use because the tongue of old may not be present in the future.¡±


    Melusine then spoke Arezzian¡ªthemon tongue in her era, Oni, Orcish, Elvish, Ancient Elvish, and Dwarvish.


    We immediately learned their respectivenguage skills. Things would be a challenge if themonnguage had changed.


    Mary and I could deduce and extrapte the key verbs and adjectives to reverse engineer thenguage.


    I used that technique to learn Japanese, Afrikaans, and Arabic in three months when I was ten.


    It looked like our time here wasing to an end. Melusine was Mary¡¯s first ¡®monster¡¯ who was sentient as a person. She wasn''t a monster to us, though. I didn''t think we''d ever see her as one.


    One by one, we walked into the portal.


    Where would it take us?


    What was waiting for us outside this ¡®lobby?¡¯


    What new danger would we face? We still needed to return to Meruria before the arbitrary time limit was up.


    But the future looked bright.


    It glimmered with promise.


    We were strong.


    And we would survive this world.

 Chapter Sixty-Six: Breaking a World Limit

    Chapter Sixty-Six: Breaking a World Limit


    The ocean breeze was thick and fierce, clouding my nostrils with the smell of dense salt. It lingered on my nose. Strands of ck hair swooshed past these pair of hardened, yellow eyes that had witnessed more death in a week than most had seen in a lifetime. The boat we were on was owned by a man named Rickard, who jumped overboard when that lion roared at him. The city-state of Plymoise, Parthina, was his destination¡ªsomething we discovered after finding charter documents hidden in a bedroll.


    Dad and Iid on the deck after anchoring the boat for the night. Mom was tending to M and watching over Sekh. We still didn¡¯t know why she was surrounded by ice, but I knew she wasn¡¯t dead.


    Someone like her was too powerful to die¡­


    Primrose was preparing food in the hold while Niva did her ¡®physical therapy¡¯ under her spirit¡¯s watchful gaze.


    Even though this boat had people...it felt empty, like we were lost in a world that twisted upside down in a matter of days.


    ¡°Dad?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m...scared... What are we going to do? We don¡¯t have a home anymore? We haven¡¯t seennd in four days, and...¡±


    ¡°Just hang on, sweetie. It¡¯s a few more days away. If we can sell the supplies, we can get our bearings.¡±


    ¡°I can still see the smoke. Ria¡¯s still burning,¡± I said. Lifting my arm, I looked away from the sight of destruction to a series of blisters trailing around my wrist. The terrifying attack the Essence of Wrath used broiled the skin of all within range. It would heal, of course.


    There was no doubt about that...


    Right?


    Dad took the most damage, then mom. I protected Erin, so she took the least. The only blister was on her cheek, but Primrose used some ointment in the cargo crates to cover it. She did the same to us, but ours were more serious.


    Dad was my father, after all. When I was scared, I could turn to him. When I was lost, he knew the answers. He knew everything...


    ¡°M¡¯s going to wake up, right? Tilde¡¯s going toe back? Sekh¡¯s going to get better?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Dad was quiet.


    I was quiet.


    No, I wanted to cry and hug M¡­and Sekh. And Niva and Primrose. And Mom, Dad, and my sister. And Tilde... I wanted to be with them¡­


    ¡°M¡¯s a strong woman. Sekh has unimaginable power. You love them, yes? Have faith. When they do wake, we must be there for them. I can only imagine how your sister will feel.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I love them. I wanna cry, but it doesn¡¯t seem right. I need to be strong for them...so I can take care of them until they wake up. I love you, Dad.¡±


    ¡°I love you too, sweetie.¡±


    Dad excused himself and stood and stretched. He was shirtless after using his shirt to wrap mom¡¯s blisters. He soon went to bed, and I followed, closing my eyes under the starlight.


    That night? I dreamt of happier times¡ª when we had just moved to Ria, but M and my other friends were there. They lived with us in our home, and M came to work with me at Smithy¡¯s Corner... Dad taught with Tilde and Sekh at the academy. Niva helped around the house with mom, and Primrose grew herbs and nts to sell. Erin was there, too, of course, directly interacting with the customers and working the register. And Lei was our mascot.


    It was my dream. No, it was more than that. I desired that future for us. For all of us to live together...without barricades or gas threatening to destroy our way of life.


    Why couldn¡¯t life be that simple? I didn¡¯t want much¡ªjust the bare minimum. And maybe after a year or two, Sekh and M would marry me, and we could be wives to each other. Then? We¡¯d really be family.


    <i>Yeah... That¡¯s life...right there... M... Sekh... I love you. Please...wake up. I miss you. I want to hold you again...</i>


    <hr>


    ¡°Irisa, get up!¡±


    Dad¡¯s frantic voice jolted me awake as something heavy mmed into the boat. I was thrown against a cannon, cracking two of my ribs. Crying out, the smell of firesalt lingered in the air and stained my lungs. I coughed, vomiting the contents of my dinner across the deck as the stench grew. My sight was hazy, cloudy by the smoke blocking the moon from casting its light.


    ¡°IRISA!!!!¡± Dad shouted my name and rushed towards me. He grabbed my arm and pulled me away moments before I was about to be sttered by the falling mast.


    <i>Falling mast?!</i>


    Amid my groans, Dad helped me to my feet and threw me a sword stashed in his belt loop.


    And I realized we were under attack. The pain sent throbbing res of agony up my spine and stomach, but I gritted my teeth and did my best to focus my blurry eyes. Mom emerged from the hold with a longsword, and we watched the iing ship approach. Smoke still filtered from its 12 cannons aimed this way, though we were lucky only two managed to hit the mast. The others missed, and it didn¡¯t seem like they were reloading. Looking up, I didn¡¯t see a g...and my mind instantly went to pirates!


    The ship had three masts andrge, ck sails, but it was on the smaller side.


    My heart was filled with dread and fear. Mom stepped in front, her back trembling.


    She was afraid... And crying.


    I always hated seeing her cry.


    Mom was a good woman. A better person. She deserved happiness, not this¡­


    We didn¡¯t deserve this¡­


    Not the attack¡­


    Not the senseless death¡­


    Not losing our home.


    Not¡­any of this¡­


    ¡°Irisa!!! Look at me, sweetie. Stay with me!¡± she shouted, turning around and holding my shoulders. She bit her lips and looked at the ship. She was trying to be strong.


    We all were.


    The shifting waves were stern and impactful, mming into our ship. It washard to remain stable.


    Primrose joined us secondster, and she exined Niva and Erin were hiding in one of the empty crates with M and Lei. She held two daggers in each hand and a pair of spears in the vinesing from her back. I noticed her eye the mast, but it was too broken for her to fix in the few seconds we had left before we inevitably got boarded.


    ¡°Dad?¡± I groaned.


    He bared his teeth and growled, looking angrier than I had ever known him to be. ¡°The only way out of this is to fight,¡± he said, his knuckles turning white from the grip on his weapon. ¡°Irisa, this is a life-or-death situation. I''ll protect you, but you must be ready to kill.¡±


    ¡°Mom?¡± I whispered on the verge of tears.


    ¡°Your father¡¯s right. We don¡¯t know how many there are but do not go down without a fight. You¡¯ve only fought monsters before, not other people, but don¡¯t let the fear get to you.¡±


    ¡°Why are you talking like that? I¡ª¡±


    The iing ship mmed against ours¡ªit towered above ours¡ª and a group of seven men threw grappling hooks onto our railing to attach us to them. Ten invaders jumped overboard. We were huddled against the stairs, weapons drawn, as a shirtless, tattooed man with four horns and ck scales down his chest approached us. The rapier he held was resting against his throat-- like this was just another casual moment of his life.


    An odd green ne was sped around his neck.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna make this nice and easy for ya. Move, let us take the supplies, and ya won¡¯t die. We¡¯re in a little bit of a hurry. Got some government dogs chasing after us, so just step to the side, and off we¡¯ll go.¡±


    ¡°And you don¡¯t think we need them to survive? We barely escaped from the Ria disaster with our lives, and you¡¯re throwing us to the sharks?¡±


    ¡°Ria? Ah, yeah, I saw that shit from a distance. I¡¯m thankful for the surprise opening it gave me. Doesn¡¯t really change what we¡¯re about to do, though. The easiest prey are the ones running from danger. They¡¯re often d to have escaped after realizing how precious it is to be alive. That¡¯s why I¡¯m offering you a deal. Move, and ya live. Stay, and ya die. Well, stay, and we might have to take that lively daughter you have there. Is that your wife? I¡¯ve been looking for a new maid to clean the ship--¡±


    Dad made the first move and went for a thrust, but the pirate deflected it with his rapier, starting the fight. He was skilled and athletic, taking advantage of Dad''s exhaustion to avoid his well-aimed strikes. Three pirates grabbed Mom, Primrose, and me and dragged us away from the stairs, allowing the remaining six to freely plunder the hold. Primrose tried to use her vines to restrain them, but one of the men turned and cut them mid-flight.


    ¡°Let go of my daughter!¡± Mom shouted, head-bashing the one pulling her away. A horn stabbed him in the eye, forcing him to recoil in pain. She did it again, this time piercing his skull with both, causing blood to run down her horns and onto her face. Mom turned to me and shed her de, cleaving off my captor¡¯s arm. Primrose¡¯s assault was too quick for her enemy to do anything, and her vine-wielding spears stabbed him in the head four times, leaving gaping holes of flesh, blood, and brain matter.


    They were dead.


    In the blink of an eye, the two Goatfolks perished near me... Their mouths contorted into a dying scream.


    The smell of the dead invaded my nose.


    And I trembled... My feet were like lead or iron as I hugged my weapon. And I was frozen in ce. The front of my pants felt warm. The throbbing in my head was like a hammer bashing my skull. Everything slowed, moving like msses covered the world.


    Dad and the pirate captain were exchanging blows, but...


    He wasn¡¯t winning...He never had the capabilities of a mage, so magic was out of the question. He only had his raw strength, but we had been at sea for days. We were exhausted.


    ¡°Irisa!¡± Mom stood in front of me, blood spewing down her body.


    Four more beastfolk jumped onto our ship, all aiming for Mom. Dad jumped to defend her, knocking away two while taking two shes to the chest. Primrose used her spear-wielding vines to stab the ones that hurt Dad through the heart, killing them.


    ¡°[Razor Wind]!¡± Primrose shouted, directing invisible gusts of sharp air through a third man, cutting off his arm before the bloody wind circled back and sliced his throat.


    ¡°Tch!¡± spat the pirate captain. He parried Dad¡¯s thrust and jumped back, shouting for reinforcements. He looked pissed and angry.


    ¡°GET TO THE HOLD, PRIMROSE!¡±manded Dad. The spirit nodded, but eight more enemies jumped from the pirate ship to our boat before she made it. Some had barbed javelins. They threw them, impaling Primrose¡¯s stomach, then yanked on the rope attached to them to knock her to the ground.


    She spat a thousand curses but couldn¡¯t break free as magic battered her body.


    Mom and Dad held their ground, but they couldn¡¯t fight an army.


    But they never moved an inch, either. Even as I cowardly hid behind, hearing their pained screaming...watching the blood drip from their increasing number of wounds...


    I couldn¡¯t move. I just couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Oi! Some brats were hiding out in a crate! HOLY SHIT! CAPTAIN, ONE¡¯S A HIGH ELF!!!!¡±


    ¡°You know how much one of them goes for nowadays? If she¡¯s from an extinct forest, we¡¯re looking at a massive haul,¡± eximed a woman with ck paint around her eyes. She held the tail of a fox with the fangs of a viper. ¡°That¡¯s enough to replenish our supplies ten times over and get more men to work the ship. We could start our own fleet with that kind of gold!¡±


    ¡°MILA!!!!!!¡± Just hearing that gave me enough courage to move. Standing, I held my sword the way Dad taught me, then aimed the pointy end towards Mom¡¯s attacker¡¯s side.


    It...went in... Piercing him through the side. That opening moment allowed Dad to behead him. He kicked the corpse away and turned to block an iing attack, failing to protect his shin from a low swipe. The gnome who cut him snickered and retreated, hisughter carrying across the sound of battle.


    ¡°Shit! I didn¡¯t expect to lose this many. Listen up! Get those hostages back to the ship, and we¡¯re getting the fuck out of here!¡± angrily shouted the pirate captain.


    Primrose raged against her restraints and unleashed her vines, but she¡¯d been fighting so intensely that her mana was drained. Using more skills would mean taking Niva''s, and she didn¡¯t have a lot. Any further continuation could lead to her death from mana exhaustion. And she wasn¡¯t fully healed from trying to heal Sekh through her ice earlier this morning. Primrose''s hands burned every time she tried.


    The captain mentioned killing Primrose¡¯s summoner and selling her crystal to a pervert they knew. ¡°STOP! DON¡¯T TAKE THEM!!!¡± I screamed, running my bloody sword through someone upied with Dad as Mom took a cut to her wrist, blocking the man from behind who tried to kill me.


    ¡°TRONITI, GET TO THE SHIP! And you! This all could¡¯ve been¡ª¡± The pirate captain¡¯s ugly words were cut short by something I could not exin to save my life.


    <i>A limit ced on the world has been broken. Repeat: a limit ced on the world has been broken. All those who have achieved an evolutionary level of Lord or higher now have ess to the power of [Conferment]. Repeat: all those who have achieved an evolutionary level of Lord or higher now have ess to the power of [Conferment].</i>


    From everywhere, nowhere, and all around came a voice with a stern tone. It spoke with zero emotion, almost sounding like a golem or monster without a soul.


    I didn¡¯t know how I knew it, but instinctual knowledge buried deep within me told me the world was hearing this same message simultaneously. From my perspective, it spoke Arezzian, but if you only knew Orcish or Elvish, you would understand it all the same. Even if you were deaf, those words it seemed the heavens were speaking would find a way to you.


    As abruptly as it appeared, the grand voice ceased to exist.


    But we still couldn¡¯t move. I couldn¡¯t. Dad couldn¡¯t. The pirate captain couldn¡¯t.


    Even when our ship violently shook, throwing everyone to the deck, we remained frozen to the ground. From the hold came screams and gurgles of death with the stench of burnt flesh. Pleads of mercy andpassion wailed, but they were cut short by someone or something and fell on deaf ears.


    ¡°What...is that feeling? Is it mana? Oni, what the hell were you carrying?!¡± demanded the pirate captain. Cold sweat dripped down his cheeks and chest, and I knew what he was talking about. Even if you weren¡¯t powerful, your mana could leak out of your body and affect those around you. As a little girl, I was taught to keep mine in check, and it wasn¡¯t hard. M probably never learned that technique, but her weird [Status Cloak] ability most likely did that for her. When the Essence of Wrath took over her body, that ability was still working to keep us from being drowned in its oppressive atmosphere.


    But it seemed like that wasn¡¯t the case anymore. The overall pressure was constricting, making it hard to breathe or blink without feeling like your head was about to be chopped off. Footsteps eventually reached my ears, and with each one, the feeling increased¡ªno, it doubled. Finally, through the darkness leading to the hold?


    There stood a woman¡ªbut not in a form I had pleasant memories of. M almost looked like she did when the Essence of Wrath overtook her¡ªshe still wore the ck robe I put on her, but she had these curly, red, ethereal dragon horns off the top of her head. I thought there wasn¡¯t much more room for dread to fill my heart, but staring at that...thing?


    It was like all hope was lost.


    That monster held out her hand, and Sekh¡¯s icy coffin appeared from nowhere. Mana materialized beside her, forming an unknown girl with blond hair, blue eyes, and a weird hat. The mysterious girl touched Sekh¡¯s ice, causing ck mes to swallow it whole. Instead of burning her or the boat, dark embers danced to the hull, taking the form of fiverge, giant lions¡ª with coats of ck, eyes of red ember, and manes of iceme. Thergest one was at least eight feet tall and towered over Dad.


    That was the same lion that held Sekh in its mouth when we ran to the ship. The monster in M¡¯s form touched Sekh, and she disappeared again.


    ¡°The Transcendent Dark Lordmands you to eliminate her foes,¡± said the woman masquerading as M, extending an arm.


    As if replying, all five lions roared and jumped to the pirate ship, starting the massacre. I stared in awe at their power. Their massive ws cleaved an armored man in two from a single swipe. Thergest raised its tail high, the furry tip shing crimson. Roaring, sharp arrows of mes shot out, piercing ten screaming pirates through the heart in the blink of an eye. It glowed again,unching a bolt of energy into the sky. It exploded like a firework and rained icy death from above, covering the warship. Even one icicle was enough to split a head open, and dozens mming into the same body blew it into fleshy, gory chunks norger than an apple.


    The woman with the fox tail quickly leapt to her ship, leaving behind her captain. She attempted to stab her weapon into a lion¡¯s side, but it melted against its me-like body after failing to pierce it. Slowly, the magnificent beast turned around, staring down the woman, who was on borrowed time. It roared right in her face, each tooth almostrger than her head.


    Then it chomped, severing her head.


    Three smaller lions dug at the deck to create a hole, then jumped in and killed indiscriminately. I doubt they cared how brutal or disgusting they had to be to fulfill the order given to them.


    I only heard the feeble, worthless, useless cries of the dead...


    I hated the pirates. I hated them so much...


    Of the two remaining on the deck, the smaller one seemed to enjoy eating their opponents alive, devouring them whole while roaring at those on borrowed time.


    I struggled to look back at the woman in M¡¯s form. She walked to the closest pirate. He was pinned against the deck, unable to look up enough to see her face. Without being able to move, the pirate did nothing but endure that woman touching his head.


    ¡°[Combustion Grip],¡± she whispered. Suddenly, mes shot from her hand and swallowed the pirate, scorching him to ash in seconds.


    He was dead, just like that. The enemies we struggled with were easily killed by the power the Essence of Wrath wielded. But she didn¡¯t stop there. I was convinced the end wasing, but I wanted to meet it head on, so I watched her incinerate the other pirates before awaiting my turn.


    But the death I expected never came. Something was odd when I saw the Essence of Wrath carrying Sekh, and I couldn¡¯t identify why I felt that way. Looking at Mom and Dad was challenging, but I didn¡¯t think they shared the same apprehension as I did. Or if they did, they disguised it well.


    ¡°You¡¯re being hunted?¡± asked the High Elf with M¡¯s voice. She spoke while the lions were continuing their fun. The screams, once loud and frantic, were quickly quieting. Eventually, that vessel would be nothing more than a ghost ship of those who once hunted this wide, open ocean.


    ¡°Y¡ªYes! By Plymoise¡¯s navy. T--Take the ne! I swear it¡¯s worth more than my bounty¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all I needed to hear. Die, you piece of shit.¡± ¡®M¡¯ grabbed the ne, it vanished, and she ripped the pirate captain¡¯s head clean from his body before stepping on the corpse¡¯s chest. The body caught ame. She looked at the head, and it disappeared like that ne.


    ¡®M¡¯ turned to me. Her mana was restrained because I could move. The sword I wielded was in the corner of my eye, barely within hand¡¯s reach. Mom and Dad had lost theirs when they were forced to the deck.


    I had a choice to make...


    No, <i>we</i> had a decision to make.


    The five lions emerged on the ship¡¯s deck, their fur stained with evidence of theirpleted task. They leapt back to our boat and bowed their heads in reverence. Primrose used her vines to get to her feet, and then she rushed into the hold, her frantic voice calling out for her summoner. Before now, the pressureing from that ¡®thing¡¯ prevented us from speaking out of fear because we knew what damage that thing could cause.


    ¡°M, I know that¡¯s you,¡± Dad said, standing. The horns disappeared.


    ¡°M!¡± Mom and I cried. We scampered to her feet and rushed to hug her with Dad.


    ¡°Mom... Dad... I¡¯m sorry...for everything...¡±


    M was back!!! She was back!!! She was awake, she protected us, but most importantly...


    She!


    Was!


    Back!


    But her voice... It....was cold¡ªabrupt, even, shing hard with the fire magic she used to kill the pirates.


    <em>No, that¡¯s just a trick my mind¡¯s ying on me. I haven¡¯t heard M''s voice in so long... Yeah, that''s it. She''s the same as she''s always been... Nothing¡¯s wrong with her...</em>

 Intermission – Quella – Undead Curse & Chimeric Menace – Part One (Illustrations!)

    Intermission ¨C Que ¨C Undead Curse & Chimeric Menace ¨C Part One (Illustrations!)


    While my vision was whitened by the teleportation circle, I wondered what would await us.


    The dungeon had been a frozen city with cliffs, so would the lobby share the same color scheme? Maybe it would have icy pirs? Or would we encounter others who were about to take on the dungeon?


    The excitement I couldn¡¯t hide was destroyed when my vision returned to me.


    There was no lobby.


    As I stood on the blood-soaked ground, my heart sank. The stench of death hung heavy in the air, suffocating and sickening. Before us stretched a macabre tableau, a haunting scene of horror and despair. The battlefieldy littered with the fallen, their lifeless bodies twisted and contorted in grotesque positions.


    Beside me, Elly and Ami sumbed to their nausea, retching uncontrobly at the grim spectacle before us. Their vomiting mingled with the moans and shuffling of the undead creatures that roamed aimlessly in the distance. Their lifeless eyes and decaying flesh sent shivers down my spine because this wasn¡¯t a book.


    It was real life, and the walking dead differed from bipedal leopards and ice-covered birds.


    Melusine broke the silence with a heavy sigh while rubbing Ami¡¯s back. "This must be the work of an undead curse," she murmured, her voice tinged with sorrow. "Those creatures in the distance were once living, breathing people. Now reduced to mindless drones with an insatiable hunger for flesh. An eerie coldness often follows. It keeps the flesh from decaying after a certain point.¡±


    <i>So, that¡¯s why it¡¯s still cold¡­ It¡¯s another curse, isn¡¯t it? It always seems like it¡¯s a curse.</i>


    Greggie turned away from the gruesome scene and winced.


    ¡°Is that why we didn¡¯t run into anyone?¡± asked Mary. She struggled to keep her eyes steady. The smell probably burned them.


    ¡°Precisely. It¡¯s too dangerous for amon adventurer to get close. Only the foolish would risk it. But¡­ I do not like to see what was once my domain reduced to this¡­ It hurts my heart.¡± Melusine shed a few tears, which turned into crystal fragments.


    I rubbed Elly¡¯s back and said we needed to keep moving. She wiped her lips and nodded, and we carefully walked towards the monsters.


    These creatures were known as zombies, and being at Lv. 18, my fire magic easily ended their undead lives. My Ember Tome floated, opening as I cast [me Spark]. A tiny crackle appeared underneath my enemies, swiftly engulfing them in mes. The fire reduced them to a pile of diseased dust, which I quickly scorched with a second use.


    <i>I got a zombie yer and undead yer title¡­ I guess¡­I should equip them¡­</i>


    Melusine said the undead had a natural weakness to mes, but she was an adept mage. Her [Cursed Ice Spear] created ance of ck ice that burrowed deep within her enemies. The curse that once destroyed her kingdom now worked for her, sapping the undead of their power while immobilizing them. [Ice Hail] wasn¡¯t that effective, and [Frigid Explosion], her strongest spell after [Blizzard Tornado], was too dangerous to use since it might only partially injure the zombies.


    She said we had to burn the body to ashes or destroy the head to stop them from moving.


    They were already monsters. The people they used to be? They didn¡¯t exist.


    After an hour of walking and repeating the same, we still hadn¡¯t left the blood-soaked field. Melusine said there used to be a field of yellow grass, which made for excellent farming.


    It seemed that was still once the case when we found a murky brown stream. The nauseating stench of death assaulted our senses. ¡°Those¡­are corpses¡­¡± Keeth whispered, pointing out dead bodies flowing away downstream like macerated leaves. ¡°Just what happened here?¡±


    ¡°We could follow it,¡± said the fairy queen. I looked down and saw her feet were covered in blood. She wore heels, which wasn¡¯t the best clothing. I brought it up, and Mary said she had something more suitable being held by her monsters.


    ¡°You¡¯ll look kind of like me,¡± she said. ¡°Are you okay with that? It''s probably not what a queen would normally wear."


    ¡°I am, Mary. Thank you.¡± Mary nodded. She summoned her monsters, gave her the clothes, and we turned around while the fairy queen changed her outfit.


    ¡°You look super pretty. But what¡¯s wrong with your wings? They don¡¯t look symmetrical.¡± After gushing about her new clothes, we noticed what Elly pointed out.


    Spoiler


    [copse]


    ¡°Faeries can hide their wings,¡± said Melusine, looking so royal and elegant in that ¡®streetwear,¡¯ as Elly liked to call it. ¡°It¡¯s something we learn on our way to adulthood. Admittedly, it¡¯s been 1,000 years, so I¡¯ve...almost forgotten how to do it... There...we go.¡± The wings vanished into crystal-like fragments and were absorbed by her body.


    Her tiara even changed, and Melusine said its shape never remained the same, which I thought was cool.


    ¡°So, about the water. Qutie, what do we do?¡±


    ¡°Follow it downstream,¡± I said, recalling a tip I had once read in a book where a girl was transported to another world.


    That tale wasn¡¯t anywhere as depressing as this life¡­


    We did that after crossing it. After thirty minutes, we saw a distant vige loom before us. But the true horror only revealed itself after we got close enough to enter it. Undead cows and pigs, their bodies grotesquely disfigured, wandered aimlessly, oblivious to their decaying state. Missing limbs, exposed innards, and hollow, lifeless eyes characterized these abominations. Yet some twisted semnce of life clung to their animated forms since they continued to graze without looking at us.


    The buildings were in ruins and were only standing by luck and faith.


    ¡°HELLO!!! IS ANYONE HERE?!¡± I shouted in Arezzian¡ªthemon tongue of 1,000 years ago, trying to find any sign of life.


    There was nothing except guttural growls from zombies stumbling towards my voice. Their sunken eyes and decayed flesh burned away in my baptismal fire, but we pressed on. Ami hugged Elly and kept her close. Greggie had his icy stone shield and sword at the ready. Keeth kept an eye out and watched our rear.


    Our anxiety mounted and increased, finally topping off once we found a locked shed in the vige square.


    Dread washed over us as we cautiously pried open the rusty door, revealing a chilling sight hiding within.


    ¡°Children? Why are they chained to the back?¡± My heart felt like it was being split into two. Greggie opened the doors all the way.


    ¡°Help! I don¡¯t wanna die! I want my mommy!!!¡±


    ¡°Please, help my brother! He needs help! He¡¯s been bitten!¡±


    ¡°I¡­can¡¯t feel my legs¡­ Sissy¡­ I¡­think I can see daddy¡­¡±


    <span ss="TextRun SCXW67644927 BCX0"ng="en-us" xmlng="en-us"><span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW67644927 BCX0">They were chained to the back¡ªall suffering from horrendous wounds and bloodshot eyes<span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW67644927 BCX0">. Festering boils popped and released dark yellow puss across their skin. <span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW67644927 BCX0"><span ss="EOP SCXW67644927 BCX0">


    ¡°Don¡¯t reach out for them, Que¡­¡± Melusine said, grabbing my hand. Her words pierced through the air like shards of ice. ¡°They¡¯re too far gone. Can¡¯t you see the name floating above their head? The system of this world only disys that for monsters. Once you reach this state¡­there¡¯s no turning back.¡±


    I swallowed a nervous gulp and focused... [Lesser Zombie]... That was their name... They were Lv. 2, and...


    ¡°That can¡¯t be right. Melly, they¡¯re talking to us. They wanna be saved.¡±


    ¡°The undead curse is merciless, Ami. Their fate¡­ Letting them out or freeing them from their shackles risks letting it spread. The cruel option is to leave, and the gentle option is to give them death.¡±


    ¡°Help¡­me¡­ Mommy¡­I¡­want¡­mommy¡­¡± I saw a little girl without hope in her eyes¡ªwithout wonder or a chance to dream of the future. The voice was weak¡­ It was almost too quiet.


    Ami and Elly couldn¡¯t help but run away and cry. Greggie and Keeth joined them after I told them it was fine, and the¡­fateful decision fell to me.


    The realization was devastating.


    But the choice was clear.


    Even if it made me¡­a killer¡­ ughter of children¡­


    I summoned my Ember Tome and cast [me Barrier] to protect us from the [Inferno Burst]. A fiery orb appeared above the fluttering pages of my book. It flew above the shed and waited, growing angrier the longer I let it charge.


    That was the primer.


    When it was bigger than a truck, I threw the detonator. It pressed into the primer, which exploded, engulfing the immediate area in a searing ze of purifying mes. It spread like a baptismal sea once the orb exploded. The anguished screams of the children mingled with the crackling mes, piercing the air and etching themselves deep into my memory.


    The barrier protected us from even feeling the smallest amount of heat¡­


    But¡­


    I didn¡¯t want to ept this.


    <i>Shut up! Shut up! Stop screaming! Die¡­ Please, just¡­pass on¡­ And forgive me¡­ I¡¯m¡­</i>


    The mercy I offered?


    It was gruesome.


    It was merciless¡ªcruel because the children were innocent.


    They were children!


    But the alternative was a fate worse than death.


    It was preventing the undead curse from spreading.


    But as their sorrowful cries and screams died¡­the guilt and sorrow were etched into my heart.


    Melusine put a hand on my shoulder and apologized. She said this was the only choice. Elly and the others joined her and hugged me while I vented my frustrations.


    <i>I failed again¡­ I couldn¡¯t save¡­ I¡­killed children¡­</i>


    <hr>


    We pressed forward, haunted by the harrowing scenes we had witnessed. Vige after vige, we encountered the same nightmarish tableau of the undead. Sometimes, it was a woman trapped in a shed. She hugged a dead baby to her rotted chest and asked us to fetch milk because she couldn¡¯t produce any.


    She cursed me for killing her baby when the mes spread.


    The next one had a brother and sister. Both were missing their arms, but they called me their auntie and asked when their cousin wasing. Their minds were too far gone, and they calmly wondered why the sun was getting brighter before the mes consumed them.


    The next one was a father who wanted his daughter.


    The one after that was a daughter wanting to pet her kitten onest time.


    And the one beyond that was full of dead animals surrounding an old woman without a face.


    It was horrible.


    It was disgusting¡­


    And¡­ I couldn¡¯t take it.


    I couldn¡¯t keep casting my mes and consuming the viges! The skies behind me were filled with smoke and the rotting scent of corpses. Soon, it blocked out the sun, casting the area in a dull shadow.


    I nearly lost it. It felt like a part of me died every time I used [Inferno Burst].


    And I hated it.


    But my personal feelings aside, we discovered important information in the viges from notes and letters we had found by searching around.


    We were in Northeastern Cridia¡ªin a ce called the Apival Duchy. Its capital was Sinem, which was supposed to be located beyond the southern edge of a cliff. If the notes were urate, we would see it once we came to thest vige. Thisrge field housed 14 of them.


    That was our current goal.


    Once we reached thergest vige thus far, we entered the most prominent house and searched. Four locked diaries were hidden inside a dusty chest that belonged to the vige¡¯s former elder, who oversaw all fourteen farms on behalf of Lord Apival.


    The books were old. Based on the writing, they had to be at least two centuries old.


    Why?


    Because it mentioned the man who ruled Cridia before Meruria¡ªHoly Lord Sajun. Meruria once said she encountered tabletop RPGs from Soul Warriors around 150 years ago.


    He had to have died before then. But thest journal mentioned that Sajun had passed away in an ident, and weekster, Meruria evolved into a Holy Lord.


    That was concerning.


    So¡­what was the timeline?


    When exactly did Meruria take power? And how long did Sajun rule?


    But from the diaries, we learned the capital city was called Junsa. That was our goal.


    After ensuring we couldn¡¯t find anything else, the duty fell to me to burn the vige. This time¡­my heart was spared the agony of hearing a mother¡¯s or child¡¯s death gurgles.


    I would delude myself if I said it became easier. Rarely we found a ce safe enough to rest, but Elly always stayed near me. Melusine¡¯s words were kind. And they were what I needed.


    I needed to be strong. Weakness? Fear? Trepidation? While it was impossible to forgo those emotions and feelings, I oversaw leading Team Que to survival.


    Night fell upon thend, although with the ton of smoke darkening the skies, it had felt like midnight for the past three hours. Instead of trying to make it to thest vige, we decided to rest around a campfire. Our bellies rumbled, but it was dangerous to eat. The fresh meat could cause zombies and other undead to head our way.


    ¡°Melly?¡±


    ¡°What is it, Ami?¡±


    ¡°Do you have any stories to tell?¡±


    ¡°About my kingdom?¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m curious about it. If you¡¯re fine with it, I mean,¡± added Greggie.


    Melusine spoke of her coronation and how many things went wrong. The errors were only spotted by her, but she still said she never felt so nervous before. And on that topic, she became queen by public vote. Before the crowning, the kingdom was its own thing-- not a democracy, but not a monarchy. It didn¡¯t have any organization until Melusine arrived. She worked for decades and turned it into something special, and the surrounding areas rewarded her by wanting to have her lead them as their queen.


    She said she once knew this foul-mouthed fairy with a preference for alcohol. No matter how often she sent her away, she always returned to spend time with Melusine.


    ¡°She¡¯d used to say it must be so lonely spending so much time on the throne without a man or woman to keep mepany. I don¡¯t understand why she was obsessed with procreation, but I miss her. And the head butler and head maid. Taking a stroll through town and waving at the children¡­ Stopping by the orphanage and reading a story or two¡­¡±


    ¡°It sounds like a wonderful ce. It must be if Melly¡¯s taking care of parent-less children.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Ami. Your kind words do me well. We weren¡¯t the strongest kingdom. But we were our own little slice ofnd. It was a ce that was loved by everyone. The fairy I mentioned earlier was more of an assistant. She said she wanted to help me on a whim, and I wouldn¡¯t have aplished anything without her help.¡±


    ¡°Do you think she¡¯s still alive?¡±


    ¡°I cannot say, Greggie. Faeries have an unnaturally long lifespan, but my advisor was¡­unique. She picked a fight with anyone who looked at her wrong, but she would always share a drink with anyone who asked if you paid. She wasn¡¯t but ten inches tall, so it didn¡¯t take much.¡±


    ¡°Ten inches? So, a Mini-Melly?¡±


    ¡°Not quite, my dear,¡± Melusine chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m a Crystal Fairy, yet my advisor called herself a Dark Fairy. Her wings were ck as the night sky. Red energy pulsed throughout them like veins. But her advice was invaluable. It almost seemed as if she was as old as time itself. If she¡¯s alive, I¡¯d like to meet her once more. But she never told me her name. She wanted to be called Miss Advisor to the Queen of Faeries. And you had to say the full title for her to look your way.¡±


    ¡°She sounds unique,¡± I said.


    ¡°And she was. But this¡­ Meruria¡­ I can already tell I will not like her. Recycling a Soul Warrior is something that didn¡¯t exist in my time. Nor have I heard of the void.¡±


    ¡°Remember that ident? In the diary? Couldn¡¯t Meruria have absorbed Sajun¡¯s Holy Mana if she used the void? Do you think that¡¯s how it happened?¡± Mary raised a good point. I had thought of that earlier, and based on what we know of her¡­


    I wouldn¡¯t put it past her to do it.


    She struck me as a power-hungry woman. One without any limits.


    Not long after we stopped talking about our summoner, we all drifted to sleep sitting up. Mary had a few monsters keep watch, but they didn¡¯t have to wake us up.


    The morning arrived quickly, and the skies were still covered in smoke.


    That was probably an omen, and I didn¡¯t like it.


    <hr>


    As we approached the dested cliff-side vige, the stench of death hung heavy in the air, mingling with the acrid scent of smoke and decay. The ruins of once-peaceful homesy scattered like broken dreams, shattered remnants of lives forever lost. The weight of the destruction bore down upon us, a suffocating presence that threatened to consume our hope.


    A figure emerged from the shadows at the cliff''s edge, its hunched form silhouetted against the dying light. A macabre sight unfolded before our eyes as the person began stacking lifeless bodies, one upon the other, with sickening precision. A chill crawled up my spine, sending shivers through my very core.


    We watched from a distance as the figure grotesquely twisted, undergoing a horrifying transformation. Its body melted and shifted, oozing like a vile slime as it assimted the corpses into its form.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s a chimera¡­¡± Melusine¡¯s voice was shaky. We didn¡¯t know what that was, but was it a monster?


    I didn¡¯t see a name or level above it.


    ¡°Chimera are creatures made from corpses that remain in one location for too long. The negative emotions of the deceased trigger a phenomenon. The collected bodies are transformed into one being. It is a foe that grows stronger by consuming others. They are the only entities that do not have a limit to the amount of strength they can acquire. Their potential is truly infinite.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm¡­ Yep! That¡¯s about right. Good job, Queenie Melly! It seems a thousand years trapped in a dungeon hasn¡¯t messed with your mind,¡± said a voice that didn¡¯t belong to any of us.


    We turned and stared at a brown-eared woman with wolf-like ears and a tail bending over, looking right into my eyes. She wore a suit, a white buttoned-up shirt, a red tie, and heeled boots.


    Her eyes changed from red to orange, green, and back to red before settling on brown. The woman¡­


    Spoiler


    [copse]


    ¡°What the hell are you doing here?!¡± I whispered, my vow as quiet as I could force it, grabbing Shuuta¡¯s rapist by her cor.


    ¡°Hahaha! Oh, I¡¯ve missed your hate-filled eyes, Cutie Qutie! I¡¯m d to see you¡¯ve missed me too! Whoops! I better be quiet, huh? We don¡¯t want the Big Bad Chimera to fiiind us!¡± screamed the woman, purposely drawing attention.


    ¡°YOU¡¯RE TOO LATE!!!¡±


    ¡°Whoops! That¡¯s not going to n!¡± The woman said everything so casually as a lightning bolt appeared above us. Instantly, we were teleported away in a sh of light until we stood behind the monster.


    There was a crater where we had just been.


    The grotesque thing looked like a schrly gentleman you¡¯d find in a library. But his snarl¡­


    ¡°Teleportation, huh? I don¡¯t have that. I hope you taste as good as you look, cutie,¡± growled the chimera. He raised a hand, and it transformed into a dozen tentacles that grossly squirmed around.


    ¡°Anyways, Cutie Qutie, I was sent here by Lord Meruria to pick you guys up. Do ya see the curse around us? Yeah, that happened a few days ago. But guess what?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ignore me!¡± shouted the chimera.


    ¡°Look over the edge.¡±


    ¡°What? I¡¯m not doing that. You¡¯re just going to kick me off it!¡±


    ¡°Gasp!! I¡¯m shocked you think so little of me! Oh! Remy¡¯s poor little heart can¡¯t take it!¡±


    ¡°You raped Shuuta, you goddamn bitch.¡±


    ¡°Is that you, Greggie? You¡¯re so fat I mistook you for a blubbering wall of flesh. Treat me right, and Lord Meruria will let me take you to heaven. You can experience thest thing Shuuta felt.¡±


    ¡°DON¡¯T IGNORE ME!!!!¡±


    ¡°You have questions. And I have answers. And sure, I can kill that thing in no time. But I wanna see what you can do. Lord Meruria knows you¡¯ve obtained your Soul Weapon, so let¡¯s see it in action, Cutie Qutie.¡±


    Remy teleported once more and appeared in the sky. She stood on a block of white light andmanded us to fight as if she ruled over a diatorial death match. Daggers appeared from a sh of brown light, and she juggled them.


    The chimera growled once more. He spat death threats as his vines plunged into the ground.


    We weren¡¯t going to wait and take it, so it was time to act.


    Elly started singing [Dexterous Resolve] to increase our speed. Melusine formed her crystal wings, flew, and used [Cursed Ice Spear]. Greggie lifted his shield and cautiously walked forward, and Ami kept pace with him. Our monster tamer summoned her monsters, and the fight tensely began.


    ¡°Now! You need to move!¡± Mary shouted amand after being told important information by her monsters. Immediately, we jumped away and avoided the vines threatening to impale us. Ami used her superior speed to close the distance and engaged the enemy in hand-to-handbat. He dodged her strikes and transformed into slime to break her grips and holds.


    Her fists went right through him.


    Greggie jumped and smacked him away with his shield, but he morphed into a bird and took to the skies. He flew around, and then the one bird turned into four.


    I used [me Barrier] and then charged mana into [Heat Wave]. The spell left my tome and was hot enough to melt the ground in seconds. I directed it towards the birds, but they¡­


    Just vanished.


    ¡°SHIT¡ª¡±


    I turned around toote and felt an arm puncture my stomach. The chimera we fought was a decoy.


    The real thing was hidden from the beginning¡­


    ¡°Got you now¡­¡±


    ¡°QUTIE!!!!¡± Elly screamed my name and switched to her healing song. But my HP drained faster than it healed. Greggie made a move, but a second hand spread open my stomach. I felt a foreign entity poke and prod at my intestines.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want me to hurt her more, do you? Why don¡¯t you sit there and let me enjoy this meal?¡±


    ¡°[SOUL BARRIER]!¡± I gritted my teeth and used a spell exclusive to me. The chimera¡¯s arms were severed, and he tried to break my protective aura after regrowing his limbs.


    But it didn¡¯t work.


    I muttered [Heat Wave] under my breath and melted the ground below us. My soul energy drained like crazy, but the chimera immediately felt himself be one with molten rock. He tried desperately to pull himself out, but I turned around and hugged him tightly.


    ¡°YOU¡¯RE GOING TO DIE TOO!¡± he shouted. He struggled even more, but I didn¡¯t let go.


    Suddenly, the chimera ripped off his head and threw it at Mary, who fell in panic. I looked at the headless corpse and found watery slime. Melusine appeared to grab my hand. She lifted me out of my trap.


    Mary screamed. The monster had turned into slime and circled her body, sending its tendrils into every orifice it could.


    ¡°Oh? What¡¯s this?!¡± The monster formed a slingshot and flung itself away. It regrew into a child and childishly spoke while looking at a bottle of pills.


    The same pills Mary needed to survive¡ªto counteract her elerated aging.


    Without even saying anything, weunched into a rage. Elly switched to [Physical Resolve], which strengthened Greggie and Ami. Keeth¡­


    He couldn¡¯t do anything. He just watched and cheered us on.


    Melusine called my name and said one word.


    Barrier.


    She used the ice variant; I used the me, and I overcharged the hell out of [Inferno Burst]. Melusine channeled [Frigid Explosion], which grew to life above her head. She held both arms up and screamed, her crystal wings shining brighter than ever.


    ¡°This must be important if you¡¯re going this far for it.¡± The chimera didn¡¯t even move. Ami¡¯s furious punches and Greggie¡¯s anger-infused slices just passed right through.


    I instantly turned around and waited for the chimera to show himself, but he never did. Melusine used her spell first, but the monster transfigured into a nimble serpent covered in ice. It jumped towards the iing attack and slithered around it, using the frictionless surface to build up speed tounch itself high into the air.


    An icy apocalypse was born when the spellnded. It exploded into a barrage of frozen spikes that rampaged the nearby vige, freezing everything solid. Without our barrier spells, we would¡¯ve died thirteen times over.


    ¡°JUST GIVE IT BACK!¡± Iunched the primer and prepared the detonator. ¡°You don¡¯t know what they¡¯re capable of. We need those pills more than anything!¡±


    I knew I still had a hole in my stomach.


    It hurt so goddamn much.


    Elly¡¯s song couldn¡¯t fix that kind of injury. She could dy the HP drain, but that was the most.


    But it was nothing to the hatred I felt towards my enemy.


    The chimera grew wings and returned to a humanoid form, although he became an elderly man with wrinkly skin. ¡°If you want them, you need to kill me. If this attack doesn¡¯t do it, then¡­¡±


    ¡°You bastard!¡± Elly screamed. Her teary eyes revealed her true feelings. She changed her song and attacked using flying musical notes. The lyrics were heavy and depraved¡ªsomething that would fit in a death metal band. Our enemy avoided the magical music notes with ease. I threw the detonator with myst bit of strength and watched it explode like a bomb. The skies were filled with so much heat and mes that the air caught on fire. It was so hot a portion of the cliff liquified into goo. We needed to retreat further into the vige to avoid falling. The ice reacted and made a wave of steam, preventing us from seeing our enemy.


    The pain radiating from my stomach tripled in agony. I cried and fell to my knees, unable to harbor the strength to look up.


    But we heard his voice.


    His taunting, crude, annoying voice. ¡°Hahahaha! You¡¯re powerful, but that¡¯s all you are. You don¡¯t have any skill¡ªany technique! You rely on raw power without any refinement! You need to be like me!¡±


    A powerful breeze picked up. The steam began to swirl and thin, revealing our enemy. The chimera had four arms and two heads. Two hands supported a wind spell, and the other two were popping Mary¡¯s pills into his mouths.


    Before I could say anything, the steampressed itself twice into a thin needle, then shot like aser towards Keeth.


    It pierced his throat.


    ¡°KEEEEEETHHHHH!!!!¡± Elly rushed to his aid and sang her healing song as fast as she could. Ami joined his side and pressed her hands against the wound, using pressure to stop the bleeding.


    But his HP drained quickly. He was the weakest of us. He didn¡¯t have that much HP. Nor did we have any armor. We wore gear made for ice and cold--mere clothes.


    I tried to stand, but my legs were numb. My arms felt like rubber.


    My head hurt.


    My eyes hurt.


    My stomach hurt.


    There was nothing that didn¡¯t hurt.


    It took all I had to look at Elly and Ami trying to help Keeth. Greggie¡­ He fought the chimera, but his blows were deflected. The enemy was covered in shiny scales and looked like a walking aquamarine. It then transformed once more and formed long ws. It snatched Greggie¡¯s sword and shield and crumbled them like paper.


    Melusine was running low on mana. Her blue bar was almost totally drained. Greggie had resorted to throwing punches. It was hard to see it, but his left hand was broken.


    <i>Oh... His... Keeth¡¯s¡­</i>


    <i>Shit¡­</i>


    <i>Am¡­I going to fail¡­?</i>


    <i>Again¡­</i>


    <i>After I let Shuuta die?</i>


    <i>Why can¡¯t I do anything right¡­?</i>


    <i>I can¡¯t do this anymore.</i>


    <i>I can¡¯t keep killing¡­</i>


    <i>Mothers</i>


    <i>Fathers</i>


    <i>Children¡­</i>


    <i>I¡¯m not strong¡­</i>


    <i>I can¡¯t survive here¡­</i>


    <i>Shuuta¡­ When I die¡­ I can say sorry¡­ It¡¯s okay if you hate me¡­ I¡¯ll understand it¡­because I hate myself too¡­</i>

 Intermission – Quella – Undead Curse & Chimeric Menace – Part Two

    Intermission ¨C Que ¨C Undead Curse & Chimeric Menace ¨C Part Two


    ¡°Hmm¡­ They don¡¯t make Soul Warriors like they used to. I don¡¯t like to suggest you made a mistake, Lord Meruria, but maybe Shuuta had more resolve in him? Certainly more than a red-haired mage.¡± The Wolffolk named Remy happily watched the chaos happening below her. She loved to hear cute girls and handsome boys cry in pain.


    She loved it more than anything else in the world.


    Other than her beloved Lord Meruria, of course.


    She felt her crotch moisten when that chimera had his hands in Que¡¯s guts. Remy believed Team Que¡¯s enemy made a fatal mistake, yet the resilience of his kind was like no other.


    A chimera had a thousand ways to survive any encounter. They were masters of the unexpected¡ªgeniuses at wriggling their ways out of unwinnable or inescapable situations and living to fight another day.


    Even a Soul Warrior would have trouble fighting one. That was why this was a test. Remy didn¡¯t expect to get involved. She wasn¡¯t ordered to remain as only a scout to analyze Team Que¡¯s progress, so nothing forbade her from letting her presence known, but she spied on Que and the others for a day or two before popping up beside them.


    She found it fun to watch the little mage act so sad and feeble at killing a couple of kids.


    They were already destined to die from the undead curse, so...


    But the queen with the crystal wings was the most interesting. Lord Meruria confided in Remy and said the useless teacher had the most potential if her abilities worked the way she thought they did. Storing fragments of the past into orbs of Holy Mana and freeing them from their dungeon shackles?


    Not even Remy¡¯s lord could do that.


    No one could.


    That shattered bnce was the sole reason why Soul Warriors essentially broke the equality of the game board. You needed instability to create stability.


    ¡°Tsk tsk¡­ Ugh, it¡¯s so boring. It¡¯s like reading a story when you know the ending,¡± Remy said. She bounced on her toes and wished for something interesting to happen. Her blood boiled with excitement when Keeth¡¯s neck was punctured.


    And when Greggie continued to fight without his sword and shield, she loved hearing his bones break. Physical attacks were useless against the scales of an Iron Mammoth, but these otherworld-ers didn¡¯t know that.


    Suddenly, a dark-skinned, broad-shouldered man descended from the skies, standing atop the shell belonging to an ancient turtle spirit. He had a bald head, wore a turtle shell ne, and was extremely muscr. His soft, vibrant orange robes tightly clung to his powerful body.


    He jumped from the floating turtle andnded near the fallen mage with red hair.


    All eyes turned to him.


    The chimera metaphorically soiled his pants, for he knew the power this stranger wielded.


    All it took was one step for the monster to transfigure a set of wings and fly away towards the city of death and decay, located a hundred miles away from the bottom of the cliff.


    Sinem¡ªthe capital city of the Apival Duchy, had already fallen to the undead curse. There wasn¡¯t a single soul left alive. The monsters inhabiting it weren¡¯t worth saving.


    The mysterious man didn¡¯t even have to think about chasing the monster because the lives of the injured were worth more than that. He brought his massive hands and prayed.


    "[Shellmender¡¯s Grace],¡± said the turtle in a deep, low voice as itnded near the monk.


    A gentle aura of soothing light enveloped the turtle¡¯s shell. A shimmering wave of energy rippled through the air, cascading over each person. The warm glow of the spell spread like aforting nket, embracing the members of Team Que.


    Wounds closed, bones were mended, and weariness was lifted. The rejuvenating energy filled the air with a sense of calmness and tranquility modeled after the long-forgotten goddess the spell was named for.


    But those affected by the spell immediately fell asleep to recover the rest of their energy. That was a side effect of the magic, but it guaranteed the patients would wake up without soreness.


    ¡°Kaiho.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be done, Enele,¡± said the turtle. Kaiho used a spell called [Enchanting Shroud of Aquanis] to blow away the ruined, death-filled vige in the blink of an eye. The whirlwind of force pushed it across the cliff¡¯s edge, and in its ce was a slice of nature only found inside the Kingdom of Aquanis. The vibrant trees and flowing rivers of water that encircled the safety grounds contained protective properties to safeguard those inside from further harm.


    One by one, the turtle ferried the sleeping bodies to their new haven while Enele turned his sights to Remy. She jumped to the ground. ¡°I expected the Dark Lord of Justice to show up, but I didn¡¯t think it would be this soon.¡±


    Enele, the Dark Lord of Justice, Head Arbitrator overseeing the Kingdom of Aquanis, remained quiet and disapprovingly shook his head towards Remy.


    He knew what she was like.


    He knew how Lord Meruria was.


    He knew there wasn''t anything to say, so he remained quiet.


    <hr>


    <i>I shouted at the nightmare chasing me through a maze of flesh and blood.</i>


    <i>I knew this was fake.</i>


    <i>I knew this wasn¡¯t real.</i>


    <i>But it still hurt all the same because it wasn¡¯t just Shuuta.</i>


    <i>It was Elly.</i>


    <i>Ami.</i>


    <i>Greggie.</i>


    <i>Keeth.</i>


    <i>Mary.</i>


    <i>And Melusine.</i>


    <i>Seven bloodied, tortured corpses were chasing me.</i>


    <i>Their hatred endlessly spewed my way, cursing me to death. I turned to the left and ran into a monster¡ªthe chimera stuck his hand through my chest and crushed my heart.</i>


    <i>I was dead.</i>


    <i>But the nightmare continued.</i>


    <i>It always happened like this.</i>


    <i>Even my nightmares didn¡¯t end when I died. I was just brought back to the beginning of the maze¡ªdestined to repeat the same sick game until I woke up.</i>


    <i>But I didn¡¯t know if¡­I was alive or dead. That chimera made a hole in my stomach. You couldn¡¯t heal that with a song. Even [Minor Heal] wouldn¡¯t have worked.</i>


    <i>So¡­this was probably the end.</i>


    <i>My mind was punishing me even while my body was on itsst breath.</i>


    <i>It was what a failure like me deserved. People died because I was weak¡ªbecause I wasn¡¯t as strong as I needed to be. The world was too much for me to handle. If I had been tossed in the void¡­</i>


    <i>Maybe things would¡¯ve been¡­for the better.</i>


    <i>Maybe I wanted to die.</i>


    <i>Maybe I didn¡¯t want to pray for a miracle.</i>


    <i>This tormented maze¡ªthe sickening wondend that most likely never had an ending¡­ Perhaps I¡¯d be here until I finished it.</i>


    <i>But I knew it didn¡¯t have one.</i>


    <i>So I¡¯d be here until the end of¡­time?</i>


    <i>Time was infinite.</i>


    <i>Once it began, it never ended. It was the one constant in the world that you could bet would never end.</i>


    <i>And this was my punishment.</i>


    <i>I ran.</i>


    <i>And I ran.</i>


    <i>And I ran, dying to the chimera¡ªdying to the corpses of my friends. Melusine¡¯s crystal wings severed my head during the second attempt. Greggie broke my neck during another. Keeth used a sword made of blood to skew me through the thighs on my fourth, and Mary wed out my eyes on the fifth. Elly and Ami sang about my impending death andughed. Their song caused the maze of flesh to turn over on itself, causing me to fall into the endless void below.</i>


    <i>Just like him¡­</i>


    <i>Just like Shuuta¡­</i>


    <i>I didn¡¯t know how long I fell for.</i>


    <i>At some point¡­I believed I just stopped thinking¡­</i>


    <i>Maybe I wanted to stop?</i>


    <i>Maybe¡­this was the end?</i>


    <i>No, I wouldn¡¯t get that lucky.</i>


    <i>Before I knew it, the sense of free falling vanished, and I stood back on the tform.</i>


    <i>Shuuta¡¯s dead corpse and the others taunted me, saying I wouldn¡¯t escape my punishment that easily.</i>


    <hr>


    ¡°I¡¯M SORRY!!!!!¡± My eyes suddenly opened, and I leaned up, hitting something hard. I fell back to the ground and clutched my head.


    ¡°Oie¡­ Qutie! You¡¯re up!¡± Elly threw herself on me and kissed my forehead. ¡°You¡¯re okay! You¡¯re safe!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­what?¡± I was confused¡ªmy mind an abhorrent torrent of bewilderment. The blue-haired idol helped me sit up, and I¡­was surrounded by¡­nature? ¡°Is that running water? What happened?¡±


    ¡°You came close to dying, Que,¡± said a deep voice. I looked to the left and saw a dark-skinned man sitting by the fire.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Keeth?! Is he okay?! He was shot through the neck, and¡ª and my stomach?!¡± I touched my abdomen and felt¡­fine. I didn¡¯t feel any scars or scabs, and the hole certainly wasn¡¯t there.


    ¡°He¡¯s still asleep. Allow me to exin¡­¡± After he finished, I summarized it to ensure I had it right.


    ¡°You¡¯re Enele, the Dark Lord of Justice, from the Kingdom of Aquanis. You arrived to help end this undead curse because the Holy Lord Sajun, the previous ruler of Cridia, was your student?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re correct. Sajun was like a younger brother. He loved Cridia, so I like to stop by and check on it.¡±


    ¡°And you used a spell to heal our wounds after the chimera ran away to the capital city of the Apival Duchy?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right once more. The spell makes the targets fall asleep during the healing process. Your friends will wake up when exhaustion has left their bodies. Are you hungry?¡± Enele pointed to a fat b of meat roasting in the campfire on a stick.


    ¡°I am, but what about the¡­the Wolffolk?¡±


    ¡°Remy?¡± I nodded, but Elly answered and said she went to the city to look around.


    <i>I wish she wouldn¡¯t return.</i>


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve never thanked you. Thank you for saving us. Without you, we would¡¯ve died.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re most wee. I can¡¯t have Lord Meruria¡¯s Soul Warriors die. It¡¯s unbefitting of me after I had promised Lord Sajun to protect his country.¡±


    ¡°So, you know?¡±


    ¡°I do. Your Soul Weapon rests at your hip. Here, bite into this. Kaiho, can you prepare a ss of water?¡± Enele handed me the food he was cooking.


    It smelled heavenly.


    ¡°Kai¡­ho?¡± I asked while taking a bite.


    It was deliciously fat and full of vor.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s this little guy. See?¡± Elly pointed to what I thought was a moss-covered rock.


    But it was a turtle.


    And it faintly glowed with a golden light. It swam through the air slowly and hovered in front of me. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to make your acquaintance,¡± said the turtle. His voice was heavier than Lord Enele¡¯s. He used a spell called [Nature¡¯s Refreshments] to make a wooden cup filled with clear, cold water.


    After I thanked him, Elly grabbed him out of the air and ced him in herp.


    It was surreal, but Kaiho must¡¯ve liked it. Eneleughed deeply.


    Elly was given a cup and some food, and we talked for a little longer. It was the dead of night, but it was darker because the smoke from my fires still filled the skies. That was why it also felt even chillier than usual.


    Kaiho was actually Enele¡¯s older adoptive brother¡ªeven if the turtle was a spirit. Enele was adopted by a family of Turtlefolk that served as guards for the Kingdom of Aquanis when he was eight years old. His father had summoned Kaiho when he was a young adult, and he had been a part of the family for over 400 years, so... That put him at¡­over 1,000 years old?


    Turtlefolk lived for many centuries. Inparison to humans, his father would be in his sixties. But after retiring, Kaiho made a pact with Enele. And Enele was over 500 years old. Bing a Holy or Dark Lord extended your lifespan. That happened a few dozen years before he met Sajun.


    <i>The timeline is intimidating¡­ I¡¯m talking with a turtle older than modern history from my world.</i>


    Lord Enele was easy to talk to. He seemed scary and frightening, but he had a gentle soul.


    If I used standard fantasy tropes, Holy Lords were supposed to be good, and Dark Lords were evil. But good and evil¡­ They were varying shades of gray, not ck and white. If we had been summoned by Lord Enele, everything would¡¯ve been different.


    But when I asked if Lord Enele had summoned any Soul Warriors, he said he was forbidden. The Dark Lord of Justice was to be fair and impartial to all. They were never supposed to show favoritism to one side or the other. As the Head Arbitrator, he oversaw the annual Lord Conference, held at the beginning of summer, in the Kingdom of Aquanis.


    It turned out we were summoned just a few days after that conference. Every Holy and Dark Lord was required to go since it acted like the United Nations from my world¡ªa ce for Divine Countries¡ªces ruled by a Holy or Dark Lord¡ªor even Mortal Countries ¨C countries without them¡ªto share their grievances or concerns.


    The topic of summoning was brought up every fifty years, although each country needed to agree on a time frame. Lord Enele said the longest recorded gap was 198 years, and the shortest was 29 years.


    ¡°It¡¯s the rule that all summoners are to choose a squad of Soul Warriors and attend the Lord Conference following a summoning session,¡± said Lord Enele, finishing his tidy and easy-to-follow lecture. ¡°It¡¯s the oldest kingdom in the world. It¡¯s full of rich history, legends, and fascinating fragments of the world of yesteryear.¡±


    It really sounded amazing. But would Meruria allow us¡ªfilthy defenders of trash¡ªas she probably sees us¡ªto attend something so prestigious?


    Probably not.


    She¡¯d probably make up some reason why we had to stay in Junsa.


    As we talked and ate, more of my friends began waking up. Keeth was thest, and he cried for twenty minutes straight¡ªprimarily because Elly was hugging him tight enough to cause a little pain. Lord Enele was surprised to find out who Melusine was.


    Maybe it was a mistake to not return her to her orb. Although we didn¡¯t know spirits needed to return to their spirit crystals until after he had deduced her identity from her name and appearance.


    Mary¡¯s mana orbs were an alternative to these spirit and demon crystals. Each spirit and demon held a core somewhere on their body that killed them when broken. Melusine and monsters had cores hidden inside their bodies that you used in enchanting, as Lord Enele taught us when he was bbergasted Meruria hadn''t told us anything about this world and how it worked.


    ¡°The core acts as a heart?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct, Mary. Queen Melusine, please be careful when ites to fighting. Do not tell anyone about your true nature. If word gets out about a way to extract boss monsters from dungeons containing Lore, I don¡¯t want to imagine the trouble your tamer will find herself in.¡±


    ¡°Your worries are valid, Lord Enele. I will take them to heart. However, I¡¯m not sure where my core¡¯s even at.¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t find any when we butchered the leopards for meat. Why was that, Nelly?¡± asked Ami. She already had a nickname for him. And he liked it. Heughed at her casualness and approved of it. He said cores came in all shapes and sizes. We weren¡¯t digging deep enough to extract them. The guilds would buy them, but you were better off going to an auction house or a specialized market.


    Since Lord Enele was close to Cridia¡¯s previous Holy Lord, I wanted to ask him about Meruria¡¯s ascension. If she pushed him into the void, she took his Holy Mana. I was almost positive she did, but it wasn¡¯t the right time to ask. I was about to ask something else when Mary patted her jacket and¡­


    ¡°They¡¯re gone?!¡± she eximed. The horror and dread on her face could have killed a gargoyle.


    That was right¡­


    That chimera had taken the pills she needed to halt her advanced aging. She was a test tube baby, and the elerated division of her cells aged rapidly aged her. Without her pills¡­


    Lord Enele didn¡¯t understand until Mary exined why they were so important. I didn¡¯t think he understood, but he said Mary was a Soul Warrior. By default, they had longer lifespans. A 1-Star aged 20% slower, a 2-Star 40%, and so on.


    ¡°Soul Evolution¡­ That¡¯s the key. It extends your life.¡±


    ¡°But does that exist?¡± I asked. Melusine and Elly rubbed Mary¡¯s back while she hugged her knees.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen it happen with my own eyes. Most believe it to be a falsehood uttered by their summoners to give them a dash of fleeting hope. But it is true. I swear upon my life as the Dark Lord of Justice it is not unobtainable.¡± That cheered Mary up a little, but she was still shaken.


    It was almost funny because I had never seen her act like a teacher. She was a brilliant woman with a bright mind¡ªshe had to be to have been chosen to teach at Mekka Academy. But she wasn¡¯t¡­useful¡­to help us further advance our studies. I hated using that word, but she was, until recently, a woman who showed up to ss to do almost nothing because we were, on average, her intellectual superiors.


    She didn¡¯t want to be called Ms. Mary or Ms. Mishel because she never wanted to be a teacher. She only did it to save her adoptive family from being killed by the group that made her.


    Honestly? Her life was a sad drama, filled with depressing downs with few uplifting moments. She was a fighter, though. She wasn¡¯t so courageous, but I could tell she was trying to change that.


    She wanted to be better. Maybe if she did, she¡¯d have the confidence to try her hand at teaching.


    But she didn¡¯t act like one, and I believed that was fine.


    I liked Mary the way she was.


    The campfire continued to sizzle, and I potentially ruined the atmosphere by bringing up the chimera. It was just too strong and fast. Our attacks phased through it... It split into multiple copies and transfigured unbreakable scales to prevent melee damage¡­


    How could wepete with that? My spells didn¡¯t do anything. Perhaps Ami¡¯s aura could have done something, but she couldn¡¯t gather enough.


    We were weak.


    Weaker than I thought.


    I was a fool to think of us as capable. How dumb was I? How many more times would I fail and put my friends¡¯ lives in danger?


    Enele said we didn¡¯t have anything to worry about. ¡°When the morninges, I¡¯ll exterminate the chimera. The monster assimted a necromancer and foolishly wielded its newfound powers carelessly.¡±


    I asked if it could run away from the city, but Enele shook his head and said it couldn¡¯t leave the Apival Duchy. The curse it used made Sinem the epicenter of the ability. The chimera would undoubtedly be strong while inside it. Leaving it would immediately weaken him.


    Keeth passed the time by using a few spare ingots Mary''s monsters were holding to create a recement sword and shield for Greggie.


    <hr>


    When morning rolled around, Remy returned. She appeared from a sh of light and sat down, not even caring that her clothes and face were covered in blood and rotted flesh.


    ¡°It¡¯s a leveling gold mine, Cutie Qutie!¡± Remy was all smiles andughter.


    It sickened me.


    ¡°So, here¡¯s the deal. There¡¯s not a single non-monster left within the city. You guys know about zombies and liches, right?¡±


    I didn¡¯t want to answer her, but I nodded. ¡°They¡¯re weak to fire and holy magic," Remy continued. "You can also kill them with healing magic. Elly Belly, your horrendous singing would do the job."


    "It¡¯s NOT horrendous!¡± growled Elly. She couldn¡¯t look at Remy¡¯s face across the campfire without feeling hatred surge through her heart like a spreading me. "And don''t call me that!"


    ¡°It is to the undead. Anyways, I figured it''s the perfect chance. Cutie Qutie, why don¡¯t you use [Inferno Burst] and burn it away? Just destroy the city to thest goddamn ash.¡±


    ¡°Is that what your lord wants, Remy?¡± Enele folded his arms and sat with his back straight.


    ¡°It is. The Apival Duchy has been in decline for decades. Famine and disease elerated the decay, and then a necromancer moved in to experiment. It doesn¡¯t take a genius to foresee a chimera being born within thest decade and assimting the foolish mystic to steal his power over the dead. The people were a lost cause.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you do anything? What kind of a ruler is this Meruria if she allows her subjects to willingly suffer?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if a queen like you is allowed to say anything. May I remind you of Faedornia? Between Cridia and yourme-ass kingdom, which is a mere forgotten memory? You let your ¡®subjects¡¯ unceremoniously suffer while failing to find a cure. No wonder the Crystal Faeries are extinct if you were their leader,¡± Remy said with a smile. Although there was a murderous twitch in her eye at hearing someone badmouth Meruria.


    Her words hurt Melusine. She bit her lip, and then Remy taunted her more until I barged into the conversation and changed it. But by then, Melusine had returned to her mana orb. Enele looked disapprovingly at Remy.


    He was supposed to remain neutral. Punishing Remy would vite that. But maybe he wanted to?


    ¡°We¡¯re heading out in fifteen minutes, okay? I wanna find the chimera and finish this far because I want to return to Lord Meruria¡¯s arms. I really, really, really want her to make me tingle. Her fingers are the best. And I wanna see her kiss and touch my sis, Willow. Oh~~~ I miss you so much, Lord Meruria¡­¡±


    <i>Ugh¡­</i>

 Intermission – Quella – Undead Curse & Chimeric Menace – Part Three (Illustrations!)

    Intermission ¨C Que ¨C Undead Curse & Chimeric Menace ¨C Part Three (Illustrations!)


    And so, fifteen minutester, Kaiho grew twenty times his size. He was big enough for us to jump in his shell, and he swam through the air, over the cliff, and headed towards the city in the distance. Its walls were partly crumbling. The closer we got, the more awful the smell became. There wasn¡¯t anything green or resembling life anywhere. Hordes of undead mindlessly walked through the deaf forests below us, and we saw them get attacked by undead wolves, zombie hawks, and skeleton alligators that lived in the ckest, most putrid rivers imaginable.


    Kaihonded at the city¡¯s gates¡ªon the south side. Thirty stumbling undead were protecting the entrance. They were called decayed guardians, and they were Lv. 44. The armor was rusted, but their exposed bones shimmered and glowed with charged electricity.


    Remy pulled her daggers and merely walked forward.


    ¡°[Temporal Slowness].¡± A white fog burst from her body, slowing everything within by a factor of 100.


    That included us.


    From our point of view, she moved faster than lightning, zipping between each monster and severing their heads. Enele pped his hands and used a barrier to make us immune to the effects, and the inverse happened.


    The decayed guardians were the ones who acted as if they were standing still.


    But then Remy teleported into the air. Then to the left. And the right. And there were four of her, yet she was also standing beside us, juggling her daggers.


    But¡­


    Remyughed and said our confusion was adorable.


    Whatever power she held¡­it was on a different level. Slowing time and teleporting? Was she fast enough to be in five spots while continuing a conversation? Was each teleport bringing a Remy from another world or time to fight in her ce?


    Or was it something else?


    Nothing made sense about her. When thest monster died, she sheathed her weapons and said she wanted us to redeem ourselves from the earlier showing.


    Enele remained quiet when I looked to him for help. If I was right, his neutrality was really being tested, or maybe I was na?ve enough to think that.


    Regardless, we entered the city, enduring a hazy mist of oppressive death that was thick and visible. Breathing was difficult. We were given a debuff, reducing our mana and stamina. Even a mere [Heat Wave], which I used to melt a group of acid ghouls, required drastically more resources. They exploded and dissolved a nearby house, which held thirty zombie rats. They spread like the gue, charging straight for us. I was about to wipe them out when Elly started to sing. She cried and sang [Healing Melody], the deep and haunting lyrics about a girl who wanted her friends to rest in peace.


    <i>In shadows cast, where memories reside,</i>


    <i>A whispered melody, where sorrow abides,</i>


    <i>A girl with a heavy heart, her voice so serene,</i>


    <i>Singing a haunting song, toy souls serene.</i>


    <i>[Healing Melody], flow into the night,</i>


    <i>Ease the weary hearts, in eternal flight,</i>


    <i>Grant them sce, where darkness is released,</i>


    <i>Let them find their peace, in eternal sleep.</i>


    <i>With gentle notes, she weaves a mournful tale,</i>


    <i>Of love once cherished, now lost to the veil,</i>


    <i>Her voice resonates, piercing through the gloom,</i>


    <i>To bring sce and rest, beyond the tomb.</i>


    <i>May the echoes of her song, reach the distant shores,</i>


    <i>To mend broken spirits, where anguish soars,</i>


    <i>For in the depths of her sorrowful strain,</i>


    <i>Lies the power to heal, to soothe all pain.</i>


    <i>[Healing Melody], flow into the night,</i>


    <i>Ease the weary hearts, in eternal flight,</i>


    <i>Grant them sce, where darkness is released,</i>


    <i>Let them find their peace, in eternal sleep.</i>


    <i>As tears fall like rain, her voice carries on,</i>


    <i>Guiding lost souls to a tranquil dawn,</i>


    <i>With each mournful verse, she bids them depart,</i>


    <i>To find sce in slumber, and peace in their heart.</i>


    <i>In the realm of shadows, her song remains,</i>


    <i>A healing requiem, where sadness wanes,</i>


    <i>May her melody bring peace to the undead,</i>


    <i>And grant them the rest they longed for, as she said.</i>


    Her voice was so pretty, but it was corrosive poison to the rats. They groaned in pain and almost melted from the inside out, and it attracted even more undead. They all ran to Elly from everywhere in the city, and her singing strengthened. She used every drop of mana, then forced herself to continue, acquiring an ability to overdraw her mana at the risk of limiting herself in the future.


    For thirty minutes, we listened. The undead wails and groans tried to drown out our idol''s voice.


    But Elly never stopped. She refused to quiet. Elly became an idol to help people with the power of music. She yearned for her voice to be a source of hope, not death. And even though she was killing, she probably hoped our enemies received relief on the other side.


    The only one who wasn¡¯t crying was Remy. The heartless bitch didn¡¯t have a soul. She didn¡¯t have an ounce of humanity resting in her rotting core.


    When it was all said and done, Elly dropped to her knees and gasped for air. She formed fists, silently crying away her feelings before standing up. Her mana bar, now red, not blue, was draining slowly. Until it emptied, she couldn¡¯t use any magic.


    But that didn¡¯t stop us.


    We pushed past the horde of undead attracted to Elly¡¯s singing and reached therge castle in the middle of town, taking out any stragglers along the way. It was dangerous to fight the undead close, so it was up to me to kill them with my magic. Even with the debuff, my mana regenerated at a crazy rate.


    We encountered liches and undead abominations inside the castle¡¯s gate. There was a front courtyard standing in front of the building. The liches were tall and skeletal, with withered flesh stretched across their bony appearance. Of the four I saw, two were dressed like royalty and wore crowns of bones. They used unholy magic via their bone scepters to raise the dead. They barked orders in a raspy voice, sending chills to my bones.


    They spoke Arezzian.


    The other two were bald, but they were dressed like spell casters. Long, tattered robes loosely clung to their bodies. They each wore ten rings and floated two feet above the ground. I activated [Mana Perception] and almost lost my mind. It¡­ Everything was just the color of death. The undeath energy radiated enough to nearly suffocate me. I didn¡¯t regain my sense of reasoning until Melusine grabbed my shoulders and whispered for me to be calm in my ears.


    My tome fluttered and opened its pages while I prepared another [Heat Wave]. Melusine summoned her wings and flew in,unching an assault of [Ice Hail] and [Cursed Ice Spear]. She was agile and avoided the iing necrotic bolts of gross green energy. When the time was right, I dashed around the wall and sent my prepared spell their way. The hazy wave of incredibly superheated air melted the ground in moments. The liquid remains bubbled and boiled like the witches preparing a cauldron in a y involving a woman orchestrating her way into bing the Queen of Scond.


    The undead archers focused their hail of bony arrows on Melusine and were killed immediately. The liches turned around toote. They didn¡¯t hear anything, and they died an agonizingly painful death.


    <b><i>The Sanctus Tome is now avable for use.</i></b>


    My Ember Tome turned an intense shade of white and altered forms to look like a holy book. The abilities it held were [Divine Light], a spell to cast a radiant light that wasn¡¯t blinding to illuminate the darkness, [Sacred Shield], a spell that created a transparent shield around the target, offering physical and magical resistance, [Benediction], a prayer type spell that healed my allies within an area, [Serenity¡¯s Embrace], a spell designed to soothe the mind and erase anger and aggression, and [Divine Harmony], a spell to cleanse ourselves of debilitating status effects.


    It was clearly meant for support, not offense. But we had a new healing spell. It was effective.


    That chimera¡­ It wasn¡¯t going to get away.


    We felt more confident, and I had the Sanctus Tome ready when we entered the castle. Unfortunately, [Divine Harmony] didn¡¯t work to remove the one debuff we were affected by. Could I apply a debuff immunity status effect? Maybe, but I didn¡¯t know my Soul Weapon had a form with that spell.


    Melusine wondered if what she felt was what we experienced when we entered her castle in the dungeon.


    ¡°It was a sense of awe and wonder,¡± I told her, wiping out another group of liches. Their weakness to mes was one thing, but I was starting to understand just how wide the gap of power was between the undead, myself, and that chimera.


    They went down like styrofoam boxes.


    And we went down like a lion swatting a toy block.


    The divide was massive. I knew I was practically a toddler when it came to living in this world, but the difference was staggeringly annoying.


    Enele said he felt dark energying from the prisons below, but to get there, we needed to walk around the outer halls to reach the inner sanctum. There existed a secret path to the armory and barracks. Going through via the castle was quicker than looping around the city, although I wondered why we couldn¡¯t fly there on Kaiho.


    It was probably dangerous.


    [Sacred Shield] worked wonders in letting Ami and Greggie join the fight. The defensive spell protected them against wayward scratches or vile magic, and these undead were physically weak to their raw power. Remy had to make crude jokes about Greggie¡¯s weight. She meant for it to be endearing, but that was a load of shit. She said it to be hurtful. Greggie tuned her out and focused on fighting.


    He''d gotten better, for sure. His weight was still a problem. I knew he wasn¡¯t as agile or fit as he wanted, but his status as a Soul Warrior helped fill the gaps.


    Besides, it would take years to get the body Greggie wanted. There was a long road ahead of him-- of us, really. And it was only going to get steeper from here.


    When we arrived at the inner sanctum and discovered the throne room, we were met with a towering undead horde made by fusing corpses with [Flesh Crafting]. Men, women, and children were forcibly conjoined and wrapped in barbed wire.


    ¡°GGGGGRRROOOOAAAAANNNNNN!!!¡± The monster didn¡¯t have a definite name. Everything was fused into one being¡ªa monster with as many minds as materials. Some screamed and begged for death. Others wanted to kill to stop the pain.


    And the children¡­.


    The babies cried for their mothers.


    But I saw¡­


    There wasn¡¯t an HP bar.


    Nor did I see a level.


    So¡­


    They¡­weren¡¯t monsters¡­?


    ¡°Lord Enele, we¡ª¡±


    ¡°You cannot save them, Que,¡± said the Dark Lord of Justice. ¡°Attempting to reverse the process will kill them.¡±


    ¡°Why?! Why would the chimera do this?! It¡¯s so inhumane!!!¡±


    The towering cylinders of flesh just slowly wobbled towards us. The barbed wire kept them from getting too close, and the cries¡­


    It was a hard sight to watch.


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t a chimera do this? They¡¯re monsters. They follow their own path¡ªtheir own rules. They kill to grow stronger. They don¡¯t have a sense of morality. Common rules and senses don¡¯t apply to them,¡± Remy said, causally tossing her daggers over her back and catching them between her teeth. ¡°Kill them. Burn them to a crisp. End their lives. That¡¯s all you can do.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m sure we can¡ª¡±


    ¡°Que¡­¡± Mary looked at me. Melusine bit her lips, and Enele raised hisrge hand. I called his name, he lowered his arm, and I prepared another [Heat Wave].


    I burned them.


    I killed them.


    I melted the towering forms of conjoined flesh into goo.


    Some cursed me.


    Some thanked me.


    Some swore that I would regret being born.


    Some prayed for me to find forgiveness.


    But the children¡­


    I¡¯d already killed so many in the viges¡­


    And here I was¡­


    Burning them again¡­


    It sucked.


    It fucking sucked.


    I hated that this power¡­was going to be used like this¡­


    Why did the world have to be so cruel?


    I dropped to my knees and tore my hair, but what did I feel?


    It didn¡¯tpare to the thousands of people forming the monsters filling the room.


    I didn¡¯t know how much more I could handle.


    I¡­just wanted to be done with it.


    ¡°Qutie?¡± Elly wiped her tearful eyes and hugged me. She held me while I cried. Remy said something annoying, but¡­her words didn¡¯t matter.


    What look did I have in my eyes?


    What expression did I make?


    Was I even me?


    ¡°Let¡¯s¡­just continue.¡± I walked forward, avoiding the melted floor and boiling puddles of flesh.


    Elly and Ami said something, but I approached the throne and melted it to nothing, revealing a lever. Hitting that caused a part of the floor to pop open.


    We descended thedder and walked through dark, cramped tunnels upied by corrosive spiders. Their webs were acid, but they couldn¡¯t dissolve my [Sacred Shield]. Elly was still recovering her over-drafted mana, so the fighting went to Ami and Greggie. Keeth spoke and used one of ourst few pieces of icy stone to make a thin, long spear. He wanted to fight and contribute.


    He wasn¡¯t the best fighter, but he tried so hard. He feared the iing acid webs, but Keeth believed in my protective spells and trusted them to keep him safe.


    That faith¡­ His trust in me¡­


    I couldn¡¯t save everyone, but I could protect us¡­


    That¡­counted for something, right?


    We took a break in the armory after clearing it out. Remy hopped over to a bunch of storage chests and rifled through them. She made an odd noise and pulled out a set of crimson robes. They were much like what a mage would wear her.


    She threw that and a pair of ck boots at me and told me to put them on.


    ¡°{All Elemental Resistance}? {Aurora Blockade}?¡± An information box with enchantments appeared when I focused.


    ¡°Even Shuuta would know what the first one does,¡± said Remy. She intended to insult our intelligence. ¡°The second is a spell that creates a wall of lightning. When used in water, it bes stronger. Why not keep it? I¡¯m certain you murdered its previous owner. Oh! I wonder if she was a mother? Maybe you killed her babies? Might makes right, so it¡¯s yours, Cutie Qutie."


    ¡°Just shut up!¡± growled Ami. She turned away from Remy after sheughed, but the Wolffolk continued to plunder.


    ¡°Shuuta? I¡¯m not familiar with that name.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no one important, Lord Enele. Please don¡¯t pay the name any mind. The weakling it belonged to doesn¡¯t need to have anyone spare a moment of thought over them.¡±


    Elly suddenly began to sing a soft song, and it was about how much she hated Remy. Remy saw it as something to be proud of, but our idol stopped singing when our enemy danced. I removed my jacket and asked Mary if one of her monsters could hold onto it, then slipped the robe over the ck sweater I¡¯d found in Melusine¡¯s dungeon. It was partly tattered at the end¡ªalmost like it was ripped or torn in battle. But it fell well enough. It was furred, too, so it¡¯d keep me warm.


    There wasn¡¯t a reason to not wear it.


    Spoiler


    [copse]


    ¡°Yep! You look like someone who would kill for a robe. You might even be as good of a murderer as me in a few decades.¡± Remy managed to find a few pieces of glowing metal ore. Keeth caught them out of the air and crafted a new sword and shield for Greggie. He used what was left to make a pair of spiked gloves for Ami. Keeth said he wanted to make us armor when he found more.


    Our break ended, and we passed through an iron gate to the barracks. The undead here was a higher Lv. than the rest, but our new equipment blocked their strikes and cleaved through armor. The undead zombie dogs were annoying. Gross vines broke from their necks totch onto the walls. They flung themselves towards us. Greggie tried to swat them out of the air, but Greggie missed a few.


    Their agility and athleticism were more than what we were used to, but we emerged victorious after I used the tried-and-truebo of [me Barrier] and [Heat Wave]. Since we were so cramped and fighting through interconnected rooms, I needed to be careful.


    Enele warned me that carelessness could destroy the support beams, weaken the walls, and cause the building to copse. It was more dangerous the further down we went. At that point, I was almost useless. My spells were too destructive to be effective. Greggie, Ami, Keeth, and Melusine took the brunt of the effort.


    But my healing didn¡¯t require anything extra, nor did it cost me much to keep [Sacred Shield] applied with the debuff reducing my immense amount of mana.


    It took thirty minutes to fight our way through to the prison. The cells were a dark, dank environment. The air was stale and disgusting, with the taste of waste, death, and blood lingering on the tip of your tongue. Rats and bugs called these corridors home. Enele took the lead and led us through. The ce was a maze, and it was dark. The torches that illuminated this ce extinguished themselves after an inhumane roar came from further below us. But I had [Divine Light]. It produced a glowing orb that followed me. The brightness was something I could control, but it never hurt my eyes. It was useless as an attack, but that was fine.


    We saw even more gross details with the new illumination. Prisoners were chained to their cells. Some were bisected and left to rot in a pile of filth. A few beastfolk were strung up by their entrails, causing what was left to be covered in a thousand maggots. Our presence caused the eggs to hatch. Elly nearly screamed when the bugs burrowed into the rest of the corpse, but Ami covered her mouth. Keeth audibly gulped and tried to find a source of courage to keep going.


    Remy¡­ She just had to cut down the iron bars. She summoned a small colorless orb to her hand and threw it at the corpse, causing the remainder of the carcass to dissolve.


    But the bugs were left alive.


    I didn¡¯t know what she used, but Remy was strong enough to not require a chant. She wasn¡¯t a monster, but I didn¡¯t think she was a chimera, although I wouldn¡¯t have put it past Meruria to employ the use of one.


    ¡°Sorry, but if you¡¯re thinking I¡¯m one of them. I¡¯m not. Lord Enele can attest to that, right?¡±


    ¡°How¡¯d you know what I was thinking?¡± My voice sounded dead. There was no tone. I couldn¡¯t formte the strength to do anything other than talk.


    ¡°Because we¡¯re soul mates, Cutie Qutie. Teehee!¡±


    Lord Enele finally broke his silence and said he was there when Remy joined Bellerophon. They were a guild of chimera hunters¡ªoften called their bane¡ªwho made it their raison d''etre to rid the world of chimera. Long ago, one of the founding members perfected a spell to detect titles or skills rting to chimerism. It worked like a Scan Stone or [Scan], but it couldn¡¯t be blocked.


    It also only returned a positive or negative response, so it didn¡¯t give the caster a rundown of what their target knew.


    Every Bellerophon soldier needed to be scanned regrly. If Remy was one, she¡¯d have died. And Meruria would¡¯ve been charged with aiding and abetting a chimera, which would have resulted in her death.


    The world hated them.


    And I¡­didn¡¯t harbor any fair pleasantries towards them.


    It was a statistical improbability for all chimeras to be evil. Hardcoded absolutes rarely existed in the world, but¡­


    I wasn¡¯t in a forgiving mood.


    I was just so done and tired of it. My mind was hanging on by threads. Ami and the others were pushing themselves hard. Burnout was real¡ªand mental breakdowns would most likely follow.


    <hr>


    Ten minutester, Enele led us to a locked door. Keeth used [Material Metamorphosis] to pick the lock without difficulty, which revealed a spiral staircase. We followed it for a while, then¡­


    There¡­it was...standing in the middle of a room, hunkered over a magic circle that nearly made me vomit when I channeled [Mana Perception].


    During our descent, Enele said the chimera had assimted a necromancer and merged their power with an ability to create domains.


    Skill fusion was just another horrible power from the monstrous chimera. Proper use could result in disastrous and unimaginably powerfulbinations that had no equal.


    But marking the Apival Duchy as their domain meant the chimera couldn¡¯t leave.


    But why couldn¡¯t it sense Lord Enele? That was because he was withholding his mana, refusing to let it leak. It was a skill that, while easy to learn and hard to master, was invaluable when you wanted to be stealthy.


    Lord Enele gripped the railing. There were stairs to our left and right.


    ¡°And how the prey returns to the predator, my Soul Warriors!¡± The chimera refused to look up.


    It didn¡¯t know Lord Enele was here. It foolishly believed he had probably gone somewhere else, something I confirmed a moment when it resumed talking. ¡°You¡¯re foolish to think you can defeat me without that Dark Lord. But I won¡¯tin. The power of a Soul Warrior will be mine! I''ll snatch it! I¡¯ll use it to wipe out that detestable bitch, assimte Meruria¡¯s Holy Mana, and ascend to a Holy Lord. I¡¯ll rule this country! I''ll turn it into my own necromantic domain. I¡¯ll fight the other Divine Countries and consume every Dark Lord I find. I¡¯ll break the gap and emerge stronger¡ªreaching the pinnacle no one has ever reached. I¡¯ll be a god! I¡¯ll force the world to bow to my rule! I¡¯ll--¡±


    Lord Enele hopped the railing andnded hard enough to leave a crack in the floor.


    The chimera didn¡¯t like that. He looked up and nearly soiled himself. He started to run away, but...


    ¡°[Restraining Shackles of Condemnation]!¡± Lord Enele¡¯s deep, powerful voice foreshadowed a startling sight. A magic circle appeared beneath the escaping chimera. Chains of mystical energy materialized from the heart of the glowing formation, their links shimmering with an otherworldly brilliance from the concept of justice.


    The chains slithered and weaved with purpose, their movements fluid and precise. They coiled, twisted, andtched onto the chimera¡¯s legs before it could transfigure into a bird. Their grip was unbreakable and unyielding, although their captive tried its hardest to break free. The chimera bit and tore, breaking his arms and fingers in a futile attempt to shatter its bondage.


    The shackles glowed brighter, sapping the chimera¡¯s strength until it took all it had to breathe.


    I watched in fascination and apprehension as we descended the steps to join Lord Enele. The chimera treated us like toys, yet Lord Enele effortlessly achieved what we couldn¡¯t as a group.


    In the silence that followed, the room seemed to hold its breath as if acknowledging justice''s swift and impartial hand. Lord Enele was a presence to behold. He calmly walked forward, ignoring the hatred and putrid insults that came his way.


    ¡°Have youe to ept your end, chimera?¡± asked Enele.


    ¡°Like hell I have! Do you think this is going to end me? I¡¯ve taken every goddamn liberty to ensure my survival. If you kill me, I¡¯ll just transfer my consciousness to a clone I have hidden. Who knows? They might even be behind you? You can¡¯t kill me without destroying the duchy, and I know you don¡¯t have--¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong, my unholy child. I must uphold justice. I must be a shining beacon of light to protect the weak and cast out the evil.¡± Lord Enele used a spell to create a wavering, hazy portal just a few feet from us. I stared inside, yet I didn''t see anything I recognized. ¡°The only way to free thend of the curse you wrought is by destroying it at its core. You leave me no choice but to bring the end of the Apival Duchy.¡±


    Kaiho grewrger and told us to jump on his back, and we did. The turtle swam through the portal, and we appeared...in the air?


    Kaiho grew asrge as a house as Lord Enele appeared a momentter. He overlooked a city in the distance. It was small and...


    No, it was Sinem... It had to be at least 5 or 6 miles away. Based on the sun, we were somewhere southeast of our previous location.


    I felt...something fearful...


    My instincts were sounding rm bells...


    Slowly, Lord Enele raised his hands, and he chanted. ¡°From the depths of the Abyss, where darkness reigns, I summon forth the power that nothing restrains. With words of ancient might and unearthly plea, let the world tremble in fear and bow to me. By the swirling void and the cosmic expanse, Imand the forces of destruction to advance. Through the abyssal gates, let chaos be unfurled as I invoke the might of a dark, relentless world.¡±


    Lord Enele¡¯s presence cast an ominous shadow over thend. An overwhelming surge of Dark Mana crackled around him, but he showed no signs of ending his chant anytime soon.


    ¡°With a voice that echoes through realms unknown, I call upon the energies that lie deep overthrown. [Abyssal Annihtion], heed my dire call, unleash your fury and let devastation befall. Rend the earth asunder with cataclysmic might, engulf all in shadows, banish them from light. From the deepest void, let oblivion arise, infernal mes consuming, burning through the skies.¡±


    My gaze shifted to the once-vibrant cityscape. Its architectural wonders and culture were destined to be lost in Lord Enele¡¯s wake of devastation. The thought of the lives that had been shattered¡ªthe innocent souls turned into mindless zombies and other undead by the twisted chimera filled me with profound sorrow.


    ¡°Darkness and chaos merge as one, the essence of annihtion has only just begun. No light shall pierce this veil of destion, for [Abyssal Annihtion] brings utter devastation. Through realms uncharted, with fury unbound, let the world tremble, as destruction is found. In the wake of my chant, let ruin and demise, spread like wildfire, devouring all under darkened skies.¡±


    The skies darkened as foretold in the chant. The ground beneath Sinem trembled and cracked, pouring forth Dark Mana that formed like veins of malice.


    But it wasn¡¯t limited to the city,


    No.


    They spread like without mercy, shattering the ground while consuming allnd that belonged to the Apival Duchy. Swirling clouds of malefic energy descended upon the ground, striking the Dark Mana-infused lines with ck thunderbolts that shook the heavens. The air


    ¡°[Abyssal Annihtion], in your name I stand, a vessel of destruction, holding fate in my hand. With each uttered word, the world shall quake, as I harness the power that no mortal can break. A chant of darkness, an anthem of despair, [Abyssal Annihtion], beyondpare. Let the echoes of my words resound, as chaos reigns, and the world is unbound."


    In a cataclysmic burst of power, the spell took form¡ªan ethereal vortex of pure destruction. Its hunger for annihtion was insatiable, consuming everything without mercy. Buildings, fields, cliffs, and mountains crumbled and splintered like fragile ythings while thend disintegrated into an abyss of nothingness.


    Within moments, the Apival Duchy was reduced to an unrecognizable wastnd. Whatever used to be there...wasn¡¯t there anymore.


    It was just a fragment of a memory.


    A deep crater in the ground.


    Fractured mountains were left smoldering from the intense power.


    And then the pressure hit us.


    Remy was the only one who withstood it. If Kaiho hadn¡¯t made a barrier around himself, my friends and I would¡¯ve been flung off.


    The dust settled, and silence embraced the ravagedndscape. Lord Enele¡¯s spell had left an indelible mark upon the world. I looked at Kaiho. The wise ancient turtle spirit¡¯s eyes held a mixture of awe as he surveyed the devastation stretching before us.


    ¡°The power Enelemands is truly...something to behold,¡± he said. His voice carried the weight of centuries. ¡°But ites with great responsibility and consequences. Enele is bound by his sworn promise to uphold justice. He must tread carefully in its use. It¡¯s tempered by the solemn duty he bears. It cannot be harnessed for anger or selfish gain, for to do so would break his sacred oath and strip him of his power.¡±


    ¡°Que, the power I hold as the Dark Lord of justice is a double-edged sword. It can shape the world, but only when guided by pure justice.¡± Lord Enele turned around. He was so strong¡ªso strong and muscr, yet he was...so kind. I felt it in his voice.


    I couldn¡¯t help but reflect on hisst line.


    Justice was different from vengeance. Had he gone differently, would he have been the Dark Lord of Vengeance? Did that exist? Melusine spoke of a Dark Lord of Tyranny, so I wondered if that was simr?


    But Lord Enele had chosen a path that demanded sacrifice and measured judgement. You could call it a gift and a curse¡ªa reminder that, even in the pursuit of justice, your actions must be tempered by wisdom and empathy.


    Even though he had shown us this power, it still felt unreal. So muchnd... It was just...gone.


    Lord Enele said he couldn¡¯t have used [Abyssal Annihtion] earlier because he needed to restrain the chimera. ¡°The magic circle is destroyed. The necromancer is dead, and the curse... It has been destroyed. Time is nature''s most valuable partner, so thisnd will heal. It won¡¯t be easy, but life will eventually return. Kaiho, take us down.¡±


    ¡°Nelly, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Ami. I¡¯ve been alive for five centuries. You get used to this.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay to be sad.¡± Ami sat down and looked up at Lord Enele. He chuckled softly and joined her.


    It was hard to talk. Really, the scene we witnessed was still too difficult to believe. But by the time wended on the ground fifteen minutester, I oddly felt better about some things and worse about others.


    It was something I couldn¡¯t describe.


    Remy front flipped off Kaiho, summoned her daggers, and cut a hole in space and time. ¡°The mission¡¯s done,¡± she said, turning around. ¡°It¡¯s time to go back. I¡¯ll even be nice enough to get you weaklings a ride. Lord Enele, do you wish toe? Or do you have anything else nned?¡±


    Remy just pissed me off. I hated that bitch so much.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be rude of me if I didn¡¯t stop by and report to her,¡± said Lord Enele. Kaiho shrunk andnded on his back, then we all walked through the sparkling portal.


    Some of us were more excited than others. I shared a look with Elly and the others, and we didn¡¯t know if we were ready to see Meruria¡¯s face.

 Chapter Sixty-Seven: Conferment of the Guardian Lions (Illustrations!)

    Chapter Sixty-Seven: Conferment of the Guardian Lions (Illustrations!)


    Mom, Dad, and Irisa shed tears, their arms tightly around me. I was squashed between their embrace and love...


    And while I felt their care and affection... When faced with the truth of what my actions caused, I found it hard to feel what they probably wanted or expected me to. Filling my soul with anger within the depths of my Divine Skill made me realize something.


    If I continued as I had intended, I would not survive. I was far toockluster in my desire for power that it was like I had nothing at all.


    Yeah, I killed Oswell¡¯s group. And Noelia bit the dust after I killed her.


    But I should have done more. I should¡¯ve been on the lookout for Bellerophon dipshits to assimte or actively search for bandit camps to wipe out to gain their power and SP. Those chimera-hating bastard Bellerophon sons of bitches in Aetos Vige should¡¯ve died by my hands, even if it meant angering Aetos or Aello.


    Sekh bordered on death and endured needless hardships because I wasn¡¯t stubborn enough to fulfill my potential. Injuries could be healed, though. In contrast, life couldn¡¯t be returned.


    At least, I thought so. Tilde probably knew if resurrection magic was a thing. But she wasn¡¯t here, and I didn¡¯t know when she would return.


    While my family cried and hugged me, I looked at Tris. The five lions of the Dark Lord of Tyranny¡¯s [Abyssal Iceme: Iceme Pride] sat nearby and waited for orders for the next ten minutes because that was when Mom and Dad wiped their teary eyes and let me go. Irisa didn¡¯t want that, though. She monopolized me for another five minutes, only stopping when Primrose emerged from the hold with Erin, Niva, and Lei.


    ¡°Mistress!!¡± Niva eximed. Irisa let me go after a small forehead kiss, and I went to hug my little sister and loving cyclops. Lei was scared when I first awoke, but it knew I wasn¡¯t the manifestation of the Essence of Wrath and happily bounced around me. Erin cried into my chest. I patted her head and ears and told her we were safe.


    Then, it was time for a lengthy exnation. First, I told my family about Sekh. She was in a state of stasis, and she was ''dead.'' But at thest moment, the pride''s leader used its icemes to baptize and freeze Sekh in a coffin of ice. That prevented her from finishing her ¡®death.¡¯ But the curse, albeit slowly, was filling her heart to try to elerate her demise and return to the cycle of reincarnation. ¡°I can¡¯t store things with life in my [Void Storage], but Sekh doesn¡¯t count. Time doesn¡¯t flow, so I can halt the curse¡¯s progress and keep her safe at the same time. Even the curse can¡¯t ovee the power of the Transcendent Dark Lord.¡± And I told them of Tilde¡¯s reincarnation. She wasn¡¯t dead, but no one could predict her return.


    <i>Primrose¡¯s hasty efforts before this happened are something I¡¯ll appreciate more than she¡¯ll ever know. Tris told me she attempted to heal Sekh even while the ice damaged her. It did nothing, but the thought counts.</i>


    Tris introduced herself as I turned my Wrath to 0.


    ¡°You all knew my previous form, but I am the evolution of [Hermes Trismegistus]¡¯s analytical engine [Biological AI]. My esteemed lord granted me the name Tris; thus, I became [Tris, Fragment of Wisdom]. It is a wonderful pleasure to make your acquaintance. Before we continue, let us take care of those awful wounds,¡± Tris said, her voice still lovely. She went to those injured in the battle and gave them each a high potion she stashed in our inventory after I killed those searching around the cargo hold. Mom and the others would feel the pain still, and Irisa would experience difort from her broken ribs.


    But it would be more manageable.


    The leader of the pride introduced itself.


    ¡°We were birthed from the Dark Lord of Tyranny¡¯s excessive mana when she evolved [ck Fire] to [Abyssal Iceme]. During her previous reign, our lord had no use for us. But she desired our power in the fight against the Essence of Wrath, and we answered her call. Our primary goal is to ensure our Dark Lord¡¯s survival. That is why I did what I did to cleanse, purify, and entrap her body in ice. We could not let her die. After reaching the boat, we ran out of time. And we needed Lady Tris¡¯s assistance toplete our autonomous initialization.¡± For having such a deep voice, the tallest lion was well-versed in conversation. Its tone was calming and soothing. ¡°Lady Primrose, thank you for your attempts to help our Dark Lord. Please forgive me for my prior hostility.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about the Essence of Wrath re-emerging,¡± I started to say, exining that Tris developed a cage to trap it after I beat the shit out of it to assimte some of its power. I didn¡¯t trust myself with the key, so I gave it to her for safekeeping. But something was odd¡­


    <i>Oh, that¡¯s right. They¡¯re not reacting to Sekh¡¯s title because Irisa told them about her after they got to the ship. They epted her¡ªjust like that¡­ They consider her family, just like me.</i>


    ¡°But there¡¯s one more thing I must do.¡± I ordered the lions to line up in front of me. ¡°With the power of [Conferment], I use my authority as the Transcendent Dark Lord to bestow upon you a name and title.¡± From the smallest to the biggest, I used the new ability my newfound growth unlocked for the rest of the world.


    ¡°Legate, you will be the guardian beast of the Transcendent Dark Lord¡¯s mother.¡± The ¡®weakest¡¯ lion stood and roared. Grey mana surrounded it and Mom. She received a ck bracelet with a living ck me resting inside on her wrist. Legate dissolved into fire and was absorbed by it.


    ¡°Sirive, you will be the guardian beast of the Transcendent Dark Lord¡¯s father.¡± Dad carefully rubbed his new bracelet. I couldn¡¯t read his expression.


    ¡°Longtooth, you will be the guardian beast of the Transcendent Dark Lord¡¯s younger sister.¡± Erin received a simr bracelet.


    ¡°Kengu, you will be the guardian beast of the Transcendent Dark Lord¡¯s elder sister.¡± Irisa braced herself as her bracelet sped around her wrist.


    ¡°Surtr, you will be the guardian beast of the Transcendent Dark Lord.¡± The tallest lion roared.


    ¡°Serving you will be a great honor, Lord Springfield.¡± I watched Surtr turn into a bracelet, and I formed a strong fist before feeling unsteady. Mom reached out to keep me stable while I exined using [Conferment] imparted my life force. You only had a certain amount, but as a chimera, I could regain what I spent, and then some, by assimting.


    ¡°I¡¯m so confused...¡± Irisa whined. She sat down and hugged her legs, looking at her bracelet. ¡°These lions are Sekh¡¯s, so what about her?¡±


    ¡°Their wish is to serve the Dark Lord of Tyranny. And Sekh¡¯s wish is to serve me. The lions are aware of her feelings, and if she had any reservations about this, the lions would¡¯ve spoken. But they will protect you. You can think of those lions as the closest things to spirits that aren¡¯t spirits. But they aren¡¯t immortal. They don¡¯t have a core to regenerate from if they take mortal damage, but you¡¯ve seen their power. Ites from their wearer, so when you incarnate them, they won¡¯t be the same size you¡¯re familiar with. But about Sekh. I can use [Conferment] to cast out the curse currently inhabiting her soul and prevent it froming in, but I¡¯m too weak to do that. And I can use this power to remove the curse outright from her existence, but that¡¯s a long way away. But one step at a time.¡±


    ¡°[Conferment]?¡±


    I nodded at Dad. ¡°A Holy Lord, Dark Lord, Spirit Lord, Demon Lord, or the Transcendent Dark Lord can use their lifeforce to impart a title. You received one, right?"


    Mom and the others nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s [Conferment] in work. It allows you to add a rule to the world and slightly alter reality by burning your life. It¡¯s what I intend to use on Sekh. The curse''s conquest will freeze as long as she''s in [Void Storage]. I can¡¯t do much yet, but I¡¯ll eventually destroy it. Of course... It might not be that simple... There¡¯s a lot I don¡¯t know about this power... And the curse could be something entirely different.¡±


    <hr>


    Tris cared for Mom and the others while I jumped into the dying ship. They were dirty from the battle, so she helped by preparing fresh clothes.


    I called for Primrose to join me. Imagine my surprise when she didn¡¯t breathe a word of protest and obliged. She was silent as I walked to the cannons. After identifying the least damaged ones, I stashed them in my [Void Storage] because I had further use of them.


    ¡°You¡¯ve changed,¡± she said when we descended into the hold. The half-eaten corpses and burnt remains littered the tight, trashy corridors. There was probably a slight leak near the bottom, but the ship needed a dozen hours before sinking.


    ¡°Do you still hate me? I know what happened to Aetos. If it makes you feel better, I hope he¡¯s okay. I had Tris check out the Eagle Yew with [Deduction] and [Skyview]. That attack did a number on him. I know I¡¯m the one at fault for it.¡±


    ¡°I should,¡± she replied, using her vines to lift a corpse to investigate the broken crate underneath it. It was full of bloody bread and crimson-soaked salted meat. Nothing we could use. ¡°But I¡¯ve had a lot to think about. My summoner¡­ She spoke with me at great lengths about your and Sekh¡¯s sacrifice to put away the Essence of Wrath. And then learning more about your past? I¡­¡± Primrose sighed and shook her head. ¡°It goes against every feeling of my body to not hate you. Deep down, I suppose I don¡¯t dislike you. Not anymore. But thank you for looking at him.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be enemies, Primrose. I¡¯m tired of the bickering and petty insults.¡±


    ¡°Why are you speaking like that?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯ve changed. You heard the announcement. When I was within my Divine Skill, I experienced all my rage had to offer. The Essence of Wrath was at my feet, begging me to not hurt it after I assimted its power. You should''ve seen it cowering... I can¡¯t be harmed by most fire or ice. Its forms are mine to use. Even Bellerophon¡¯s poison can¡¯t do a damn thing to me anymore. Experiencing that just...made me realize my foolishness. And I think that acknowledgment helped unlock a limit ced on the world. If I continue to live as I believe a Transcendent Dark Lord should live, there could be other barriers I break, and the world will receive something else that was locked away. And I can¡¯t do that by sticking to how I was before.¡± I walked to another few cannons and stashed them, then searched and disyed waypoints on usable cannonballs.


    <i>Shit, they weigh 7,000 pounds. Can¡¯t hold too many more cannons.</i>


    ¡°Should I be afraid or worried?¡± Primrose asked, searching through the corpses for anything valuable.


    ¡°That is up to you. I will do what I must. You know? It¡¯s strange. It does feel like I¡¯vepletely changed¡ªlike the core that makes me myself was altered ing to terms with what happened. But I do remember gratitude. You have my thanks for what you did for Sekh. I can¡¯t thank you enough for your kindness towards her, given her prior history and feud between Aetos.¡±


    ¡°You can cry for her, you know. I know this is a difficult time¡ª¡±


    "I''ve shed tears and vented my frustrations upon the one responsible. Sekh wouldn''t want me to waste more time anguishing over what''s happened. She''s not dead. I need to find a highly skilled healer once Surtr shatters the ice. But first, I need power¡ªmore than you can imagine¡ªto eliminate the source that caused her agony."


    ¡°Why...¡±


    I stopped and looked at the shivering spirit. She formed a pair of fists so tight her wooden skin was starting to crack.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you kill me?¡±


    ¡°We already talked about this, Primrose. Remember? In the bath? When you damned me for having sex with Sekh when she was sleeping? I¡¯m not going to repeat myself.¡±


    ¡°Just answer me. I need to hear it¡­ Again¡­¡±


    ¡°Fine. Had I killed you, Niva¡¯s trust in me would be irreparably broken because I took from her the one thing that answered her call after years of failed attempts. To her, I would¡¯ve been just like the people who bought her for her spirit-summoning ability. I would never harm her as they did, but everything about our rtionship would¡¯ve been shattered if I didn¡¯t listen to her cries and pleading.¡±


    ¡°But you didn¡¯t know that at the time. I learned of my summoner''s past when you did."


    ¡°When I told her to summon something better, I was reminded of Meruria. I was doing to her what she did to me... And you know my past now, so you know I¡¯d rather die than even be an ounce like her in any way.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you share it with me? It would¡¯ve¡ª¡±


    ¡°Maybe I should have. Maybe I was too¡­¡¯proud¡¯ to vent my past to you. But you couldn¡¯t be trusted. me yourself for my inability to let you in on something vital.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you force me to remain in my crystal?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the same thing as chaining a ve to their bed. I¡¯m Sekh¡¯s Master, but it¡¯s not by choice. If I was patient, I¡¯d have met Tilde and used the Transcendent Dark Lord Loyalty System without ever having to bind her with [Tyranny Control].¡±


    ¡°Why not have the Dark Lord of Tyranny subjugate me to indentured servitude? Why didn¡¯t you use that loyalty system to make me swear fealty?¡±


    ¡°Because that''s not who I am. I won¡¯t lie. When you attempted to betray us, I saw red. I wanted nothing more than to make you burn. If there¡¯s one thing I can¡¯t stand, it¡¯s a traitor. Just going off of that, I should¡¯ve finished the job, but refer to what I said just a few seconds ago. Niva¡¯s the only reason you¡¯re alive. And even then, it¡¯s because you were born from someone like Aetos.¡±


    ¡°What? I don¡¯t understand,¡± Primrose replied, her voice weak and shaky. She bit her lips. ¡°Stop speaking in riddles!¡±


    ¡°Niva¡¯s weak. That¡¯s a fact. But once she gets stronger, that strength will flow to you. Aetos fought alongside Susize Vredi, and I cannot deny or fault the eagle''sbat abilities. I figure you might be worth the investment.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious? But there¡¯s no way of knowing if I would betray you again. Why take such a risky--¡±


    ¡°Niva wouldn¡¯t let you betray me. She¡¯s growing, you know. I realized it when she finally asked you to be quiet. Remember when we traveled from the vige to Ria? With Oswell¡¯s group? It was after I got my ass kicked by that Dark Elf? Sekh was about to fight him. You were nervous and quickly uttered an apology, but I¡¯ll never forget the gaze of scorn you cast my way.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s-- That doesn¡¯t make any sense!¡±


    ¡°I also have the AI. Well, she¡¯s Tris now. If I ever suspected any foul y, I could monitor your ass all day, every day, until the end of time. Should I feel like it, you wouldn¡¯t have any secrets. The moment you trailed off course? Well, I¡¯d tell Niva. If she couldn¡¯t handle you, I would. If not me, then Sekh. But don¡¯t make any mistakes. [Tyranny Control] was ast-ditch option. I would shatter my vows and break my character if it meant I progressed further to my goals, but I''m not actively looking to be that which I hate.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°But no, you wouldn¡¯t turn traitor. After seeing how much Niva cares for Mom and Dad? And Irisa? Deep down, I know you know telling Bellerophon about me would see them hanging from a tree. Chimera sympathizers have no ce in this world. Hell, they were even going to kill me¡ªa High Elf with the Vredi name¡ªjust to kill that chimera in Ria. What makes you think they would spare you and your summoner? Hmm? What¡¯s that? Where are you going?¡± I heard footsteps, causing me to stop my search and turn around. Primrose was walking further into the ship, about to enter a room with a broken door.


    ¡°I need...to be alone... I¡¯m sorry...¡± She was crying... Primrose tried to show it, but I saw the leaking sap draining from the corner of her eyes.


    Primrose remained quiet, and I had nothing more to say. For the next thirty minutes, I alone searched the ship from top to bottom, stashing cannonballs, chain shots, crates of iron ore, steel ingots, cubes of mythril, and a handful of arrow-filled quivers, while giving the spirit the time to think upon her former actions and my exnations to her queries. She eventually emerged, and yes, I had been spying on her via Tris, who fed me info while I scavenged.


    Primrose emerged from that room with flushed cheeks and dried tears sticking to her face. She sniffled and wiped her nose.


    ¡°I assume you¡¯re good. Need anything?¡±


    ¡°No... I¡¯m... Lord Springfield, I¡¯m fine...¡±


    ¡°Lord Springfield? Suppose I know where you stand now. Am I to assume that means what I think it does?¡±


    ¡°It does... I...was shameful... My prior actions... I swear it on my life! I¡­¡±


    ¡°Be better going forward.¡± I cut Primrose off and approached her, taking her hands into mine. She seemed startled, but she let me look at her palms.


    They were in rough shape. The wooden, fleshy surfaces were ragged, scarred, torn, and knotted from the icy burns from trying to force healing magic through the frigid coffin. But she hadn¡¯t attempted it once.


    Or twice.


    Or even three times.


    As soon as she had enough HP and mana, she devoted her time and effort and tried her hardest¡­


    They said actions spoke louder than words. Tris told me Primrose never left Sekh''s coffin for longer than necessary.


    And it really seemed to me that Primrose was desperately trying to make up for that horrible first impression.


    ¡°I¡­ I can do more. This won¡¯t¡ª Ah¡­ What are¡ª You¡¯re¡­hugging me?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I am.¡± My arms were wrapped around her back. She wore one of her usual outfits that showed more ¡®skin¡¯ than it covered. Suppose she was just a type of spirit confident in her looks.


    But her apparel didn¡¯t matter.


    ¡°I¡¯m willing to give this rtionship another try. We don¡¯t have to be constantly arguing or making snidements. It¡¯ll make things harder for Niva.¡±


    ¡°Lord¡­Springfield¡­ I¡¯m¡ªI¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m so sorry!!!¡± Glossy liquid leaked from her eyes and flowed down her wooden-skinned cheeks, and she cried into my chest. Life for her wasn¡¯t easy. She didn¡¯t have the easiest time adjusting to her new reality. Meeting a chimera, nearly dying, trying to be friendly, realizing that chimera was from another world¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m going to be expecting great things from you, okay?¡± I whispered.


    Primrose didn¡¯t respond. And that was fine.


    Truthfully? I didn¡¯t hate her, per se. And¡­if my suspicions were connected, then there was a reason why she acted like such a heartless bitch.


    But that was conjecture with nothing but some slight input from Tris. And it was far too soon to test my theory to see if it was correct.


    <hr>


    After a handful of minutes, Prim wiped her eyes for the fourth time and tried to give me a smile. It also seemed she was embarrassed for letting me see her in a vulnerable state. We returned to the deck and leapt over to our ship.


    Mom and the others had cleaned and dressed themselves in new robes, socks, and shoes from the supplies in the hold. After wishing me good night and saying they loved me, they remarked how tired they were. ¡°Dawn is six hours away, and you must recuperate your weary bodies,¡± Tris said. ¡°Much has transpired tonight. Try to get some rest. We can talk all we wish in the morning.¡± Irisa and the others nodded, and they helped Niva down the stairs while Primrose remained with me for a little longer.


    I told her to open her core, and she obligated without protest after the clothes she wore returned to her body, bing bare naked. Seeing her chest split down to her stomach and open vertically reminded me of the videos I saw of frog dissection¡ªwhere you slit the torso and pinned the two ps to the side.


    I removed the thread meant to prevent her from taking her own life. ¡°This new web is much stronger,¡± I said, rewrapping it in red and blue webbing. ¡°You¡¯re probably weak to fire, right? I can imbue my webs with my immunities. Once I can make clothes, I¡¯ll weave all of us a set.¡±


    ¡°I...appreciate it...¡± Primrose whispered, closing her chest and crafting more clothes from her wooden body. ¡°When we were separated, were you still watching?¡± I nodded. She took my admission more gently than I would¡¯ve thought. ¡°After what I did, there¡¯s no way you would¡¯ve trusted me. And if I¡¯m being honest, I still don¡¯t know why I draw breath. You¡¯re an enigma, Lord Springfield.¡± She wished me good night and returned to Niva¡¯s side. If I had more lifeforce to spend, I¡¯d used [Conferment] on her and her summoner, but any further use would put me on my ass.


    <i>I wonder what they would receive if I did that? I gotta do it to everyone else, too. But that means Meruria and Gloria have ess to this new power. I need to master it.</i>


    Sighing, I sat and fought against my urge to bring Sekh out.


    Tris kneeled, put her hands together, and said she was praying when I asked what she was doing. To her, I was almost akin to a goddess or something.


    I allowed her to continue. It wasn¡¯t hurting anything, so why stop her? Tris didn¡¯t need food, water, or rest. If I was alive, she was alive.


    When Sekh lost to Amos''s Soul Warriors, she was trapped in a crystal before being sealed away. I...hoped those awful feelings and memories weren¡¯t returning to her.


    ¡°I love you, Sekh...¡± I said, looking up at the moon.


    There was time to waste, so what better way to use it than with some experimentation? Creating a clone of myself, it sat and formed a portable, rectangr forge out of slime. My clone cut her thumb and expelled blood until it circted around the forge. Next came [Ichor Maniption (Lv. 10)]. Even if the blood was outside my body, controlling the temperature was possible. And through induction heating-- with my slime being immune to the heat I could put out, I had a forge I could call upon everywhere. The biomass needed to produce this was severe, costing me over 10% for something this small. My mana was down to 40% because increasing the heat of my blood outside my body took more effort.


    ¡°I have studied your memories, my lord. Creating a bullet is possible. We have firesalts for the primer and recement for the gunpowder, but we don''t have enough to properly experiment with. I would like to have more if possible. I rmend still creating the casing and projectile, however. Once we have what we are missing, we can put it together,¡± Tris exined, continuing to pray.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s do it,¡± I said, summoning my revolver and rifle. n double checking, the former used a .45 Colt. The other was barreled in .44 Winchester. I told Tris, but she said that would be no problem. Secondster, the clone began to work, using her fingers to shape and mold the iron as it was heated since we didn¡¯t need to worry about it hurting us. If the clone wore clothes, then yes, the mes would spread, but she materialized naked.


    And if she coated her hands in slime, the metal wouldn¡¯t stick to her fingers.


    <i>When you break it down, the two calibers of bullets are very simr. The former is 1.600 inches in length, and the other is 1.592. You can¡¯t use them interchangeably, but can I alter the revolver¡¯s barreling to use .44 Winchester? That¡¯s a task for future me, though. I must go one step at a time.</i>


    I watched her work, messing up since creating bullets was delicate. Each part had to be precise. [Deduction] could tell us the exact dimensions, but the skill couldn¡¯t ount for chimeric error. Getting upset was a fool¡¯s idea because the clone was only as capable as I was, meaning I¡¯d fucked up just like she did. [Ammo Creation] pulled its own fair share of weight and more, and the clone only did as well as it did because of it. Without it, Tris¡¯s precise blueprints would have been a struggle to follow.


    With [Gunde], I could morph a weapon into my Soul Weapon. By fusing Kronto to my Winchester Model 1873, the spear effectively obtained the properties of one, so if it broke, I could expend soul energy to repair it.


    But there was more.


    My Soul Weapon was a manifestation of my soul. Since it counted as part of me, I could transfigure it as an extension of my body. It took a little finagling to get it right, but I soon held my rifle with Kronto added on as a bay. And I could shrink the spear, too.


    I could even use the lightning enchantments.


    I did the same to my revolver, ying with transfiguring vines around the barrel.


    <i>Okay, so I can transfigure goblin teeth to the end. If I assimte a giant snake or something withrge fangs, I could force my venom and poison to flow them.</i>


    ¡°Surtr,e out.¡± My bracelet shed ck, and the abyssal iceme inside escaped to the boat¡¯s deck, quickly forming an 8-foot-tall lion.


    ¡°Do you require anything, Lord Springfield?¡± asked the lion, sitting.


    ¡°Nothing. I want you out here. Is that a problem?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. Let us enjoy this night together.¡± Surtr stretched and rested itsrge body, closing its eyes and twitching its tail.


    ¡°Do you think I should¡¯ve killed Prim?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ It is difficult to say.¡±


    ¡°Would you have killed her?¡±


    Surtr nodded. ¡°Without a doubt. Her actions were those of an enemy. And the pride shall mercilessly exterminate all who threaten the Dark Lord of Tyranny and her allies. I will have no choice but to fulfill my role if the woond spirit turns against us.¡±


    ¡°I have no problem with that, Surtr. But is it na?ve of me¡­ Shit, what¡¯s the word¡­ When I think back to what I felt, it feels like if I want to be the woman I desire to be¡ªto gain more power¡ªI should¡¯ve disregarded Niva¡¯s feelings.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps there is truth in your words. Assimting the spirit would¡¯ve granted you the essence of one. Your body and gic makeup would be partially akin to that of one. But would it be worth the loss of trust in Lady Niva? You desire a draconic spirit, yet who is to say that a moment of desired brashness is worth more than a period of patience? For the overall goal, I can safely say you chose one that benefits you in the far future yet strikes you down in the present.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re easy to talk to,¡± I told the lion.


    Itughed, throwing its grand head back. mes burned from its nostrils. ¡°I take that as apliment!¡±


    After asking if I couldy against it, I walked to the lion and rested my back against its soft fur. Tris came with me, but she resumed praying. But we spent the rest of the night merely talking. Part of it was about the past.


    But it was primarily about a future I hoped to bring to reality for those I¡¯de to care for and love.


    <hr>


    ¡°It is the dawn of a new day. Good morning, my lord,¡± Tris whispered, breaking her prayer form. She leaned closer and took my hand, kissing the back of my palm before standing up and dusting off her clothes. Throughout the entire night, she never once stopped worshipping. I remained awake, never blinking or breathing. The clone conked out after it had no more iron or steel to use. My inventory was filled with casings and projectiles of different qualities. Some could be used, and others couldn¡¯t. The n was to practice with firesalt on the worst ones before using the best ones, and Tris would replicate those.


    But with the enhanced blueprints, I had the clone remake some of my most used tools, including pots, pans, tes, bowls, knives, forks, spoons, and other items. The difference was night and day. The clone also seasoned what needed to be treated before registering them.


    I had to admit it was calming to reap the benefits, but the gifts I intended to make woulde from my own hands. A clone would not be involved at all.


    I also learned more about Tris. If I was alive, she was immortal. Her ¡®death¡¯ would be temporary since she¡¯d have a new body within the week. During that period, she¡¯d return to my mind and love as she did during her prior form, but with all the advantages and upgrades. ording to her, her service wouldn¡¯t be interrupted.


    And the reason why? The Tris I saw represented 95% of her. The rest was inside my mind. If you thought of her as aputer program, that 5% was her core backup and files needed for her to run. If I was alive, she was alive.


    But I told her she couldn¡¯t die. Even if she always returned, I didn¡¯t want to see her corpse.


    ording to my map, everyone was slowly stirring awake. Tris made her way to the hold to greet them, then grabbed the food she needed to create a breakfast of meat and bread. I¡¯d made it before, so she could replicate it using [Artificer''s Arsenal], but she wanted to do it the old-fashioned way. Surtr and the other lions required mana from their bracelet holders, so they didn¡¯t need to eat or drink. Sleep was a luxury, but it wasn¡¯t required.


    When Irisa and Erin joined us on the deck, they were surprised to see Surtr. Somehow, I was pretty sure they thought the events ofst night to be a dream. But the bracelets around their wrists were proof.


    The others joined us, and Tris sounded like she was having fun cooking breakfast. The damaged boat cried a terrifying noise, signifying it was probably past the point of no return.


    <span ss="TextRun SCXW250312079 BCX0"ng="en-us" xmlng="en-us"><span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW250312079 BCX0">Dad spent some time leaning against the railing, and he looked out at the endless sea before returning for breakfast<span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW250312079 BCX0">. <span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW250312079 BCX0">For a moment, I visualized him without the harsh blisters nketing his face and upper body. His bracelet sank into his wrist¡ªsomething I <span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW250312079 BCX0">didn¡¯t<span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW250312079 BCX0"> know they could do. <span ss="EOP SCXW250312079 BCX0">


    Spoiler


    [copse]


    ¡°M, what are we going to do?¡± Irisa asked, her te a quarter untouched. No doubt her ribs were probably still hurting. Even worse, the blisters on my family weren¡¯t getting better from the potions. Still, they put on some more ointment.


    ¡°The pirate captain was being hunted,¡± I replied. ¡°I¡¯ll send out a bird after I get some biomass back and search them out. The mast is too damaged for me to fix by freezing my blood. And I don''t have enough mana to sustain the blood I need to use. We don¡¯t have an extra sail, either. Suppose I could fly us to Parthina, but I wouldn¡¯t trust my biomass to not run out before we get there."


    ¡°ording to my data, I estimate their arrival within four hours. If they anchored for the night, which is unlikely, then expect it to see them near dusk.¡±


    ¡°Will they be friendly?¡± Erin pipped up.


    ¡°Should be. If nothing else, I¡¯m a High Elf. Wait, never mind. Bellerophon was willing to kill me to murder that chimera. Being a High Elf doesn¡¯t mean anything anymore,¡± I replied, summarizing what happened after I left the shop.


    Just in case they didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°If nothing else, I¡¯ll have a clone take the pirate¡¯s form and barter with them for an escort to Parthina. Should we still head to Plymoise? That¡¯s our destination, right?¡±


    ¡°Maybe that¡¯s for the best,¡± Mom added. Like my sister, she kept most of her te untouched. ¡°I... My family lives there.¡±


    ¡°Grandma and grandpa? I haven¡¯t seen them since...¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been some time,¡± Dad added, jumping into the conversation. ¡°Thest thing I read from them wished for my death.¡±


    ¡°Honey...¡±


    ¡°No, I understand. It makes sense I was treated how I was, but it¡¯s no excuse to cut you and Irisa from their lives. You''re their daughter, and Irisa''s their granddaughter.¡± Dad saw Erin¡¯s face scrunch from sadness, and he dropped the subject then and there.


    <i>If Erin tells them the truth, would that change their mind? It must, right?</i>


    Mom told me more about her parents. She told me a little on the morning of that awful day in Ria, but her mother was a merchant. Mom learned from her, but her father was instrumental in her formative years. He trained her to fight, which she had to use for the first time when an expedition into a dungeon went wrong. They were looking for rare ore, but bandits were hidden behind a waterfall andunched a surprise attack. Mom held her own, but she suffered greatly after the fight.


    She spent the next hundred years without having to take another life, and even now, she remembered the feeling of her axe slicing into that Dogfolk¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I wanted to spare you from that fate, Irisa. Your father and I never wanted to put you in a position where you had to...¡±


    Irisa looked at her hands and spoke about her feelings. She said she felt numb and didn¡¯t know what to feel, but she had nightmaresst night. She questioned why she was crying, then suddenly jumped into her mom¡¯s arms.


    <i>Guess she needed time for the realization to soak in.</i>


    Dad teared up, too, and hugged his daughter. In no time at all, Irisa was asleep. Mom carried her to the hold, and when she came back, she said Irisa¡¯s lion was offering its warmth. If they felt like it, our guardian beasts could emerge as they pleased, leading credit to their status as autonomous self-defense skills.


    After that, I spoke with Dad more about my newfound abilities. I turned the Wrath Dial to use the fire skills gained from [Ira Ignis]. The more I allowed wrath to live within me, the more I was granted at the cost of losing control of myself. But the cage Tris made put a lock on it, so I couldn¡¯t turn it more than 10. It was the same with [Furia cies].


    <i>I¡¯m going to need a ton of training to make effective use of them, but I don¡¯t want that bitch to get the satisfaction of me using her strength.</i>


    I suddenly realized I hadn¡¯t told them about my Soul Weapon, so I summoned the revolver and gave it to Dad, who passed it around to Mom, Erin, Niva, and Primrose. They knew the basics of gun safety, but my family couldn¡¯t use it because a pop-up appeared in my vision. It asked if I wanted to grant them ess to use it, but I selected no.


    I could always change itter, but being able to grant permission was a weed choice. It meant no one could steal and use it without my authorization.


    <i>That¡¯s just another failsafe, I suppose. Seems like the creator of this world put a lot of thought into the various systems running this ce. But there are still loopholes and workarounds they didn¡¯t think about.</i>


    <i>Or maybe it¡¯s because I get around most of those fail-safes that I¡¯m an enigma to the world. Tilde once said there had never been a chimeric Soul Warrior before. Protections were engraved onto our souls to prevent us from bing chimera, but my 0-Star Soul granted no such thing. Even if it did, that mysterious voice and entity directly altered me to be like this.</i>


    If I had the ammo to spare, I would do target practice to pass the time¡­


    But I suppose spending it like this with my family was good. Besides, my mini-map zoomed in on Irisa and her lion, whom she used as a pillow and source of warmth.


    It was a cute scene, for sure.

 Intermission – A Holy Lord’s Controlling Desire

    Intermission ¨C A Holy Lord¡¯s Controlling Desire


    To Holy Lord Meruria... Control was the goal.


    Control over emotions.


    Control over actions.


    Control over lives.


    If there was an aspect that could be altered, she wished to control it. She had started developing this mindset early¡ªwhen her father was thrown out of the house when he couldn''t his lust for his youngest daughter after her body matured faster than her siblings. Yet her mother eventually let him back in after he directed the narrative and convinced her his daughter had seduced him.


    At just twelve years old, Meruria had lost everything because the man she should¡¯ve trusted the most couldn''t control his actions.


    For five years, people would use her to quench their lust. It didn¡¯t matter if it was at a brothel, on the side of the road, or in an alley behind a bar. Eventually, she was snatched by vile criminals who craved her body for themselves. But they also desired her magical prowess after she was revealed to be a prodigy of sorcery. These bandits were at war with rival camps around the country, yet even though the battles were her to control, a leash was always sped around the spiky cor drilled into her neck.


    But then? Someone else controlled the narrative. It was a fight¡ªthe same as always. Meruria was using a makeshift staff to spread her magic across the battlefield. Thick roots burrowed upwards, impaling ves sent to fight the first wave.


    Killing them was nothing special. Meruria had been tortured to where she was forced to feel euphoria from pleasing her leash holder. She stared out at the field of corpses as the second division ran into battle, naked and wielding clubs and swords. And again, she participated, using her spells to thin out the fools that dared to challenge her Master.


    It was all standard affair. The young Meruria merely watched and did what she was ordered to do until a group of horseback soldiers rushed in from the left. Their steeds rode hard and fast, their hoofs mming into the blood-soaked battlefield as mounted riders cut and cleaved their way through, killing enemies on both sides.


    Meruria¡¯s Master gave the order to fight. An aged wizard with a thick, white beard canceled her spells and restrained her, controlling and binding her movements as he summoned a portal to teleport in an army waiting a few miles away.


    That was Holy Lord Sajun¡ªruler of Cridia.


    Meruria¡¯s narrative had been controlled, so she looked to him as a Master. He didn¡¯t know what to do when he told her she was freed, and after some time, the Holy Lord took her under his wing. He vowed to help her find a purpose in life.


    The years flew by, but the healing process didn¡¯t help. Lord Meruria quickly learned to appear as the perfect, prim, rehabilitated woman who somehow rose from her painful past and became a force to be reckoned with. Her charisma, beauty, and grace were legendary amongst the people¡ªnoble and peasant. She often traveled with Lord Sajun around Cridia, helping whenever she could...


    ...but it was all a ploy.


    Meruria¡¯s twisted, turbulent time in which she was controlled by all birthed a stark desire to hold the reigns herself. She had everyone fooled, but there was one man¡ªthe Dark Lord of Justice¡ªwho couldn¡¯t be deceived so readily. She hated it when he was around. She despised his friendship with Lord Sajun and had to be on her best behavior, but after the Dark Lord of Justice left to conduct business elsewhere...


    Meruria always acted.


    She was curious about what she could control with the spells she developed in her personal time. Making someone strip and run naked was rudimentary. Grasping a man¡¯s mental fortitude and churning it into butter until he couldn¡¯t speak was simple if given enough time. But this control was futile. It wasn¡¯t what her heart desired.


    Meruria wanted more. She wanted to truly understand what made a person a person-- even if it meant using people likeb rats-- to obtain more masterful control over them.


    Meruria was in attendance in her 7th year as Lord Sajun¡¯s assistant when she saw a true miracle.Summoning others from another world? They were like newborn babes, surrounded by mystery¡ªlost and afraid after being terribly stolen from their familiar reality.


    Oh, they would make the perfect puppets. Meruria once hypothesized that if she were to forcibly rewrite a Soul Warrior¡¯s past, memories, and desires with her spells, she could artificially guide them as if she were a goddess.


    Perhaps she could influence the level of their souls...


    But she wasn¡¯t strong enough. Lord Sajun would have never allowed it. Getting rid of him was the primary goal, but the control-obsessed woman was at a loss¡­


    ¡­until the Holy Lord handed her the perfect excuse on a silver tter. Lord Sajun was loved by all. He had few enemies, a reputation for being a kind, warm gentleman, and a fierce yearning to research portals. His obsession with them nearly matched Meruria¡¯s desire for total control, but this devotion led him to discover the void.


    Lord Enele had known about it decades before Lord Sajun identally created a portal to the realm between realms. But perhaps this was the fatal w. Lord Enele looked to Lord Sajun as a younger brother. He loved and cared for him as if he was family.


    Unfortunately, Lord Sajun believed he could trust his prot¨¦g¨¦ and involved her in his research. And that was the fatal w once Meruria realized anything thrown into the void was broken down into the building blocks of life¡ªin most cases, that meant mana. She hypothesized a thousand scenarios and carefully experimented away from prying eyes.


    The turning point came years after Meruria had meticulously exhausted all possible options for her grand n. She had the perfect alibi to resolve all her usations. Lord Sajun¡¯s advisors knew his dedication to understanding portals and the void bordered on heretical. He often remained awake for days, ignoring his exhaustion to pursue knowledge. He had apulsive side that only reared its head when it was time to delve into the nitty gritty. It wasn''t rare for Lord Sajun to push his lordly responsibilities upon his advisors or Meruria to devote more time to his portals.


    All it would take was a ¡®miscalction¡¯ on ¡®his¡¯ part¡­


    It urred in Lord Sajun¡¯s study. He had been awake for 90 hours without food or water¡ªnever moving an inch from his research. The crackling portal remained nearby, tempting him to gaze ever so deeper into its mysterious bosom. Numerous fail-safes were implemented to prevent the worst-case scenario¡ªsomething Lord Enele heavily asked for, much to Lord Sajun¡¯s chagrin¡ªbut those had been disabled after Meruria convinced her lord that he needed to push the limit of his research to find the answers he desired.


    All it took was a stumble. Lord Sajun caught himself on the wall, but it had been smeared with something slippery, causing him to continue, where he saw his life sh before his eyes as he fell headfirst.


    It was an innocent mistake, yet Meruria¡¯s hands were ¡®cleaned.¡¯


    Immediately, he looked up. But thest thing his widened eyes saw was a smiling Meruria.


    The infinite winds mercilessly devoured his body, tearing flesh and soul while spitting out Holy Mana. Oh, it was golden and pure. Warm and inviting. It reached Meruria¡¯s outstretched hand, coalesced inside her, and granted her [Holy Infusion (Lv. 10)]. She used her newfound abilities to shut the portal, leaving her mentor to a painful demise.


    Immediately, she put on her act. Meruria ran through the halls, screaming for help. Dayster, Cridia was in mourning. A week passed, and a funeral was held in Junsa. The coffin was empty, but it didn¡¯t stop the gathered Holy and Dark Lords from paying their respects and consoling his grieving apprentice.


    Lord Enele wasn¡¯t tricked, though. He listened to Meruria¡¯s speech about vowing to fight for Cridia. She would continue her mentor¡¯s duties and promise to love her country as her mentor did. After the funeral, Lord Enele confronted Meruria. Yet she broke into false tears and hugged him, momentarily bing the fragile, shattered girl she used to be before revealing something astonishing.


    The Holy Mana she obtained after Lord Sajun¡¯s passing danced around her body, shattering her limits without having to break the level cap of 99. It blessed her in warm, divine light, granting the newly apt Holy Lord Meruria a simple makeup kit. But it was as powerful as any other Lord Armament. In her hands?


    Its power rivaled a Divine Armament.


    Lord Enele thought about confronting her. He spent months wondering what the correct option was. Patience proved key in the grand scheme when he received an encoded letter days before he nned to openly question Lord Meruria at the annual Lord Conference. Oh, how it pained him to remain a bystander, but he was given a specific task, and he had to see it through.


    Revenge would be waiting at the end of that long, long road. Retribution and justice would be had. How ironic that the Dark Lord of Justice would have to abstain from his title to see it through.


    That dyed patience would allow unscrupulous rumors to fester around Lord Meruria. But her charisma and Lord Armament granted her unparalleled control over the situation.


    She spent the next forty years delving deep into the philosophy behind the mind. After the Lord Conference agreed on the summoning terms, Lord Meruria implemented her n into action.


    It was easy to bring them into her world, lock away their sense of self, and slowly churn their memories and feelings like butter. Yet it was a learning process. She had been too ambitious and shattered six minds, which left her with four brain-dead 1-Star Soul Warriors.


    That generation was a bust. At the following Lord Conference, Lord Meruria knew rumors about her capabilities were spreading. She inferred it from their sneering and hushed whispers. She felt piercing stares stab daggers into her body. The sense of inferiority infuriated her more than failing.


    Lord Meruria redoubled her efforts, spending the next few generations mastering her craft. She didn¡¯t neglect the void, either. She had ess to Lord Sajun¡¯s research and did what he couldn¡¯t-- manipting the void to imbue its abstract power upon a living organism.


    She had her best sess in a young Wolffolk and her half-sister, although thetter had drastically suffered, bing a puppet of flesh without conscious thought. The girl wouldn¡¯t breathe without being explicitly ordered to do so.


    The Wolffolk used that strength to enact her revenge on the ones who had wronged them and willingly offered her and her sister¡¯s lives to forever serve their savior.


    Decades passed until it was time for thetest summoning session. Lord Meruria had learned much and believed this would be the moment. She had studied and knew why her previous efforts had failed.


    There couldn¡¯t be any logical errors. Her alterations couldn¡¯t handle paradoxical situations¡ªeven something as the color of a shirt being different in two modified memories was enough to shatter consciousnesses. It became a fun puzzle¡ªthe kind Lord Meruria enjoyed more than life since she became the puppet master.


    The world her new Soul Warriors came from waspetitive, but Lord Meruria wasn¡¯t happy. She altered fragments to suit her ideal reality¡ªturning it into a twisted, extreme, heavily exaggerated caricature of a meritocracy pushed to the utmost extreme.


    Lord Meruria felt like a corrupted genie¡ªmaybe a surgeon was more apt in how she fine-tuned the appropriate details as if she wielded a scalpel. In the past, her changes were akin to a butcher maliciously carving a carcass to size.


    Oh, but it was worth it. After weeks of intense focus and verifying every addition multiple times¡­


    Her work was done¡­ Lord Meruria gazed at her finished products. And now?


    It was time to act. A Holy Lord like her desired the perfect entrance. She filled the ceiling with Holy Mana, flew to the high ceiling, and released her trance spell.


    Once she heard people talking¡­


    It was time for Holy Lord Meruria to descend like an angel. Her anticipation mounted more and more.


    Lord Meruria felt pure euphoria course through her body when Tokko and Mia turned out to be 6-Star Soul Warriors! Their minds were hers. She had the ultimate control over their actions! Her long-awaited hypothesis had been proven!


    That boy, ¡®Shuuta¡­¡¯ His primary use was discovering the existence of 0-Star Soul Warriors.


    One sibling stood at the top.


    The other?


    At the very bottom¡ªalive only to entertain her with the short time he had left before she threw him to the void to recycle the energy used to summon him.


    Everything was happening ording to her n... Oh, how she loved to be involved as an actress. Lord Meruria had ''fun'' using her Lord Armament to try and force Shuuta''s mind open. The way she acted ''concerned'' to Mia when she asked her about her brother''s past would''ve impressed even the most experienced actresses at the famous yhouse in the Kingdom of Aquanis.

 Chapter Sixty-Eight: Fanning the Hammer (Illustrations!)

    Chapter Sixty-Eight: Fanning the Hammer (Illustrations!)


    Hourster, I spotted a ship in the distance as I flew around with a bird clone. It disyed a g divided into seven equal rectangles, representing the seven city-states of the Heptarchy of Parthina. Only the first partition of the g was colored green. The rest was nk.


    Canceling the skill, I told the good news. Ichiha went to get Irisa, and we all gathered on the deck¡ªLei rested in Erin¡¯s arms. Surtr and Kengu returned to their bracelets. Retreating to the hold, I looked at the clothing in [Void Storage]. The ck and gold outfit I loved was destroyed in Ria, and I couldn¡¯t remain in this robe.


    Before we left Aetos Vige, I ransacked the closets. I had a lot avable to me. The problem was my body was an amalgamation of Amos¡¯s Soul Warriors. Even though I looked like Susize from a distance, my legs and arms were slightly longer, and I was much bustier than her, thanks to By, the Cowfolk. Susize also didn¡¯t have to worry about a penis.


    But after some help from Tris, I managed to recreate a specific look Susize preferred to wear when attending diplomatic functions. These clothes were formal enough to meet kings, queens, emperors, and empresses while being flexible enough to fight should the need call for it.


    <i>She also wore it when she went on dates with Reina. There¡¯s that other outfit. The one with the green corset and ck waist girdle, but I think I like this one better. It really does make me feel powerful...</i>


    <i>But it¡¯s also not mine. It¡¯s borrowed clothing. It¡¯d be nice to have something I could call my own.</i>


    Spoiler


    [copse]


    <hr>


    It still took about fifty minutes for the ship to get close enough for a Hawkfolk to fly from his boat to ours. He came with a group of four-- all wore the same style of heavy metal armor with thick, powerful greatswords attached to their backs.


    Landing, the beastfolk folded his green wings and removed his helmet, exposing his sharp eyes, avian beak, and deep, dark ck hair.


    Spoiler


    [copse]


    ¡°I¡¯m Captain Caulk of the <i>Mengoire</i>, Plymoise navy,¡± he said. ¡°Judging from the state of your ship and the sinking heap next to it, I assume pirates tried to attack you? Wait, those blisters... You wouldn¡¯t happen to havee from Dirge? Around Ria?¡± His eyes narrowed slightly, but his allies didn¡¯t tense or react. They weren¡¯t rxed, though-- they were trained enough to maintain a battle-ready state without letting it show.


    <i>[Deduction] states it¡¯s a Craine-ss battleship? It almost reminds me of a frigate used by the French navy in the 17</i><i>th</i><i> and 18</i><i>th</i><i> centuries.</i>


    I took the lead and exined a rehearsed story Tris came up with. We were simple merchants getting ready to deliver cargo from Ria to Plymoise when the barrier appeared. When it suddenly broke, we managed to get away, but not unscathed, which exined the blisters on my family¡¯s body. The pirates came upon us when we anchored for the night.


    ¡°I mean no disrespect, but how did you defeat them?¡± asked the captain.


    ¡°Surtr,e out and introduce yourself,¡± I replied. mes danced to the deck from my bracelet.


    Spoiler


    [copse]


    Its color had slightly changed. While the lion¡¯s body was mostly made of abyssal mes, it could subtly alter its shade and hue to be more akin to abyssal ice. Regardless, it was terrifyingly awesome. Its presence could be felt. Surtr returned to its home after eximing it was a pleasure to kill such filth that wished to cause its lord any harm.


    ¡°I can sense great power from your spirit.¡± Surtr wasn¡¯t a spirit, but I wouldn''t correct him. ¡°On behalf of Plymoise, thank you for removing that scum from our society. Ah, a question, if you don¡¯t mind. Last night, did you perhaps hear a voice from the sky? Something about a limit being broken?¡±


    ¡°You are wee, and yes, I did. It suddenly came out of nowhere and frightened us, but that opened an opportunity for us to gain the upper hand in the battle. But our ship was damaged from their opening salvo. Weck the skill to repair our mast and do not have another sail.¡±


    ¡°Hmm... My heart''s anxious to know we didn¡¯t hallucinate the voice, but please, give us a moment.¡± Captain Caulk excused himself and spoke with his men. All but him flew to the sinking pirate ship and investigated it, and then he departed for the <i>Mengoire</i>. Ten minutester, he returned to our boat with good news. ¡°Our primary objective was to learn more about Ria¡¯s predicament and discover what happened. Will youe with us to Plymoise and speak to our rulingdy about your experiences? To thank you, we shall give you and your vessel a ride. Is your cargo damaged?¡±


    I shook my head and led him to the hold. He verified the cargo and looked at the charter document. Rickard, the previous owner of this vessel, was ¡®killed¡¯ in the chaos at Ria.


    <i>No, he didn¡¯t die. He escaped overboard. If we run into him, I need to kill him.</i>


    I told Captain Caulk we were friends of his. He gave us his condolences and then offered us a room on his vessel. It was a military ship, so it wasn¡¯t made withfort, but it was better than remaining here.


    The <i>Mengoire </i>came much closer and extended a bridge, allowing us to board it. A group of aquatic beastfolk jumped into the ocean and attached heavy iron cables to our ship, allowing it to be pulled. Before being escorted to our room, the ship¡¯s medic gave us an exam. He told his assistant to fetch a handful of a specific ointment. The Hawkfolks investigating the boat returned and reported to Captain Caulk below deck. I used my [Skyview] to spy when he spoke with four others, and they were talking about that ne I took from the captain.


    It seemed that was the primary objective. Learning about the Ria Incident was secondary, contrary to what he¡¯d just told me. Was it that important?


    I also wondered if the pirate captain used the Essence of Wrath¡¯s attacks as a decoy to pull off a heist earlier than intended. There were firesalts aboard this vessel¡­ Could I trade the ne for some? I thought about it while he returned topside with bread and water. We ate, and he told his crew we were guests of Plymoise.


    After applying the ointment, another soldier led us to arge room near the ship''s stern. He apologized that they couldn¡¯t offer anything better, but I thanked him and said this was good enough.


    The soldier left me and my family alone in an empty room. There were no beds, nkets, furniture, or anything. In fact, it reminded me of a brig. The door was unlocked, so we weren¡¯t prisoners.


    I sat near Niva, asking what she decided to spend her SP on while holding her hand.


    It turned out she had forgotten about it. No, I didn¡¯t think I ever told her I gave her an infusion of SP back when we killed Oswell¡¯s group.


    Then again, considering what followed that, it was understandable she didn¡¯t have a chance to use that SP. Her pledging loyalty to me granted me ess to her Skill Menu, but I removed my authority to purchase or upgrade on her behalf. I was a mere observer, nothing more and nothing less. Since she was going to be a mage with a side specialization on spirit summoning, she decided to purchase [Spirit Enhancement: Strength], [Spirit Enhancement: Intelligence], and [Spirit Enhancement: Dexterity] to improve the three core aspects of her spirits whenever she leveled up. Those passive skills were always active, and she upgraded them to Lv.5.


    She spent 135 more to buy and upgrade [Mana Perception] to Lv. 2. If Primrose and Kokan were correct, eventual mastery of this skill would allow Niva to see the flow of mana, thereby being granted the gift of sight. Kokan said it would be like a bat was able to get around. They used sonar and echolocation.


    Since mana was nearly everywhere, there wouldn¡¯t be many ces where it was useless. In fact, I had the skill unlocked for purchase. ¡°When I get enough SP, I¡¯ll learn it, and we can master it together, okay? Does that sound good?¡±


    ¡°It does, Mistress¡­ Thank you.¡± Niva smiled.


    ¡°Primrose.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°What method do you use to fight? Sekh told me spirits can enhance and offer their summoner additional skills while supporting them or use their own weapon and fight with their spirit backing them up.¡±


    ¡°I can do both. Right now, I know [Vine Maniption], [Razor Wind], and [Minor Heal]. When I¡¯m out of my crystal, my summoner has those skills. When I run out of mana, I use my summoner¡¯s mana to fuel my spells. But I¡¯m more than capable of creating my own weapons. Incidentally, Master, take this staff.¡± Primrose ced a hand on the floor and created the same walking staff Niva used when we returned from Aetos Vige. It was either lost in the chaos or left behind in Ria, but Primrose could make multiple.


    ¡°Then what¡¯s your rmendation? Niva has 342 SP left.¡±


    ¡°Summoner, that depends on how you wish to fight. Lord Springfield protected my core against fire and ice, but my skin is still susceptible. [Barrier Magic] is what I would rmend, but you do not have it avable for purchase.¡±


    ¡°Lord¡­Springfield? Mistress!!! Mistress!!! Did you hear that?!¡± Niva eximed, gripping my hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡ªit¡¯s not that big of a deal, Master!!!¡± Primrose blushed. With a huff, she crossed her arms and looked away. ¡°My feelings have changed, so continuing as normal would increase your chances of bing injured. I could not allow that.¡±


    ¡°Aww, I think someone¡¯s embarrassed!¡± Irisa finallyughed for the first time in a week, and the chuckles continued to the rest of her family. Primrose was even more flustered. With another huff, she returned to her crystal and spoke telepathically to Niva.


    Niva wanted to take a more defensive role because her condition rendered her incapable of being as proactive as she liked. The more Primrose fought, the more skills she would learn. Spirits received a Skill Menu, but it was more like a general list of abilities they could acquire. Instead of spending SP, they selected one, and experience and SP earned by their summoners went towards unlocking the skill they desired.


    As such, Primrose was all about [Nature Magic], which enabled her to attack, defend, and heal with [Razor Wind], [Woond Shield], and [Minor Heal], the second of which she was currently working towards. But if Niva unlocked [Nature Magic] and worked to obtain spells not avable to her spirit, then those would be passed to Primrose even before she had them avable to select.


    But picking the same element as your spirit was risky. It was sometimes a dumb move because it meant wasting SP. But with my gift of sharing SP, that problem was moot. Still, she decided to be in more of a supportive role. Acquiring any summoner title unlocked a set of skills to buff your spirit. So along with the three Niva bought earlier, including [Nature Magic], she purchased [Spirit Recall], which returned her spirit to her core, [Spirit Overdrive], a somewhat risky skill to immediately flood her spirit with half of their summoner¡¯s mana for an explosive burst of power, and [Spirit Sync], a skill to cast synchronized magic with their spirit to increase a spell¡¯s effectiveness.


    Some of those skills were boring andckluster, but the more powerful, appealing ones took much effort to unlock. Besides, Niva needed experience in [Mana Language] and [Mana Perception] before fighting on the front lines.


    ¡°I promise to work very hard, Mistress! Umm¡­ It might take time for my body to adjust to spending so much SP¡ª¡±


    ¡°I understand. It was the same way with me. Tris, how far are we away from Plymoise?"


    "It is difficult to say. We have not been there, but I still see the country''s outline on our expanded [Skyview]. We are going noticeably slower than a vessel of this caliber is known for, so I believe a correct estimate would be 4 days.¡±


    ¡°Good to know.¡± I stood up. Mom asked me where I was going. ¡°Gonna take a look around the ship. I got something to discuss with the captain.¡±


    ¡°Be safe, Mistress,¡± Niva said. Dad and Irisa echoed that sentiment, and out the door I went with a ne hidden in my fists. Emerging into the corridor, I immediately walked to the deck, receiving odd, almost vtile nces from the other soldiers. After turning a corner and heading up the first set of stairs, I focused on them with [Skyview].


    Apparently, the <i>Mengoire </i>was hastily mobilized to investigate Ria when the Essence of Wrath used that tremendous attack to shatter the barrier and catch the clouds on fire. This ship was in the middle of being supplied, so they were running on fumes. Adding another handful of mouths to feed stretched their food even thinner, meaning they only received a quarter portion of bread and a third cup of water tost the entire day. My sharp ears, through hushed whispers, learned that the pirate captain had stolen a valuable ne during the chaos. It must¡¯ve been filled with sentimental value because it looked like a regr emerald cut into a cross. It didn¡¯t have any enchantments, either.


    <i>Even if it wasn¡¯t their objective... They¡¯ll be happy to have it back, yeah?</i>


    But when I emerged onto the deck to get a whiff of that salty air, I felt all eyes turn to me.


    <i>I wonder if they¡¯re seeing a High Elf for the first time? Either that or news of Surtr and how he destroyed the ship is spreading.</i>


    ¡°Hey, do you know where the captain is?¡± I asked a deckhand swabbing a mop. He seemed younger than Erin and flinched. Stuttering, he said the captain was likely in his office and pointed me in the right direction.


    I knew where he was, of course. His location was marked with a waypoint, but arriving directly without letting people see me asking about it would be strange. But this also gave me a chance to see our ship being towed. The technology of this world paled to the one I came from, but still¡­ It was incredible to see some advancements, even if literal iron cables were hooked into the ship by force.


    ¡°Wow¡­ High Elves¡­they¡¯re really pretty¡­¡± the boy whispered when I turned around. ¡°My sister won¡¯t believe I¡¯ve met one¡­ That I spoke to one¡­¡±


    <i>I guess that¡¯s that. High Elves are probably mythical to people who haven¡¯t seen one. I wonder if it¡¯s a mistake to remain one¡­ Maybe I should masquerade as a regr elf?</i>


    Off I went.


    I knocked on the captain''s door eight minutester. To get there, I passed through the mess hall. The scornful stares were disguised as curiosity, but I felt them nheless.


    ¡°Come in!¡± I opened the door and found him penning a hasty report. He looked up for a second with a quizzical expression. ¡°Ms. Springfield? Is there a problem? Ah, my apologies. Should I refer to you as Lady Springfield? Wait, that woman in the hat calls you her lord. Which do you prefer?¡±


    ¡°Lord Springfield is eptable,¡± I said, showing him the ne.


    Instantly, he hurdled across his desk, knocking over stacks of paper. ¡°Please, give it to me. It was stolen from Plymoise¡¯s rulingdy during the disturbance in Ria.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have no need to keep something like this. Here.¡± Captain Caulk pulled a velvet pouch and stashed the emerald ne inside it. ¡°But there are two things I want from you.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s within my grasp, then you shall have it. I swear upon it.¡±


    ¡°This rulingdy. I imagine she¡¯s rich? Do you think she will repair our ship? It was damaged in the attack, and I recovered her ne."


    ¡°I think that is a reasonable request. I was going to ask that myself.¡±


    ¡°I need firesalts. You have some aboard this ship, yes?¡±


    Captain Caulk nodded, but he asked why. I pulled a handful of bullets from [Void Storage] and said I needed the firesalts to finish them. Perhaps he knew better than to ask too many questions, like where the bullets came from or why a High Elf, not a Dark Elf, was even making bullets, but he gave me a look from my feet to my head, took a second to think, then nodded. ¡°I will have some delivered within the hour.¡±


    I pped my hands and smiled. ¡°Great! Oh, I do have one question, if you don¡¯t mind answering.¡± I asked if there was a bounty-hunting guild in Plymoise. He nodded and replied they were called the Bloodhounds, then asked if I was a member. Instead of answering, I held up the pirate captain¡¯s severed head after I pulled it from my inventory. Captain Caulk went to his desk and retrieved the pirate¡¯s bounty tag, then tossed it to me.


    Again, he didn¡¯t ask where it came from.


    This fool was worth 14 gold and 50 silver for grand theft, piracy, murder, smuggling, and rape against the people of Plymoise.


    <i>Why so much for someone so weak?</i>


    Since I had nothing else to do, I returned to the room and told my family what would happen. And as expected, there was a knock at the door within the hour. Opening it revealed a timid-looking Horsefolk carrying a small metal box. I thanked him, he nodded, then left.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Irisa asked, hugging her knees while leaning against Dad.


    ¡°It¡¯s a crate of firesalt. Check out these bullets,¡± I said, tossing Irisa a casing and projectile. ¡°Usually, the part that hits your enemy is made of lead, but I didn¡¯t have any. Instead, I used iron and steel, but I would prefer brass for the casings.¡± I continued speaking while sitting near her. Tris scooted over and sat on her knees, staring at my face. ¡°In my world, a bullet¡¯s made from four parts. You have the projectile, the casing, the gunpowder, and then a primer. The primer is a small explosive that sounds like a weak firecracker. But a primer is often made of a material sensitive to impact, so that¡¯s where you get the explosion when it''s struck. Tris, are firesalts the same way?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they are. Compared to your world, firesalts are exponentially more dangerous than gunpowder. It is often considered an excellent idea to carry firesalts in a reinforced box and to only transfer them in small amounts. Charcoal and sulfur, and the ingredients topose saltpeter, are naturally urring elements found here."


    ¡°Then that¡¯s good to know. It¡¯s time to experiment,¡± I said, creating a clone. It took the form of a small fly, then flew out through the small window. It went in the opposite direction and turned into me once it couldn¡¯t see the <i>Mengoire</i>.


    It was time for the clone to get to work. Prepping in the brig was too dangerous, so it was left to it. Since the boat was moving, and it took more mana and biomass to stabilize my clone, I made a second clone. It took a shark¡¯s form and steadily swam along with the ship, eating and assimting whatever it came across.


    When we were too far, though, I¡¯d have the clone store everything, vanish, and I¡¯d make it anew and start it all over again.


    A tedious effort, but it was worth it in the long run. In the meantime, since Irisa was asleep when I passed around my revolver, I handed it to her and let her look at it. I also gave them my rifle so they could see what weapons looked like in a long-ago period of my world¡ªbefore the advances in flight and technology changed the face of war forever.


    <hr>


    The next three days were more of the same. The soldiers left us be. The captain personally delivered our meals, though, which was nice. Before we ate, Tris scanned and checked for poison. It wasn¡¯t like she thought someone was out to get us, but it was a precaution.


    A thoughtful one.


    Primrose and Niva practiced [Mana Perception]. The first time she used it, I couldn¡¯t hear the words she spoke, but I knew they were in thenguage of mana. I would have to learn that from her, but Niva said it just came to her like someone snapping their fingers. She understood it on a level that was like breathing. Most of the time, you just did that without knowing, and only once you were aware of it did you have to focus.


    But when she managed to activate the skill, even just for a few seconds, a holographic¡ªor maybe it was ethereal¡ªbut an eye appeared where her second eye should have been. It looked much like the one she had, but the iris was a magic circle of rainbow, possibly meaning that she could see the different elements of mana surrounding us. The first time she channeled it, she eximed that everything was white. Primrose exined it was like that because Niva had to close the ¡®angle of viewing¡¯ or something. Maybe that was like a shlight? I knew there were some that you could twist the top to make it a smaller, brighter beam, or you could make it dim but thicker.


    Tris nodded and said it was different, but the same concept still applied.


    As for [Mana Language]? The name was misleading. It wasn¡¯t a single, concisenguage. I had thought it was, but it wasn¡¯t, and that deception tricked many novice mages into quitting. However, it still involved speaking to the mana and asking it to act as you wanted. You needed to will it into a spell.


    [Mana Language] was different for everyone. If it was a higher level, I would¡¯ve heard Niva¡¯s chant being tranted to something I had a deep connection with other than garbled nonsense. Tris said it would¡¯ve been Latin since I was fascinated with ancient militaries and their strategies.


    ¡°If you had a connection to something else, [Ira Ignis] would have a different name, but it would function the same way. My lord, think of how sentences are created and their different parts. Chants of spells are formed quite simrly, but I am not familiar with the structure of the Latinnguage. I could perhaps max my processing power and attempt to deduce it, but I don¡¯t know how long it¡¯ll take,¡± Tris said. She exined and told me she could enter a mode where her analytic capabilities were maxed, but she couldn¡¯t move or talk until leaving it.


    ¡°Now that I think about it, it does make sense, I guess. [Ira Ignis] means something like the wrath of fire. [Furia cies] is the fury of ice, I think. That makes sense with the whole ming wrath and cold fury the Essence of Wrath kept yammering about. Shit, let me think... I should¡¯ve paid way more attention. But wait, howe [Fireball] is just fireball and not the Latin word for it?¡±


    ¡°The spell¡¯s name is an identifier, but the chant differs for everyone. That is a limit imposed within the system. [Ira Ignis] and [Furia cies] are in Latin because they¡¯re exclusive to the wielder of the Divine Skill it belongs to.¡±


    ¡°If you want to try to crack thenguage from that, you¡¯re free to do so.¡± Tris thanked me, closed her eyes, and rested her hands across herp, staying perfectly still.


    Until she had something, I checked in with the crafting clone about 2,000 feet behind the ship. There was good progress being made. To make the primer for the revolver, you carefully packed enough firesalts to make a thin primer 0.120 inches tall and 0.212 inches wide.


    Too thick? It was useless. Trying to carve off too much was too dangerous.


    Too small? You could add more, but it often blew up in my clone¡¯s face. Luckily, it never caused any real damage, but it took experimentation to get the perfect primer.


    The .45 colt, or long colt, as it was also called, required 40 grains of gunpowder between the primer and the bullet. Firesalt was more powerful, so I experimented with different amounts. Thirty was too much. When the clone pressed everything together and loaded the round in the Colt Single Action Army, the gun blew apart. Luckily, I could summon another copy by expending soul energy. I suppose it was a weak gun--the starter-- so I needed 1/10th to recreate it.


    <i>But soul energy takes a while to recover.</i>


    The Winchester Model 1873 used the same primer for its bullets. It also needed 40 grains of gunpowder, and after some more failures, I realized 23 grains was the perfect amount. The only thing better would be if we had brass for the casing. Until then, iron and steel bullets were the path forward.


    It took me 2 days to get this far, but goddamn, was it satisfying to achieve a dream of mine. [Ammo Creation] helped me out a ton. Without it, it probably would¡¯ve taken me three times as long to make one bullet worth a damn. Combined with the data Tris was sure to gain from this, the hard part was out of the way.


    I couldn''t yet transfer my consciousness into different clones-- I could control them, but that was different from what I wanted to do-- so I watched it load 10 rounds into the rifle and 6 into the revolver. Another appeared and threw infinitely reusable tes into the air, and it took aim.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    <i>Bang!</i>


    <i>Bang!</i>


    <i>Bang!</i>


    <i>Bang!</i>


    <i>Bang!</i>


    <i>Bang!</i>


    <i>Bang!</i>


    <i>Bang!</i>


    <i>Bang!</i>


    Ten objects blew to bits, and I knew the clone felt like a real western ouw when it used the lever to load the next round. And the revolver was just as much fun. Six tes were tossed, the clone fanned the hammer, and she only missed two because it stopped shooting to spin the revolver around her fingers before slotting it into her holster.


    ¡°I can see your experiments were sessful, my lord,¡± Tris said when I returned to my primary body. She went ahead and started on mass production of both rounds in equal amounts. The number of materials I had appeared in my vision. Tris hid it, then said she¡¯d let me know when I was running low.


    ¡°It was more than that,¡± I replied, reloading my weapons. I had to do it by hand, but Tris said there was a skill to automatically reload. Even better, she could link it to my [Void Storage]. My clones had had the fun, but it would soon be my turn to take my guns for a spin.


    Once finished, I looked up at the nearby window. The moon was high in the sky, and ording to the captain, we would be in Plymoise before noon. Mom, Dad, and everyone else were asleep, but Niva struggled against drowsiness to practice some more before snuggling next to Primrose. ¡°I see you¡¯re back from your processing mode. Discover anything?¡±


    ¡°I did. The data gained from your experiments allowed me topare the properties of gunpowder with firesalts, and I now know the correct ratio to substitute them for each other. Additionally, when we change to brass,pensating for the weaker material has already been ounted for. My calctions will not be wrong again, but I require a few hours to cool down and return to normal operating procedures. Until then, my abilities will be severely limited. Do you see a mechanical gauge with a number under your map?¡±


    ¡°Good, and yeah, I see it. It says, ¡®Cooldown Remaining: 3:54.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Once the cooldown is finished, the number recing it will represent my current processing power. There is only so much I can do at once as of now. If it pleases you, you can divide my current resources into different tasks to prioritize what you need to produce, such as potions or bullets, or direct me to keep track of our surroundings with [Skyview]. Or you can leave it at my discretion. The choice is yours, my lord.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you, but it was lonely without hearing your voice.¡±


    Tris perked up and smiled. She touched the tips of her fingers together and blushed. ¡°As for my initial reasoning for entering my enhanced processing mode...¡± Tris frowned. ¡°I am sorry I could not be of further use, my lord. Please forgive me.¡±


    ¡°If anything, I could level up [Mana Language] and ask people to cast spells, right? If it''s a high enough level, the chants will be tranted?¡± I learned [Mana Language] when Niva summoned Primrose. It was a byproduct of having Murag¡¯s [Schr¡¯s Tongue (Lv. 10)], a skill designed to grant me mastery overnguages the moment I heard them for the first time. ¡°With enough spells learned that way, would it be enough to decode it?¡±


    "Yes... That may work. It''s a solution I hadn''t..." Tris went silent for a few seconds. "I am sorry for noting to that conclusion earlier instead of raising your hopes.¡± Tris looked downcast, averting her gaze from me. ¡°If I had only thought of that, you wouldn¡¯t have missed my voice. Please, forgive me. I promise--¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to forgive, Tris,¡± I replied, hugging her. Her body was of flesh and blood, so she felt like a woman. Soft and supple, her skin was smooth and warm. Lifeblood circted through her bloodstream, though that was just for her to take on a more humanoid form. ¡°You¡¯re special to me. I¡¯ll allow you to worship me, but don¡¯t downy yourself like that. I won¡¯t forgive¡ª"


    Before I could finish, Captain Caulk¡¯s voice echoed from overhead, waking everyone up.


    We were under attack.

 Intermission – Shiku – Self-Loathing (Illustrations!)

    Intermission ¨C Shiku ¨C Self-Loathing (Illustrations!)


    ¡°Lord Shiku, it¡¯s time to wake up.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord. It¡¯s time for your training with Sir Salim. He also wishes to speak with you.¡±


    A pair of voices woke me from my slumber, and my eyes stared at a ceiling that would put my mansion to shame.


    Once again¡­


    I...was still alive in this new world¡ªstill stuck here.


    Laika and Leika Barkwood- sister Dogfolk maids with orange and yellow color schemes, respectively, were kneeling beside my bed. Moments ago, they used their naked bodies to keep me warm during my uneventful and restless slumber.


    The sisters were assigned to me days ago by Lord Meruria to wait on me hand and foot. The Barkwood family had wronged Lord Meruria in the past, and their family had suffered the consequences ever since. I didn¡¯t know why she went to them to give them the ¡®honor¡¯ of serving one of her Soul Warriors, but she did.


    When I first met them, the two pledged their lives to me. Meruria stood behind them and ¡®encouraged¡¯ them to offer more, which ended with them stripping naked and offering their virginities to me. Lord Meruria left me alone with them, but I didn¡¯t touch them.


    I never nned toy a finger on them.


    I didn¡¯t even want them to apany me. But Lord Meruria forced me to keep them close since they were willing toy down their lives and die in my stead. I had told them they didn¡¯t need to sleep naked with me, but they said they needed to act in case someone attempted to attack during my rest.


    I sat up and looked at these feminine hands, then groaned because I was forced to stare at them every day of the week.


    All the power, money, and status the world offered didn¡¯t mean much when you were filled with a sense of self-loathing. Laika watched as I got out of bed. The covers wrapped around my naked waist fell behind, exposing my nude body, and she quickly tidied up the mess.


    ¡°Breakfast will be ready when you return, Lord Shiku,¡± Leika said, following me to the bathroom. She waited outside after I closed the door


    The fantastical luxuries this fantasy world offered were vast, but when I looked in the jewel-encrusted mirror and saw¡­that face look back at me?


    The face with the feminine lips, soft eyes, warm hair, pretty cheeks¡­


    It made me more sad than angry.


    A quick flick of my wrist near the shower caused water to pour down on my head. It sttered annoyingly against the marbled ground, running down the shiny drain.


    I was born a man, but I looked like this.


    And my family hated it.


    Father wanted a boy¡ªa son to take over his legacy. He wanted to have a proper heir to inherit his dojo. He was tall, muscr, and hairy, and I was slim, feminine, and hairless except for my head.


    He was rugged¡­and I was soft.


    I was an anthesis to everything he stood for, and I felt his hatred more than a hundred dozen times.


    Things changed when I learned about Aikido. My initial assessment results from my country predicted I would be as great a fighter as my father in a different discipline.


    He beat me mercilessly that night and called me a failure because I couldn¡¯t follow in his footsteps.


    I gathered his approval once I started winning. Being known as the Second Coming of Morihei Ueshiba brought much fame and glory to my family. My father even received an influx of students to learn his style of karate after he marketed it as a fusion between it and Aikido.


    I had thought things were going well¡­


    But no. I thought my family would ept me for who I was¡ªfor who I wanted to be¡ªso I risked it one day and went to the living room wearing a dress I had secretly bought.


    My father¡¯s outrage at his only son being¡­unnatural¡­left me bedridden for a month.


    Disownment came next, but not before he forced me to hate myself.


    He told me my appearance was a sin¡ªproof of my weakness-- and I needed to ept who I was.


    But he didn¡¯t care who I wanted to be. He wanted me to be what he wanted me to be¡­


    I just wanted to be happy¡­


    I wanted to be epted for who I was¡ªfor what I looked like¡­and the cute clothing and fluttery dresses I wanted to wear.


    But I couldn¡¯t ever be¡­just me¡­


    So, I hid myself and tossed away the key, forever willing to believe something I didn¡¯t have faith in¡­


    My life eventually led me to meet Tokko at an athletic tournament. He was with Damon, and we became friends. Even as crude as the wrestler could be, he treated me like one of the guys. And after entering Mekka Academy, Mia appeared in the picture and joined our group.


    And for the first time, I was happy. Tokko¡¯s natural charisma attracted friends and turned enemies into allies. He quickly enthralled me with his ¡®might makes right¡¯ and turned me into a believer in the few years I had known him.


    He was a bonafide hero, and I worshipped the ground he walked on.


    But¡­


    I¡­couldn¡¯t ept him sacrificing Shuuta.


    It wasn¡¯t right.


    It wasn¡¯t fair.


    Had I not killed who I wished¡­who I thought I wanted to be¡­the poor soul being sucked into the portal to the void could¡¯ve been me.


    But Tokko¡­


    I wasn¡¯t as strong as he thought me to be. If I was, I would¡¯ve fought more. But I couldn¡¯t. All this sad body of mine could do was oblige Lord Meruria¡¯smand and help Damon throw Shuuta away.


    I couldn¡¯t tell anyone of the nightmares I suffered from because it would reach Tokko. And losing his respect? Having his hatred tower above me like a dark cloud? Hearing him say I wasn¡¯t vital to him?


    I didn¡¯t want to be alone anymore.


    <i>I¡¯m so sorry¡­ Shuuta¡­</i>


    Salty tears dropped to the floor and joined the blisteringly hot water pping against my skin. I could only be true to myself while trapped within these marbled confines. The noise and steam disguised my cries and let me be truthful for a handful of minutes before the mask had toe back on.


    I rubbed my eyes and washed my body. If I took too long, the maids would knock at the door and let themselves in to check on me.


    After turning the water off and drying, I put my robe back on and prepared myself to be who I didn¡¯t want to be.


    Because I wouldn¡¯t ever have a chance to be true to myself.


    <hr>


    After getting dressed in light-weight armor that focused on agility, I walked the halls of Lord Meruria¡¯s oversized church while stuffing a sandwich my maids had prepared into my mouth. The stained-ss windows were the definition of extravagant wealth. The overarching reluctance on affluent luxuries was a clear sign this church wasn¡¯t meant to function as one would in my world.


    ¡°What does Sir Salim need to see me about?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s training, Lord Shiku,¡± said one of the maids. Their voices were simr, so I didn¡¯t know which one spoke. ¡°Do you recall the incident the day before? You left two dead and four in critical condition.¡±


    Spoiler


    [copse]


    Yesterday, some creepy bastard tried to cop a feel on my ass in the crowded guild. He whispered how much it would be to have me sleep with him because he liked my face. I could still feel his disgusting breath tickle my neck.


    Before I knew it, I had plunged my weapon through his heart and stomped a hole through his stomach. His friends, shocked, picked up their weapons and wanted to fight. I killed one and severed the hands of the others with a skill that wrapped a de of mana around my staff¡¯s tip, but Salim¡ª Meruria¡¯s sole surviving Soul Warrior from two generations ago, pulled me away. Renata and Benedict¡ªmy ssmates who were part of Team Salim, weren¡¯t there to witness it, although I saw the unsettling looks in their eyes when I told them about themotion when they asked about it.


    The incident¡­


    Killing didn¡¯t bother me. Father once made me train with criminals on death row to ¡®make a man out of me,¡¯ The fight only ended in death. He believed hallucinogenic drugs were the key, but I don¡¯t remember much except looking down upon a group of dead men with broken necks.


    <i>Aikido was made to defend yourself from harm while protecting your attackers from injury. It wasn¡¯t made to kill. And I¡¯ve¡­killed so many with it¡­ Sensei wouldn¡¯t be proud¡­ He¡¯d hate me¡­</i>


    By this point, nearly everyone from Meruria¡¯stest batch of Soul Warriors had killed¡ªeither in self-defense or by hunting criminals and bandits.


    Those who flinched or stumbled afterward were lectured personally by Meruria. When they left her room, they had ovee their trauma.


    Laika asked if I was okay because I sighed, but I remained silent and prepared for an encounter with Salim.


    He was waiting in the practice hall.


    The church was more like a castle in how it was designed. It had a couple of floors, many dining halls, and a few worship rooms, and it even housed half of the soldiers dedicated to protecting the church. The other half was in the town, and then there was the military itself, which had its own section of the city dedicated to the barracks. They trained the horses and war hawks and kept the hippogriffs and wyverns there.


    Damon, Tokko, and the others were on missions to help them get acquainted with Cridia. Team Salim was supposed to depart yesterday, but my¡­anger prevented that froming to fruition.


    A moment of weakness in anger made for a lifetime of agony.


    My father told me that, but he didn¡¯t practice his mantra.


    And neither did his child, apparently¡­


    ¡°Eek¡­ Leika, what should we do? Lord Shiku has that look in his eyes.¡±


    ¡°Support for our Lord Shiku is all we can, Laika. We were given this role by Lord Meruria. We must see it through¡ªfor the good of the Barkwood family.¡±


    The two maids were whispering, but I heard them well enough.


    <hr>


    ¡°Do you understand why you are here?¡± asked a man with light brown skin and a thick, ck beard. Salim Masru Essa¡ªleader of Team Salim, stood in the training room. A red keffiyeh turban was wrapped around his head that came around his shoulders. He held a wooden spear, but that was his Soul Weapon. Of its hundred different forms, the wooden one was used for training because it was the weakest.


    Spoiler


    [copse]


    ¡°I do,¡± I said, standing in front of him. Renata, a short girl with curly ck hair, and Benedict, a bald student with thick, muscled arms¡ªstood to my left and right.


    ¡°The two you killed belonged to Cridia¡¯s third-most powerful and influential family.¡± Salim¡¯s voice was horse and rugged. He looked to be 50, but he was nearly 140 years old. The names of his wife, mother, and son were tattooed on his forearms as a reminder of what Lord Meruria stole from him when he was summoned 120 years ago.


    ¡°Sir Salim, they disrespected Lord Shiku!¡± Leika said, standing behind me with her sister.


    ¡°They deserve death for touching a hand upon a Soul Warrior. It is not Lord Shiku¡¯s fault.¡±


    ¡°You lost yourself in anger. We are Lord Meruria¡¯s soldiers. Killing is what we do. We protect Cridia from all threats, foreign or domestic, but she will protect us. You super-seceded her authority and took it into your own hands when your life wasn¡¯t in danger.¡±


    ¡°¡­ I understand. What is to be my punishment?¡±


    ¡°There is none.¡± Salim shifted his weight. ¡°Lord Meruria will give us a task when she returns from speaking with the head of the cier Family. Until then, we will train. Pick up your gear from the weapon rack and fight me.¡±


    We did as he asked, took our positions, and started the match. Salim¡¯s wooden spear was poised for action, but I held an advantage over Benedict and Renata because I trained extensively with a j¨­ staff in my mastery of aikido.


    I was lucky. A staff like the j¨­ staff existed here. It fit perfectly in my palms, and the memories of training rushed to the forefront of my mind.


    With each sh of our weapons, I could feel the familiar weight and bnce, my movements flowing naturally like an extension of my body.


    Salim attacked with determination, but my years of practice paid off. I smoothly parried his strikes, redirecting the force with ease. My spear became an extension of my will, guiding me in a dance of defense and offense while pressing the gaps in his iron defense. I observed Benedict and Renata fighting alongside me, their spears moving harmoniously. We fought as a cohesive unit, exploiting our unique strengths to create a formidable force.


    Benedict was stronger than me due to his thousands of hours perfecting the ancient art of cksmithing. He was considered the fifth-best free-handed smith in our original world, with enough precision to perform better than machines built for uracy. The long hours and heat affected his hair, which had fallen out before his thirteenth birthday.


    But in his job, hair would get in the way. When we first met Salim and introduced ourselves, Benedict mentioned he received a bunch of cksmithing skills. His muscles weren¡¯t for show.


    Renata was the sole daughter of our world¡¯srgest fishing conglomerate. She was also a master of spearfishing. Renata was unique in that she actively swam with her prey and speared them from inside their natural habitat, so it was easy to see why she received [Spear (Lv. 10)] off the bat. Her precision and uracy were far beyond what I could handle.


    But that was why we worked together as one. Benedict had the power, Renata had the speed, and I held a mix of both. We worked to cover the weaknesses the other shared and forced Salim into the corner. We gained the upper hand, but Salim did something new. He suddenly switched his wooden spear to one that was white and green. The tip was¡­


    It was windy.


    ¡°[Spear Gale Thrust]!¡±


    A powerful gust of wind lifted us into the air, defying gravity. For a fleeting moment, we soared weightlessly, suspended by Salim''s skill. Yet, in an incredible disy of control, he gently guided our descent, ensuring wended safely on the ground.


    ¡°Excellent¡­ Very excellent¡­ It truly amazes me to see so much potential standing before me. I cannot even begin to imagine the hardships of your world to have produced souls so strong.¡±


    ¡°That was an excellent match, Lord Shiku!¡± Laika and Leika eximed at the same time. They held hands and jumped up and down. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re sweating. Please, forgive our inexperience!¡± The two rushed from the training room and returned in five minutes with a tray of water and jam-covered bread.


    ¡°Bismih,¡± Salim said, biting into it. He sat on the floor with his legs crossed. We discovered Salim was summoned during the Seige of Baghdad during our first meeting. That urred in 1258-- if I recall, the Mongol Empire wasunching a raid. He said he was fighting against a soldier when a white light filled his vision.


    He had just be a father when the siege began. Sir Salim was in a foreign, unknown world a weekter.


    I couldn¡¯t imagine the culture shock. It took many months for Salim to understand his predicament. Salim said Lord Meruria promised to return him to his family when his life of servitude came to an end. She told us something simr-- how she could send us to any point in time or grant our wishes once we have fulfilled our duties as her Soul Warriors.


    ¡°But the spear is not for you, Benedict. It is unruly and not fit for your muscles. Renata, your motionsck conviction. You must fight as if you intend to kill your opponent. To do anything less would disrespect them. In my time, war wasmonce. You fought to protect your life and those you love.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sir Salim. I¡¯m¡­¡±


    ¡°You said you were a spearfisher?¡± Renata nodded. Salim took a sip of water. ¡°Perhaps a trident would be more in your favor? And for you¡­ I suggest a hammer. Something with a simr feel to the tools you¡¯re used to employing.¡±


    Benedict and Renata were having a difficult time adjusting to this world. They hadn¡¯t killed anything except monsters, but I didn¡¯t know if they could murder.


    If they didn¡¯t¡­Meruria¡­would probably dispose of them as she did Shuuta. And Salim knew what had urred during our second day here. He said he wasn¡¯t surprised, but Salim didn''t expand on that.


    But of the 17 summoned 60 years ago, only four were alive. Seven had ended their lives by suicide, 2 fell inbat, and the rest had tried and failed to escape from Lord Meruria¡¯s nation...


    Salim was sent to kill the deserters.


    Those four were training and helping those who needed help limating to this world.


    I didn¡¯t know why Lord Meruria assigned us Salim, but he was the oldest. And the most experienced. He was the army''s top instructor and most aplished general for a dozen years. Salim had been so efficient that Cridia''s military was perhaps the most technical and disciplined on the Western Continent.


    <i>I still haven¡¯t met any generals, captains, or other military leaders. I wonder if Meruria is keeping them away on purpose?</i>


    <hr>


    After a small lunch break, the training continued for a dozen hours. We returned to our rooms and rested, and then a servant fetched us because Meruria had returned. I followed Leika and Laika to the church¡¯s primary nave, where I saw a woman wearing the same clothes as when I first saw her.


    ¡°Ah, there you are, Shiku. Please do not worry about yesterday. I have taken care of it,¡± said Meruria. She looked over her shoulder and smiled¡­


    It was one I didn¡¯t much care for. Salim, Benedict, and Renata were already there.


    ¡°The cier Family has been punished for failing to educate their eldest son. He was drunk, acted a fool, and disregarded the explicit orders to not inconvenience our precious Soul Warriors.¡±


    ¡°What did you, Lord Meruria?¡±


    The blond-haired woman, who probably thought of herself as a goddess, merely smiled and said she sentenced the Family Elder to death.


    I saw Renata wince.


    ¡°Whatever is the problem, dear? Why do you look at me with eyes like a frightened puppy?¡±


    Before anyone could respond, the doors behind me were thrown open. We looked and saw a brown-eared woman casually walking down the aisle. She wore a suit, a white buttoned-up shirt, a red tie, two daggers on her hips, and heeled boots that echoed noisily on the marble floor.


    That woman¡­she was one who¡­did those things to Shuuta the night before that sham trial happened. But she wasn¡¯t alone. Behind her stood eight people. Six of them I knew-- they actively argued for Shuuta¡¯s continued survival, but that pale-skinned, crystal-winged woman wearing a sweater and a jacket was a stranger. Her tiara hinted she was royalty, but I didn¡¯t know if she was a queen or princess from a neighboring country. Nor did I recognize the tall, dark-skinned monk wearing orange robes and a turtle shell ne.


    ¡°Heeey! Lord Meruria! I finished the jooob!¡± The woman waved and vanished amid a sh of light, reappearing near us.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good girl, my dearest Remy¡­ Once we¡¯re finished, return to my chambers after fetching your sister. I¡¯ll be sure to give you a reward.¡± Remy¡ª the Wolffolk¡ªbounced on her feet and stood beside Lord Meruria. ¡°Now¡­ Wee back, my dearest Team Que. Ah, I¡¯ve seen you¡¯ve had the pleasure of encountering the Dark Lord of Justice. Lord Enele, how pleasant it is to see you. Since you¡¯re here, I imagine the incident with the Apival Duchy has been resolved?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, it has, Lord Meruria. The chimera is dead, the undead curse is no more, and thend will recover in time.¡± Lord Enele¡¯s voice was deep. It matched his muscled body perfectly.


    ¡°Oh! You have my greatest thanks, Lord Enele.¡± Lord Meruria¡¯s smile was¡­fake. It wasn¡¯t genuine. She then looked at Que and the others. ¡°It hasn¡¯t been three weeks since Ist saw you, my dears, but how wonderful it is to see how your eyes have hardened. And Greggie! Has your stomach thinned sincest we met? And, oh my¡­¡± Meruria narrowed her eyes and smiled like a poisonous hyena. She looked directly at the fairy-like woman, who carried a scorned look across her face.


    ¡°Everything you said was a lie¡­¡± Que spoke, the fluttering sleeves of her crimson robe dangled freely. Her eyes had changed. Her voice was¡­tense and more ustomed to battle.


    ¡°The average level wasn¡¯t 18. And it wasn¡¯t a cavern. It was a kingdom frozen in ice! Nothing you said prepared us¡ª¡±


    ¡°But it did, my Soul Warrior. That tome¡­ I detect the divine energy of a Soul Weapon. The object on your teacher¡¯s hips¡­ Is it not the storage device for her monsters? And you, the fairy¡­ Correct me if I am wrong, but you are the Fairy Queen Melusine, yes? The monarch of a cursed kingdom overcame with ice and despair. And here you are, 1,000 years after yournd became a dungeon¡ªstanding in my church after bing subservient to the monster tamer. Young teacher, you have surprised me. Maybe I should attempt to remember your name.¡± Ms. Mary winced and rubbed her arms, but Melusine supported her. ¡°Haven¡¯t you realized it, Que?¡±


    ¡°What are you getting at?! Stop speaking in riddles! Just speak clearly for once!¡±


    ¡°Then I shall dumb it down. Everything happened as I predicted it would.¡± Meruria then summarized what urred in the dungeon Team Que was sent to as punishment for arguing for Shuuta¡¯s survival. Everything she said¡ªfrom Keeth using his unique ability to mold wood into cups, to Mary using her monsters to fetch ice, to them carving the fur from leopards to make gloves to hold the ice stone, and Keeth making weapons and armor from said stone¡­


    Meruria predicted it all and hinted she sent them there to develop a will to survive. She used their hatred of her to ensure they wanted nothing more than to return. She even said there was a 90% chance of one of the six acquiring their Soul Weapon. Finding the Lore, talking to Melusine, and Mary attempting to break the world¡¯s rule and take the fairy queen out of the dungeon was all something she had predicted would happen.


    Que dropped to her knees and nervouslyughed. ¡°Everything was nned¡­from the start?¡±


    ¡°Not nned, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°Then what about the undead curse in the Apival Duchy? The chimera? Did you organize that? Did you want to make me a child killer? I...can still hear the screams...burning from the mes... I¡­killed so many. And what about Mary¡¯s pills?! Did you know about them? Did you do all this to toy with our minds even more?!¡±


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit!¡± Greggie spat. ¡°We don¡¯t believe you, Meruria. You haven¡¯t given us any reason to believe anything you say.¡±


    ¡°Shall I retrieve the bell¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ah, the bell.¡± Lord Enele cut off my summoner and approached. Heid arge hand on Que¡¯s head. Suddenly, a turtle floated from his back with a handkerchief in its mouth. It remained silent and hovered near Que, who took the cloth and wiped her eyes.


    <i>That¡¯s probably a spirit.</i>


    ¡°Lord Meruria, why would you manipte a bell that does not hold the power to detect lies?¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Team Que, myself, Benedict, and Renata all eximed. Lord Meruria had used one during Shuuta¡¯s trial, but if it wasn''t¡­


    ¡°The truth-detecting bell exists, yet only the Kingdom of Aquanis can manufacture them. We hold a detailed list of who they have been rented to, and you weren¡¯t on the list when Ist checked. Pray tell, Lord Meruria, why would you continue to y with your Soul Warriors¡¯ hearts?¡± Enele narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°So¡­ You¡­ You¡­ You rang the bell on purpose? After we thought we¡­ And¡­¡± Ami grabbed her hair and screamed after dropping to her knees.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll admit it. The bell was nothing more than just that¡ªa bell,¡± casually said Meruria. Lord Enele asked if she wanted to say more while holding his ne. She nodded, and it transformed into the scales a statue might carry outside a courthouse. He spoke in anguage I didn¡¯t understand.


    A wave of glowing light radiated from the scales, and I noticed a change in my activity log. I was under the effect of something called [Truth Field].


    ¡°The bell I used was nothing special. It was one you could find anywhere around the world. It only made noise at specific times because I used [Telekinesis]. Your feelings¡ªyour true feelings regarding the incident were true from the beginning. I made you feel antithesis to your hearts'' desires because your essences were too clean. I require powerful deterrents to frighten away all who would invade my beautiful country, so I nned and orchestrated everything. But as for what you encountered after you left the dungeon? I had no part in that. The chimera and the undead curse happened almost overnight. That¡¯s why I sent Remy to meet you. I knew Lord Enele would offer his assistance, but I didn¡¯t think he would arrive in time to meet you.¡±


    Lord Meruria dropped a bombshell. That meant the trial was rigged from the start. Que and the others never wanted Shuuta to die. And they always believed he would be a weed addition, but she manipted everything and tossed him like garbage. And she continued to infect their hearts with falsehoods designed to¡­


    Renata grabbed Benedict¡¯s hand and held it tightly. She shivered in her boots, and I heard her teeth chatter. It took all she had to not cry more than she already was.


    ¡°It was all for this reason. Que, do you not understand the power you¡¯ve gained? Mary, your unique ability to capture fragments of dungeons produced by Lore and yank them to the present is unparalleled. Keeth, I¡¯ve seen the equipment you forged. Starting from nothing and crafting armor and swords from your surroundings shows your resourcefulness. Even you, Greggie, have changed for the better. I see muscle. I see a man who, while a shade of what I desire him to be, has the potential to fulfill what I need from him. y your cards right, and you and the blue-haired singer shall be the cornerstone of my entertainment district. You¡¯ll have all the money and fans you would ever wish for. Of course, you¡¯ll still have to fight to protect and defend Cridia. But you will never want for anything ever again.¡±


    Lord Meruria said that under the effects of [Truth Field]. She¡­meant it from the heart, right? Why the dichotomy between her actions and words? What purpose did they y?! She said it was all to lead to this moment, but was that the only way to reach this point?


    Lord Enele canceled the skill. The scales returned to being a turtle shell ne sped around his thick neck.


    ¡°Are you satisfied, Lord Enele?¡±


    ¡°In a few ways. While I understand your desire to protect your country, I cannot agree with your methods.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Are you nning to intervene on a personal level?¡±


    ¡°You know I cannot do that. As the Head Arbitrator of the Kingdom of Aquanis, I must remain impartial to all matters rted to the Soul Warrior Summoning System. As long as I am the Dark Lord of Justice, I cannot participate.¡±


    ¡°Then, pray tell, Lord Enele, what are your ns?¡±


    ¡°The Lord Conference isn¡¯t for another eleven months, but I must start preparing for it. Before I leave, may I escort Que and her allies to their rooms? With your permission, of course."


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll allow that much. Do be careful about showing favoritism, Lord Enele. I wouldn¡¯t want you to be stripped of your title or position.¡±


    ¡°Neither would I. Queen Melusine, may I ask for your assistance?¡± Lord Enele turned to the fairy, who nodded. She assisted the Dark Lord of Justice and helped escort Team Que to their barracks. Before they left, Lord Meruria handed Remy six keys, and she teleported to Lord Enele and handed them to him.


    ¡°There¡¯s a mansion located four blocks away. Since I''m so impressed with their progress, I¡¯m granting them a token of my appreciation. Please enjoy my kindness and take a week to rest.¡±


    No one responded. Lord Enele left with Team Que, and I was left with new information to ponder.


    So, was Melusine a queen? I knew what dungeons and Lore were. Salim had taken us to one on our fourth day here to get our feet wet. But removing the basis of what would be the boss from the dungeon? Wouldn¡¯t that have drastic effects? If it worked the way I thought, no one couldplete the dungeon after its boss was captured.


    What kind of trouble would that bring?


    Lord Meruria still seemed pleased. Although maybe it was because she was petting Remy¡¯s head between the ears. Her brown wolf-like tail had been wagging non-stop.


    No one knew what she was thinking. It was clear she nned many steps in advance.


    ¡°Please forgive me for that interruption, Team Salim. I did not predict they would return so soon. Now, as for your mission¡­¡±


    <hr>


    After getting our mission from Meruria, we were ordered to investigate the remains of a fire that had broken out a few hours away. This was but another task to help dip our feet into this world. We left right away and spent four hours traveling. We stopped for the night and made camp.


    Salim knew a skill to hold items in a separate dimension called [Hammer Space]. A portable forge, furnace, tools, camping gear, a grill, and cooking equipment were resting inside.


    While we ate our campfire-cooked meal, discussion naturally arose.


    ¡°Hhmph! That Que person needs to watch her tone.¡±


    ¡°I agree, Laika. If she wasn¡¯t a valued Soul Warrior, I¡¯d ask Lord Meruria for permission to kill her. How dare she be so rude to our lord? And that fat one¡­ Wouldn¡¯t you like to roast him over a fire?¡±


    ¡°Why¡­are you talking like that?¡± asked Renata. She held a trident in her hand. Before we departed, Salim had found and gifted new weapons to Renata and Benedict. They were more suited to them, and he had a shield for thetter to wield.


    ¡°Because Lord Meruria is our lord. She rules Cridia, and we are obligated to obey her.¡±


    ¡°We cannot disrespect her. Lord Meruria requires our full attention.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s merciful enough to grant the Barkwood family one more chance at redemption. We¡¯ve failed her in the past, but that won¡¯t happen again.¡± The sisters turned to me. ¡°Please, ask us to do anything for you, and it shall get done, Lord Shiku!¡± said the two simultaneously.


    ¡°Okay. But don¡¯t disrespect our allies. Que is fighting her own way. For some of us, it¡¯s difficult,¡± I said. ¡°We were taken away from what we knew and thrown into an unknown situation. Everyone handles their stress differently.¡±


    ¡°Lord Shiku is so wise, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°The wisest Soul Warrior of them all, Laika!¡± The two grabbed my food out of my hands, ced my fingers between their tails, and fed me. ¡°And he must be warm. We cannot let him be cold!¡±


    ¡°Hehe.¡± Renata giggled, showing a sh of life for the first time in days. This new world was especially hard for her. While I wasn¡¯t close with her at Mekka Academy, I knew enough of her to be acquaintances. It was the same with Benedict, and I mostly spent time with Tokko and the others.


    I¡­


    No. Any thoughts I held about the matter had to remain with me.


    ¡°Hhmph. This girl isughing at us, Laika.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps we should punish her? While we are obligated to serve Lord Shiku, Lord Meruria wouldn¡¯t mind it if we¡ª¡±


    ¡°No punishing.¡± Laika and Leika changed their tunes immediately. Renata couldn¡¯t constrain herughter and expressed her feelings about the absurd situation.


    I looked at Salim and noticed a soft smile across his experienced, wrinkled face while Laika and Leika ¡®argued¡¯ with Renata. I had seen enough to know they had nned this thing to lighten our hearts. Yes, they were ordered to serve me, but my maids were kind. I knew they wanted to look after us all.


    Besides, this wasn¡¯t the first time they had made Renataugh to help cheer her up. And it wouldn¡¯t be thest.


    The two cared about us.


    ¡°It is strange,¡± Sir Salim whispered, speaking from a prior trauma. ¡°When I arrived, I wanted to return. I felt it all to be a dream. But ending one''s life is a grave sin in Im. Yet I risked angering Ah if it meant seeing my family once more. But then I acquired this power¡­ It warmed my soul to help. I want my family to be proud of me. And so, I act as if my son is here, watching me. I will make him proud. He''s my source of joy."


    ¡°I¡­don¡¯t have anyone waiting for me. No one worth worrying about.¡± I silently told Salim about my past and murderous father who forced me to kill. There were several hundred years between Salim¡¯s time and mine. The technology we had¡ªthe foundation of our world¡¯s progression as a Darwinistic society focusing on the strong eating the weak to grow more powerful couldn¡¯t have made sense to him.


    But he prayed for me to find sce. He was a religious man. Even aftering here, he strived to follow the Five Pirs of Im. Salim said Lord Meruria thought it foolish to pray to someone who wasn¡¯t her, yet she allowed him that much freedom.


    Salim was gentle. Hepassionately spoke and said he''d look out for me. I was an adult at 19, but knowing that he cared?


    It helped.


    I really wanted to tell him about my thoughts on Shuuta, my cowardice at being unable to speak up, and my¡­heroic worship of Tokko.


    I¡­didn¡¯t want him to hate me. I needed him...


    But how could I face him when I was so scared of receiving his disappointment? It was a long shot, but what if a portal to the void was my fate after letting my feelings known?


    I was a coward.


    I had always been one.


    And I¡¯d probably die one, too.

 Chapter Sixty-Nine: Naval Battle & Landfall

    Chapter Sixty-Nine: Naval Battle & Landfall


    It all happened in the sh of an eye. Captain Caulk stood near the helmsman, chatting about the stragglers they rescued. Things about them didn¡¯t make much sense, but the proud Hawkfolk was no stranger to survival. The small holes in their story mattered little when it was clear they fought and struggled to live. They were refugees from a neighboring country with direct experience with what happened on that horrible day. Even a part of him wondered if they could shed light on that mysterious announcement¡ª one that sent shivers of fear into the hearts of him and his soldiers since it seemed like a great god was speaking to the soul of every man, woman, and child.


    Unfortunately for the morale of his crew, he was stuck with more mouths to feed. A vocal minority had problems because their supplies were already stretched thin. Plymoise usually acquired food from Ria¡¯s dock since they were so close to each other. That path was sealed off weeks ago when their Holy Lord shut down the dungeon. They turned to the other city-states to fill the ck, but the terms weren''t favorable. And then they were hastily mobilized to investigate Ria with a supply hold not even 1/10th enough for the number of warriors stationed on his vessel.


    <i>There''s no better way to destroy a town than to cut away its life support. I¡¯ll never understand what that foolish lord was thinking. Her fatuousness begets trouble for those who rely on Ria. She¡¯ll have problems getting others to trust her in the future.</i>


    But with an order from his hawk-like mouth, his men had no choice but to make the necessary sacrifices and cut back even further on their food. Even the captain did the same, choosing two days with an empty stomach for the sake of his soldiers. Towing the vessel dyed the return. It held supplies he would have used had its crew been dead or empty. However, if things worsened, he would have no choice but to use the food it held to make up the difference.


    But it looked like that wouldn¡¯t happen. By Captain Caulk''s estimate, they were expected to reach Plymoise¡¯s dock before noon.


    <i>Twelve hours... Half-a-day... Let us hope the chaos from that mysterious voice has been contained.</i>


    ¡°Captain, the fog¡¯s been thick for the past two days.¡±


    ¡°I can see that. We aren¡¯t in the rainy reason.¡±


    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s a bad omen, sir? With everything that¡¯s happened in the past week, it¡¯s hard to think of it as anything but that. Almost like the world is about to tumble around us.¡±


    ¡°I suppose you¡¯re not wrong to think like that. I can¡¯t me you. Perhaps we all need a week¡¯s worth of rest? I¡¯ll discuss it with the rulingdy when we arrive. The other ships should be ready to be christened. The Mengoire has done its duties faithfully. It needs to be examined extensively.¡±


    ¡°Understood, captain. I could go for a cup of mead. Or even a ham hock. Marinated and roasted over honey? Doesn¡¯t that make you hungry?¡±


    Before Captain Caulk could respond, disaster struck.


    ¡°CAPTAIN!!!!!! LOOK TO THE PORT AND STARBOARD!!!! There¡¯s mana coalescing!!!!¡±


    From high on the crow¡¯s nest came a frantic report. Captain Caulk instantly looked to the left and right, and not a momentter, the hazy, thick fog that was so prevalent the previous days slowly thinned, revealing two Concordian-ss battleships. They were smaller and nimbler, with just two masts instead of three,pared to the Mengoire.


    Time slowed to a crawl when the captain looked at the g the ships flew.


    It matched the one disyed on Captain Caulk¡¯s vessel. But the second rectangle was filled with orange, indicating that these ships were from Atrix¡ªanother city-state of Parthina-- and one embattled in a cold war with Plymoise.


    It seemed that the war had turned hot.


    As rehearsed a thousand times before, the captain immediately barked orders, telling everyone to assume battle positions. Those in the canteen enjoying theirte-night dinner dropped everything to put their training into action. The cannons on both sides were loaded in minutes. Those of the mage battalion were weaving their protective spells to protect against iing damage. The archers were gathering arrows and dumping the tips in oil.


    Captain Caulk took his elite squad and flew to the crow¡¯s nest, keeping a sharp eye until he heard the ready signal.


    And once he did, he lifted his hand and waited, not wanting to be the one who attacked first. If possible, he¡¯d like to end this in peace. Using a spell to enhance his voice, he called out to the approaching ships and demanded they return to whence they came. They were viting Plymoise territory by being here.


    ¡°Captain, there¡¯s no response. I see sailors on the <i>doif </i>preparing their chainshots. I rmend¡ª¡± Dyltol, Caulk¡¯s right-hand man, was interrupted by enemy cannon fire.


    And then the fight was on. The mage battalion created a barrier barely in time to block the initial barrage. It bounced like rubber hitting a wall, but the ship was still pushed away. The light blue protective shield went down momentarily to allow the <i>Mengoire¡¯s </i>crew a chance to return fire. Being a Craine-ship battleship designed with military specifications, it had twelve cannons on each side of the deck and twelve more on the mid-level.


    A total of 48-- 24 per side.


    The <i>Mengoire </i>fired a salvo once it was in position. The dense balls of lead mostly missed their targets, but a few made solid contact. The archers all fired a load of arrows, their ming tips igniting the night sky, but a wave of wind magic from the doif sent them scattering while the <i>Mengoire¡¯s </i>crew reloaded.


    An iing wave of [Homing Bolt]unched from the <i>Finy </i>zigzagged around the sky, destroying <i>Mengoire¡¯s </i>chance to let loose a second volley. The shields had toe up, but they were toote. The colorless spells exploded on the ship¡¯s deck. Four men were sted overboard, but there was no time to extend a lifejacket or rope because the shields were needed.


    Captain Caulk cursed this turn of events as the iing cannons from the <i>Finy </i>and the <i>Validoif </i>fired a collective attack of twenty-four cannonballs and sixteen explosive balls. That was enough to break through the mage battalion¡¯s defenses, causing the fourteen members to fall to their hands and knees. Blood leaked from their pores, but another wave of [Homing Bolt] wasing in fast!


    Those bastards had time to prepare a staggered attack. Even if they were smaller, the two ships were full of supplies. As it stood, the <i>Mengoire </i>only had enough armaments tounch another handful of cannons.


    ¡°BRACE FOR IMPACT!!!!¡± Captain Caulk shouted, holding onto the mast. Forty-two spells mmed into the ship where it met the water. The engineers in the hold immediately focused on patching and de-flooding, but the fight didn¡¯t look favorable for the captain. He formed a fist tight enough to break through his armored gloves, then figured a closebat battle would be the safer belt. Only he and his squad could fly, so theynded on the deck and grabbed the first officer. They weremanding the medics to fetch all their mana potions.


    But before he could cough away the firesalts¡¯ lingering scents and bark out what would likely be his final orders...


    That High Elf he rescued¡­ The one who killed the pirates¡­


    <i>She </i>was standing on the deck-- amid the fire, mes, and chaotic discourse.


    <hr>


    <i>There are two attacking ships, my lord.</i>


    Tris¡¯s voice echoed around my head as I rushed through the ship to get to the deck. She remained with Mom and the others and telepathicallymunicated with me.


    ¡°Hey¡ªHey!!! You can¡¯t-- Aaahhhh!!!!!¡± Some deckhand tried to stop me, but an impact threw us to the ground. Standing, I dashed away and equipped my guns as I leapt over a fallen beam. The stairs to the deck were right there. The smell of firesalts lingered in the thick, sooty air. I was immune to fire, but not the ashy, burnt smell. Captain Caulk¡¯s soldiers rushed to reload the cannons while helping a group of passed-out mages.


    But I stood there for a moment, taking in the hectic atmosphere.


    This was war.


    It had to have been.


    Atrix and Plymoise? Tris told me the attacking country¡¯s name, but my Fragment of Wisdom didn¡¯t know their history. But this couldn¡¯t have been anything else but an ambush.


    How foolish...


    ¡°Surtr. Your lord needs you.¡±


    ¡°I was biding my time awaiting yourmand,¡± Surtr growled, emerging beside me.


    ¡°Show me what you can do. I desire to see your power,¡± I said, leaping to its back.


    Instead of replying, Surtr roared and started running. The great beast leapt into the water, but we did not sink because ice formed under its paws. But then we ascended as ming tforms appeared under Surtr¡¯s paws. Once we were high enough, my lion roared and gathered mana in its mouth. The air trembled, vibrating against the great power. Surtrunched a beam of pure fire across the <i>doif¡¯s </i>deck, mming into the protective barrier. The group of barrier mages contorting their faces in agony passed out. Blood flowed from their lips and eyes as it looked like invisible ss shattered. The stationary mes fell to the deck, causing chaos.


    I pulled my rifle and took aim while Surtr dodged the iing arrows and spells. This variant of the Winchester Model 1873 didn''t have a scope, but [Eyes of the Huntress] and [Deadeye] kicked in. It was like I unlocked another function of the former, which gave my eyes a 2x zoom. My experience from Reina, the skill obtained from [Firearm], and [Deadeye], made me enough of a marksman to pick off heads at 200 feet with the naked eye while constantly moving on a dodging, jumping lion.


    <i>The gun works like a dream... It¡¯s so perfect... It feels just right. I wonder if Reina is responsible for that?</i>


    Panicked soldiers rushed out onto the deck with buckets full of water, but they became intimate with death a momentter. Through the smoke and chaos, a cannon on the <i>Finy </i>turned my way. Tris ryedmands to Surtr, who performed evasive maneuvers. Meanwhile, I gathered [Fireball] around my hand and threw it into the cannon, exploding the firesalts and causing the weapon to fall through the deck.


    <i>Tris¡¯smands areing inte¡­and my map is stuttering¡­ I wonder if that¡¯s because she¡¯s on cooldown? At least her skills are still functional¡­ There must be a way to increase her processing powers to prevent this. Will it happen if she evolves again?</i>


    Surtr went left, then right. The lion dashed straight to the water and ran along the surface, doing and outrunning homing magic with the evasiveness the king of the jungle was meant to have. Leaping thrice to reach 320 feet in the air, I gripped its body with my legs, quickly reloaded, and sent four more foolish bastards on the <i>doif </i>to hell.


    The chaos a High Elf and her lion caused meant all the attention was on us. Tris informed me Captain Caulk was using this breath of fresh air to regroup and issue orders, which I saw in a separate map window she had made.


    It was already chaotic, so why not do more? Stashing the gun on my back, I yed Susize¡¯s flute while leaping from Surtr¡¯s back. The melody I yed was hauntingly eerie, foreshadowing a parade of death, fire, and brimstone. When it ended four secondster, great, grand, royal ck wings with red energy-like pulsing veins appeared.


    <i>My lord, there is a third ship approaching from the north. The </i>Durely<i> is flying Atrix¡¯s g. What are your orders?</i> Tris¡¯s voice echoed in my head. I looked towards the prismatic pir of light she used to mark it.


    It flickered in and out and couldn¡¯t remain stable.


    ¡°I see soldiers on borrowed time. Surtr, take them out. Leave no survivors."


    Surtr roared and took off running. My rifle transformed into Kronto. I activated {Lightning Dive}. Yellow sparks danced around me, forming a barrier as I suddenlyunched towards the <i>doif </i>like lightning. The hull stood no chance as I carved a hole to the ocean. With {Lightning Jump}, I pierced upward through the deck, bing surrounded by a few soldiers still worth their salt. The spear vanished, a revolver taking its ce. Six shots rang out when I fanned the hammer, striking the closest Snakefolk in center mass. His armor was durable, but I flew out of range of his spear¡¯s retaliation while reloading.


    Morale was low. It was as clear as anything. From a two-ship advantage under the cover of an ambush, Atrix''s hard work to take out the Mengoire was pathetic. As I was now, these small fries were like ants.


    The strength from assimting Oswell¡¯s bounty-hunting group showed its form. But it was also my new mindset. I couldn¡¯t sustain from acquiring power. Fighting? I had to embrace it.


    I didn¡¯t even need to reload six rounds. Three were enough, and I put them into the cowering soldier hiding underneath a corpse near the helm. His cries shocked the Snakefolk. During that moment, I switched my rifle, transfigured Kronto as a bay, and ran the slithering bastard through, bypassing his weakened armor. His blood dripped to my hands, and I threw his corpse off my spear.


    Suddenly, my mana dropped by sixty percent as five ming pentagons appeared around the <i>Durely</i>. From this great distance, their screams and fruitless panic reached my ears. Surtr roared once more, and the pentagons turned into ming pirs. They twisted like a tornado, conjoining into one destructive force that tore the ship apart while scorching the ocean¡¯s surface. It rampaged wildly out of control, consuming those who thought they could escape by throwing themselves overboard.


    Tris¡¯s voice appeared, telling me the <i>Mengoire </i>was about tounch a countervolley against the <i>Finy</i>. Numerous loud explosions a breathter confirmed her words. She opened a small window in my vision of the captain and his Hawkfolk elite squad flying to the vessel. They all had their great swords out and skewered the soldiers trying to repair damage to their vessel. I had wings. It seemed simple and effective, so I altered my strategy. pping my wings, I moved away from the ship and charged at the fools dumb enough to put up a fight. It was like shish kebab. Head? Heart? Torso? Stomach? It didn¡¯t matter where I impaled them because I was too agile for them to hit.


    Once their blood stained my hands, and I had left a graveyard¡¯s worth of corpses behind, I descended into the hold aftermanding Tris to mark this ship¡¯s captain. The passage was damp from the water flooding at the bottom, and everything was broken or shattered from my piercing dive. The captain was huddling in his office, using his axe to break through so he could escape with his life.


    But he stopped¡ªno, they all stopped when I let my oppressive mana loose. It was like a thick haze of visible despair drenched the ship, overpowering their senses and reminding them of their darkest nightmares.


    The terror on their faces...


    I doubted they ever thought the fight would turn out like this.


    No one put up a struggle, and it was as easy as dodging from person to person and thrusting my spear through their hearts, piercing their pathetic armor, or slicing and using the tip to slit their necks¡ªalmost skin to stabbing fish in a barrel. All those standing before me or cowering were killed like the gutless trash they were as drops of slime quickly devoured the bodies. The captain wetted himself after I kicked down the door once assimtion had been hastilypleted.


    I couldn¡¯t do it above deck, but below?


    That was fine.


    <i>GGGRRROOOOAAANNNNNNNNN!!!!</i>


    The ship cried. With the damage I inflicted, Surtr¡¯s me attack, and the chaos, this ship wouldn''t survive much longer. Another loud set of booms hinted at the <i>Mengoire </i>firing a second salvo towards the <i>Finy</i>.


    Before I knew it, I was slightly smirking. My wings spread open, pping fast and hard tounch me like a rocket through the ship''s stern. I skewered the Duckfolk captain of the <i>doif </i>on my spear like a chunk of fresh meat. His screams were endless. I let him watch destruction incarnate. Grabbing him by the neck, I used [Chimeric Armatization] with [Fire Rain] to cause a drenching downpour of pure fire. In almost no time at all, the ship was almostpletely engulfed. The mes must¡¯ve hit a stockpile of firesalts because it exploded a secondter, marking the end of this vessel.


    Tris opened a map window of Captain Caulk. He and his warriors were inbat with a one-eyed Silver Orc¡ªthe captain of the <i>Finy</i>¡ª and his bodyguards. Morale and excitement were not on his side.


    And neither were the rest of his soldiers. One coward snuck up from behind and stabbed the Silver Orc through the neck, allowing Caulk to cleave off the orc¡¯s arm with [Jump sh]. The rest of Atrix¡¯s soldiers revolted against their othermanding officers, bringing a rapid end as the <i>Mengoire </i>prepared its final salvo. The <i>Finy </i>had fourteen holes right where the water met the hull, but she was still sea-worthy at the moment.


    Surtr returned to me a few secondster, and I showered the beast in affection and praise. We rode back to the <i>Mengoire </i>together, where I was met with fear and skepticism. To answer their burning question, I yed my flute. The wings reverted, and I exined [Song Magic] and [Flight]¡ªmy two lies that allowed me to grow wings and fly without tipping people off about my chimerism.


    ¡°So, no. I am not a chimera. I am a High Elf known as Lyudm Springfield. Nothing more, and nothing else.¡±


    Then, and only then, was I met with a proper round of apuse and cheering. Surtr soaked it up, roaring like a king.


    Captain Caulk returned a few minutester with a gaggle of prisoners and a barely floating vessel. I told him the same thing I told his men, and I could see that his guard and anxious expression were put to rest.


    ¡°What do you think we should do, Lord Springfield? At times like this, I value the aged wisdom from a High Elf such as yourself.¡± Captain Caulk and I were watching his Hawkfolk soldiers escort over the prisoners. The <i>Finy </i>had about forty more minutes before it sank to a watery abyss, but a few engineers were working hard to keep it floating.


    ¡°Kill them. That¡¯s my choice. Anyone who attacks my family will die. If that ship¡¯s crew didn¡¯t want this fight, they should have mutinied earlier.¡±


    ¡°Agreed. But I cannot do that. Atrixmitted a grave error tonight. As such... I must take them into custody and alert the rulingdy. More than ever, I will need your testimony to the truth. Allow me to thank you and apologize. Without your excellent aim and powerful spirit, I regret to say that they would have gotten the better of us. But you are our guest. You shed blood in our defense.¡±


    ¡°My family¡¯s aboard this ship. Those onis? That girl in the hat? The cyclops and Catfolk? They¡¯re the only ones I have in this world. If you had tried to stop me from joining the fight, we would be standing on different sides.¡±


    ¡°Spoken like a true warrior, Lord Springfield. I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±


    ¡°Surtr.¡±


    ¡°Lord Springfield?¡± My lion turned from the praise and looked deadly serious, awaiting any order I might have wanted to give. It wasforting to have something like it on my side. Even if it towered over me by a good two feet, I wasn''t taking its strength and loyalty for granted.


    ¡°Remain on deck to keep watch over the prisoners. You have my permission to scare and keep them in line, but you are not to eat them unless they attack first.¡±


    ¡°Understood, Lord Springfield,¡± roared my lion.


    I asked Captain Caulk if that was eptable, and he nodded. ¡°By the by, what are your ns with that one? Was he not themander of¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh, I forgot about him,¡± I said, dropping the Duckfolk captain like a pile of bricks. Captain Caulk¡¯s warriors forced the Duckfolk to his feet and pped a pair of restraints around him. ¡°Do what you want. I don¡¯t care. You already know what I would¡¯ve done. I want to return to my family, so please handle things here.¡±


    Captain Caulk nodded, then thanked me and Surtr once more. But the overwhelming praise didn¡¯te from only him.


    When I returned below deck and passed by the mess hall, word of my exploits had already spread. It looked like they wanted to pat me on the back, but no one dared to touch me.


    If I were an elf, then maybe. But High Elf? Even a king or queen would think twice about touching one without any discernible good reason.


    <i>Maybe that¡¯s enough reason to remain one¡­ I wonder if it¡¯ll do more harm than good to masquerade as a normal elf?</i>


    This victory wasn¡¯t without fatalities, though. Seven crew members perished before Surtr and I made it to the deck, and eight more passed after being thrown overboard by attacks they couldn¡¯t defend against. They panicked, swam too close to the ship, and were effectively run over. Their corpses were currently being recovered.


    Was I sad?


    No, I didn¡¯t think I was. I only fought because my family was on board. After finally making my way through the happy crew, I opened the door to our room and found myself in Irisa¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Are you injured?¡± Dad asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, but what about you? Tris kept me informed, but...¡±


    It turned out they didn¡¯t suffer any damage. The moment I left, their guardian lions emerged, smaller than they were previously, and guarded them. Tris didn¡¯t have the spare processing power to show them a live view of my battle.


    I was thankful for that... I had fought brutally and without mercy, although Tris telepathically told me she wouldn¡¯t have disyed the battle even if her capabilities were restored because she knew I didn¡¯t want that.


    It turned out that fighting on lion back with a western rifle was not amon sight, especially for a High Elf¡ªmuch less one with [Song Magic] and [Flight] to disguise her chimerism. Irisa was almost back to her happy, smiling self. The pain of taking life wouldn¡¯t be eliminated from her heartpletely.


    And maybe that was for the better. Once you crossed that line, it could never be uncrossed. You couldn¡¯t change the past, no matter what you did. I just hoped Irisa wouldn¡¯t let the nightmares fester.


    As for me? My time for nightmares was long gone. You could say my actions tonight were to reassure myself on this path I needed to travel.


    And there was no chance in hell I was going to give up.


    Whatever made me a chimera... It had to deal with the consequences.


    I didn¡¯t give a fuck about that barrier that was supposedly weakening. Why would I when the only desire on my mind was to turn Cridia into a hotbed of death and mes?


    It didn''t take long for exhaustion to reach my family. They soon drifted to sleep. The lions went to their bracelets, and Primrose returned to her core to lessen the stress on Niva.


    Tris apologized for her ck of adequate service'' due to her cooldown and continued to pray to me.


    I told Tris she didn¡¯t have to apologize. Her help was instrumental, which made her blush.


    ¡°Mistress? You¡¯re silent. Are you okay?¡± Niva¡¯s sweet voice jolted me from a hasty daydream a few minutester.


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m fine. Just a little dream.¡± I fished for her hand and held it, then watched aggy image of Surtr scaring the living shit out of those terrified prisoners. They were forced to sit on the deck with their hands and legs bound with chains. Only those seriously in danger of death received minimal healing. ¡°I love you, Niva. I just wanted you to know that.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t say I felt sorry for them.


    I wanted to assimte more, so most of the dead were wasted potential power that was sinking to the ocean¡¯s bottom.


    That was fine, though, since this was the beginning of a new chapter of my life. Once we reachednd, it would be a new country with a new culture. A fresh start for me, and I knew my immediate ns. I knew what I was going to do to get stronger.


    Hopefully, Sekh would be there right beside me.


    And Tilde, too. Dayster, there was no sign she was even close to returning to my life.


    ¡°Hehe! I love you too, Mistress!¡± Niva¡¯s precious smile was all I needed at the moment.


    <hr>


    When dawn rolled around, I walked to the deck, bypassing soldiers drunk onst night¡¯s victory. The prisoners were all restrained to one area, and they sat back-to-back, foot to foot, and they all had dark ck bags over their heads with gags fastened in their mouths. Captain Caulk stood near the bow, a spyss held to his eye. Hearing my footsteps, he turned and weed me good morning.


    <i>I wonder if there''s an equivalent to the Geneva Conventions? Probably not.</i>


    He said we had a good windst night, so we were expected to arrive at port in about two hours. The men he left behind to repair the Finy were scheduled to show up six hourster with the captured boat. Nodding, I rubbed the grand king of the jungle under its chin. Surtr gave me a quick report ofst night.


    ¡°Good work. If you¡¯re tired, you can return your bracelet. If not, remain on deck.¡±


    ¡°Understood, Lord Springfield.¡± Surtr nodded itsrge head and yawned, enjoying the morning sun against its back. But its ming, red eyes never let the prisoners out of sight.


    As for me? I went back to our room and spent some time with my family. Dad was up, so I picked his brain. I tried to get his help to figure out more of the Latinnguage. It seemed we had to first identify the primary subject-- the element-- before we moved on to any modifiers, but learning anguage was difficult. One from an entirely different world? Bordering on impossible, especially if you didn''t have anything to decipher.


    Tris joined in, devoting 80% of her resources while using the remaining to watch for danger via [Skyview]. It meant halting production, but that was fine since I had over a hundred revolver and rifle rounds. We had too little to use to start decoding it, but it wouldn¡¯t hurt to try.


    Mom and Irisa attempted to help, and Niva was lost. Primrose wasn¡¯t linguistically gifted, and my [Schr¡¯s Tongue] wouldn¡¯t work since Latin wasn¡¯t from this world.


    The only ones who could realistically help me were my former teacher and Que, but that wasn''t an option. Those sons of bitches were dead the next time I saw them. Growing annoyed, I cast their names out of my mind and spent the remaining time helping Niva practice [Mana Perception].


    <i>Well, that¡¯s not true. I can giarize other mages if I level the skill enough. That¡¯s an option. I must get enough SP to buy it¡­ It¡¯s so expensive.</i>


    About two hourster, the captain knocked at our door and said the dock to Plymoise¡¯s ministry building was within view. We joined him on the deck, seeing the harbor reserved for government business. The building itself reminded me of a congressional structure¡ªalmost like the congress building the United States had, but it was also the rulingdy¡¯s personal estate.


    And green. It was...just so very green...


    ¡°You don¡¯t need all of us there, do you? Will myself, Tris, and Surtr be enough?¡± I asked the captain. ¡°My family has emergency business to take care of.¡±


    ¡°That will not be a problem. Dyltol!¡±


    ¡°Sir?¡±


    ¡°Fly ahead and request a carriage to be prepared at once.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Dyltol saluted, got a running start, lept off the ship''s bow, and took flight, pping his wings.


    ¡°When I¡¯m finished here, I¡¯ll catch up to you, okay?¡± I told my family.


    Mom and Dad thanked Captain Caulk. Surtr inquired if it should return to my bracelet, and I nodded.


    ¡°Very well. Call upon me whenever you please, Lord Springfield. I look forward to spilling the blood of your enemies,¡± growled Surtr. It almost looked like its face had a smile.

 Intermission – Quella – My Sin to Hold (Illustrations!)

    Intermission ¨C Que ¨C My Sin to Hold (Illustrations!)


    The mansion Meruria had set aside for us was the very definition of luxury¡ªa wealth of expense stacked on top of opulent grossness. From the marble statues of herself that lined the entry hall to the life-sized paintings that disgustingly decorated the walls in our rooms, Meruria was everywhere.


    It was a reminder-- she was always watching¡ªthat we were...owned by her until our deaths.


    Lord Enele stayed for a few hours after escorting us¡ªto ensure we were okay to be alone. He was a kind man. And Kaiho was somehow even gentler. He swam to each of us and let us hold and pet him in ourps¡ªalmost acting as an emotional support animal. And Lord Enele offered his ears.


    As we talked, the words just flooded out. But¡­neither of us said anything about Shuuta. He had asked since the name came up in the Apival Duchy, but I said he passed away during our second day.


    He looked into my eyes and nodded, hinting that he wouldn¡¯t press the issue. Before he left, he cooked us a meal his mother had often made for him as a child.


    It was a soup filled with corn, peas, and fish.


    It was delicious.


    The Dark Lord of Justice chatted about his life while we ate. Lord Enele discussed his training and hard work and how he met Holy Lord Sajun 377 years ago. Sajun was a teenager. One with a deep fascination with portals. He was so dedicated to it that he spent all day and night invested in his research that he caught the attention of the local baron.


    But a few things went wrong. Lord Enele didn¡¯t exin it all, but there were mistakes in the spell that caused an incident with the neighboring country. That led to a war, and Lord Enele was called to arbitrate the discussion. He said he wouldn¡¯t have thought much of it, but Sajun was so determined to prove that he was sabotaged that Lord Enele felt he had to dig deeper.


    And he did, eventually uncovering foul y organized by the invading country, who had used a spy to alter the catalysts Sajun had used. The meeting ended with the ruler of the invading country trying to kill Sajun for his notes, but Enele handled it, using his status as the Dark Lord of Justice to judge the criminals against their crimes.


    And he had dered them guilty when sentencing them to death. He said it happened quick and painless¡ªlike a puppet master cutting their marite¡¯s strings.


    Lord Enele gradually helped Sajun throughout the next sixty years until he had evolved into a Holy Lord. The rest was history¡­


    Until he passed away in an ident 223 years ago. ording to the diary entry, Meruria rose to power two weekster. So¡­ Meruria was probably 250 years old.


    But Lord Enele ended the story there because it was time for him to leave.


    It was close to 7 PM, and we chatted and took Lord Enele¡¯s words to heart. We decided to implement a rule: we were to be each other¡¯s support systems. If you have a problem or worry about anything, speak up. You never harbored anything inside for too long because that was how you fostered regrets.


    Communication was the cornerstone of why we worked so well with each other. Team Que was best friends with Team Que. We were nearly inseparable after what we endured.


    But Remy and her lord were cruel.


    It had happened in the middle of night¡ªafter we had showered, bathed, and spent a few more minutes checking on each other before we set off for our rooms.


    Meruria even¡­managed to fill our dressers with clothes, underwear, socks, and shoes. I picked a shirt and a pair of pants, and then, instead of using thevish bed, I chose to sit on the floor, hugging my knees while leaning against it because I didn¡¯t want to sleep. The nightmares... I was tired of them. I hadn¡¯t had a decent night¡¯s rest since Shuuta¡¯s death, and at this point, the terrors would probably be all I¡¯d know until my death.


    ¡°Ugh... Can you leave me alone?¡± I asked when I saw a spark of light in the corner of the room. ¡°Meruria said she¡¯d give us a week to rest. I know she¡¯s a liar, but she seriously can¡¯t act like a good summoner for once in her life?¡±


    ¡°Good evening to you too, Cutie Qutie,¡± Remy said, emerging through the portal. She sat beside me and stretched. ¡°Yes, Lord Meruria¡¯s giving you a week¡¯s rest. But you can still work during a sabbatical.¡±


    ¡°No, you can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°If Lord Meruria says you can, then you can. Hey, your boobs are pretty big, you know that?¡±


    Instantly, I covered my chest and shuffled away, but Remyughed.


    ¡°Nah, you¡¯re not my type. But I was spying when you all took a bath? Hey, did you know Elly and Ami took one together? And Melusine and your teacher did the same. Didn¡¯t exactly pick them out to be lesbians, but you¡¯ll be happy to know Greggie and Keeth aren¡¯t homosexual. Also¡­ The fat bastard is packing a real sausage between his legs. Let him lose a few dozen hundred pounds, and I might even ask Lord Meruria to let me take him as my husband. Keeth¡¯s smaller than I would¡¯ve liked, but he has a cute, youthful vibe. With his skills, he can probably make one hell of a fuck toy. I might even ask him.¡±


    ¡°Do you seriously have nothing better to do than invade our privacy?! Goddamn it... Why are you¡ª¡±


    ¡°Nothing better?¡± Remy grinned and showed her teeth. She stood, grabbed my hands, and escorted me through another portal. We emerged in a prison, standing opposite a holding cell filled with people.


    ¡°You¡¯re to be their executioner,¡± she said, leaning against the wall. I obviously declined and refused.


    ¡°Lord Meruria has granted your team a break. She won¡¯t assign you any time-consuming missions.¡±


    ¡°Then what the hell is this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a reward. Killing grants experience, which unlocks new forms of your Soul Weapon. And this? It¡¯s like fishing in a barrel. Criminals destined to die have been collected¡ªjust for you. The people you see here won¡¯t live past next week. So, you¡¯re going to kill them. If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll fetch Elly Belly and the rest, and I¡¯ll order them to do it in your stead. But you won¡¯t let that happen, will you? You¡¯re the glue that holds Team Que together¡ªthe nail that binds the seven of you. Why don¡¯t you show me that in action? And don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t ever have you kill someone innocent.¡± She had then leaned in close and whispered. ¡°You can leave those to me, Cutie Qutie.¡±


    ¡°But just think about it.¡± Remy turned around and backflipped away on her hands. ¡°Have you asked yourself why you¡¯re in this position? Why you¡¯re not lusting your brains out like Damon, who¡¯s been enjoying his harem non-stop? It¡¯s because he has Lord Meruria¡¯s favor. He¡¯s a loyal subject. He¡¯s never failed a mission. But you, Elly, and the others chose to cast your favor with someone who never deserved to breathe the same air as our lord. If I remember, you spoke first. You were the catalyst. I just said you were Team Que¡¯s glue, but I was speaking literally. If you crumble¡­or show any fault or weakness, then¡­ Well, you can imagine the oue. A team leader must be strong. A leader must protect their team.¡±


    She had been right.


    I¡­had to protect them¡­ Besides¡­


    They were only in this situation because I had spoken up to defend Shuuta. I was the catalyst. If I had kept my mouth shut¡­we¡­wouldn¡¯t have been punished.


    We wouldn¡¯t have had our emotions toyed with.


    ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful when you¡¯re crying. But tears can¡¯t change the past. If you¡¯re regretting your actions, then that¡¯s too damn bad. You¡¯re stuck with the hand you picked for yourself.¡±


    ¡°Regret? No¡­ I can¡¯t regret it,¡± I said, looking at Remy. Remorse would mean that it was all for nothing¡ªthat¡­ That¡­


    Wanting to save someone about to die would never be a mistake. I refused to believe it.


    Because if I¡­let weakness convince me to believe it was regretful¡­


    ¡°You say that now,¡± Remy replied. ¡°But we¡¯ll see how you feel in a few months. Now, if I¡¯m not mistaken, you have a job to do.¡± She waved her hands at the screaming prisoners, but no noise had escaped their lips. [Mana Perception] confirmed a barrier that prevented sound from leaking.


    I had no choice.


    I turned to the criminals¡­ They¡­looked so afraid.


    Four secondster, my Ember Tome appeared. Six seconds after...


    They¡­had been turned into a pile of melted flesh. Just like that, eighteen people died¡ªjoining with the bubbling stone ground beneath them.


    And¡­I leveled up¡­


    And¡­I unlocked a new Soul Weapon form.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good girl,¡± Remy whispered, hugging me from behind. ¡°Good work. Your job is done for tonight.¡± She opened a portal and pushed me through it, and Inded on my bed. My sses were knocked away, but¡­


    I didn¡¯t move.


    I didn¡¯t care enough to fetch them.


    I felt empty, numb, and alone.


    <hr>


    When morning came, I still hadn¡¯t gotten any sleep. As much as I wanted to waste away, I had a duty to be our team¡¯s leader. And ording to the rule we imposedst night, I had to talk to them.


    But¡­


    I couldn¡¯t. If I did, Remy would find out. She¡¯d make them all murderers. It was one thing to kill in self-defense but something entirely to massacre a group of criminals already afraid for their lives. And I doubt they were all thieves.


    It was a statistical improbability, and when you added how often we were lied to?


    I knew I had killed innocents.


    But I couldn¡¯t let that show. I stood in front of the mirror and pped my cheeks to wake up, then tried my hardest to put in a somewhat convincing smile.


    When I reached the living room, Elly and Greggie were working out, doing idol steps to get the blood pumping. ¡°Ah, good morning, Qutie!¡± Elly said, keeping rhythm. Ayer of sweat dripped down her face and into her neck, where it was absorbed by her sports bra. She recalled a promise to Greggie about seriously helping him lose weight. In her mind, the best idea was to show him how to dance because idols needed to be in tip-top shape to sing and dance for hours.


    But she said it wasn¡¯t going to be just dancing. She was going to go running with Greggie, too. And help him with the pushups and squats, amongst other things, but she said the dancing was the fun part.


    ¡°One! Two! Three! Keep those hips swinging! Don¡¯t slow down! Keep it up!¡± Elly was so passionate. I sat on the couch and watched them, pping along with the beat of their steps and offering my support.


    Ami soon came down. Then Keeth yawned when he entered the living room. Mary and Melusine werest. The fairy queen looked at Elly with intrigue.


    After some light coercion, she returned to her room, dressed in a sports bra and shorts, and¡­joined in after hiding her crystal wings.


    A few secondster, we¡­just decided to join in after rearranging the room.


    ¡°Whenever I¡¯m feeling down,¡± Elly said, wiping sweat from her brow before stretching. ¡°I practice the basics. It reminds me that I¡¯m where I am because of my hard work. Because of the long hours spent practicing and bettering myself. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s the same with your cooking and y modeling.¡± She pointed to Greggie and Keeth and shed a smile. ¡°I¡­think that¡¯s important. What we love¡­what we desire and nurture in our hearts¡­ We can¡¯t lose those feelings, and we can¡¯t lose those desires. Qutie, I wanna add a new rule.¡±


    Spoiler


    [copse]


    ¡°And that is?¡±


    ¡°We gotta talk about what we love. Why we grew the way we did... Why we fell in love with our strengths.¡±


    Elly made a great point, so that became our second rule. Feeling sad? Randomly speak about something you love.


    Having something to keep our minds off the obvious helped. And it was fun doing something together that didn¡¯t involve killing to survive in a potentially impossible-to-survive situation.


    <span ss="TextRun SCXW248225715 BCX0"ng="en-us" xmlng="en-us"><span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW248225715 BCX0">We never left the house that day. For the rest of our ¡®break,¡¯ we almost became hermits. After dancing and exercising, Greggie made us a nutritional breakfast, and we enjoyed each others'' reassuring presence throughout the day. Before bed, we exercised Team Que¡¯s second rule as ast reminder of our friendship. Any little bit would help, right? <span ss="EOP SCXW248225715 BCX0">


    And that was our schedule for the following six days.


    But like clockwork¡­after night fell upon Junsa¡­ Remy was an unfortunate constant in my life.


    She started to show up multiple times a night to make me kill whatever criminals they had locked away in cages. Remy was rarely alone, though. She was often with a girl named Willow¡ªher sister, but they didn¡¯t look simr. Willow¡¯s hair, ears, and tail were white, with bright blue eyes.


    She was the same woman we had seen Meruria grope before she sent us to Melusine¡¯s dungeon.


    Willow¡¯s eyes were dead to the world. She looked more like a doll than a person while enduring Remy¡¯s groping, teasing, and fingering. But she was alive. She followed Remy¡¯s perverse orders while that damn bitch ordered me to kill.


    I had to do it with her loudly moaning.


    Often, the sound barrier wasn¡¯t present. I had so many threats thrown my way from rapists and murderers, people begging for forgiveness even while their swords were tasting someone¡¯s throat. I¡¯ve destroyed buildings filled with prisoners who had killed and ughtered their guards...just to save my friends from the agony ofmitting mass murder.


    I had...so much blood on my hands.


    This wasn¡¯t self-defense. Every night¡­I lost more of what I used to be.


    And Remy¡­ She made it more difficult by twisting our team¡¯s second rule. She described her happiness when Meruria let her loose¡ªwhen she directed her towards her enemies. The feelings of indescribable pleasure that came with eliminating one more threat that posed a danger to the one woman she loved more than anything else. And the ¡®lust welling between her knees¡¯ when she was rewarded with ¡®y time¡¯ with her sister.


    My mind was filled with increasingly negative thoughts¡ªand Remy didn¡¯t help lessen my mental burden. I sulked in my room, shaking¡ªtwitching from my sins, unable to think about anything other than my greatest regret.


    I admitted it to myself in my mind.


    I regretted ever speaking up for Shuuta.


    I felt it in my hearts of hearts¡ªin the deepest crevices of my bloody soul, tainted with screams and cries of people being burned, boiled, crushed, frozen, shocked, shattered, dissolved, poisoned, and melted. Every time I unlocked a new form of my weapon, Remy ordered me to use it.


    If I refused, she kissed my neck with her daggers and encouraged me¡­ Refusal again made her angry. A third time? She said she¡¯d fetch my team and have them butcher the criminals in my ce.


    And¡­I couldn¡¯t allow that.


    So, I¡­shattered. Whatever made up Que Debil? There were two of them. One still yearned for and would argue to the death that she made the correct choice to speak up. You should never have to apologize for trying to save someone from an undeserved death.


    But the other?


    She was weak. When night fell¡­when Remy showed up to collect her, this other Que grew in power. Her thoughts were antithetical to what the other felt. She hated Shuuta. She despised weakness in her heart¡ªwanted to kill her family for forcing the shitty motto into her mind since she was barely old enough to crawl.


    Even if Meruria¡¯s promise of sending us to our world once our job wasplete wasn¡¯t a pile of bullshit, I couldn¡¯t ever go back. I¡¯ve changed too much.


    As I looked at the sunbeams filtering through the velvet curtains on the eighth day living in this mansion, I knew it was time to switch to the other Que. The one who could still fake a smile. The one who still¡­didn¡¯t regret any of her actions.


    As this Que, I could ignore the first rule. Because that hatred, anger, and pent-up aggression only applied to her, not me.


    But¡­ I didn¡¯t have anything I loved anymore. Books? This Que grew distasteful of them after the other had used her tomes for murder.


    As I descended the stairs to the living room, my heart sank to the pit of my stomach when I saw Meruria sitting at the table. Her fake-ass smile pissed me off. It took all I had to kill my frown.


    Because this was the Que everyone saw.


    The true feelings I felt were reserved for the other one. That Que could curse. And scream. And cry. And regret her entire life choices without feeling like she was betraying her team¡¯s core rules.


    <i>Seven days was too short. And¡­ it¡¯s¡­back to the grind¡­ How¡­much longer can I endure this? What the hell is she going to make us do now?</i>

 Chapter Seventy: New Home

    Chapter Seventy: New Home


    When the ship had anchored at the dock, my family, Captain Caulk, and the Duckfolkmander I captured disembarked while the Mengoire set a course for the shipyard for repairs. The rest of the crew would escort the prisoners to the prison until someone decided their fate.


    Mom and the others broke off from us to head to her mother¡¯s shop¡ªa store called Asura¡¯s Domain¡ªin the carriage prepared ahead of time. It was already waiting in front of the building. I followed the captain with the Duckfolk and Tris through an escape path built into the rear of the building. After going through a series of tight corridors, winding twists and turns, and climbing up very steep steps, we emerged into a hidden backroom filled with non-perishables.


    Captain Caulk walked to a nearby bookshelf, removed a book, and peered through a peephole. I was close enough to have indexed this whole building, so I saw that the next-door room was built like an office. There was just one soul in there. Captain Caulk performed a series of knocks before pushing the bookshelf like a door. We followed.


    ¡°I presume you have answers to the burning mysteries surrounding Ria, Captain Caulk?¡± asked a portly woman. Her dark green hair had light green, emerald-like highlights, which matched her grassy-colored eyeliner and verdant nails. She sat behind a grand desk filled with documents, forms, and request notices, amongst other diplomatic necessities, as she penned a letter. The green curtains over the tworge windows behind her almost camouged the iing light to shine a green glow on her.


    This was Gretchen Plymoise, the rulingdy of Plymoise, one of Parthina¡¯s seven city-states.


    ¡°Hmm? A prisoner?¡± Gretchen nced her eyes upward. ¡°A High Elf?!¡±


    ¡°Things have escted, Lady Plymoise. This is Lyudm Springfield. The woman standing beside her is Tris. They have first-hand ounts and experienced the Ria disaster for themselves,¡± replied Captain Caulk. ¡°The fool in the restraints is from Atrix¡ªspecifically, themander of one of their vessels. They ambushed us during our return trip. The rest of the prisoners are on the Mengoire, and my men will escort them to the prison when they arrive at the shipyard for needed repairs.¡±


    The woman mmed both hands on the desk and stood up. Gretchen''s eyes went wide like a wild beast. She fell back to her chair and sighed deeply. ¡°One thing at a time. Just one thing at a time¡­ Lyudm Springfield, time is of the essence, so please tell me what transpired as briskly as possible.¡±


    I nodded, and I told her¡­but then an idea came to my mind. ¡°During our daring escape, before that tremendous ball of mes was conjured overhead, spirit birds flew and repeated a grave message. If they¡¯re to be believed, then the Bellerophon soldiers stationed at Ria were willing to risk killing a High Elf from Vredi Forest. Even worse, the birds imed a wizard named f intended to use gas to ensure the secret never escaped.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± eximed the captain and Gretchen. Even the captormander gasped the best he could against his gag and ck bag covering his face. I told the captain I didn¡¯t tell him this on the ship because this was grave information, especially since it concerned a High Elf.


    ¡°It is the truth. My ears are sharper than the rest of my kin. I didn¡¯t sense a hint of falsehoods in those spirits'' promations. But s, I do not know what specifically caused that attack. I also don''t know what set the clouds on fire. I imagine it was the chimera Bellerophon was hunting. If they steeped to even those gross misdeeds... I only fear the chimera was powerful and frightening.¡± I then told her of our meeting with the pirates, how they ¡®killed¡¯ our ¡®friend¡¯ Rickard, and Captain Caulk¡¯s offer to escort us here.


    The captain took over and exined the battle with the three Atrix battleships. It was an ambush, to be more specific, and he said they used a spell to conjure a thick fog to hide their vessels before it was to strike with the element of surprise. Gretchen couldn¡¯t help but ask how one Craine-ss ship survived against three Concordian-ss battleships, and that was when I exined Surtr. She wanted to meet the lion, so I let her. She thanked him when it appeared, and to her credit, she didn¡¯t gasp or flinch after seeing its monstrous size. If anything, she professed her thanks, Surtr gave a deep nod and returned to its home. Gretchen also asked about Tris since she was quiet and stood by my side with her hands across her stomach¡ªalmost like a maid or servant in waiting¡ª but I said she was my advisor. I trusted her council above all else.


    Which wasn¡¯t a lie. I looked to my Fragment of Wisdom for advice and assistance daily.


    ¡°Captain Caulk has a ne I recovered.¡± He pulled a pouch from his pocket and gave it to Gretchen. She joyfully looked at it before turning her attention to the obvious.


    ¡°It seems there are problems in every direction I look, and now there¡¯s the matter of the mysterious voice from the sky¡­ Ahh¡ªI apologize, Lord Springfield. Plymoise¡¯s concerns aren¡¯t your own, and you¡¯ve done more than enough to protect our people while escaping from Ria with valuable insight. You deserve a reward. If it is in my power, you will have it.¡±


    ¡°¡­ If I may be so greedy, I have¡­a few things I¡¯d like to ask for,¡± I said. If it was possible, I asked for our ship to be repaired. Gretchen nodded and said that would happen. And when I inquired if her workers could deliver our cargo for us, she even said she would waive the fees and taxes.


    ¡°Is there anything else?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No, that was it. That wasn¡¯t too much, was it?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. Lord Springfield, you have my utmost thanks for your service,¡± Gretchen stood and extended a thick hand. I shook it. ¡°However, do you require a ce to stay? Have you any lodgings?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we do. My mother is visiting her family¡¯s shop and childhood home. I¡¯m meeting up with themter.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, I shall not keep you any longer. Once again, let me thank you from the bottom of my heart. If you don¡¯t mind, could youe byter toplete the paperwork? I need to know where to send the money once the goods are delivered.¡±


    I told her I didn¡¯t mind. I would probably return in about four or five hours to get a bettery of thend since we would stay here for quite some time. I said my goodbyes to Gretchen and the captain, taunted the captivemander, and walked to the waiting room. The young receptionist¡ªa human¡ª didn¡¯t expect to see me, but she quickly understood the situation after I dropped Captain Caulk¡¯s name. She wished Tris and me a good day, and together, we descended the stairs and left through the primary lobby, which was in a state of almostical chaos.


    ¡°Where to now, my lord?¡± Tris asked when we were outside.


    ¡°Gotta find mom and dad.¡±


    ¡°There is no need because I see them,¡± Tris replied.


    ¡°Huh?¡± I looked to where she was pointing and saw my family stepping out of a wagon.


    I ran over and asked what was wrong.


    ¡°M¡­ Grandma¡¯s store isn¡¯t here,¡± Irisa said, wiping her teary eyes. Mom used a handkerchief to brush away her watery cheeks. ¡°And neither is the house they lived in. We talked to the neighbors, but they said they packed everything up, sold thend, and moved to a different city-state. But they didn¡¯t say which one. And they didn¡¯t leave a forwarding address. We¡­don¡¯t have anywhere to go¡­¡±


    Irisa hugged her mom and cried into her arms. Erin was bordering on tears as well. Dad asked about my report, and I told him. ¡°The money is a start until we decide on what to do.¡±


    ¡°We could do that¡­or we can save it. Stay right here. I¡¯ll be back.¡±


    ¡°Hey¡ªM?! Where are you going?¡± Irisa asked.


    ¡°Getting us a ce to stay,¡± I simply replied. I walked back through the ministry building until I was at the door to Gretchen¡¯s office. Knocking on the door, I announced it was me, and Captain Caulk unlocked and opened it thirty secondster.


    <i>I don¡¯t see that Duckfolk¡­ Oh, he¡¯s in the secret room.</i>


    He asked if everything was fine, but I said it wasn¡¯t. I apologized as I walked in, but I told Gretchen and the captain our situation. Gretchen asked if I was referring to Asura¡¯s Domain, and I nodded. She said they moved so fast that it didn¡¯t take them more than a week to clear out. She never could get a reason, and unfortunately, she didn''t know where they went. That happened about four years ago.


    ¡°But I can see that this is a problem for you. In addition to what I offered you before, I will grant you and your family ess to the Waterdale, an inn we use for special guests when they visit. You may stay there for two months, free of charge, but please be within reason. Excuse me for asking this, but the owners were not High Elves¡­¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your generosity. However, I was adopted by a family of onis. For all intents and purposes, the woman I consider to be my mother is not my biological mother, but I love her all the same because she and her husband took me in.¡±


    ¡°I see. I apologize if it was a distressing topic, but I understand fully,¡± Gretchen lightly bowed her head. She reached for a quill and wrote something on a nk sheet of paper. ¡°Give this to the receptionist outside my office. She¡¯ll escort you to the Waterdale and get you settled in. She will also handle the paperwork I need for your ship¡¯s repair and cargo delivery.¡± It seemed like she wanted to say more, but she stopped herself.


    I took the note with a smile, offered my thanks again for what felt like the fourth time, and turned to leave. The door promptly locked behind me. Gerrea¡ªthe receptionist-- looked up when I approached the desk and handed her the note.


    Reading it, she smiled and put out a card that said Lady Plymoise would not be receiving any more visitors for the rest of the day. She escorted me outside. Mom and the others stood near the entrance.


    ¡°If you would give me a moment,¡± said the young receptionist. ¡°I¡¯ll fetch another carriage to make the ride morefortable.¡± She briskly walked towards the carriage Captain Caulk had set up for us. Stepping inside, it began to move, heading around the right side of the ministry.


    ¡°M, what¡¯s happening?¡± Dad asked. I told him and the rest about our temporary living arrangements.


    ¡°With the money from the cargo, we should be fine, right? Mom?¡± Irisa looked to Mom. Her nose was a little stuffy from her prior crying, and her yellow eyes were slightly tinted crimson.


    ¡°Yes¡­ We¡¯ll be okay. We¡¯ll be fine.¡± Mom tried to put on a brave front.


    Tris stood idly by me, remaining quiet while in a state of focus. Nine minutester, two carriages pulled around to the front. The four horses pulling each one were solid green, like ayer of dyed air was caked over a skeletal frame. Their fur was oddly thick, especially for this heat. [Deduction] said it was in the mid-80s.


    They didn¡¯t seem to be thirsty or tired, though.


    We entered the carriages and set off.


    The leather interior wasfy. Now that I thought about it, Plymoise was a mountainous region. It wasn¡¯t that wide, but it was more of a long, narrow country with mountain ridges to the far north and south. Parthina itself eclipsed Dirge in terms ofndmass by about 2.5x.


    But with that said, most people I saw were full of green. Whether it was their hair, eyes, fur, or tails, it was a harsh shpared to the tropical-like environment of Ria and the surrounding areas. And I didn¡¯t understand why it was like this. Really, it couldn¡¯t have been a coincidence, right? It was one thing to dye your hair the color of your g, but another thing to be born with green properties you couldn¡¯t hope to control.


    Maybe not having green was a recessive trait in these parts?


    ¡°It¡¯ll take us about thirty minutes to reach the Waterdale, ma¡¯am,¡± Gerrea said, looking behind to peek through a small sliding window.


    I nodded.


    Irisa and Niva sat beside me and held my hands. Tris crossed her legs, folding her arms in herp like a properdy. Primrose was in her crystal to save space and lessen the strain on her summoner.


    Since we had time to waste, I opened a new [Skyview] window and navigated to Gretchen¡¯s office. I didn¡¯t want to be a part of this potential war without a good reason, but knowledge was often more powerful than brawn.


    ¡°¡­have the resources to fight a war. Even a skirmish is too much for us to handle. Atrix has a powerful navy. Thest estimate puts them at twenty-six Concordian-ss ships alone, not to mention their thirteen scouting ships and six cruisers. Yet, we only have fourteen ships total¡ªonly a handful are seaworthy¡ªand we don¡¯t have enough supplies to fully stock them,¡± said the Hawkfolk, standing in front of Gretchen with his arms behind his back. I must¡¯ve caught them in the middle of his briefing. ¡°Ria was our primary trading partner. Lord Springfield¡¯s weed delivery is enough to keep Plymoise going for that much longer, but it will not be enough. Holy Lord Gloria''s unthinkable orders and demands put a thorn in our side.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know. I¡¯ve been fieldingints about our rationing for weeks now. But let us put Ria out of our minds because it is a lost cause. Dirge¡¯s diplomat was summoned home the day she closed the dungeon. We need to convene with my council to see what we can do to prevent war from breaking out.¡±


    ¡°We have a ship¡¯smander and their prisoners. It wouldn¡¯t be farfetched to im the harsh fog prevented the <i>doif</i>, <i>Finy</i>, and <i>Durely </i>from sailing confidently. The <i>Mengoire </i>could havee across them and only managed to rescue one ship¡¯s crew before the ocean swept them away. Atrix could pay us a substantial rescue fee masqueraded as reparation.¡±


    ¡°True, we could paint it as that. It would allow this to be put behind us, but I doubt your men will stand for it. You said we lost eight soldiers?¡± Gretchen asked, sitting up properly.


    ¡°It was fifteen. My soldiers want revenge. I can see it in their eyes.¡±


    ¡°To be honest, I feel the same. My ancestors have protected Plymoise for hundreds of years. I refuse to see it harmed because some warhawk wanted to have something to brag about.¡± Gretchen thumbed her ne. She wasted no time in sping it around her neck. ¡°But I won''t wage war to cause more death if there¡¯s a way to avoid it. Captain, dispatch messengers to the council. Send one to Atrix¡¯s embassy to fetch their diplomat. We need to make the first move and set the precedence.¡±


    Captain Caulk saluted and promptly left through the door I exited from, emerging into an empty waiting room. The Duckfolkmander in the hidden passage was now tied to a chair with restraints and a bag and gag wrapped tightly around his mouth.


    The captain briskly walked to the third floor and saw a group of soldiers sitting around a table. They wore military uniforms with horse pins attached to their cors.


    They were all Horsefolk-- people with green eyes and the ears and tails of a horse-- powerful runners with exceptional stamina that made them perfect for delivering messages across long distances. They stood and saluted their captain, and the five of them promptly raced downstairs and left through the lobby after getting their orders. I couldn¡¯t track them because I hadn¡¯t indexed the rest of the city.


    <hr>


    We arrived at a gatedmunity. Tris told me she would watch the ministry and alert me when the meeting began, or the messengers returned.


    The carriage driver took us through the middle of this little sectioned-off ce, which didn¡¯t seem to be for the rich and famous. I just saw a quaint little inn that wasn¡¯t more than two floors tall. Itcked an exotic atmosphere but emitted a rural quietness. Since this was an inn for diplomats, it made sense to be at the edge of Plymoise¡¯s capital town. The ocean faced behind us, and I was sure I spotted a dock in the inn¡¯s back when the carriage brought us around to the front.


    Gerrea hopped down and opened the door for us. I got out and saw Mom and the others. Erin held Dad''s hand, and they looked at our new temporary home. I couldn¡¯t ce the architecture, but it reminded me of an archaic structure-- with a lot of cement, stone, and very little wood. On that note, I hadn¡¯t seen much greenery, which was almost rming because the color was prevalent in the people and animals I¡¯d seen.


    Really, upon first observation, even the air was dustier than the freshness in Ria.


    ¡°Hmm? Lady Plymoise didn¡¯t mention we would be receiving any visitors,¡± said a portly green mustached butler with a healthy belly. He approached with a curious look. Gerrea handed him the message Gretchen wrote. ¡°I see¡­ Lord Springfield?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± I replied, walking to join the rest of my family.


    ¡°On behalf of the manager of the Waterdale Inn, I wee you. It says here you¡¯re to stay for two months?¡± I nodded. ¡°Lovely. If you¡¯ll follow me, I¡¯ll escort you all to your rooms.¡±


    Mom wanted to thank the man. Her pretty, gentle face was back to normal instead of being bombarded by sadness. Dad and Erin probably helped her emotionally.


    ¡°My name is Delouise Waterdale, ma¡¯am,¡± replied the manager. He didn''t say it, but the butler was internally questioning the wounds on Dad and the others. I told Gretchen I only escaped damage from that massive spell because Surtr protected me with its body. ¡°My ancestors founded the Waterdale Inn before Plymoise was even a city-state of Parthina.¡±


    We followed the manager into the building and emerged into the lobby, where there was a line of six butlers on the left and six maids on the right, all of whom bowed and greeted us. Delouise kept walking and escorted us to the stairs in the far back, exining that the hallways to our left and right on the ground floor led to additional rooms and a hot spring.


    ¡°Hot springs?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct. The Waterdale Inn uses geothermal heat to warm our waters. The hot spring downstairs is divided into halves, with a stone wall separating the two. One is for men, and the other is for women. Ah, you should know that your rooms will have an outside bath.¡±


    ¡°We have our own?¡± Irisa asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s correct. You''ll also have a bell that connects to the lobby. Ring it if you require anything,¡± Delouise exined when we came to the second floor. He asked how many rooms we would need, and I said five.


    One for mom and dad.


    One for Irisa.


    One for Erin.


    One for Niva and Primrose.


    And one for myself and Tris. But honestly, Irisa would probably sleep in my room, but it was best to have that one extra in case. Lei would probably sleep with Erin or Niva.


    ¡°Understood. You all must be exhausted, so please take a chance to rest. If you decide to take a bath, we have robes in the closet for you to wear. Lady Plymoise has also authorized us to purchase any necessities you may need, so if you desire clothing or anything of the sort, please do not hesitate to ask. We wille and get you when dinner is prepared. Is there anything else I can do for you?¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Waterdale,¡± replied Dad. He shook the manager¡¯s hand, and after a professional nod, Delouise walked downstairs.


    And we were alone.


    Dad said it wasn¡¯t a bad idea to get clean and rest. The past nine days or so were exhaustive for everyone except me. I didn¡¯t know how they were even able to move, if I was being honest. Living on a military ship with very little food took a toll on them. They didn¡¯t admit it, but I saw it in their mannerisms and tone of voice. Irisa and Erin yawned, proving Dad¡¯s point, and we all agreed to get some sleep before meeting up for dinner.


    And after that, they would probably hit the hay early to recuperate.


    Not me, though.


    I had ns.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll see you a little bit, M,¡± Irisa said, giving me a hug. I kissed her lips and rubbed her back, and she entered her room. Mom and Dad left a few moments ago, and I walked to Erin and rubbed her head. The poor girl was about to start crying, but she wiped her eyes, hugged Lei, and tried to give me a big smile before heading inside.


    She was my sister. When I had time, I needed to spend some time with her. Erin''s life had changed dramatically in the past month alone.


    ¡°Mistress?¡± I went to Niva and hugged her. Primrose emerged from her crystal and watched.


    ¡°Go and get some rest, okay? You''ll start training [Mana Perception] tomorrow. Prim, be sure to help her.¡±


    ¡°Are we going somewhere?¡± asked Niva.


    ¡°Yes, but not now. We have two months.¡±


    ¡°Two months? Do you have a n?¡± asked the spirit.


    I looked at Primrose and nodded. ¡°I¡¯m still working out the exact details, but that skirmish with Atrix might dy us. It just depends on how it ys out.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± replied Primrose. Niva used her staff from her spirit to walk by herself. Prim turned around and looked into my eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll put my trust in you, Lord Springfield. I''ll follow your decisions.¡± As quickly as she said that, Primrose blushed, turned her head, and closed the door.

 Intermission – Elly – Diary – Part One (Illustrations!)

    Intermission ¨C Elly ¨C Diary ¨C Part One (Illustrations!)


    <b><i>Entry 1 ¨C 23 Days After Being Summoned:</i></b>


    <i>Hey there, Diary,</i>


    <i>Today, I found myself dancing my heart out for a bunch of snobby nobles and people who couldn''t care less about my music. You know what''s messed up? They''re more interested in bragging that they had a "personal concert" than appreciating the art I''m pouring my soul into.</i>


    <i>I stepped on that stage, Diary, and was instantly blinded by those shy magical lights. The three audience members cheered and pped like there was no tomorrow. But deep down, I knew their excitement wasn''t for the music¡ªit was all about showing off. Talk about buzzkill.</i>


    <i>With every dance move and every note I belted out, I couldn''t shake off this feeling of disconnection. The smiles, their apuse, it all felt fake and forced. It''s like they just wanted to tick off "I had Elly, the Soul Warrior, perform for me" on their fancy social calendars without giving a damn about the joy and meaning music brings.</i>


    <i>I mean, I knew this would happen. Meruria told me herself yesterday morning when she showed up. I just didn¡¯t think it would be the very next day.</i>


    <i>¡°Don¡¯t think every day will be like this...fufufu... You¡¯re my good little Soul Warriors¡­ You¡¯re selfless heroic otherworlders who yearn to put Cridia above their own wants and desires, aren¡¯t you?¡±</i>


    <i>Ugh, her voice was like scratching a chalkboard with a nail. I didn¡¯t like how she hid her creepy smile behind her hands like a pretty woman!</i>


    <i>She was attractive, but her personality was rotten, like trash...</i>


    <i>We hadn¡¯t seen her in seven days, and then she just broke our good mood by showing up like a bad itch! She said she would put us to work¡ªthat I would sing for people who wanted entertainment. Keeth and Greggie would be rented to people who needed a world-ss, super awesome chef or a fantastic craftsman who could make or fix anything.</i>


    <i>And Qutie, Melly, Mary, and Ami would handle all thebat since they¡¯re better fighters. Sometimes, she said we¡¯d go together andplete whatever mission she needed us to do since we were still expected to fight and kill for her and Cridia.</i>


    <i>I knew she gave us a week of rest, but it flew by like nothing...</i>


    <i>I guess it does when you¡¯re having fun. When I told Greggie I¡¯d show him how to work out like an idol because he wanted to lose weight, I didn¡¯t expect everyone to join in. Qutie might be a bookworm, but the girl has some moves!</i>


    <i>And Mary. Her time at Club Domme helped her. Her past is sad, though. I mean, being born in a test tube for the only purpose of training the future leaders of the world? I¡¯m d there was someone kind who helped her escape. But Mary... She deserves a lot of happiness. Even if...her family there...</i>


    <i>They¡¯re probably already dead, though. They were being held hostage, so...</i>


    <i>Yeah...</i>


    <i>It¡¯s...ultra depressing...</i>


    <i>I knew our world was messed up. It¡¯s filled with corruption. Only the worthy can rise to the top, but it¡¯s hard when there¡¯s corruption around every corner.</i>


    <i>¡°You gotta be the best!¡±</i>


    <i>¡°You can¡¯t settle for second ce!¡±</i>


    <i>¡°You have to be prettier than the other girls!¡±</i>


    <i>¡°You have to be cuter than the rest!¡±</i>


    <i>¡°You have to do what they wouldn¡¯t!¡±</i>


    <i>I...knew that more than anyone, but that¡¯s a story for another time, haha... I...don¡¯t wanna dredge up those memories... Not when I¡¯m already pissed off.</i>


    <i>Melly, though... She¡¯s super pretty. And nice. But it¡¯s been a struggle for her to adjust. We help however we can, though,</i>


    <i>This world and my world? They¡¯re both total crap.</i>


    <i>I don¡¯t really miss my world, but I miss the genuine link I had with my audience. Back home, music was anguage that spoke straight to the heart. But here, it''s all about superficial admiration and emptypliments. It''s lonely, you know? Like my art is being reduced to a fancymodity for people who can afford Meruria¡¯s crazy prices.</i>


    <i>I¡¯m just a performer fulfilling their shallow desires.</i>


    <i>But you know what? I won''t let it break me. Somewhere deep within, I hold onto the hope that I''ll find a ce here where I can sing and dance with purpose. I wanna spread joy and happiness to those who appreciate this. Not this artificial, fake crap that I''m forced to bring here.</i>


    <i>For now, I''ll keep singing and dancing, Diary, even if it''s for an audience that doesn''t truly get me. Behind this forced smile and glittering facade, I''ll nurture the fire of my artistry, dreaming of the day I can bring genuine joy through my music again.</i>


    <i>But maybe that day''s already here? I mean, I like singing for Qutie and the others. Melly says I have a beautiful voice.</i>


    <i>And for right now? That''s enough.</i>


    <i>Well, that''s it for today. Just needed to vent a bit, you know? Thanks for listening, Diary. I know I can tell Qutie and the others if I wanna bring up Rule 1, but it¡¯s different when it¡¯s just you and me.</i>


    <i>Seriously, if Qutie hadn¡¯t brought up the idea of keeping a diary, I don¡¯t know what I would do. Yeah, I know I just wrote I can bring up Rule 1 and have a therapy session with my friends, but I don¡¯t wanna do that too often. But Rule 2... That can help. I love dancing and singing more than anything else in the world, and it makes my heart thump like super crazy hard. Whenever I¡¯m around my friends, I just find myself talking about it.</i>


    <i>I have more than one confidant in this world, Diary, but you¡¯re still someone I need.</i>


    <i>Catch youter, Elly.</i>


    <hr>


    <b><i>Entry 12 ¨C 35 Days After Being Summoned:</i></b>


    <i>Hey there, Diary? What¡¯s up?</i>


    <i>Me? Oh, just getting home from having an awesome day!</i>


    <i>Meruria gave us the day off! After 11 mind-numbingly boring and painful concerts of singing for those who just don¡¯t care about what I do, we got a break. I know Greggie was happy. And Keeth, too. They were exhausted. Like, the big man wakes up super early to dance with me. Four days ago, I told him he didn¡¯t have to do that when he had to work for Meruria, but he was really determined to lose weight.</i>


    <i>He kept bringing up Melly¡¯s dungeon. He said if he had been a few pounds heavier, we probably would¡¯ve died because we would''ve been able to drag him to the other side of that bridge.</i>


    <i>He cried; you know. He formed a fist and almost smacked his stomach, but Ami turned around the corner and stopped him. She said he was too hard on himself. And I agreed. Greggie... I felt that he wasn¡¯t the type of guy who loved himself.</i>


    <i>But he¡¯s kind. He¡¯s funny and helpful. And he makes the best food in the world.</i>


    <i>And Keeth... He always gets home superte with hands that are cracked and bleeding. Meruria tells him to wear a glove because he has an image to maintain as her Soul Warrior, but overusing his skill is seriously hurting him. Last night, I stayed in his room all night and rubbed some cream over them.</i>


    <i>He¡¯s just a big softie, too.</i>


    <i>And he¡¯s kinda cute... He just has this innocent air around him, you know?</i>


    <i>But that¡¯s not why I¡¯m writing this!</i>


    <i>Since we had nothing to do today, we walked around Junsa. And this was our first time. Seriously, it was. Remy always teleported the Combat Squad (Qutie and the others) and the Entertainment Squad (me, Greggie, and Keeth) to our destination. If the destination was too far away, then to the city gates, and she¡¯d always know when we were done, and she¡¯d take us back to the mansion.</i>


    <i>But the people here didn¡¯t know us. They just saw a group of humans and a Crystal Fairy and not Soul Warriors. So, it was nice to mingle with everyone.</i>


    <i>We walked all over town, to the four districts, and then ate a nice lunch at a caf¨¦. Oh, and we even went clothes shopping!</i>


    <i>If nothing else, Meruria at least always paid us for the work we did. And the clothes here were super cute! I found an awesome pink top and a spiked belt. I once performed a song about a delinquent biker trying to fit in, and this reminded me of that.</i>


    <i>Hmm... I think I¡¯ll scribble a little image...</i>


    Spoiler


    [copse]


    <i>Heehee! I looked cute, didn''t I? I really miss...the feeling I had when I performed that song. </i>


    <i>After going home to rest up, we were back on the prow. This time, we wanted to find a restaurant, but we found a bar, instead.</i>


    <i>It felt weird to chow down on turkey legs, but I didn''t expect someone to strum a guitar. It was out of tune, but I couldn''t resist.</i>


    <i>It was like a spark ignited inside me, and before I knew it, I was singing along.</i>


    <i>The magic of music, Diary! It took over the entire bar. The crowd started pping, and it was like we were all transported to my world, where people genuinely care about music. I was having so much fun. It was way better than performing for those stuffy nobles.</i>


    <i>The music flowed through my veins, and I couldn''t help but dance with all my spirit. My moves, so full of life, brought a smile to everyone''s faces.</i>


    <i>Anyway, the night was a total st. We sang, we danced, and we made memories that''llst a lifetime. It''s nights like these that remind me why I love music so damn much. The feeling of connecting with a crowd that genuinely cares, that lives and breathes the same passion as me... It''s indescribable.</i>


    <i>Even though we were recognized as Meruria¡¯s Soul Warrior before we left, the bar¡¯s owner said he knew we didn¡¯t want to be treated any differently. He was an old man with a thick beard. He almost looked like an older, fitter version of Greggie. And the owner was the one who made the turkey legs, which got a thumb up from Greggie.</i>


    <i>I can''t wait for more nights like these, Diary. Moments where I can let loose, be myself, and share my love for music with those who truly appreciate it. It''s a reminder that no matter how tough things get, there will always be a ce where my art can shine.</i>


    <i>Signing off for now, with a heart full of rhythm and a spirit ready to dance.</i>


    <i>Elly</i>


    <hr>


    <b><i>Entry 13 ¨C 36 Days After Being Summoned:</i></b>


    <i>Diary...</i>


    <i>Today was the worst. Yesterday was so good, and now...</i>


    <i>Ugh...</i>


    <i>Remy appeared in my room when I was getting dressed. I screamed, and everyone came running in...</i>


    <i>I didn¡¯t care that they saw me naked. I was fine with nudity. Heck, I bathe with Ami almost every night. In fact, we used the big bathtubst night, and Melly and Mary joined us. Greggie and Keeth covered their eyes when they rushed in, but Que looked like a demon. I¡¯d never heard her cuss so much or so loud. But Remy justughed, ordered me to dress, and took me away.</i>


    <i>What pissed me off was Remy groping the air.</i>


    <i>Ugh.</i>


    <i>She¡¯s so nasty. And disgusting.</i>


    <i>But I had to sing for a brat. The dumb kid kept pping his maids. He threw his juice and food all over them, then demanded me to dance. Meruria didn¡¯t respect us, but I was still a Soul Warrior. Remy told me to act like a good little Soul Warrior...</i>


    <i>So...</i>


    <i>I danced.</i>


    <i>I sang.</i>


    <i>I endured the hellish treatment and didn¡¯t let the flying rice or meat distract me.</i>


    <i>Because¡­ I¡¯m a good little Soul Warrior. I¡¯m a selfless heroic otherworlder who yearns to put Cridia above their own wants and desires.</i>


    <i>Remy tells me that every time she takes me to a house.</i>


    <i>So, I must always smile.</i>


    <i>My eyes need to flutter.</i>


    <i>My cheeks need¡­to be blushing.</i>


    <i>I can¡¯t look sad.</i>


    <i>I can¡¯t look the way I wanna look.</i>


    <i>I must be Elly; the ever-popr idol. The one who never frowns. The girl who always brings an aura of positivity to everyone she sings for.</i>


    <i>Ugh¡­</i>


    <i>I don¡¯t want to be that Elly when I gotta sing for people who can¡¯t see happiness.</i>


    <i>It was over quickly, but the little boy demanded I bear his children when he became an adult... He pointed to his maids, who looked so afraid and fearful, and said I could join his harem. He even told me to give him my panties.</i>


    <i>Ugh... Remy forced me to do that¡­</i>


    <i>It was horrible... It was embarrassing... Every time the boy did something awful, the maids would flinch and wince. I saw the pain in their eyes, though.</i>


    <i>They hated it so much¡ªprolly more than me, if I¡¯m being honest.</i>


    <i>Remy onlyughed, then took me back to my room before disappearing.</i>


    <i>And now... I¡¯m here writing this... It¡¯s not even lunch, and I wanna crawl into bed and cry. And I might just do that.</i>


    <i>Will I ever have children? Dating, getting pregnant... Those three things are death sentences to idols. Even still...</i>


    <i>You...had to do a lot of despicable things to get ahead. Somethings that...were shadier than putting on a private show for a rich executive...in a hotel room...in the middle of the night...</i>


    <i>Ugh...</i>


    <i>The path to the top... It was dark. But... I made it. It was already an open secret. Everyone knew what young girls were forced to endure for a chance to get marketed and promoted by the corepanies that controlled the industry.</i>


    <i>I survived the hellish march... Most girls didn¡¯t. And I don¡¯t me them. I sometimes felt like that too, but I endured it because my mom loved me. And I loved her. Even if she had me out of wedlock with some random Japanese man, which caused her to get exiled from our family¡¯s estate in Russia, I still loved her because she was always there. Not like that sperm donor, who ran out on us.</i>


    <i>I did it for her. And I continued to do it for her even after she died on my 12th birthday.</i>


    <i>I once started singing and dancing during Baede¡¯s and Electro Arrow¡¯s first cob concert. I was young... Maybe around 4. And the TV was just left on while mom cleaned our little house.</i>


    <i>I can still remember it now...</i>


    Spoiler


    [copse]


    <i>I sang. I danced. I copied what I saw. And my mother... I turned around, and there she was... A face of pure joy. I¡¯ll never forget that smile.</i>


    <i>It was that happiness...she radiated from seeing me perform...that made me fall in love with idols.</i>


    <i>After that, we always watched thetest groups. I learned everything there was to know about them. I listened to idol songs all day. I watched their movies to fall asleep. I was obsessed and consumed by the thought of making others happy with my music. It eventually became all I wanted to do.</i>


    <i>And maybe that was why I was so popr... I didn¡¯t care about the money or fame. I wanted to see bright smiles... I wanted to see little girls and boys look up to me as I looked up to the idols of my childhood. I never managed to meet Baede or Electro Arrow because they disbanded. But I¡¯ll never forget them.</i>


    <i>If I had children, would they follow in my footsteps?</i>


    <i>Would I even be allowed to marry a man I loved?</i>


    <i>I kinda doubted it. For whatever it was worth, my mom saw something in my dad. I doubt Meruria would give me the option. She¡¯s the kind of woman who would point at a man and tell me to bear his children.</i>


    <i>And I didn¡¯t want that.</i>


    <i>I don¡¯t want to marry someone I don¡¯t love and give birth to children I couldn¡¯t possibly love.</i>


    <i>They¡¯d forever be a reminder that I was stuck in this prison... In this hell...</i>


    <i>I should go find Ami...</i>


    <i>Yeah, I¡¯ll go do that.</i>


    <i>Her father¡¯s my mom¡¯s brother. So, he¡¯s my uncle. After I made it big, the family came to Japan and took me to our estate in Russia. It¡¯s kinda funny because Ami¡¯s dad married some random Mexican woman and had her.</i>


    <i>I dunno... Maybe our simr past is why we¡¯re so close?</i>


    <i>I love my cousin. She¡¯s the best. She¡¯s always there for me, and I¡¯m always there for her...</i>


    <i>And I love Qutie... And Melly and Mary, and Greggie, Keeth... I love all my friends.</i>


    <i>Maybe...</i>


    <i>I dunno...</i>


    <i>If...</i>


    <i>Nah...</i>


    <i>That''s a thought for another time. I mean, me and Keeth together? I do like him, but... Does he like me?</i>


    <i>Geez... Now I¡¯m feeling super embarrassed!!!</i>


    <i>Ami!!! Your cousin needs you!</i>


    <i>Elly Edit!</i>


    <i>Okay, so the weirdest thing happened. I was just getting ready for bed when Remy showed up. She talked about that brat, but she said we didn¡¯t have anything to worry about. The family wouldn¡¯t bother us again with any requests.</i>


    <hr>


    <b><i>Entry 14 ¨C 37 Days After Being Summoned:</i></b>


    <i>I learned that child diedst night. The one who threw all those things at me and ordered me to give him my panties. And it wasn¡¯t him... That whole house burned down. His parents, the maids, the dogs, the cats, the butlers... There weren¡¯t any survivors.</i>


    <i>Remy probably did it.</i>


    <i>Or Meruria told her to do it.</i>


    <i>But...</i>


    <i>Why?</i>


    <i>Why...</i>


    <i>I hated that boy, but did he deserve to die? Did his family need to die?</i>


    <i>The day¡¯s going to be ruined, and I still haven¡¯t eaten breakfast.</i>


    <i>Oh, Greggie¡¯s calling for me.</i>


    <i>Qutie¡¯s asking me what¡¯s wrong.</i>


    <i>Melly¡¯s...</i>


    <i>She¡¯s rubbing my back...</i>


    <i>Keeth is touching my arm¡­</i>


    <i>And my diary...</i>


    <i>It¡¯s getting wet...</i>


    <i>I need a Rule 1...</i>


    <i>Badly...</i>


    <i>I don¡¯t wanna be alone today...</i>


    <hr>


    <b><i>Entry 20 ¨C 43 Days After Being Summoned:</i></b>


    <i>We spent all day in Junsa. We did the same yesterday, and we met a lot of friendly people and ate lots of tasty food with the locals.</i>


    <i>It was fun.</i>


    <i>A lot of fun. And it¡¯s only here that I really feel like I¡¯m an idol again. I¡¯ve made it a habit to start concerts at random whenever we¡¯re walking around town. And I especially like to sing for the children.</i>


    <i>I still think of that noble child that died. Did Remy do it?</i>


    <i>If she did, I wonder why she did that?</i>


    <i>Meruria gave me the job, so¡­</i>


    <i>Wouldn¡¯t she know that the kid was going to act like that?</i>


    <i>Last night, I asked Qutie that question. She said she didn¡¯t know. But she wondered if Meruria wanted to thin out the nobles of her inner circle. If so, she needed an excuse to do it.</i>


    <i>If she did it without a reason, it would be a gross overuse of her power. But if she learned that a Soul Warrior was being treated less than a maid, she¡¯d have reasons to bring down the hammer.</i>


    <i>It was gruesome. Qutie didn¡¯t cry, but I knew something was bothering her. She let me hug her that night. And when I told her I loved her, she said she loved me.</i>


    <i>She loved all of us.</i>


    <i>And I loved everyone in Team Que. But Qutie needs to break loose. When we went to that bar, I made sure to bring her on stage with me.</i>


    <i>Yeah, they had built one because of us.</i>


    <i>And we never had to pay full price because Greggie rolled up his sleeves and helped in the kitchen when they were backed up. And thanks to Keeth, every house and business on the street had brand-new tables and chairs.</i>


    <i>And I brought the entertainment!</i>


    <i>It was like having a block party every Friday night.</i>


    <i>The guards were often called.</i>


    <i>And they joined in after noticing it was us.</i>


    <i>It¡¯s during these times that I start to feel something happy again.</i>


    <hr>


    <b><i>Entry 24 ¨C 47 Days After Being Summoned:</i></b>


    <i>Was on a mission. Had to kill. I don¡¯t feel like writing.</i>

 Intermission – Elly – Diary – Part Two (Illustrations!)

    Intermission ¨C Elly ¨C Diary ¨C Part Two (Illustrations!)


    <b><i>Entry 25 ¨C 48 Days After Being Summoned:</i></b>


    <i>Same thing. Even if it¡¯s monsters, I don¡¯t like hearing their death sounds. It hurts my heart. And¡­ we¡¯re not scheduled to return to Junsa for another week.</i>


    <i>I wanna ask Ami and Qutie to do the killing.</i>


    <i>But I don¡¯t wanna be a coward. I need to pull my own weight. Melly¡¯sfighting without a problem, but she¡¯s from this world.</i>


    <i>We¡¯re not.</i>


    <i>But it¡¯s not an excuse.</i>


    <i>I just need to grow stronger.</i>


    <hr>


    <b><i>Entry 35 ¨C 58 Days After Being Summoned:</i></b>


    <i>Today, we had a break. And it was azy day.</i>


    <i>We didn¡¯t do much of anything, but Nelly¡ªah, that¡¯s Ami¡¯s nickname for Lord Enele, made a surprise visit.</i>


    <i>When I think of a Dark Lord, I think of someone covered in blood. Like a real nasty type of guy, you know. Like someone who would kill a whole town while going, ¡°Muhahahaha... You dare underestimate my kind of power, foolish mortal?¡±</i>


    <i>But nah.</i>


    <i>He¡¯s not like that at all.</i>


    <i>He¡¯s as nice as I imagined a Holy Lord would be. And Meruria¡¯s as awful as my imagination of a Dark Lord. It really feels like their titles should be swapped.</i>


    <i>But Nelly chatted with us all day. And Kaiho! Oh, that little turtle¡¯s just the cutest!!!!!</i>


    <i>I love the way he swims through the air. It makes me wish I was a turtle. Nelly said he¡¯s in Cridia on business, so if it was okay with us, he said he¡¯d like to drop by again sometime.</i>


    <i>I know Nelly can¡¯t summon Soul Warriors because he¡¯s the total definition of justice or something, but...</i>


    <i>If I had one wish, I¡¯d want him to be our summoner. I mean, he¡¯s totally an angel. Even if he¡¯s super tall and muscr, he¡¯s just a big ole sweetie. He even made us dinner. And Greggie and him worked together to enhance a sweet bread Nelly¡¯s mama made him for his birthday a hundred years ago.</i>


    <i>Oh, yeah.</i>


    <i>Nelly¡¯s old. Like super ancient, but he doesn¡¯t look a day over 45. I dunno what I would do if I could live for centuries. Like, how isn¡¯t he bored? I asked him, and he said he had inherited a duty that he couldn¡¯t falter.</i>


    <i>So, yeah. Nelly¡¯s a workaholic, haha. I guess he¡¯s like me. Or all of us. And not just because Meruria¡¯s working us to the bone, but because in our world, we were always improving ourselves. Like, our world was what we had already known, but if this was a different world, were there other worlds?</i>


    <i>Like, if our world was World A, and this was World B, was there a World C-Z? Or were there infinite worlds?</i>


    <i>It was probably thetter. I don¡¯t often think about things like this because it makes my head hurt, but even though I¡¯m an idol, I¡¯m not dumb. I know differential calculus and organic chemistry as much as the next person. That was practically a requirement when I trained to be an idol since you had to be the best of the best of the best to get as popr as me.</i>


    <i>But...</i>


    <i>What if I was born in a different world? One where...things were much better? Our textbooks say the world changed after World War II. Certain people came into power and altered the direction of our history.</i>


    <i>But does that really matter?</i>


    <i>I guess it doesn¡¯t.</i>


    <i>Geez, Elly. You started off so happy, and now look? You¡¯re just depressing your diary.</i>


    <i>Sorry about that, Diary.</i>


    <hr>


    <b><i>Entry 37 ¨C 60 Days After Being Summoned:</i></b>


    <i>Nelly showed up again. I was having a sad day, but talking to him cheered me up. Before I knew it, I told him about our world. He listened, and he outright confirmed that there were other worlds besides this one and the one I came from.</i>


    <i>So...</i>


    <i>Yeah...</i>


    <i>If things had been different, I could¡¯ve been born somewhere else in a world that wouldn¡¯t make sense if you hadn¡¯t lived it.</i>


    <i>When Qutie and the others got home from shopping, we talked while preparing lunch.</i>


    <i>Qutie wanted to know more about the world, so we learned a lot about the countries. Nelly told us about the different Holy Lords, the Dark Lords, and what it entailed to evolve into one...</i>


    <i>It was everything we should¡¯ve learned from Meruria, but no.</i>


    <i>That awful woman couldn¡¯t spare a second.</i>


    <i>Enele said he was going to leave Kaiho with us for a few days.</i>


    <i>Hehe... I loved that turtle.</i>


    <i>Seriously, he¡¯s like a dog. He likes to have his shell rubbed and his head scratched. And he even eats lettuce and other veggies from your hand! And his tail wags, too!</i>


    <i>And the best part!</i>


    <i>He likes this!</i>


    <i>It¡¯s not degrading or anything!</i>


    <i>Kaiho knows he¡¯s a turtle.</i>


    <i>Ah! Ohmigosh!</i>


    <i>He¡¯s just so cute!!!!</i>


    <em>You know what? I''m going to draw him.</em>


    Spoiler


    [copse]


    <i>But he¡¯s even older than Nelly by a few hundred years.</i>


    <i>And I¡¯m not dumb.</i>


    <i>I know why Kaiho¡¯s doing this. It¡¯s the same concept as emotional support animals, although, in this case, Kaiho¡¯s our emotional support spirit turtle. It was probably his idea. But...</i>


    <i>Why?</i>


    <i>Nelly¡¯s not supposed to y favorites. I know he wants to watch over Cridia because Sajun was his student. My singing instructor looked out for me, so I know how it feels.</i>


    <i>But...</i>


    <i>Why did Sajun have to take Meruria as a student? She¡¯s awful now, and she was probably awful back then. I don¡¯t get it. And it feels rude to ask. So... I won¡¯t. It''ll prolly dredge up some bad memories, and I don¡¯t wanna be the one responsible for that. And I won¡¯t ask Kaiho, either.</i>


    <i>That¡¯ll prolly be a mystery. I dunno if we¡¯ll get an answer to it.</i>


    <hr>


    <b><i>Entry 38¨C 61 Days After Being Summoned:</i></b>


    <i>Qutie asked Kaiho if he knew anything about the Dark Lord of Tyranny. We first heard that title from Melly shortly after we met.</i>


    <i>And Kaiho knew of her, but¡­</i>


    <i>She was an awful woman. He said she had brought the world to ruin and nearly killed every Holy and Dark Lord. Like¡­ She was a world-ender. She enved everyone and forced them to die for her. And she disrupted the world. Something like 30% of the poption died during her reign. Entire countries were wiped out. And she burned everything, just to cause more tyranny.</i>


    <i>She sounds super scary. Kaiho even said it was impossible to kill her. He didn¡¯t know why, but the people in charge of leading the fight against her said killing her would be worse than letting her go.</i>


    <i>But they didn¡¯t let her go. Kaiho said they found a way to imprison the Dark Lord of Tyranny and separate her from her Divine Armament. Its location was said to be a heavily guarded secret. He didn''t even know where it was at, and the list of people who did have its location was shrinking with every year. And it wasn''t like it was a long list to begin with, either.</i>


    <i>If this world was like a video game, the Dark Lord of Tyranny would be the super boss. Someone you couldn¡¯t even beat after maxing everything out. The more Kaiho spoke about her ck ice and nightmarish fire, the more I found myself scared.</i>


    <i>She¡¯s gone.</i>


    <i>She won¡¯t evere back. Kaiho assured me of that because her Divine Armament was sealed away. Even if she broke free from her dungeon, she¡¯d be detected and imprisoned within the week because precautions are in ce.</i>


    <i>But¡­</i>


    <i>I dunno¡­ I¡¯m still scared. I think I¡¯ll sleep with Ami tonight. I can always use my cousin as a fluffy pillow.</i>


    <i>Wait for me, Ami! I¡¯ming your way!</i>


    <hr>


    <b><i>Entry 53 ¨C 76 Days After Being Summoned</i></b>


    <i>Today was another sad day. I don¡¯t wanna talk about it...</i>


    <i>But why do people...do evil things?</i>


    <i>Why do criminals think it¡¯s okay to kidnap little girls and hold them for ransom?</i>


    <i>We were walking to a town east of Cridia when we came across a kidnapping. I...killed that man. He died from my singing. His head popped like a watermelon that was dropped from a building. And...the blood sshed over that little girl and terrorized her... She screamed and smacked me when I tried tofort her...</i>


    <i>I hated death.</i>


    <i>I hated hurting people. But it sucks more when your singing is the cause of it.</i>


    <i>I¡¯ll never get over it.</i>


    <i>Even if our enemy is a monster. A tiger, a lion... Even a zombie!</i>


    <i>I hated it.</i>


    <i>In the Apival Duchy, I had sung a song of healing, and it turned into one of terror. Undead monsters don¡¯t really like healing magic.</i>


    <i>I did it to save us.</i>


    <i>But it hurt.</i>


    <i>And now I don¡¯t feel like doing anything.</i>


    <i>I know I wrote about my feelings before. Probably half the entries in this diary feature that. But my diary can¡¯t get angry at me for annoying it.</i>


    <i>But I¡¯m sorry, Diary. I¡¯ll try to find some happy memories to fill you with soon.</i>


    <i>Keeth¡¯s here with me, though. He¡¯s letting me lean against his back. We¡¯re in his tent. Ami and the others are doing recon, and we¡¯re left alone here.</i>


    <i>I think I like him.</i>


    <i>A lot.</i>


    <i>He¡¯s truly someone who gets me. And we¡¯ve been talking a lot.</i>


    <i>He¡¯s someone I know I can rely on. And I know I can rely on the other members of Team Que. I can always call a Rule 1. Or do Rule 2.</i>


    <i>But Keeth¡­</i>


    <i>He makes my heart warm¡ªjust like the way Ami says she feels a lot of thumping in her chest when she¡¯s working out with Greggie.</i>


    <i>And he¡¯s made a lot of progress.</i>


    <i>He looks handsome. He already was in his own fluffy way, but...</i>


    <i>Seeing him makes me happy too.</i>


    <i>He''s really working hard to better himself.</i>


    <i>I wanna do the same. There¡¯s happiness here. I know there is. So¡­I wanna find some.</i>


    <i>I feel sleepy...</i>


    <i>I¡¯ll go ahead and end it here...</i>


    <i>Elly Edit!</i>


    <i>Okay, after waking up from a small nap, my day became better. Keeth¡­ He let me sleep with my head in hisp while he worked on something called Project Elly.</i>


    <i>And what was that project?</i>


    <i>It¡¯s my very own idol uniform!</i>


    <i>He made it with his hands. All for me!</i>


    <i>It¡¯s so cute!!!!! And so pretty!!!!! There are little sapphires embedded into the fabric. They sparkle so beautifully!!!!</i>


    <i>He made me a super cute skirt! And a pair of fabulous heels from a bundle of dragon hide we had found in a dungeon. He used some to reinforce our weaponry, but he used the rest for me.</i>


    <i>And Keeth¡­</i>


    <i>Aw, he¡¯s just the sweetest.</i>


    <i>We¡¯ve grown closer. A lot closer.</i>


    <i>And this just pushed us over the line. Love was hard for me to understand. I was forbidden from having crushes by mypany. I grabbed Keeth¡¯s hand and held his palm against my cheeks. He smiled¡­ I smiled¡­ And I believed I fell in love¡­</i>


    <i>How could I not? When I look back, he¡¯s always been there. And Qutie and the others were there too, but Keeth?</i>


    <i>Whenever I didn¡¯t wanna bring up Rule 1, he was always gently knocking at my door. He was shy, though. I always had to talk for him to get the courage, but we ended up spending a lot of time just talking. About a lot of things, and about nothing. And then there were the times I held his hand and rubbed healing cream in them when he was too tired to do it himself after working all day for ungrateful nobles.</i>


    <i>After sharing a moment¡­ I stood and undressed in front of him because I wanted him to see me, then slipped on the uniform¡­</i>


    <i>And I sang my heart out. The song I used was about him and my feelings. And he pped¡­ And he smiled¡­ And he cried¡­ And he even made two sticks out of glowing materials and waved them around.</i>


    <i>And after I had finished¡­</i>


    <i>I gave him my first kiss¡­</i>


    <i>I¡¯d been kissed before by people I don¡¯t wanna bring up or talk about, but it was just for me to rise through the warring world of idols to stand at the top.</i>


    <i>Keeth¡¯s the first man who I wanted to take my lips¡­</i>


    <i>We didn¡¯t do much after. But he let mey in hisp until I fell asleep¡­</i>


    <hr>


    <b><i>Entry 60 ¨C 83 Days After Being Summoned</i></b>


    <i>Today was another...</i>


    <i>Ugh.</i>


    <i>Today sucked.</i>


    <i>The days have been sucking a lot.</i>


    <i>And it sucks.</i>


    <i>A lot.</i>


    <i>Remy¡¯s annoying.</i>


    <i>Meruria¡¯s annoying.</i>


    <i>Every time we go to the church for one of our summoner¡¯s missions, we gotta walk by Damon¡¯s room. And someone¡¯s always moaning.</i>


    <i>He thinks with his dick.</i>


    <i>We haven¡¯t even seen Lori and Ann. I know Qutie¡¯s been wanting to talk to them. They weren¡¯t there when Shuuta died. She¡¯s been curious to see how they would have reacted. I dunno why, though.</i>


    <i>Tokko and Mia? We haven¡¯t seen them in months. We don¡¯t bring them up, but I¡¯ve heard the nobles I entertain talk about their policies. They both like and dislike the direction of the country. The former is because things have be more efficient. And thetter because they were afraid of being useless and abandoned.</i>


    <i>They don¡¯t think I hear them, but I do.</i>


    <i>And they¡¯re all a bunch of backstabbing meanies.</i>


    <i>And Will¡¯s all but disappeared.</i>


    <i>And we don¡¯t talk that much to Shiku. But he¡¯s one of the only nice ones here. That Salim guy seems nice, too. And Renata and Benedict, and the two doggy girl maids that always follow Shiku around.</i>


    <i>I haven¡¯t heard much of the guy that Meruria summoned to rece Shuuta, but I¡¯d hear rumors from the nobles I¡¯m forced to entertain. They think I wasn¡¯t listening, and I was. And that Carter guy¡¯s a total perv. Okay, so he can make drones with his mana, but he seriously uses it to spy on people. He reminds me of the paparazzi.</i>


    <i>I seriously hated those losers with a passion, but like a lotta people¡­ Carter¡¯s just a sleaze-ball. I told Quite about it, and she said she¡¯ll start using her mana eye thingie skill and walk around the house. To make sure that he¡¯s not doing that crap here.</i>


    <i>We hardly ever see anyone from our world. It¡¯s like Meruria¡¯s keeping us apart on purpose, but...that¡¯s probably part of our punishment.</i>


    <i>Qutie¡¯s been different, too.</i>


    <i>It¡¯s like a weird depressing aura...like a rain cloud¡­ It hangs over her. And I don¡¯t like it. But she says she¡¯s not sad. Okay, no. That was wrong. She says she¡¯s sad. That¡¯s something she admits. But being sad, in her eyes, isn¡¯t the same as failing. But she never calls for a Rule 1. And she hasn¡¯t been doing much of Rule 2, either.</i>


    <i>But if Qutie says she¡¯s fine, then she¡¯s fine.</i>


    <i>Keeth and I have been sleeping together, but we don¡¯t have sex. We¡¯re afraid too. Who knows what Meruria would do if she found out. If I dare to ask her or Remy for any condoms or anything, she might forbid me from seeing Keeth. I wouldn¡¯t put it past that bitch to forever punish us in different ways.</i>


    <i>I thought I could power through this¡­ But¡­</i>


    <i>I¡¯m not as strong as I think I am.</i>


    <i>I wanna cry.</i>


    <i>Yeah¡­ I¡¯ll cry¡­ Keeth, I¡¯ming to your room¡­</i>


    <hr>


    <i></i>


    <b><i>Entry 80 ¨C 103 Days After Being Summoned.</i></b>


    <i>I¡¯m losing my damn mind.</i>


    <i>I wanna cry.</i>


    <i>I wanna throw things.</i>


    <i>I wanna destroy¡­</i>


    <i>I¡¯ve¡­never felt this so pissed off and upset!!!!!</i>


    <i>Ugh¡­</i>


    <i>It¡¯s been nothing but concerts. And then it¡¯s been nothing but parties. Meruria ordered all of Team Que to attend because she wanted us to mingle with the nobles. It¡¯s been three parties a day for twenty days! And it¡¯s been all over Cridia, not just Junsa. I¡¯ve always been able to sing for long hours, but even I need to rest my throat.</i>


    <i>Good little Soul Warriors¡­</i>


    <i>Every time she sees us, she says that.</i>


    <i>You¡¯re selfless heroic otherworlders who yearn to put Cridia above their own wants and desires.</i>


    <i>She says that, too.</i>


    <i>I can¡¯tin because she says good little Soul Warriors¡ªselfless heroic otherworlders don¡¯tin about working for the summoner.</i>


    <i>When we got home a few minutes ago, I screamed. I lost it. And Remy¡­</i>


    <i>She justughed and said it was just singing. It was justughing.</i>


    <i>Then she left.</i>


    <i>We all called a Rule 1 to vent about Remy. We¡­ We hated her. So much. We despised that woman. No, she wasn¡¯t even a woman. She was just a force of evil. And she always yed jokes and said cruel things at our expense.</i>


    <i>She even admitted to spying on us in the bath and said some really hurtful things about our bodies!</i>


    <i>But Keeth¡¯s not small! He¡¯s perfectly fine! The big ones hurt a lot!</i>


    <hr>


    <i></i>


    <b><i>Entry 100 ¨C 123 Days After Being Summoned</i></b>


    <i>Things had gotten better.</i>


    <i>Not a lot.</i>


    <i>But better.</i>


    <i>We got a break. Not a long one, but enough to calm down.</i>


    <i>Keeth and Iid in bed. We didn¡¯t do anything but hold hands.</i>


    <i>Ugh¡­</i>


    <i>Meruria has a statue in every room.</i>


    <i>It was heme. It wouldn¡¯t surprise me if she had ced a camera or something in there, even if the tech didn¡¯t exist. Or if it did, we didn¡¯t know.</i>


    <i>But Keeth¡­</i>


    <i>He let mey my head on his chest. After hearing his heartbeat, I hummed a little song while he petted my hair.</i>


    <i>I seriously loved him.</i>


    <i>And¡­</i>


    <i>Maybe¡­</i>


    <i>Maybe we¡¯d get married.</i>


    <i>Or maybe not. Meruria was the one who would decide that.</i>


    <i>This is a dark thought. It¡¯s one I don¡¯t even wanna think about.</i>


    <i>But¡­</i>


    <i>What if all this abuse and awful treatment was a way for us to regret standing up for Shuuta?</i>


    <i>It makes me a horrible person.</i>


    <i>But if Meruria wants us to actually say we regret it, maybe she¡¯d treat us better?</i>


    <i>But I wanna stay true to myself.</i>


    <i>He didn¡¯t deserve to die.</i>


    <i>I know that the day I start to think that is when¡­</i>


    <i>No¡­</i>


    <i>I don¡¯t wanna say anymore.</i>


    <i>I¡¯m sure no one else in Team Que is thinking like that. We can¡¯t think like that. It¡¯s just not right.</i>


    <i>But I¡¯m tired¡­ I think I¡¯ll head to sleep. Keeth¡¯s already snoring.</i>


    <hr>


    <b><i>Entry 122 ¨C 145 Days After Being Summoned</i></b>


    <i>We have another mission.</i>


    <i>There¡¯s a desert in the south that¡¯s been experiencing crazy sandstorms, and Meruria wants us to solve it.</i>


    <i>It seems easy enough.</i>


    <i>I wonder why she¡¯s doing this?</i>


    <i>I¡¯m not gonna lie. Things have been looking up.</i>


    <i>Yeah, I¡¯m still singing and dancing for the nobles, but it¡¯s been bettertely.</i>


    <i>A while ago, a noble named Ravenshaw was throwing his son¡¯s birthday party.</i>


    <i>And I immediately groaned. But I didn¡¯t say it out loud. But whenever I need to sing for a kid, I¡¯m always scared they¡¯re going to be like the one that died way back when.</i>


    <i>But I¡¯m happy to say it was different.</i>


    <i>This one was fun.</i>


    <i>Ravenshaw was a Ravenfolk. And his son was seriously super cute. He couldn¡¯t fly very well, but he was such a cutie!</i>


    <i>He was absolutely smitten with Melly, though. She was the life of the party. Ravenshaw said his son liked sparkly things, and he¡¯d once seen us walk through town from his balcony. He said he had the cutest tantrum. And he said he thanked Meruria for this chance to make his son¡¯s small dreame true. </i>


    <i>But I made it even better.</i>


    <i>Keeth hadn¡¯t only made me an idol uniform, but he had made everyone one. And Melly and I put on one hell of a show. She flew above me, and her sparkly wings doused the room in crystal fragments. Keeth passed out the glow sticks he made to reflect the light. And Qutie used illusion magic to spice it up.</i>


    <i>It was a lot of fun. And that child¡­ Oh, I just wanted to squeeze his little bitty cutie cheeks!!!</i>


    <i>He tried to fly and join Melly, but he couldn¡¯t. He cheered his little heart out when Melly swept him up and allowed him to join in on the fun.</i>


    <i>Ravenshaw¡­</i>


    <i>He was a good bird. Or Ravenfolk, I mean. One of the better nobles I¡¯d met.</i>


    <i>If we¡¯re lucky, Remy won¡¯t be with us on this mission. I hope she isn¡¯t.</i>


    <i>But I dunno if I¡¯ll have time to write my diary again.</i>


    <i>It¡¯s hard to believe it¡¯s almost been 5 months. Sometimes, it feels like it hasn¡¯t been that long. When I close my eyes, I can sometimes see the Baedes dancing on TV. And other times, it feels like I¡¯m watching paint dry.</i>


    <i>The days are kinda getting longer and slower at the same time. And I don¡¯t like it.</i>


    <i>But¡­</i>


    <i>I dunno¡­</i>


    <i>If I have Team Que and Keeth, I know I¡¯ll be strong.</i>


    <i>They love me. I love them.</i>


    <i>We love each other. We¡¯re each other¡¯s strength and rock. Without Rule 1 and Rule 2, we wouldn¡¯t have made it this far.</i>


    <i>And before I go, Diary, I wanna say¡­</i>


    <i>I haven¡¯t thought of Shuuta as a regret since thest time I wrote about him. That was 22 days ago or something. I¡¯m toozy to turn the page to check, haha...</i>


    <i>But I¡¯m slowly adapting.</i>


    <i>When we return from the mission, I wanna go to the bar again. I wanna see the owner and sing on the stage. And I hope the guitar guy¡¯s back. Keeth said he¡¯d make him a brand-new one, but the guitar guy refused because it belonged to his grandfather.</i>


    <i>You know¡­</i>


    <i>I really don¡¯t like a lot of people. But it¡¯s themon people¡­ They¡¯re the ones I like the most. Like us, they¡¯re just trying to get through life.</i>


    <i>We¡¯re all in this together.</i>


    <i>You¡¯ve helped me a lot, Diary. Like a whole lot. It¡¯s crazy that you¡¯ve helped me this much. Qutie was on to something when she brought up the idea. I¡¯ll have to thank her.</i>

 Chapter Seventy-One: You Can’t Always Be Strong

    Chapter Seventy-One: You Can¡¯t Always Be Strong


    Entering my room, I felt a sudden heaviness in my heart as I took in the surroundings. It was nothing special, just a simple, rustic space. The carpeted floors felt soft beneath my feet, and therge walk-in closet stood empty, a stark reminder of the absence of those who used to fill it. The walls were bare,cking any paintings or decorations, and the egg-shell white wallpaper with the pattern of green diamonds only served to intensify the overwhelming green theme of the room.


    I tried to push the obvious aside-- to focus on anything else. So, I made my way to the edge of the room, past the chairs and dining table, and opened the sliding doors that led to the outdoor bath. The steamy water greeted me, reminiscent of the cave I once bathed in with Oswell and his group. The towering walls provided privacy, but the view of the northern oceany unobstructed before me.


    "My lord, you seem tense," Tris spoke up, her concern evident in her voice.


    "It''s something like that," I replied, trying to sound nonchnt, but she could see right through me.


    Since Gretchen and the captain were going to have their meeting soon, I agreed to send bird clones to index the city, which would take about two hours¡ªincluding time to regain the expended biomass. It was a mere distraction, and Tris knew it because she asked to takemand over them.


    When it came to her¡­I couldn¡¯t hide anything through my fa?ade. Before I knew it, she had led me to the bed, sitting me down with a determined expression.


    "It''s okay," she said gently, taking my hand. "You don''t have to pretend with me."


    And then she said the words I didn''t want to hear, the words that broke down the walls I had built around my emotions. She knew. She knew everything because [Deduction] gave her constant updates about my mental and physical health, and I couldn''t hide from her. It was overwhelming, and I couldn''t hold back any longer.


    From the moment I killed the pirate captain¡­Tris knew I was putting on airs. I said I was okay. I even told Primrose I was fine when we searched the pirate ship.


    But¡­


    I wasn¡¯t alright.


    I was the furthest thing from being...


    "I don''t..." I started to protest, but the tears were already streaming down my cheeks.


    "It''s okay, my lord. You can cry," Tris reassured me.


    "I''ve already shed enough tears," I tried to argue, but my voice cracked with emotion.


    But Tris didn''t give up. She held me close, offering a haven for my vulnerability. And then Surtr emerged from the bracelet, aforting presence that beckoned me to let go, to be weak. Its voice was deep, but the lion¡¯s words were deeply profound.


    And so, I did. I let myself be weak, fragile, and broken. I clung to Surtr''s neck, finding sce in the lion''s ming warmth, and Tris held me tight from behind, whispering soothing words that slowly calmed the storm raging within me.


    And then, as ifpelled to share my pain, I opened up to them both. I spoke of Sekh-- of everything we had been through together. I relived the memories, theughter, and the tears. And in that moment, I felt the depth of my love for her, the void her absence had left within me.


    Of course, they knew about that. Tris had my memories, and Surtr had Sekh¡¯s. But I wanted to reminisce about her. And they silently listened.


    "And in Aetos Vige... We went at it all night," I confessed, my voice trembling with emotion. "She was in such a mood, and... I miss her so much..."


    ¡°Let it all out,¡± rumbled Surtr. The lionid down, and I rested against its body while it turned itsrge head to look at me with ming eyes.


    Trisid beside me, and I kept talking until my heart yearned for rest.


    <hr>


    I woke up from what felt like a deep dream. Sekh was there¡­ She didn¡¯t speak, so I knew it was just that. A dream. A figment of my mind.


    But she smiled.


    She looked at me, and¡­her eyes were always the brightest silver, but they shined like beacons in the darkness.


    But the dream ended. Fantasies would always conclude.


    ¡°Did you enjoy your nap, Lord Springfield?¡± asked Surtr, who licked itsrge paws and rubbed its face.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ Sorry about that. Didn¡¯t mean to use you as a pillow.¡±


    ¡°I can do far more than ughter your enemies to thest pathetic weakling.¡±


    ¡°Tris?¡± I turned to the praying woman. She looked up and stared at me as if I was the only thing that mattered in her eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s been three hours, my lord,¡± she said, giving me a quick report. Plymoise was indexed, but Captain Caulk and Gretchen weren¡¯t together. He was at the shipyard talking to an engineer, and she was back at her office. The meeting must''ve already happened based on their actions.


    <i>Damn, I missed it. But that¡¯s fine.</i>


    ¡°Tris, devote some of your resources to keeping an eye on the two. I want to know if they about the war, their ns, or if they decide to meet again.¡±


    ¡°Of course. How do you feel? I still detect an ounce of stress.¡±


    ¡°Talking helps a lot, I mean. But¡­ It¡¯s hard for me to not feel like this.¡±


    Tris crawled closer and kept a perfect smile. ¡°I believe I can help with that.¡± Her clothes were reced by white lingerie,plete with matching stockings and a garter belt. A pair of blond lion ears twitched on her head, and her human ears disappeared. That fluttering tail surprised me just as much. Tris was undoubtedly cute, though.


    ¡°Your mental and physical well-being is of the highest priority,¡± she said, leaning forward, letting her generous chest bounce slightly. ¡°ording to my data, you seemed happiest when it was time to copte. Lady Sekh¡¯s bosom was also a point offort I did not fail to notice, but you also found sce rubbing her ears and tail. That is why I have this secondary appearance the Conduit has dered Lionfolk Mode, modeled after the Dark Lord of Tyranny. What do you prefer, my lord?¡±


    ¡°Prefer?¡±


    Did I even deserve to pick one?


    Did I even deserve to pick anything at all?


    Was it right for me to indulge in this when Sekh wasn¡¯t here? And Irisa wasn¡¯t here...


    This felt wrong.


    ¡°Hesitation¡­?¡± It seemed Tris didn¡¯t expect my silence. ¡°If you are concerned about upsetting Lady Sekh and Lady Irisa, do not worry.¡± Tris told me that Sekh and Irisa talked after I fell asleep when we had our threesome. They said if someone who loved and cared for me as much as I did for them appeared, they would be open to sharing me with them. The perfect intentions had to be shared by all parties involved, including me, of course.


    ¡°I love you more than anything else. You¡¯re my shining star¡­ You¡¯re the one I will follow, guide, and assist until the end of time,¡± Tris confessed. ¡°Do you love me, my lord?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I love you. How could I not? But what you¡¯re asking of me¡­ I don¡¯t deserve it¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°How could I even begin to think about my desires right now? And why should I? I¡­ Fuck, it¡¯s hard to exin.¡± I felt difort flow all over my body. I formed a pair of fists and gritted my teeth. ¡°Do I even deserve to feel happiness? It feels so wrong! Sekh isn¡¯t here! I¡¯m the reason for that! I should be out there assimting, not sitting here! I need to be killing and getting life force! I can¡¯t waste time, can I? Get your clothes on. Surtr, we¡¯re¡ª¡±


    "Self-punishment, Lord Springfield, is the epitome of folly," Surtr''s deep voice resonated with profound wisdom and aged experience.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t that. It¡¯s me righting a wrong that never should''ve happened.¡±


    ¡°Do not try and pretend it¡¯s something it isn¡¯t.¡± Surtr stood and walked closer. I stared up at its eyes and didn¡¯t back down.


    ¡°I¡¯m not. Come on. We have work to do.¡± Surtr sat in front of the door. ¡°Move.¡±


    ¡°I cannot.¡±


    ¡°Are you disobeying me?¡±


    ¡°No. I am merely correcting the behavior of a foolish chimera who should have more faith¡ª¡±


    ¡°What the hell did you say?! Why are you stopping me from leaving?! I thought you¡¯d want Sekh back as soon as possible!¡± Surtr still didn¡¯t move¡­


    ming horns appeared over my head as I summoned my rifle. ¡°Move. Let me go.¡± The lion didn¡¯t do anything. Its stare was piercing even when I aimed the barrel in its face. ¡°Don¡¯t make me pull the trigger. Don¡¯t make me force you back into the bracelet.¡±


    ¡°Do you recall what happened after you used [Status Cloak] to change your name to Lyudm Springfield?¡±


    ¡°Why the hell¡ª¡±


    ¡°Answer me.¡± Surtr cut me off with a low growl, and before I could answer, he spoke again. ¡°You told our Dark Lord that you weren¡¯t perfect. You expressively said you were bound to make mistakes. If you made a decision, and there was a better choice to be made, she was to tell you. Our Dark Lord isn¡¯t here. She is indisposed, so it falls to me to watch over you in her stead, Lord Springfield. Cease your iling, sit down, and listen to my words. Consider it a breadth of advice from one who has seen and experienced more than you canprehend and take the lesson to heart.¡± Surtr seemingly gazed into my soul with its unblinking, piercing eyes.


    I nced at Tris and saw an expression I didn¡¯t like¡­ She covered her chest and stomach with her arms and almost seemed¡­ ufortable. Her lion ears and tail kept flickering out of existence.


    She obviously hadn¡¯t predicted I¡¯d act like this...


    <i>Goddamn it¡­ I¡¯m always¡­hurting the ones I love¡­ What the hell is wrong with me? Was I about to shoot Surtr?</i>


    I canceled [Ira Ignis], holstered my gun, and watched Surtr walk to the bed. Itid beside it, then told me to rest against itsrge body before continuing.


    "Self-punishment leads to a deste abyss, where the very essence of oneself is consumed by a darkness of their own making. It is a dangerousbyrinth where love for oneself is lost, and the light of selfpassion is extinguished. Remaining mired in self-inflicted suffering, you unknowingly relinquish the love you harbor for yourself. Eachsh of guilt, everysh of regret erodes the foundation of your soul. It blinds you to the beauty of your being and deprives you of the strength to rise above the trials you¡¯ll face in the future. We are bound by our imperfections, yet it is through them that we grow and learn. Embrace your ws, for they are the brushstrokes that paint the masterpiece of your existence."


    ¡°¡­¡±


    "As you punish yourself, you lose sight of the love residing within you," Surtr continued, its voice unwavering in the lengthy speech. "Be gentle with yourself, Lord Springfield, and let not self-burden be the chains that bind you. For when it restrains you, you are not the sole sufferer. It will spread to the ones you love and cast a dark cloud. It is a contagious disease that is difficult to cure. Our Dark Lord of Tyranny burned her life to the limit and let in the curse she so desperately hated to save you, yet her actions were brought on by profound affection. Refusing to consider your happiness as something to be protected and nurtured would be throwing her efforts away, and I know you don¡¯t want that.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    <i>I feel even more like shit¡­</i>


    ¡°Honor her memory. Protect your happiness. Protect the happiness of those our Dark Lord of Tyranny loves. Do not even begin to think about refusing Lady Irisa¡¯s affection because you wish to hurt your heart. You won¡¯t be the only victim. And there¡¯s more¡­ Look at me, Lord Springfield. Meet my eyes. My words are ufortable, but you must take them to heart. Fight against the difort you feel and face your misjudgments head-on.¡±


    I didn¡¯t want to.


    I felt like every aspect of my body was being attacked. And it was.


    And I deserved it. But I gathered the willpower and looked¡­


    ¡°The Dark Lord of Tyranny is not dead. If she remains within the coffin inside your [Void Storage]... She wille back to us.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Say it. Tell me what you learned.¡±


    ¡°Sekh¡­isn¡¯t dead¡­ My¡­happiness matters¡­ I can¡¯t punish myself¡­because¡­¡± It was hard to see through the tears. ¡°Because it wouldn¡¯t be fair to my family! Or you! Or Tris! It wouldn¡¯t be fair to anyone¡ªnot even me! I¡¯m sorry! Tris!¡± I turned to my belovedpanion and brought her into a deep hug. She fell against me, and I wrapped my arms around even tighter. I cried and cried and cried. I kept apologizing over and over. Even when it felt monotonous, I kept at it until the emotional overload was, once more, too much to bear.


    <hr>


    ¡°Does it feel good, Tris?¡±


    ¡°Mmnn¡­ It does¡­ My lord, your hands are the best¡­¡±


    Tris¡¯s fluffy tail tickled my nose as I happily massaged her twitching ears. She sat in myp and rested her full weight against me. I swore she even purred at one point while happily humming.


    I¡¯d woken up about four minutes ago. This time, I was out for another three hours. It was a lengthy nap, to be sure.


    And things were awkward.


    Just what the fuck was wrong with me?


    Surtr had been right. The only way for me to not heal Sekh was if I died. And I wouldn¡¯t die. The world¡¯s best recon was sitting in myp, rubbing against me while I yed with her fluffy ears.


    Tris loved me so much that she assumed I would ept her offer. My prior refusal caused her no shortage of heartache.


    That was proof I was wed. Too wed. And I didn¡¯t like it.


    She even said her mind was a swirling mess as she tried to find out why her prediction was wrong or why she failed to even consider the option that I¡¯d refuse her offer.


    ¡°Surtr¡­ I¡¯m weak, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Youck experience others should have.¡±


    ¡°Haha¡­ You don¡¯t mince your words, do you? Can you forgive me? I was about to do something¡­so dumb¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to forgive. Learn from your mistakes, and I cannot be happier. You¡¯re in a unique position. Untold eons of knowledge and experiencey within reach. You will never have to face the unknown alone because you merely need to ask and express your concerns and fears. You have those who would listen to your every word around you, and you have those who will teach you what you don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Surtr?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I love you. I want you to know that. Please¡­don¡¯t hate me¡­¡±


    Surtr turned its head and gave me a big lick across my cheeks. ¡°I¡¯ll never hate you if you yearn to always be your best. I shall defend you to my dying breath and ughter your enemies to thest soul. That is my promise as your guardian lion and my oath to our Dark Lord of Tyranny.¡±


    ¡°Tris, I love you too. I¡¯ll fluff your ears anytime you want, okay?¡± Suddenly, I wrapped my arms around her stomach and kissed her neck''s nape. Her tail continued to dance as she put her fingers over mine. ¡°I...promise I¡¯ll be the best I can. So... I¡¯ll make you happy. I swear I will. I won¡¯t ever make you feel like that ever again. You have standards of me, and I promise I¡¯ll meet them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m already the happiest in the world, my lord. Your mission isplete. Being with you has brought the most joy¡­ I love you, my lord. For now and forever, I¡¯ll always love you.¡± She turned around in myp. Her lingerie vanished before, allowing me to gaze upon her perfect figure.


    Suddenly, I saw a collection of waypoints to my right. My confusion was gone after a few seconds¡­


    ¡°Is that¡­?¡±


    ¡°It is. Please recall the night after you encountered the siblings responsible for the monster train incident. You, Lady Sekh, and Lady Irisa went into the mines. Lady Sekh heard them, and there was an encounter. She wanted to murder, but you had better ideas, and Lady Sekh struggled with her feelings for the rest of the day.¡±


    In the waypoint-recreation of that scene, Sekh straddled me. She cried and begged me to punish her because she felt she had disobeyed and disappointed me again. Her shattered, tormented psyche went haywire¡­


    The only way I calmed her was by admitting my love.


    And I had ended the night by punishing her¡ªI merely patted her head and fluffed her ears.


    Tris rubbed my pointy ears and kissed my forehead. ¡°And that¡¯s your punishment, my lord,¡± she whispered, her breath tickling my lips.


    ¡°Please keep one thing in mind. To Lady Sekh and Lady Irisa, your happiness is something they wish to maintain. I feel the same as them. Don¡¯t refrain from doing something that brings you joy because Lady Sekh isn¡¯t currently here,¡± said Tris, who turned around and leaned her back against my stomach. She took my hands and ced them on her ears.


    She loved having them rubbed.


    ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ Sekh¡­ She wouldn¡¯t want to see me like this, would she?¡±


    ¡°She wouldn¡¯t,¡± replied Surtr.


    ¡°I know Sekh¡¯s going to be okay. I know we can¡­bring her back. And when she¡¯s here¡­ I¡¯ll apologize for my weaknesses. And then I¡¯ll wee her home. And I¡¯ll do anything she wants. And Mom and Dad¡­ And Irisa and Erin and Niva. Prim, too. If I act¡­ If I let my self-pity consume me... It would be hard on them. Especially Irisa. I love her so much. And I know she¡¯s sad. And that¡¯s why I need to support her. And I can¡¯t do that if I¡¯m sorry for myself.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re understanding it, but make no mistake. Should you need to cry, cry. It is never a mistake to show your emotions. Keep that in mind, Lord Springfield.¡±


    ¡°I will, Surtr. Thank you.¡± I nted a hand on its head and gave my fluffy, intelligent lion a bunch of loving rubs. ¡°Oh, there¡¯s one more thing. Be ready for a fight tonight. After dinner, we¡¯ll be heading out. And I need you to remain materialized from here on out until further notice,¡± I said, summoning my revolver and rifle to my body. From now on, I had to have them equipped since they were my primary method of fighting.


    ¡°As you wish. I will dly spill more blood in your name.¡±


    I also told Tris to mark a location for me because that was our immediate destination once we left. She stared at my lips, then asked what was on my mind because she felt something strange. I couldn¡¯t hide anything from her, so I wondered if it was better to remain a High Elf or cosy as a normal elf. I wanted to do what was best for my family.


    Tris immediately suggested I remain a High Elf because they were rare. You¡¯d have to live a long time to evolve one without being born as one. And if you were, you¡¯d undoubtedly have power and influence over the naturalistic world.


    But I had none of what a person believed a High Elf should have. Instead, the mere appearance of being one offered my family protection.


    ¡°There¡¯s one thing I¡¯m curious about, Tris.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the best way to ask this¡­ How¡­humanoid are you?¡± While in her previous evolution, Tris was born as a nk te. The memories I shared with her gave her a head start, but she was still akin to a newborn. Over the weeks and months, she learned from watching me, Sekh, and Irisa while receiving special tutoring from Tilde.


    ¡°The Conduit was essential in teaching me. I learned much from her wisdom and aged experience, my lord. And Lady Sekh and the others were invaluable to my progress,¡± she said with a smile, holding a hand to her heart. ¡°It is thanks to them... I can feel a wide range of emotions, but I still have much to learn before I am worthy of bing your Aspect of Wisdom. I am but a mere fragment.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re my fragment, Tris. A priceless jewel¡­¡± I kissed her blushing cheeks, and after sharing a vocal expression of our love, we remained like this until dinner was ready.


    She asked which ¡®mode¡¯ I preferred¡ªLionfolk or Human-- and Tris was happy at my answer.


    It made me wonder why there was even a Human Mode in the first ce, but Tris likened it to a failsafe. I suppose it didn¡¯t matter since she¡¯d remain a Lionfolk from here on out.

 Intermission – Ann – Temple of Demons – Part One (Illustrations!)

    Intermission ¨C Ann ¨C Temple of Demons ¨C Part One (Illustrations!)


    The destiny Lori and I shared was written in stone long before our birth. While mother''s womb nurtured us, she entered a learning chamber to hypnotize our underdeveloped brains. We were overloaded with styles ofbat rting to the spear and katana before the concept of life was even applied to us.


    However, Mother¡¯s potential was extinguished when she died during childbirth.


    That was the first life Lori and I took.


    It wouldn¡¯t be thest.


    Father forced our hands to hold our weapons before we could walk. When we were three, we began training from sunrise to sunset, with him using medicine and drugs to strengthen our bodies while making us push far past our boundaries.


    Fighting was all we knew.


    And fighting was our life.


    That was the Zika Family in a nutshell. Our ancient traditions defined our childhood. In a world where styles ofbat no longer had a ce, Father, Grandfather, and Great Grandfather still believed in the ways of old, and we were brought up as if we lived centuries in the past.


    No one from our previous world could¡¯ve bested us in a fight. We wouldn''t fail-- no matter the enemy. Father believed losing was a weakness. He preached that the weak, sick, and frail were stepping stones for the strong to climb during their rise to the top, but Lori and I believed otherwise because Father was wrong.


    His belief was formed by a crude and outdated way of thinking.


    Everyone should strive for excellence and support others in their pursuit of greatness. The proof of that imy within Lori and me. Our abilities when we were 10 couldn¡¯t havepared to us when we were 5, and that was because Father supported us during our time of growth. In his own words, we should¡¯ve died because we were weak. Yet here we were, alive and well, growing stronger every day.


    But Father couldn¡¯t handle us being an antithesis to the Zika Family¡¯s belief. So, he challenged us to a fight one night after losing his temper. Ten minutester, he couldn¡¯t handle the warriors he had produced and died.


    Patricide was seen as a crime, yet it was a rite of passage in our family. Father believed only the strong should rule, so he naturally followed his beliefs to the grave and thanked us for being stronger with his dying breath.


    But Lori and I... We felt conflicted. Father still had potential, yet he didn¡¯t see it. He died before realizing it, and his life ended with waste. The confusion continued to conflict even as we were forced to fight each other to be the new Family Head. Our ancient rules dictated we were to continue until the other had died.


    Lori and I had no qualms about fighting each other because that was how we learned, but who would force it to end with death?


    No one could beat us. Lori and I were natural phenomena¡ªthe best in our respective weapons and disciplines. Our trophy room was twice the size of our bedroom.


    It was our first time going all out, and we fought, and fought, and fought. For two days, Lori and I never left the dojo. We didn¡¯t stop for food or water, and after our bodies had long exhausted everything they had, our minds kept going until my sister threw her spear down and announced her defeat. I could easily recall how she approached me on two broken legs and extended a fractured hand to gracefully touch my cheek.


    As the new Family Head, I had an appearance to maintain. That was the reason why I dressed conservatively, wearing muted colors, long skirts, and jackets to maintain pristine confidence. Lori wanted to be different so as not to cause anyone to confuse the Family Head with her twin. She was a shier dresser, with short skirts, crop tops, heels, stockings, nes, rings, and bracelets to make me stand out more.


    We were almost raised as one in body and mind for the first decade of our life, and now my twin and I couldn¡¯t have looked more differently.


    Yet we remained the same on the inside. Only our outward appearance had changed. The dichotomy of our ¡®stern¡¯ and ¡®difficult¡¯ personalities caused more than a few challenges once I took control of our family.


    As its leader, I refocused our efforts on the pursuit of greatness. Death was a natural part of the world. Everyone would eventually die, but it didn¡¯t make sense to elerate the arrival of that day when there was unrealized potential.


    We broke many records over the next eight years, quadrupling the family¡¯s ie. It was only under my rule that we achieved the status of billionaires. Countries paid for us to open training academies since there was always a need to train soldiers.


    And no one trained them better than us¡­


    But I didn¡¯t care about the family. I only had eyes for my sister. She was the only one in the world to fight me to a draw. Even with that said, life was boring. When you stood at the pinnacle, everything looked as insignificant as an ant. Lori and I talked extensively about it. We were going to spend the school trip discussing what to do when Lord Meruria answered in the form of summoning us.


    All it took was one ncing touch of the weapons our summoner provided to rekindle the fire burning in our hearts.


    Unfortunately, we had left her church and missed the bacsh of what happened to Shuuta. We only learned it during dinner, and Lori and I spent that entire night wondering about his potential.


    Would we have argued for his survival?


    They said he had an outburst near the end. Almost everyone regarded it as happening toote, yet¡­


    Potential¡­ It was the most beautiful thing in the world. And we still weren¡¯t exhausted. Our goal was to achieve Soul Evolution and ascend to a 6-Star Soul. It was the perfect challenge for those who shared the beliefs Lori and I had.


    We wanted to achieve everything we could with our bodies and souls. Even if it required burning them to the very end... We were ready for it.


    <hr>


    We were on horseback, traveling south of Junsa to the Arkley Mountains. A devilish horde of orphaned demons had taken root in the temple at the peak of the tallest mountain and were terrorizing the farming viges around the base. This part of Cridia was known for being dryer than usual, so having anything further to increase the chances of a bad harvest was something Lord Meruria couldn¡¯t handle. We were supposed to meet with Shiku and the rest of Team Salim to wipe out the demons.


    Spoiler


    [copse]


    Spoiler


    [copse]


    Weeks ago, Lori and I had orders to escort a noble of Junsa as his bodyguards. That annoying task... The noble rambled on about how beautiful my sister and I were. I didn¡¯t care much when those words left his mouth. His potential was...nothing. He was a man who used hisrge gut andrger wallet to buy anything he wanted without putting the effort in.


    His life was prematurely ended when he dared to try toy a hand on my sister when he was drunk on the taste of wine. Lord Meruria didn¡¯t see fit to punish us when we returned with his severed corpse. He was one of thest surviving members of a failed family of aristocrats who had swindled their massive fortune away in the three decades before our arrival. It seemed Lord Meruria was using her Soul Warriors to help remove those that wouldn¡¯t be useful to her in the long run because something simr had happened to Shiku at Junsa¡¯s guild.


    And a family was wiped out after Elly had performed for a child with awful manners.


    Tokko and Mia were invaluable assets towards that goal.


    They had acquired their fabled Soul Weapons within two days of being summoned. The two then took to the library to investigate this world and its history and effortlessly integrated themselves into Cridia''s politics while causing a disruption in the bnce of power the nobles wielded. Some families¡¯ influence dropped overnight. Others found themselves with new titles and responsibilities they could only dream of. And they were making these decisions with Lord Meruria¡¯s blessings. The aristocrats weren¡¯t happy and petitioned Meruria directly to reconsider putting otherworlders in charge. Tokko and Mia put to rest all their worries after introducing a 100-page n to improve Cridia¡¯s logistics.


    Within the month, the city had made a noticeable change in almost every aspect. The surrounding farms were growing with more than 8 times the efficiency as before with less water. Advances in suspension technology meant bigger andrger wagons and carriages would ride smoothly, allowing more precious cargo to be transported faster and safer. Those were just a few of Tokko¡¯s ideas, and he implemented more with each passing day.


    Two weekster, Lord Meruria dispatched messengers to travel across thends with a list of new improvements and regtions to be implemented immediately. Tokko predicted the country¡¯s food supplies would easily triple within the year. The money gained would go towards establishing a foundry to automate the processing of steel and other metals using [Puppetry Magic] to employ golems and gargoyles as workers.


    In a decade, Cridia would have probably advanced by half a century in technology.


    Lord Meruria had summoned Soul Warriors in the past. Holy and Dark Lords convened at the Lord Conference in the Kingdom of Aquanis every year to discuss world rtions, but every fifty years, the topic turned to summoning Soul Warriors. The practice stretched at least ten thousand years, so it was a tradition almost etched into the world itself.


    It took many years to prepare for a summoning, and every Divine Country needed to agree on the precise time frame. Sometimes, it was held on the 51st year, and often, the world went 80 years without summoning.


    It just varied. It wasn¡¯t something someone could have predicted.


    It was rare to summon a person from after the 21st century. They were often from before the 1900s, but our ss was an exception.


    And it proved very beneficial to Lord Meruria and Cridia.


    When Qiong Guo, an empire that shared Cridia¡¯s northern border, requested a diplomatic meeting concerning the fast and efficient changes Cridia had implemented, Tokko and Mia went in Lord Meruria¡¯s stead. They were gone for two weeks and returned with a trade treaty in Cridia¡¯s favor in exchange for sharing ineffective information that would only increase their efficiency by a factor of 2.


    If they wanted more, they¡¯d have to pay for it with gold they didn¡¯t have. It was the carrot-on-a-stick approach. Let them be enchanted by the improvements and thirst at the chances of growing more powerful, yet withhold any additional assistance until they were desperate enough.


    Some of us adapted quickly to this world, but those two felt right at home. To them, I imagined this was something like a game. Cridia was theirs to mold, and it wouldn¡¯t have surprised me if they were thinking about somehow usurping control from its ruler.


    I knew Lord Meruria had thought of that possibility as well. She¡¯d have been a fool otherwise to not think something like that could eventually happen.


    ¡°Sister?¡±


    ¡°Yes? What¡¯s wrong?¡± I turned to Lori, who looked into my eyes. Her voice took me away from my memories and into the present.


    ¡°You¡¯re so wise and beautiful.¡± Lori fluttered her eyes and rode her stallion closer to me. ¡°I wanted you to hear it, so I said it.¡± A sparkling spear with a ck tip rested softly against her back, which held the element of shadow¡ªShadow Strike. My katana held a yellow de etched with white markings tobine the power of lightning and ice¡ªShocking ke.


    These were our Soul Weapons. We had acquired them not long after returning from escorting that noble. We had been training against each other for four days straight, and on the fifth, our souls had recognized our dedication and produced them. Unlike other Soul Weapons, we were forbidden from using mana. The blue bar below our HP was reced by one of crimson called [Soul Energy]. Any skill that required mana was, therefore, unable to be used.


    We weren¡¯t weaker.


    If anything, our limit had been broken. Our potential became vast as a ck hole¡ªthe heights awaiting us? They were much further than we thought. Lori and I were vying for the chance to grasp our destiny by the horns and realize our awaiting potential.


    After reporting to Lord Meruria, she ordered us to spar with a soldier named Remy.


    That Wolffolk had mastered the art of teleportation and portals. Whenbined with her natural quickness... Our defeat was inevitable. Even when we fought her together, we couldn¡¯t hope to match her as we were. She jumped through one portal and appeared behind us, then hopped through it to appear to our left, not our front. Remy also held some time discement spells to ¡®halt¡¯ our actions before we could do them. Time would then ¡®skip¡¯ ahead to after the motion.


    She somehow removed the period between the before and after, making everything within those few precious seconds seem lost to the world.


    Our many fights with her continued into the night and only finished once noon had arrived the next day. Lord Meruria was so impressed we managed to continue without sleep or rest that she ordered us to recuperate for the next three days without any other orders ormands.


    Lori and I spent that time in each other¡¯s arms, cradling and supporting the other as we¡¯d always been.


    We traveled together to the chalice of pleasure and flooded it as many times as in the years we had been alive.


    She was mine.


    And I was hers.


    The bond we shared was closer than anything that had or would ever exist in the infinite realities surrounding this world.


    Sister and I only had each other. When we were younger, we swore that we wouldn¡¯t settle for anything lesser than the other. If life continued down this road, I¡¯d marry her. And she¡¯d married me.


    And we¡¯d be happy. Because I couldn¡¯t imagine life without her, and she didn¡¯t want to live without me.


    But our Soul Weapons were powerful. Almost outrageously so.


    A swing or thrust could shoot out a wave of thick shadow or entrap an opponent in a lighting vortex that quickly reached below subzero temperatures. And we had a dozen more forms unlocked, with over 200 left before the Soul Weapon Evolution Tree wasplete.


    Lori and I rode throughout the day and stopped before midnight to let our horses rest. She prepared a campfire and huddled close, resting her hand in mine while cooking dinner.


    After eating, weid down, and I took off my shirt. Lori always slept with her head on my chest, nestled between my bosom because she wanted to hear my heart.


    I loved her so much.


    She was my everything in this world.


    <hr>


    It took four more days of traveling to reach the Arkley Mountain Range. It was an arid, dry region, with more dust and brown than grass and green. Our horses were bred for traversing uneven paths.


    Spoiler


    [copse]


    It wouldn¡¯t stay like this for long, though, since our destination was the peak of the tallest mountain. Even from here, the snow-covered tip taunted us.


    ¡°Oh? Is that... Heeey!!! Loriiii!!! Annn!!!!¡± A girl with blue hair looked up from behind a boulder and jumped up and down. ¡°Qutie, it¡¯s the twins. They¡¯re here. I didn¡¯t think we¡¯d run into them.¡±


    A red-headed woman with crimson sses appeared and offered a friendly wave.


    ¡°Sister?¡±


    ¡°We have time. It¡¯ll be nice to stop and catch up,¡± I replied. We rode our horses around the rock and hooked the reins to a hitching rail we had brought. They were expertly trained and listened to ourmands, so it was done out of habit, not necessity.


    Que had changed. She used to have this starry-eyed, aloof look in her eyes when it came to things that weren¡¯t her books, yet they were hardened and fierce. I¡¯d heard of what Que had to do in the Apival Duchy, and it wasn¡¯t easy. She looked more resolved. That purple tome resting at her hip must¡¯ve been her Soul Weapon. Her robe certainly fit the image of a powerful mage.


    But her eyes... The potential still shone, but they were almost dead¡ªforgotten to all. After she saw me stare, she blinked, and the spark became stronger¡ªbrighter.


    ¡°Hey, Greggie and I were just about to exercise for the evening. Care to join us?¡± asked Elly, who wore shorts and a shirt. She had tied her hair in a ponytail and pointed to the only man here.


    ¡°Greggie?¡± My voice couldn¡¯t contain my surprise. I''d wondered who that man was, but it didn¡¯t look like the Greggie I¡¯d seen around the school. His arms were thicker, proof of dedication and potential shown in his muscles. The fat around his neck and cheeks had thinned dramatically, giving him a more defined look. His bby belly wasn¡¯t so noticeable underneath his long-sleeved, tight shirt. ¡°Consider me impressed. I can see the hard work you¡¯ve put in.¡±


    ¡°Re--really?¡± he asked, embarrassed.


    ¡°I agree with my sister,¡± said Lori. Greggie blushed. ¡°It may not mean muching from me, but your hard work is something to be proud of.¡±


    ¡°I told you, Greggie! Annie, Lorie, I told Greggie a week ago that it was changing for the gooder, but he didn¡¯t believe me,¡± said Ami, who jumped to her feet and pointed at Greggie. It reassured me that she kept that smile in this new world. I¡¯d heard of what they endured in the dungeon¡ªand what Lord Meruria had done by tormenting them with ims of a lie-detecting bell.


    <i>She kept the jacket I heard they found. It looks good on her.</i>


    My sister and I didn''t have the greatest affection for Lord Meruria.


    "Where are Keeth and Ms. Mary?¡±


    ¡°They went to hunt for food with Melusine,¡± replied Que, sitting near a campfire. She hugged her knees and pushed her hair from her eyes. Lori and I joined Que while Greggie, Ami, and Elly did their workouts. They were doing something called idol steps, if I remember right, before progressing to a dancing routine.


    ¡°One! Two! Three! Four! Yep! Yep! Yep! Go!¡± Elly¡¯s hips and arms swayed so naturally as she stepped back and forth. Greggie kept up with her, matching her speed and pace with his surprising stamina. He turned, jumped, and twisted, copying her every step.


    ¡°This is the first time we¡¯ve talked since... the summoning, right?¡± Que tried to disguise a dash of happiness or joy in her voice, but it was forced. She probably didn¡¯t know I had realized it, though.


    ¡°It is,¡± replied Lori. ¡°It¡¯s almost been five months.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯ve heard about Shuuta? And everything else?¡±¡¯


    I nodded.


    ¡°If...you were there... What would you have done?¡±


    ¡°Are you regretting your actions?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that.¡± Que took a moment to collect her thoughts. She told me of her family¡¯s motto and decided to try and save Shuuta because it was the difficult path. Que could have easily been a bystander. And she finally came to terms with her selfish desire. It told her to speak up. It wasn¡¯t out of any sense of wanting to save him for the act of saving him. ¡°I¡¯ve¡­seen a lot. I¡¯ve killed a lot, too. I¡¯m happy I spoke up. Elly and the others don¡¯t regret their choices, either. But I¡¯m curious about you.¡±


    <i>I can see past your tone, Que. You regret everything...</i>


    ¡°My sister and I trust more in the potential we carry within ourselves. I see it in Greggie. He didn¡¯t let his weight be a liability. He¡¯s making active and noticeable changes to better himself. I see it in you, Ami, and Elly. And I know it¡¯s the same with Ms. Mary and Keeth. But about Shuuta¡­ My sister and I wouldn¡¯t have done anything until after he burned the mes of his heart. We would¡¯ve stepped in then and argued for his survival based solely on his potential. But had he squandered it, I would have killed him.¡±


    ¡°That makes me feel a little better,¡± Que smiled softly. ¡°I have nightmares. I haven¡¯t had a good dream since his death. Sometimes, I¡¯m afraid to fall asleep. I wish I could remain awake forever. In your eyes, do I have any less potential?¡±


    My sister answered and shook her head. ¡°epting your weakness and acknowledging you have one is the first step.¡±


    ¡°Even if I¡¯m a murderer? When we were in the Apival Duchy with Lord Enele, I¡­killed children. Melusine said they were past the point of no return. Death would be a mercy, but¡­¡±


    Since we were here, Que caught us up to speed on what her team had done so far. The one week of rest Lord Meruria had granted them was the only extended sce they had experienced. She said our summoner ¡®rented¡¯ Elly, Greggie, and Keeth to anyone who needed a singer, a chef, or a craftsman. They were often busy entertaining the needs of Junsa¡¯s nobles while everyone elsepleted missions our summoner had given them. Those ranged from trying to solve a murder in a neighboring city to exterminating a band of vers attempting to find new ¡®products¡¯ to sell.


    Team Que wasn¡¯t having a good time. Life was hard¡ªeven more so for their leader. She didn¡¯t say it, but everything rested on Que¡¯s shoulders. But she¡­wasn¡¯t built to endure it. She was starting to crack. Weakness and little fragments of her¡­of something else were peeking through the gaps.


    Que leaned back and sighed. She looked at the skies. ¡°But what can we do? Nothing, right? This is our life now¡ªforever¡­forced to serve her whims. Good little Soul Warriors¡­ That¡¯s what Meruria ordered us to be¡ªselfless, heroic otherworlders who yearn to put Cridia above their own wants and desires. Maybe...something might change at the Lord Conference, but that¡¯s still months away. It¡¯ll be nice to see Lord Enele and Kaiho again, but I don¡¯t know if she¡¯ll let us go.¡±


    ¡°My sister and I have sparred against him,¡± I said, telling her of the fight with the Dark Lord of Justice after he arrived a month ago for a meeting. It ended with us losing ten times in a row, but Lord Enele¡¯s pure skill with his turtle shell shield was masterss. And on that topic, Sir Salim-Shiku¡¯s team leader¡ªwas an excellent training partner. In terms of undiluted technique, my sister was his better. But Sir Salim had mastered his Soul Weapon and brought out hidden potential we didn¡¯t know our weapons had. He was 140 years old, but he fought with so much fierceness it was dazzling.


    It was an honor to have watched that duel. Even now, I still see the vivid shes and pounding blows when I close my eyes.


    Seeing my sister so strong...watching her shine brighter than ever before...


    It made me want her even more...


    I loved her...


    I truly did...


    She was my one and only¡ªthe sole person who understood me...


    <hr>


    Thirty minutester, Keeth, with a mature and experienced look in his eyes, Ms. Mary, who appeared more like a graduate student than a teacher with an uncertain aura about her, and Melusine, a fairy with pink eyes, white hair, a crystal tiara, and shimmering crystal wings, returned from their hunting trip. They were walking with two treant archers, a crimson tiger, and a dog with four tails¡ªall monsters Ms. Mary had caught.


    We learned the truth about Ms. Mary¡¯s birth when she confessed it.


    However, I was already aware of it. I was privy to secrets most would kill to learn. But I didn¡¯t say anything. Lori remained quiet after she looked at me for guidance.


    The fairy queen was pleasurable. She was clearly knowledgeable and experienced¡ªtwo aspects befitting a member of royalty, and she had managed to reach Lv. 60. Mary had learned more abilities to increase her monster¡¯s overall abilities, although she had very little to give.


    But her potential was there. After introducing herself, she excused herself and joined Elly¡¯s idol dancing ss. Que said Melusine had found herself interested in it and, after some encouragement, was told that she had the very foundations of an idol by Elly. The blue-haired girl even said she wanted to form a group with all her friends when things became more peaceful.


    If nothing, it warmed my heart and reaffirmed my sister¡¯s and mine¡¯s choice to see the value in potential rather than casting off the weak to die for the strong.


    We asked what they were doing this way. ¡°There¡¯s a vige of Spiderfolk in the desert to the southeast,¡± said Keeth. ¡°They¡¯re having issues with a sandstorm that¡¯s destroying their buildings and wiping out their food source. If there¡¯s an enemy or monster behind it, we¡¯re to kill it." He was working on turning a chunk of air-infused mana into a glider. The modeler hadn¡¯t acquired a Soul Weapon, but his exclusive skill evolved into grasping mana and molding them into whatever shape he desired. In this case, he wanted to manufacture air mana to see if you could use it as a paraglider. If so, he said he had ideas to use it to gain height.


    I¡¯d heard Keeth''s crafting was why Que and the others survived the dungeon. With him around, anything could be molded into a weapon. Protective gear was but a stray thought away if you had the iron. And amenities such as silverware, cups, and clothing were his bread and butter. His specializationid in repair and thinking outside the box. It was a genius idea to activate his skill to use wood as a recement for thread.


    The creativity was astounding. It was memorizing. No wonder Keeth was in more demand whenpared to Elly or Greggie.


    Suddenly, a sh of light illuminated the campfire. The fact that everyone reacted with a groan and not fear told me the forting stranger''s identity.


    ¡°Hey! Cutie Qutie! Oh, you¡¯re my bestie in the whole wide world! Did ya miss me? I know I missed yooouuuuu!!!!¡± The teleportation portal vanished, revealing a brown-haired Wolffolk wearing a suit, white undershirt, a red tie, and heeled boots.


    She hastily teleported behind Que and hugged her, sensually rubbing her stomach before licking her ears. Que shrugged her off and threatened to boil her alive when her tome switched to one with an image of a me surrounded by water. A deadly bubble of fire appeared overhead. ¡°See? That overzealousness to murder me is what I love about you the most! Lord Meruria sent me here to keep youpany. Hey, did ya give my offer any thought, Greggie? Lose about 700 more pounds, and I¡¯ll let you taste what Shuuta experienced. I¡¯m told my pussy is to die for.¡±


    Greggie refused to say anything as he transitioned from dancing to pushups. Melusine joined him, Ami sat on his back, and Elly sang a song about a wolf getting shot by a hunter for leering too close to a flock of sheep.


    Remy said the nuance wasn¡¯t lost on her, but she licked her lips and wondered if Elly¡¯s passionate cries were as pretty as her singing.


    She immediately stopped, hugged her body, and shuddered. Keeth red. His unassuming, insignificant aura turned deadly for a moment.


    ¡°Anyways! I¡¯m gonna hang out with you guys for a bit. Lord Meruria¡¯s busy with my sister. It¡¯s about that time of the month when she gets some special, exclusive care. Say, you twin cuties are going to fight the demons, huh? Lord Meruria wants you to bring back some of their cores, so don¡¯t forget that, ¡®kay?¡±


    ¡°Order received,¡± I said.


    We were forced to listen to her nonsensical bullshit for the next few hours. She kept hounding Greggie by peering over his shoulders during dinner preparation.


    He was an excellent cook. This world had exclusive spices and ingredients. Que held the perishables inside a spell marked [Hammer Space], and Mary used a ¡®storage¡¯ monster-- arge packrat-type entity that did nothing but carry stuff. She had found it during a mission to a dungeon. She said their objective was to find the ingredients to make an antiserum against a certain kind of snake that often emerged from hibernation this time of year. Getting bit wasn¡¯t fatal, but it needed to be done.


    The monster was cubed and looked like a pir of rock, although it had many cubbies to hold stuff. It used slime to enclose the ¡®sections,¡¯ which worked to sanitize and clean Greggie¡¯s pots, pans, utensils, and grill, which Keeth had made.


    Greggie said dinner would be rockbird filets with grilled asparagus drizzled with a lemon-lime sauce reduction. A rockbird''s meat was tender and sulent if you could get past its boulder-like skin and hardened feathers.


    The chef salted and peppered both sides while warming the grill, using charcoal orbs Keeth had produced by plucking off a small piece he held in a bag around his shoulder. The masterful cooktrimmed the asparagus and tossed them in a bowl of olive oil he had pressed himself, then grilled them until softly tender.


    ¡°The trick is to watch the temperature,¡± said Greggie, using a skill he had to instantly deduce the heat of something. He melted butter and saut¨¦ed garlic in a stainless-steel pan Keeth had made, then added lemon juice, lime juice, honey, salt, and pepper.


    It took eight minutes for the sauce to reduce but four to properly cook the filets that had rested to room temperature. They sizzled expectantly, and Remy sounded like she was in heat. She licked Greggie¡¯s ears and rubbed his stomach, stopping when Ami threatened to ¡®drown her in a st of aura.¡¯


    That tiresome Wolffolk¡­


    I really disliked her.


    She got the hint and let Greggie continue. His te preparation was worthy of his grand skill. The meal he had prepared took less than twenty minutes, yet it was otherworldly delectable and savory. Everything was perfect. Greggie blushed at thepliments, yet he groaned when Remy said he would be her sixth lover.


    But the night didn¡¯t get any easier after dinner, and the problem¡¯s name was Remy.

 Intermission – Ann – Temple of Demons – Part Two (Illustrations!)

    Intermission ¨C Ann ¨C Temple of Demons ¨C Part Two (Illustrations!)


    Morning arrived.


    We waved goodbye to Team Que as they walked to the southeast, heading partly down one of the mountains. Remy had taken Keeth¡¯s prototype and jumped off a cliff. She didn¡¯t fall to her death, but she didn¡¯t glide as fast or as far as she had hoped, so she let go and teleported to the ground. Keeth rolled his eyes and groaned at the loss of his project, but Remy didn¡¯t care and offered him her body if he perfected it in the next attempt.


    ¡°Sister, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever not want to kill her.¡±


    ¡°I feel the same,¡± I said when we returned to our horses.


    ¡°Really?¡± Remy suddenly appeared. ¡°That¡¯s good to know. Here, I forgot to give you these. I took the liberty of setting up some teleportation points.¡± She gave us two orbs. Both were white, but one was marked with a D. The other had an HB. ¡°D is destination. Break it, and you¡¯ll head to the summit. When you''re done, shattering HB will bring you here¡ªto home base.¡±


    She looked at us expectantly, then frowned. ¡°Aww¡­ Not even a good girl? That¡¯s a bit disappointing. Anyways, don¡¯t let down Lord Meruria, okay? Bye bye!¡± Remy turned and posed, and then she was whisked away by a sparkle of lights.


    Lori and I shared a look before changing into the winter clothing we had brought.


    I crushed the orb when we were ready, and the warm, dry environment was reced by a harsh, unrelenting blizzard. It was so cold your skin felt like it was burning. We ran up the snow-covered path and jumped across a gap to reach a cave. The entrance to the peak and temple was still about three miles away. By our estimates, Team Salim was still four days out. We nned to wait and set camp, but that didn¡¯t work out because they arrived ten seconds in a st of white light.


    Remy was with them. ¡°I don¡¯t want to keep Lord Meruria waiting, so I¡¯m speeding things up,¡± she said. She threw a hand in the air and left, leaving two Dogfolk maids confused and cold.


    ¡°Kyaaa!!¡± They hugged each other and trembled from the sheer coldness. Shiku approached us, bent, and used a spell Mia had devised to recreate a campsite. In addition to transforming Cridia almost overnight, she had unlocked secrets behind the magic system and shared some of her discoveries. One was a spell to use mana from the atmosphere to create a campsite. It came in different varieties, and Shiku used one to neutralize extreme temperatures.


    What Shiku had just done was considered a national secret. There existed simr spells. Lord Enele, the Dark Lord of Justice, had a turtle spirit with something simr that evoked the serene naturalistic scenery of the Kingdom of Aquanis. But Mia had reverse-engineered it to entrap it into something almost anyone could use without training.


    ¡°Lord Shiku, you¡¯re the best!¡± The maids kneeled beside the mes and monopolized the warmth.


    ¡°Lori, Ann, it¡¯s good to see you again. Feels like it¡¯s been a while,¡± said Shiku. He sat down and removed his helmet, exposing scars across his cheeks. His hands were covered by torn gloves. The j¨­ staff resting on his back looked worn and bloodied.


    It had seen its fair share of battles.


    Sir Salim sat and crossed his legs. ¡°What do you know so far about the mission?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re to exterminate a group of orphaned demons that¡¯s been terrorizing the local viges," I said. ¡°Remy said we¡¯re to recover demon cores for Lore Meruria.¡±


    ¡°Demons? We¡¯ve never fought them before.¡± Renata sat beside Benedict¡ªleaning a tad too close to him for it to not be out of romantic gesture.


    ¡°I¡¯ve read Sir Salim¡¯s report. You recently acquired [Water Magic] and [Magic Weapon Enhancement]?¡± Renata nodded. She removed her iron gloves and warmed her calloused, scarred hands by the fire. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine. Fight as you normally do.¡±


    ¡°You think so? It almost feels like I¡¯ve been coasting. I¡¯m not much of a fighter. But hearing you say that is filling me with confidence.¡±


    ¡°Lady Renata. Please learn to acquire some independence. Do not drag Lord Shiku down with your ipetence,¡± said Laika.


    I¡¯d heard of the two maids apanying Shiku, but I didn¡¯t know they were overly invested in him like this. They nked Shiku''s sides and warmed his hands in their thick, bushy tails.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I didn¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°And don¡¯t apologize! A Soul Warrior must not lower their heads towards a mere maid! We¡¯ve tried to educate you, but it seems to have not worked.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Laika. We must educate her more. It is an honor to be a Soul Warrior. Yet it is even more so to be Lord Shiku¡¯s ally! We cannot have you¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Shiku¡¯s voice was feminine, but it could stop a moving truck when he was serious.


    ¡°Forgive us, Lord Shiku,¡± said the sisters in unison. Benedict remained silent and scratched his neck. He¡­wasn¡¯t so much of a fighter, either. But he was an excellent cksmith, responsible for repairing and maintaining their equipment. His tools were kept in Sir Salim¡¯s [Hammer Space].


    ¡°Let¡¯s prepare for the battle.¡± Sir Salim spoke, and all eyes turned to him. He crouched and pulled out a map of the temple built into the mountain¡¯s peak. ¡°The demons are orphaned. Normally, they would revert to their demon cores, then return to the Demon Realm after lying dormant. But they¡¯re feeding on the surrounding viges at the mountain''s base,¡± Sir Salim continued, citing that the abductions happened every month. And it had been going on for the past three months. The demons didn¡¯t kidnap everyone. Just a chosen few while using fear and force to keep everyone else in line. The food shipments were always on time. Lord Meruria only realized something was strange when a child managed to stow away in a basket of corn and died from her harsh injuries.


    The temple had multiple floors and hidden paths that presumably led to teleportation gates¡ªit was practically abyrinthian maze. Holy Lord Sajun, the previous ruler of Cridia, was known as the Holy Lord of Portals, so we presume the temple was built during his reign. That answered the question of how the demons came and went¡ªthey would have trouble flying in these wintery conditions.


    The n was to infiltrate the temple, annihte the demons, and destroy the teleportation gates after using them to travel to the viges to kill enemies hiding amongst the popce.


    Renata and Benedict were scared. They didn¡¯t say it, but I saw the fear. I felt it.


    You couldn¡¯t force non-warriors to turn into warriors without shattering and rebuilding their psyche from the ground up. And that was risky. Although we saw the proof of training visible. The cuts. The scars. The callouses and bruises. The fire harbored in their hearts hadn¡¯t yet reached the apex of their brightness or intensity.


    After Sir Salimid out our n of attack, it was time to start the mission.


    <hr>


    ¡°Umm¡­ Is that¡­¡±


    ¡°Necessary? It is. Sister¡¯s the strongest in the world. It¡¯s always a joy to see her strength in action.¡±


    Lori answered Renata¡¯s question while I held my katana. Four seconds ago, it had turnedpletely yellow. An orb surrounded by icy mist bnced on the tip. The ground crackled, rippling with mana¡ªthe energy of this world¡ªand created a crater around me. Proof of the power I wielded was evident.


    I forced more mana to flow through it until the orb quadrupled. The swirling power was so great that the snow had ceased falling in the 2,500 feet surrounding us.


    And the temple?


    A mile away, obscured by a falling curtain of soft, white snowkes.


    Spoiler


    [copse]


    I knew the demons felt the surge of power. Slowly, I moved my katana in a circle¡ªmimicking a clock¡¯s second hand while the charged attack hovered in the air.


    ¡°Hhmph!¡± It was quicker than a blink¡ªsharper than the crackle of a thunderstorm. I sliced the orb clean through, wrapped the escaping energy around my sword, spun, and flung it towards the temple.


    It was instant.


    Immediately, the ground below us caved in, and arge chunk of the mountain shattered behind us. Sir Salim produced a barrier to keep the others standing, yet even that was almost broken by the power I unleashed.


    The moment my attack struck the temple, there was an explosion. The air pressure sent the snow covering thend around our target scattering, allowing unfettered ess to the bare ground for the first time in centuries. The snow clouds above were whisked away, allowing sunlight to bless the dried, dead, rocky surface.


    And the front of the temple was destroyed¡ªthe main hally directly behind it. The raging blizzard had died, Sir Salim enchanted our speed and agility, and we reached our target in less than a minute. As we expected, a unit of demons emerged and prepared to fight back, meeting us in the field of rubble. They looked humanoid, with some having red skin, ck horns, and four arms. Others reminded me of subi and incubi. A few were monstrous in shape, appearing as giant worms with a dozen mouths covering their blocky hide.


    But they were nothing.


    Demons could bleed.


    And they could die.


    And their potential was squandered if they were resorting to kidnapping citizens. I never wanted to be a hero of justice, but potential wasn¡¯t limited to someone¡¯sbat or fighting ability.


    I changed my Soul Weapon to Wind Speed and covered my body in air, jumping between each foe with a practiced motion. Their flesh met my de and faltered against my peerless technique as the cyclone of wind circting around my weapon turned bloody.


    Lori was just as deadly. She spun her spear to knock away an iing spell and thrust her spear forward, shooting a liquid beam of shadow that suffocated the would-be caster. She jumped back and mmed her weapon into the ground after changing it to Earth Spike, which erected pirs of sharp rock beneath her enemies.


    They were skewered through the chest¡ªdestroying their cores instantly.


    We were ordered to bring some back, but not all of them.


    Shiku was impressive. His j¨­ staff fit well in his hands. He engaged up close and used abination of aikido to confuse his opponents by throwing them to the ground before destroying their heads with a magnificent thrust.


    Renata used [Magic Weapon Enhancement] to wrap [Tidal Knife] and [Watery Anchor] around her trident. The former covered it in a sharp de, and thetter connected her wrist to the trident¡¯s handle. She threw it, skewering a handful of demons, then yanked the anchor, returning her weapon to her hand. Her uracy and power were unparalleled¡ªa dozen years of practice had sharpened her eyes and reflexes. She quickly turned and killed four more the same way.


    But Renata was limiting herself. My sister and I felt it as we fought against the horde. That potential needed to be extracted. If she never acquired the necessary strength¡­her life would end.


    Sir Salim hadn¡¯t joined the fight. He was a watcher¡ªordered to gauge our every move and deliver a report to Lord Meruria. I took a half step back and sheathed my wind-covered katana, daring all toe within my range.


    Two fools believed in their hubris and stepped too close, and they were reduced to mince a breathter. The following instant? I turned around and cut an invisible demon to shreds. Only idiots believed they could sneak behind to take my head.


    Before we started, Sir Salim retrieved a shield for Benedict, which the cksmith put to good use. He was but a mere Lv. 33, yet his toned arms withstood a barrage of spells without giving up a step. He swung his hammer with haste and power, shattering bones and sending his enemies flying. He looked ahead at the temple¡¯s main hall. We were still on the outskirts¡ªjust barely an inch inside because the demons were numerous. Individually, they were weak, but there were a lot.


    ¡°Watch¡ªWatch out!¡± He roared and channeled a skill called [Nature p], which caused blooming vines to emerge in an outward cone from where he struck the ground. They rampaged into the temple¡¯s main hall and spread like wildfire, piercing the demons like piles of meat.


    His strike wiped out the rest without causing a cave-in.


    My sister and I held enough power to cleave the mountain¡¯s tip, yet doing so would cause catastrophic consequences to those who lived at the base.


    But Benedict''s powerful attack paved the way. We hurried past the still-dying demons and jumped over the green-covered obstacles until we entered the main hall.


    Corpses hung from the support beams like sadistic ornaments. Intestines danced between the 20-foot-tall statues of Lord Sajun like the tinsel you hung around Christmas trees.


    Renata fell to her knees and vomited. Laika and Leika grabbed her by the cor and forced her to stand. The two maids knew supportive magic-- they''d been using it non-stop since the attack began. It didn¡¯t provide a substantial boost like Sir Salim¡¯s buffs, but it was something.


    ¡°The fight¡¯s only just begun,¡± I said when the ground became covered in crimson symbols. They collected before me. A scar formed in the air in front of me, and it opened to reveal a red-skinned demon with six arms wearing a suit of enchantingly bright golden armor. It stood fourteen feet tall and was probably central to the temple¡¯s defenses.


    ¡°GGGOOOOAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!¡± The demon roared. Magic circles appeared overhead and rained down hellfire.


    Lori stood defiant and spun her Cyclone Swallow above her head, using a thick, whirling wind cone to redirect the falling meteorites through the temple¡¯s destroyed entrance.


    ¡°Leave this to me.¡±


    ¡°Let your fight be as enjoyable as you are beautiful, my sister!¡± Lori turned to Shiku, and they all went their separate ways.


    ¡°Fighting without backup?¡± The demon wasn¡¯t speaking Arezzian¡ªmy trantion ring allowed me to understand the Demonguage. ¡°Honorable, but foolish. I won¡¯t y by the rules, despicable human! I¡¯ll carve your flesh from your skin and mount your corpse upon my armor! Come to me! Rise, my demons! Fight and protect your lord!¡±


    The demon suddenly held six staffs, and the main hall became filled with ming pirs. They were probably connected to the Demon Realm because a dozen foes were spat out every minute.


    ¡°Bwhahaha!!! Nothing to say, girl? I¡¯ll¡ª¡±


    ¡°Nothing to say?¡± My voice was cold, yet I felt excited. My arms tingled for the fight. I found myself smiling. ¡°It¡¯s not out of fear, I¡¯ll assure you.¡± My katana switched to Shocking ke. I drew it¡­and the fight began. I used its powers of electricity to supercharge my body. The ferocious sound of thunder snapped every tenth of a second, foreshadowing another demon¡¯s death.


    In ten short seconds, 100 were dead. From the six-armed demon¡¯s point of view¡­


    I was standing still. I had moved too fast for it to be perceivable. It took 1/20th of a second to reach a foe and 1/20th to return to my starting location. To it, the demon¡¯s pathetically weak allies were dropping after being disemboweled and beheaded.


    ¡°Are you scared? Afraid? Frightened?¡± I stepped towards the tall demon, and his top left arm was removed from his body. ¡°Could you not see that? I slowed it down, although that means you¡¯ve reached the end of your potential.¡±


    Two more steps, and the demon didn¡¯t have any arms.


    ¡°I have the soul energy to spare, demon. But I¡¯m never one to torture the weak. I¡¯ll put you out of your misery.¡±


    ¡°DIE!!!!! [DEMON FIRE ERUP¡ª]¡±


    ¡°[Install: Thundersh].¡± I cut the air above and created a storm, and a series of lightning bolts struck my body, encasing me in its purest essence.¡±


    It was like I moved at the speed of lightning. Although this¡­ ¡®install state,¡¯ as it was called, would drain every ounce of my soul energy. One heartbeat for me was .0000001 seconds to my enemy, although I only had enough Soul energy to sustain it for three beats. And that was enough to go from enemy to enemy and end their lives. They were carved like livestock being butchered for processing, copsing to the dirty, bloody floor in a sickening stter.


    I jumped from Lv. 48 to Lv. 66, acquiring SP I couldn¡¯t use, and a few titles that were more than vor text. [Lightning Samurai] doubled the effectiveness of Shocking ke¡¯s lightning abilities, so I equipped it. I couldn¡¯t test it until my soul energy recovered, but with my opponents dead, I went around the room and plucked cores from chests until Lori returned.


    She was brought speechless by my power after announcing her sess. She was covered in blood, but her immacte skin and beautiful face¡­ She was clean from harm.


    Shiku, Laika, and Leika returned, citing that he didn¡¯t encounter any demons in the vige he was teleported to. Lori said the same, although they had probably escaped. Regardless, they teleported back and destroyed the gate before returning.


    Benedict arrived at the same time as Sir Salim, and they shared simr tales.


    However¡­


    None of them found any of the missing people. The demons were orphaned, so they resorted to kidnapping to drain mana from their captives¡¯ bodies to sustain their energy requirement to remain materialized.


    Shiku, Sir Salim, Benedict, and Lori exhausted their assigned areas. They couldn¡¯t be hidden, either, because the map would¡¯ve shown that.


    ¡°Something¡¯s wrong. We need to check on Renata!¡± Benedict eximed. He redoubled his grip and ran. We followed him through twists and turns, running over dead demons soaked with water. They bore distinctive wounds that fit Renata¡¯s [Tidal Knife]. But the path led into arge chamber¡ªdifferent from the gate rooms the others had found.


    That was to be expected. That was on the map, but¡­


    The demons here¡­were different.


    They looked like hybrids. Half of their bodies were clearly made from human or beastfolk, yet the other half contained demon-like properties.


    But there were some¡­that were free of any demonic qualities.


    ¡°Transmutation?! We didn¡¯t receive word of this!¡± Sir Salim eximed. He exined that some demons in the Demon Realm could turn humans into demons. What we saw was the second tost stage. The enemies we killed¡­ They used to be human. And the kidnappings had been going on for far longer than we had thought.


    Just how many went into the six-armed demon I killed? Sir Salim said the process was all but irreversible. The quickest mercy would be to kill them.


    But did Renata do this? The corpses were steaming¡ªtheir faces contorted into sheer agony and pain. The blood was boiled from the inside, causing superficial burns all over the body.


    She didn¡¯t know any spell or technique to boil someone¡¯s blood.


    Benedict¡¯s face turned to one of dread. He charged forward and leapt through the watery, mirror-like teleportation gate.


    We followed and emerged in arge shed. The teleportation gates were hidden outside of the viges. Benedict used his hammer to destroy it in a single blow, and we saw a hazy red mist spread as far as we could see. It seemed the epicenter came from Renata¡¯s assigned vige, but¡­


    ¡°I CAN¡¯T MAKE IT STOP!!!!! I DON¡¯T WANT TO KILL ANYMORE!!!!!!¡± Renata¡¯s voice echoed across the dozens of corpses stretching between us and our ssmate.


    The red mist seemed to spread with every passing breath.


    ¡°RENATA!!!¡± Benedict screamed her name and tried to charge ahead, but Lori grabbed his arm and brought him to the ground. He tried to fight, but Sir Salim said the mist was from a spell that caused your opponent¡¯s blood to boil. It was abination of [Water Magic], [Blood Magic, and [Fire Magic].


    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous to enter with protection.¡± Sir Salim switched to a spear made of water and enveloped us in a protective bubble, and only then did we race across the corpses into the vige¡¯s heart.


    The dead were everywhere. Bodies of demons, half-demons, humans, beastfolk, orcs, ogres, oni, children, babies¡­


    Everyone had tried to run for their life. It was a guess, but perhaps Renata became angry when she saw those transmuted demons. Her rage caused her to acquire more magic. She instinctivelybined the three skills to create [Blood Boil]. And in her moment of weakness, she refused to cancel it before running through the portal. She probably charged ahead, then after realizing she couldn¡¯t turn it off, she shouted a warning. But the range spread faster than her voice traveled. Or they couldn¡¯t hear Renata over their screaming.


    And there... She was on her knees in the middle of the vige. The aura of red mist radiated from her core. She punched the ground and screamed. She yearned to die to stop the senseless murder. She called for her mommy and daddy in the most innocent voice I¡¯d ever heard.


    Benedict ran to Renata and hugged her. She panicked and attacked, only stopping once his voice reached her heart. She begged him to go away. Her voice was inconsble¡ªtoo full of emotional devastation to make out. But she pointed at the bodies surrounding her. Most were already burnt ck. And then they popped like pimples, sending boiling blood everywhere. When a few dropsnded on the straw houses, they caught me, starting an inferno.


    The vige¡­ it was destroyed. Everything that had once lived¡ªtook a breath, yed, cried,ughed, and prayed¡ªhad died.


    But¡­


    There was more. The red mist kept ever expanding upwards as well as outwards. And bodies of humans and beastfolk with demon-like properties, with wings, rained from the sky. Lori saw some from the vige she found after entering her teleportation gate.


    Shiku said the same.


    Those ¡®people¡¯ must¡¯ve been in either ate stage of the transmutation process or were full-fledged demons. They probably tried to fly high above to check out things, but they paid for their curiosity with their life.


    But the raining corpses¡­ pushed Renata over the edge. She grabbed her head, pulled her hair, and tried to run away. She was hysterical¡ªsoul-deep in a fit of madness. Benedict chased after her, but Sir Salim suddenly appeared in front of Renata. His spear had changed to one of a flower, and he waved it across her head. Fragrant green petals fell, and her eyes closed. Benedict ran, jumped, and caught Renata in his arms before she hit the ground, and only then did the red mist return to her body. Without the crimson filter, the reality of what Renata caused became more readily visible.


    Laika and Leika rushed to her side, used the healing spells they knew, and then applied standard first aid. Shiku joined Salim and discussed what happened, and I remained by my sister¡¯s side.


    All the experiences I had didn¡¯t help me prepare for this. Lori and I joined Shiku.


    Laika approached a few secondster. ¡°Physically, Lady Renata¡¯s fine. We didn¡¯t find a scratch. Mentally? I¡­am not qualified to offer my opinion.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯vepleted our task. Benedict, carry her.¡±


    Benedict ignored Sir Salim¡¯s order the first three times and obliged on the fourth. We walked to the gate, bypassing the corpses, and returned to the temple. We retraced our steps until we were outside, and Lori and I pooled our strength together to destroy the structure. We were left with a crater that was full of nothing but rubble and forgotten memories best left to be buried under an avnche of snow.


    After cracking the orb Remy gave us, we found ourselves at the spot where we left our horses.


    We merely needed to return and deliver our report to Lord Meruria.


    If we were lucky... Renata would be awake, although I didn¡¯t believe she would be mentally sound.

 Chapter Seventy-Two: Ascension

    Chapter Seventy-Two: Ascension


    Ten seconds before there was a knock at the door, Tris stood from myp. With a snap of her fingers, her naked body was dressed. Her ears were hidden under her hat, and her clothes hid her tail for a moment before she made a hole for it. Her default attire was malleable since it was formed of the same mana that created her.


    Delouise was there to greet me when I answered the door, but he panicked at an impossiblyrge lion approaching from behind me. His screams caused my family to rush from their rooms. It took me a while to get through his outburst, but the manager of the Waterdale soon understood that Surtr was a spirit and my protector. Dad helped him to his feet, fixed his tie, and apologized for the trouble.


    Surtr and I did the same.


    Mom, Dad, and the others were wearing casual-looking clothing, so I bet they rang the bells and asked for something that fit. Seeing Mom dressed in a pleasant housewife-esque outfit--plete with a lengthy skirt and afortable shirt-- warmed my heart. Dad had a suitable tunic, and Irisa seemed right at home in herfy-looking overalls.


    Erin had on a cute skirt that reached her knees and a soft blue blouse, and Niva wore her oversized robe over her clothes.


    If anything, I was d Niva liked it so much. But Primrose was with her this time, and she introduced herself to the manager and used [Minor Heal] to cure any small blemishes he may have had. I saw his look when he noticed my guns and just told him that these were my weapons.


    ¡°Hrmm¡ªyou¡ªyou are all such an interesting bunch. I doubt the next two months will be boring. But please pardon my behavior. It was unbing of one like myself. If you¡¯ll follow me, we have dinner waiting in the grand dining hall.¡±


    Lei jumped to Erin¡¯s head as we went downstairs¡ªSurtr following behind after barely squeezing through the door. The other employees stared at the lion, but the manager quelled their unease by saying it was my spirit. The dining room was off to the left, and you had to go through a set of grandiose doors with a green diamond embedded in the front, which led to thevish hall. An extremely long table sat right in the middle¡ªeasily fitting thirty or forty people.


    We sat, with Kokan taking the head, Irisa and Ichiha to his left and right. I suppose the order didn¡¯t matter. It wasn¡¯t like this was a fancy party or noble dinner. But I made sure to sit between Niva and Irisa. Tris sat across and delicately ced her hands in herp. Surtr found a nice spot near the entrance, which was out of the way, andid down. Crossing its paws, it stared my way, never blinking or letting me go from its gaze.


    Since there was already one lion, I asked if the others wanted to stretch their legs. Delouise almost seemed to sweat as four more magnificent beasts appeared in a calming whirlwind of mana-infused mes. Since my family didn¡¯t have as much mana as strong as me, their lions had shrunk, with Erin¡¯s barely a hair taller than arge cat. But it was still born from Sekh''s mana.


    It wasn''t weak.


    The lions joined their leader, remainingpletely silent while focused on their primary mission.


    Still, Surtr hadn¡¯t shrunk once it was registered to my mana. But Sekh fueled five of them at once.


    She really was incredible¡­


    A couple minutester, a serving tray on wheels was being pushed by a silver-skinned elf with bright green ears. Cautiously, the elf eyed the pride of lions and continued once the obvious was exined. He took off the lid to reveal a perfectly cooked turkey. He grabbed a knife and served the meat while four more simr elves entered the room. They had baked fish, fresh fruits, and fresh vegetables. Thest held a rather exotic sd with tomatoes, onions, peppers, and more colorful fruits, veggies, and aromatic herbs with nuts sprinkled on top. It came with a small cup of sauce made from lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and dried dehydrated oregano.


    ¡°This was short notice, but we all hope it is delectable,¡± said Delouise. He had a watchful eye over the servers and made sure they did their job. Once our tes were filled, they bowed and left, leaving the covered trays behind.


    I only asked for the sd, and what I was given looked appetizing. I overheard Irisa¡¯s stomach growl. She blushed and looked down, then when she saw me, she broke into a small giggle.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be nice having a good meal, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± I asked, starting a simple conversation while grabbing a forkful of my sd. The leafy greens were vibrant. Dipping it into the sauce, I bit into it and was immediately impressed by its taste. The sauce wasn¡¯t too overpowering, but it enhanced the lettuce. Next, I tried a thick tomato covered in the dressing. ¡°Oh my! This is delicious¡­¡±


    ¡°I thank you for thepliment, Lord Springfield. I shall send them to the chef,¡± said Delouise. He remained on standby, but otherwise, he kept quiet. Irisa gushed about the fat steak she cut into it, then almost cried when she finally tasted something other than bread and water.


    Primrose helped Niva by cutting off a piece of fish and feeding it to her. Her eye went wide, her face smiling brightly. ¡°Mistress, it¡¯s so good!¡±


    ¡°Then eat all you want. Erin? How do you like it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s yummy¡­ I can¡¯t stop¡­¡± Her tail wagged through the chair¡¯s hole and danced with joy.


    This dinner felt like the first thing we¡¯d done as a family since I told the truth about my past. It felt odd¡ªalmost unnerving-- to look back at who I was once. It was only two weeks prior- if even that- but I felt like a totally different person.


    Especially after the lecture Surtr gave me.


    I really needed that. And Tris¡¯s love and care, too.


    Throughout this quaint dinner, the conversation turned to what we would do for money. We had that cargo Gretchen would sell on our behalf, but after that? If Mom¡¯s family weren¡¯t here, we would probably want to head out to find them. But I didn¡¯t think it was that safe. Dad thought the same because he brought that up before me.


    He said with aggression from Atrix, it would be dangerous to travel to another city-state bynd or sea. And I agreed. I didn¡¯t know Atrix¡¯s culture. For example, just how devious were they when it came to attacking? Were they fans of false g attacks to get what they wanted? Or did they prefer a blitzkrieg and wiping out their enemy through rapid strikes designed for total devastation?


    It was probably a mix of both if I had to wager. Captain Caulkmanded arge ship with a ton of cannons. He probably could¡¯ve fought off the three attacking vessels with little issue if the <i>Mengoire </i>had been supplied and staffed.


    ¡°But speaking of money,¡± I said after my te was empty. ¡°I¡¯m about to depart.¡±


    ¡°Eh?! Why? Where are you going?¡± Irisa asked over the sound of me standing up and pushing my chair in.


    ¡°The Bloodhounds. Captain Caulk gave me the pirate captain¡¯s bounty tag. I think I¡¯ll join up. It pays good money.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s dangerous. Didn¡¯t you agree with Dad that it was¡ª¡±


    ¡°I did. But you don¡¯t need to worry about me. Surtr and Tris are going with me. And we need money. We¡¯ll get a lot from that shipment, but it''ll be expensive to search for Grandma and Grandpa.¡±


    ¡°But you don¡¯t have to put¡ªMom, say something to M.¡±


    ¡°Irisa, I need to do this. You know why I need to get stronger. I need that strength more than ever.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    I walked to her. She stood up and threw her arms around me. Her back trembled as she whispered. ¡°I almost lost you twice, so don¡¯t make me go through that again¡­ We can. Mmnn!!¡±


    I sealed her lips with mine and stroked her pretty hair, smelling a hint of honeydew and pineapple from her silky locks. ¡°Then let me go with you! I¡¯m your big sister, so I gotta protect you!¡±


    ¡°I love your overprotectiveness, but you need to rest. A few hours of rest isn¡¯t enough to stave off a week¡¯s exhaustion.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be back in the morning. I¡¯ll be here when you wake up.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Irisa was taller than me, but she looked and felt so fragile and tiny. She nodded and wiped her eyes, then sat down. Mom and Dad told me to be very careful. Erin was worried, but I kissed her head and ruffled her hair.


    ¡°Do not do anything reckless, Lord Springfield,¡± Primrose remarked, staring me in the eyes.


    ¡°I won¡¯t do anything you wouldn¡¯t, so don¡¯t worry about it. And remember what I said. In the morning, you two need to start training.¡±


    ¡°Ye¡ªYes, Mistress! We won¡¯t let you down, right?¡± Niva turned to Primrose and smiled beautifully. She nodded and said she knew what was expected of her. She had enough time to think about what she needed to do.


    ¡°Tris, Surtr. Come on, it¡¯s time for us to go.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord.¡±


    ¡°It is about time!¡± roared Surtr. The four other lions stood and roared as if they were sending their leader off. Delouise seemed kind of¡­nervous, I guess? I doubted he ever had to y host to a High Elf, her adoptive family, a cyclops, her woond spirit, and a pride of lions.


    <i>Just wait until a fairy and Lionfolk shows up¡­</i>


    ¡°Is that a lion?!¡±


    ¡°Look at how big that thing is!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s totally a demon.¡±


    ¡°No way. Only a spirit could look as regal. Look at how the mes around its neck¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh,e on. Don¡¯t start that pretentious bullshit. Demons are just as badass as spirits.¡±


    It seemed Surtr was attracting attention as we arrived at our destination, which sat on the same street as the adventurer¡¯s guild. Looking at it brought back memories of a simpler time. I still had my guild card, but Sekh and I only used it a handful of times before things got tooplicated. With my current strength, I was curious to see the limit of what I could take on.


    If anything, it would still be a good idea to keep it. If nothing else, it could be a way of going up against dangerous monsters. I could steal what I needed, so money was less important than before. But I wouldn¡¯t scoff at a chunk of coin because mom needed money to find her family.


    The Bloodhounds, as a name, was literal. There was a sign hanging above the doors of a particr dog that shared the guild''s name.


    Some breeds remained the same in different worlds.


    Surtr was too big to enter, so I had it wait outside. Tris followed me in, and the overallyout looked like the guild, if I was being honest. There wasn¡¯t much to discuss, so I walked past staring eyes and went to the counter in the back.


    The experienced woman with a sharp eye looked me up and down and asked my business. I handed her the pirate captain¡¯s tag and said I was turning it in.


    ¡°This target is wanted dead or alive. Where''s the proof?¡± I nodded, retrieved his head, much to her horror, and plopped it on the table. Whispers sounded from those around me.


    ¡°I know how this game is yed. I want my money, and I want to join the Bloodhounds. Can you make it happen for me?¡± The woman was taken aback. She hastily shouted for a corpse bag and adjusted her sses while looking sickly. She took a Scan Stone from under the counter, checked the head¡¯s identity, and filled out a sheet of paperwork while asking for my name and other information.


    Some young kid on the cusp of puberty ran over and used a gloved hand to ce the head in a brown bag. Then he ran off to enter through a door in the back before returning with what I assumed to be cleaning supplies.


    There was a little bit of blood left on the table.


    ¡°For future reference, all proof must be stored safely in a designated corpse bag. You would¡¯ve known that if you learned our rules before barging in here with that unprofessionalism. If you wish to join, you mustplete a test. You have hunted a bounty and proved your skills capable, so I recognize you as an official member of the Bloodhounds. Work your way from the bottom and rise through the ranks, and you will receive special perks and benefits.¡± Even though she was pissed, she still took my blood and used a simr method to create a metal membership card like the adventurer¡¯s guild. She handed me my reward, which found a home in [Void Storage].


    <b><i>New Title: [Novice Bounty Hunter]</i></b>


    <i>It''s a good thing I can update my identification documents here. I almostpletely forgot about them. Huh¡­ That¡¯s another thing I haven¡¯t used that much.</i>


    As with the adventurer¡¯s guide, we were rank I, but rankings didn¡¯t correspond, rte, or transfer between the organizations. Hunting monsters or helping people in need was different than tracking bounties like an animal and ending their lives. And speaking of that, I went to the bounty board with Tris and looked at the avable tags.


    People wanted to approach, but a deadly nce and a fierce scowl kept them away.


    ¡°My lord, I rmend this one,¡± Tris said, picking a tag. The name on it read Randall, a ck-haired man missing his top row of teeth. He was a grave robber who killed a little boy when he walked to the cemetery to leave a flower for his baby brother, who died shortly after birth. I didn¡¯t care about the circumstances. Most importantly, Randall was wanted dead or alive, and I focused on the former part. His bounty was 8 silver, and the presumed difficulty was I, which matched my rank. He wouldn¡¯t put up that big of a fight if this info was urate, but the pay was pretty low. A more powerful bounty hunter would choose to go after bigger game instead of wasting time on a minnow.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s head back to the receptionist,¡± I said, taking it from her.


    The aged woman who registered me didn¡¯t seem happy to see me back. But it was her job to brief me about the target, and she did that after looking through a nearby filing cab. ¡°Where can I find him? The tag didn¡¯t mention a location.¡±


    ¡°Thest reported location was the Hershire Valley dungeon, located approximately 8 hours away to the south. It¡¯s an underground forest that consists of four floors. The monsters range from Lv. 8 to Lv. 19. It is a maze that shifts with every new moon, so we believe the target is inside it.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± I said, taking ten corpse bags. ¡°I just have to bring the head?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct. We have a Scan Stone to verify the corpse. But it is easier to use on a head because we can be sure he¡¯s dead. Arms and legs do not count.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± I replied, turning to leave. It seemed my guns were also a point of regr attention because I was asked multiple times if they were real. And I had no reason to entertain their bullshit. Surtr was waiting outside. People curiously stood around my lion, but no one dared to get too close.


    ¡°Lord Springfield, are we departing?¡±


    ¡°We are. A dungeon to the south,¡± I said, leaping to his back after he stood up. I lent a hand to assist Tris in getting on. She wrapped her arms around my stomach. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°At once!¡± Surtr roared and started to walk. He jumped over the ogling group, and we kept walking, bypassing staring guards and others who couldn¡¯t believe what they saw. After leaving through the city gates, Surtr let loose and showed its speed, zooming down the dirt, arid road. It wasn¡¯t so much a desert as I was surrounded by an environment that almost reminded me of the old images of someone traveling through a rocky, mountainous region. But there was depressingly little greenery other than cacti.


    Which still didn¡¯t make much sense since people in Plymoise¡¯s primary city were partly green. I should¡¯ve asked Delouise or Dad about that before I left.


    But the air was thick with a ¡®dusty¡¯ aftertaste that lingered on the tongue. Or maybe I wasn¡¯t used to this type of environment. All of Parthina couldn¡¯t have been like this. And that was another thing. I needed to learn more about this heptarchy and all its seven city-states.


    Information was key.


    Information was needed to dictate the correct choice. You had to have all the facts and knowledge to ensure you were heading down the right path.


    It didn¡¯t matter how childish a fact was. Nor did it matter if something was so insignificant you didn¡¯t think it was worthwhile to investigate.


    At this point in my life... I needed everything that provided even the tiniest advantage.


    After about two hours of non-stop running, we came across a river flowing to our right. It was small and narrow-- a micro-stream since it wasn¡¯t even as wide as me.


    ¡°Surtr, let¡¯s take a break. Drink and recover some mana.¡±


    ¡°As you wish,¡± replied my lion. I leapt off its back. Tris followed and held onto her hat, her skirt fluttering up to grant me a peek at her lingerie and garter belt.


    ¡°Yes, it appears as if we are a sufficient distance away. My lord, can you check to see if we¡¯re alone? I have something to discuss with you.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Four clones manifested as birds and flew far and fast. When I was at ten percent of my mana, they vanished and died, and while I was feeling groggy, a lot of my map was indexed. And yes, we were alone. Only other animals and monsters were around us. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡±


    ¡°I¡­don¡¯t know how to say this. But¡­ When you used [Ira Ignis] on the boat and killed the pirates, that single action came from your culminating desire to acquire real strength. It was there... You fully epted your role as the Transcendent Dark Lord. My lord, Soul Evolution¡­ You have obtained it.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­? Why are you speaking like this? I don¡¯t get it? If I met the requirements, why hasn¡¯t anything happened?¡±


    ¡°It is¡­ I withheld the evolution because the timing wasn¡¯t right. I decided it was too risky to allow it to happen on the boat because of the information I gathered after reading Murag¡¯s tomes. It was a matter of personal security, and the attention it would¡¯ve brought would have caused you trouble. I¡¯ll take any punishment you deem fit¡ª¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t punish you, Tris. It¡¯s good you dyed it. You¡¯re more knowledgeable about this stuff, so I¡¯ll defer to your judgement in times like this,¡± I replied, smiling because she cared so much. ¡°So, what do I have to do? What¡¯s going to happen?¡±


    ¡°In short, it is a spectacle. Soul Evolution urs when your soul breaks the boundary developed when a Soul Warrior is given their Soul Crystal. Your soul cannot contain the desire or power anymore, so it must break apart and reforge itself using your new dedication as a basis. However, as I said, it is a spectacle. A tremendous beam of destructive mana will shoot up into the sky, and the same will happen to Meruria.¡±


    She said nothing would happen to Sekh since she was in our [Void Storage]. Although she would still receive the burst of mana, it wouldn¡¯t have an outlet, so it had to go to me or Meruria.


    ¡°[Status Cloak] will prevent Meruria from detecting your mana¡¯s identifying signature. When Soul Evolution urs, she will only know that one of her warriors has achieved the unthinkable. Due to the process of elimination, she will eventually deduce the truth. However, I do not know if she will believe what she thinks is impossible,¡± Tris said, continuing. ¡°If it pleases you, I can obscure the procedure and store the energy that would have been released forter use. You could think of it as a trump card¡ªsomething you can use if you find yourself in danger.¡±


    Tris nodded when I asked if she could direct the mana that would go to myself and Sekh to Meruria to make it even more explosive.


    ¡°But I highly advise against it, my lord. It¡¯s unlikely to cause anysting damage to your enemies. Furthermore, the chances of Meruria deflecting it away are high. Based on her personality from your memories, it¡¯s likely she would divert it to her city, then me the chaos on a neighboring country to have a ¡®justified¡¯ reason to go to war.¡±


    ¡°So, it¡¯ll only help her in the long run?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct. However, the final decision is up to you.¡±


    ¡°I know there¡¯s a war between her and me, but the cons far outweigh the pros. It¡¯ll only cause needless death. Go ahead and store the energy, Tris.¡±


    Tris nodded and held her hands close to her chest. From within her body came a vtile sphere of gray, rampaging mana. It floated a few inches above her palms, and she held it to me.


    The moment I took it, it shed against some invisible force and transformed into rainbow-colored energy¡ªlike the stars that appeared when Tokko and the others broke their crystals.


    Cracks materialized on my skin, causing my body to snap like ss after being hammered with a mallet. My skin and flesh continued to ke off until I was a humanoid version of the same energy I stared at.


    The sphere shattered, leaving me as something I didn¡¯t understand, and that forced itself into the orb.


    That was the container...of my soul. What I used to be... It shattered because it couldn¡¯t sustain my growth.


    Somehow, I saw Tris kneel as my consciousness and vision were returned to the body of Lyudm Springfield. The flesh I was familiar with once again wrapped around my evolved soul¡­


    And I felt much stronger¡­


    Looking at my hands and legs, I still looked the same. The clothing I had on before this ascension wasn¡¯t destroyed. That came back a secondter in a dull sh of light¡ªprobably Tris¡¯s work to keep this as low-key as possible.


    But I had done it. The bullshit challenge Meruria set up for me that she thought I couldn¡¯t finish¡­ I FUCKING DID IT!!!!


    <b><i>You have achieved Soul Evolution! Your soul has ascended from a 0-Star into a 1-Star. All umted SP before your ascension will be granted to you momentarily.</i></b>


    <b><i>Titles will now have an effect.</i></b>


    <b><i>Acquisition of skills, spells, and techniques through manual means is possible.</i></b>


    <b><i>The ascension of your soul will now grant you your Soul Weapon.</i></b>


    <b><i>Error! You already have acquired your Soul Weapon.</i></b>


    <b><i>You have gained 178 SP.</i></b>


    ¡°I must admit the process wasckluster, although I¡¯m sure that¡¯s because you only allowed the bare necessity to ur.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± Tris stood. She held a hand to her chest and retrieved a gray sphere. It rampaged around, threatening to burst free. It was vtile, capable of exploding at any moment. ¡°The three bursts of mana that would¡¯ve shot into the sky after your Soul Evolution are being held within this orb. Its power cannot be understated, my lord. Evolving from a 0-Star to a 1-Star grants more energy than a 4-Star to a 5-Star, and you have two summoners, so the overall destructive intent has been multiplied.¡±


    ¡°I trust you more than myself. So... I¡¯ll let you decide when the time is right.¡±


    ¡°Your faith warms my heart, my lord.¡± Tris smiled... She was so cute. After pressing the angry orb into her chest, her face turned sad-- as if a sudden realization hit her. Tris immediately kneeled. ¡°I must apologize, my lord! If I knew you were this close to evolving your soul, I--¡±


    ¡°You did nothing wrong. Yes. I¡¯d have learned [Soul Link] upon evolving if you waited, but bullets are fine until I acquire it via the Soul Weapon Evolution Tree. Trust me, it¡¯s not a big deal, okay? I¡¯m d you gave it to me when you did since it came in handy during the naval battle.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord. I¡­understand.¡± I offered a hand, and she took it with a smile. We hugged and kissed, and then it was time to continue to our destination. We hopped on Surtr and resumed. But this time? My face was beaming because I had aplished the impossible!

 Chapter Seventy-Three: An Old Friend – Part One (Illustrations!)

    Chapter Seventy-Three: An Old Friend ¨C Part One (Illustrations!)


    After thirty more minutes of traveling, we came across some viges near a narrow stream of water. We stopped and asked a guard by the entrance for directions, though it took a while for him to lower his weapon.


    Surtr was a massive 8-foot-tall lion, after all. It didn¡¯t take much longer to reach our destination.


    ¡°A mausoleum? Why is that the entrance to a forest dungeon?¡± I asked, staring at arge andplex structure. It was white and made from what looked to be marble, and about six groups of adventurers were huddled around campfires and constructed tents.


    Surtr¡¯s mes were like a beacon amid night. Once someone eximed in surprise, it spread like a festering disease until everyone leered at us.


    I heard theirments and concerns, but they didn¡¯t get any response from me as Surtr walked to the entrance. The door was wide open, revealing a downward staircase.


    ¡°You know how to make an entrance, my lord,¡± Tris quipped.


    ¡°I do. Tris, go ahead and do a search for our target. I doubt he¡¯s outside,¡± I replied, dismounting from Surtr.


    ¡°You are correct. Shall we enter the dungeon, my lord?¡± I helped her get down.


    I nodded and ced a hand on my revolver. We descended the steps. Upon reaching the end and passing through an invisible reference point, everything became bright and clear. The open hallway we followed led into this dungeon¡¯s lobby, and there was a miniature sun or something high in the sky. But we were underground.


    It didn¡¯t make much sense.


    The few people in the lobby just stared at what must¡¯ve been an unfamiliar sight.


    ¡°What¡¯s the deal with this ce?¡± I asked a young man holding a shield with both hands. ¡°Why is it bright when it¡¯s dark outside?¡± Nervously, he exined that the dungeon operated on its own day and night cycle. In short, there was a 12-hour difference, but there wasn¡¯t any chronomancy or time maniption. The date inside would be the date outside. The only changes were localized to this dungeon and not anywhere else.


    But other dungeons could harbor their own cycle. An example given to me was one where it would be night for a year before bing day for a handful of seconds.


    I thanked the man and entered past the lobby with Surtr taking point. True to its word, it was really a forest. One with no rhyme or reason to itsyout.


    It was a maze, after all. And I was prepared for this since I could use unique abilities no one else had. We immediately headed off the initial path and randomly waded through the trees.


    ¡°Okay, this is far enough. Tris, you know what to do,¡± I said, creating three bird clones.


    ¡°Of course,¡± replied Tris. She instructed and guided them to index the first floor. The trees were tall, but my Clone!Birds flew above them. While they did that, I switched out the revolver for my rifle and began to hunt.


    A forest meant animals, of course. And that meant meat. Sekh would need to eat a lot to regain her strength. I watched as the darkened areas of this dungeon¡¯s 3-D map slowly filled in, showing me a pretty exact replica of the tall trees and thick, grassy hiding spots.


    Except the model didn¡¯t have color. It was monochrome, with varying shades of gray that did little to separate the colors.


    But that was fine.


    The map was popted with a four-legged herbivore called a tri-horn hog, a boar with tusks and three horns. It was Lv. 17 and only a short distance away.


    I thought Surtr would be too big, but the lion was stealthily silent as it stalked through the underbrush and quietly pushed past branches. The crunchy leaves it was about to step on weren¡¯t stepped on because it used fire tforms to remain a couple inches above the ground.


    ¡°There it is,¡± I whispered. My sight zoomed in when I readied my rifle. The animal was roughing the dirt with its snout, and without hesitation, I pulled the trigger, destroying its brain.


    A murder of crows fled into the sky, cawing like mad. The rushing beating of their wings caused the fourteen other animals within my indexed area to scatter like the wind.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s one down. I¡¯ll assimte the next one to get some mana back.¡± I started to butcher the carcass, but Tris stopped me. She told me to look at my activity log and helpfully reminded me that [Auto-Loot] was upgraded to store humanoid equipment and monster materials when I killed them.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. That happened after Oswell and his group died, right?¡±


    ¡°Correct, my lord. Shall I customize it?¡±


    I was running low on capacity, but the quickest way to expand it was to keep it near full. ¡°Collected everything useful from the monsters I kill, but leave me 100 pounds. Oh, and remind me to ask Gretchen if I can leave those cannons I stored at the shipyard. They¡¯re not doing much hanging around [Void Storage], and I¡¯d rather use the space for something important.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡±


    I hunted another thirteen animals. Unless it was just this floor, the animals here didn¡¯t have any skills. It was literally like just hunting, but the meat was a bonus. I desired the experience and assimtion from devouring the tri-horn hog, the tri-antler deer, and the tri-fang wolf.


    I acquired a few hunting titles, and since I could now use their effects, I equipped [Novice Hunter] to further increase my damage against animals.


    When this area was fully indexed, a search revealed our target wasn¡¯t here. With no reason to stay, we descended stairs covered with vines and colorful flowers. It was like a corridor of nature. The material creating the mausoleum mixed andbined, which was weird. The functions of this world and its dungeon made no sense to someone like me. Upon reaching the end of this narrow path, it abruptly transitioned into more forest. But the entrance spot was rather pleasant. It was a soft, open in with enough space for about fifteen people tofortably stand around.


    Our experience in this area was more of the same. Immediately, we strayed from the beaten path and didn¡¯t encounter anyone else, although Tris highlighted them with a waypoint once the Clone!Birds found them. Only 4 animals died from my bullets before the area was indexed. The target wasn¡¯t here, so we quickly made for the staircase.


    The third floor was more intriguing. It finally took on a more maze-like pattern I was familiar with, but the ¡®walls¡¯ of the maze were just trees. And not thick ones. But thin, narrow ones that fell victim to Surtr¡¯s hefty weight. The lion bulldozed them out of the way with a smack of its paw. We walked around and chatted while the clones did their work. It took about sixteen minutes before it was said and done. The target wasn¡¯t here, though, which left one possibility.


    ¡°Surtr, I know you¡¯re bored. Go have some fun. It wouldn''t do right to restrict the king of the jungle from hunting, so meet us at the stairs in ten minutes."


    The lion nodded and took off running to the left. I watched its icon on my map head directly towards a boar feasting on a juicy snack of bitter berries. Surtr spared no hesitation when it approached from above,tching its terribly sharp teeth into the boar¡¯s neck. It ripped out a chunk of flesh, then used its sharp ws to finish the job before feasting on its juicy, crimson innards.


    The lion hunted some more while I made a detour to a treasure chest. To get there, you had to fall through a pitfall trap, avoid a bed of wooden spikes, and then crawl through a narrow gap behind a breakable stone wall. That brought you to a wall of vines, which had to be burned away. It would¡¯ve been sinister if I hadn¡¯t known about the peril.


    The lock to the grassy chest shattered after shooting it with my rifle. The reward waiting for me was a green dagger.


    <ul>


    <li><b><i>Treelike Memory (1/4)</i></b></li>


    </ul>


    <ul>


    <li><b><i>Vine Assault</i></b></li>


    </ul>


    It had enough spots for four enchantments, but one was already filled. [Vine Assault] caused vines to sprout from any wound inflicted with the weapon. It needed mana to activate, but this little thing was dastardly. And downright murderous in the hands of an experienced assassin.


    Surtr was waiting for me when I arrived at the stairs, and together, we descended. The bottom floor? Since the target wasn¡¯t above us, he had to be here. And Tris found him just a handful of minutester. He was located northwest, near the outer forest walls, behind the boss¡¯s chambers. But we didn¡¯t need to defeat the boss to get to him. Tris and I hopped on Surtr and took the shortest route via jumping above the trees. My lion could walk on air, which was extremely useful in times like this.


    If you had wings, you could avoid everything and head directly to the end goal. Suppose that was just a glimpse of freedom if I thought about it hard enough. But there were probably dungeons or ces that couldn¡¯t be flown in, either because there were dangerous wind gusts or an enchantment or rule preventing the use of wings.


    Well, there wasn¡¯t anything like that in this dungeon. It was also a low-level one.


    I spotted a hunkering man with his arms around his knees from above. [Deduction] confirmed my suspicions. ¡°Surtr, bring us down. That¡¯s the target.¡±


    He was a mess. Even after I called his name, he sniffled and rubbed his nose, staring at me with a snot-filled expression. Randall¡¯s eyes were nearly bloodshot, and his face was covered in dirty filth. ¡°It wasn¡¯t supposed to be like that... He wasn¡¯t supposed...to be there... Are...you here to kill me?¡± His words were slurred. The missing teeth made it difficult to deduce what he was saying.


    ¡°Yeah, I am. ident or not, you killed a child. The correct option would¡¯ve been to turn yourself in and face your punishment.¡± I raised my revolver and looked at him in the eyes.


    ¡°I never wanted¡­to hurt anyone¡­ I swear I didn¡¯t¡­ Will¡­it hurt? I¡¯m afraid¡ª"


    <i>Bang!</i>


    <i>You won¡¯t get any sympathy from me¡­ But wasn¡¯t supposed to be like that? It doesn¡¯t matter.</i>


    <b><i>New Title: [Gunslinger]</i></b>


    The new title increased my uracy with firearms, so I put it on. Randall fell over limp, blood pouring like a fountain from the gunshot wound in his forehead. I tore his head off, stashed it in a corpse bag, and then assimted the rest of his corpse with my slime. He had 67 SP and not much else since he was barely a hair above Lv. 11. There wasn¡¯t any money or valuable items nearby, either.


    ¡°Might as well kill the boss. Let¡¯s head over to the chamber.¡± With Surtr¡¯s speed and agility, we arrived in front of the towering, vine-covered doors within a minute. The green, leafy tendrils untangled themselves and allowed the entrance to sink into the ground, granting us ess. Tris remained outside, and Surtr and I entered alone.


    The rectangr arena was t when we walked through. When the doors shut behind us, the ground shed green. Suddenly, we were standing in a field of tall grass that even towered above Surtr. I leapt to his back, and he jumped, using those solid tforms of fire beneath its paws to remain airborne.


    The center of the arena started to rumble as the boss broke through the surface, scattering giant chunks of mossy stone towards us. Surtr roared and emitted a vast amount of heat, which melted the projectile before it reached us.


    <span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW77255950 BCX0">¡°So <span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW77255950 BCX0">that¡¯s<span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW77255950 BCX0"> the boss, eh? It¡¯s just some giant snake. But [Acid Spit]? [Acid Spray]? Those could be useful.¡± I channeled [Ira Ignis] and equipped Kronto, using [Lightning Dive] to crashnd in front of the serpent. It was about four feet taller than my lion and covered in green and ck spots that shed hard against its vibrant yellow scales. Surtr unleashed a breath of fire from above without worrying about friendly fire. The mes harmlessly doused me in trickle warmth after I wrapped myself in a clearyer of slime, but it did far more damage to my opponent, draining its HP by about ten percent.


    My crimson horns shed orange as I walked to the burning snake. The smell of burnt flesh filled my nose. Perhaps it sensed my power because it tried its hardest to escape. When I released a portion of my mana, the slithering beast started to bash its head against the walls in a futile attempt to break free.


    Kronto was only used to make an entrance, so back to the rifle I went. Taking aim, I channeled [Chimeric Armatization] with [Fireball]. The gun became born of mes. Upon holding the trigger, a small ming orb appeared at the end of the barrel. [Ira Ignis] had the side-effect of increasing the power of my fire elemental spells and skills by a percentage equaling my current Wrath.


    When I pulled the trigger, a thin beam of fireunched incredibly quickly, piercing the snake through an eye from behind. It didn¡¯t do much damage because this method of attack was meant for striking from a distance with precise aim and incredible precision.


    A person would¡¯ve died from having their brain destroyed, but practice was practice. It was better to test my abilities on this weak snake before it was put to the paces.


    Sixteen shotster, the boss was a twitching mess of goo and scorched hide. It didn¡¯t even try to harm me.


    But acid? The names didn¡¯t make much sense unless the acid referred to the monster using its stomach acid to attack. Snakes had venom, right?


    Either way, it was time to eat.


    <b><i>New Skill: [Acid Spit]</i></b>


    <b><i>New Skill: [Acid Breath]</i></b>


    <b><i>New Skill: [Acid Armor]</i></b>


    The first two skills required me to transfigure the snake¡¯s acid inside my stomach to use. And yes, it referred to its actual stomach acid. That was the unique quirk about this boss. It could harness it to attack. Presumably, its insides were coated and protected against the harmful effects.


    [Acid Breath] was a sustained skill that emitted a yellow haze from my mouth, and the range was quite impressive. In contrast, [Acid Spit] just turned my salvia into acid. I couldn¡¯t spit that far, but it had its uses when used with [Chimeric Armatization]. [Acid Breath] caused a small gassy acid cloud to erupt from the impact. [Acid Spit] coated the round, which could be better. It just depended on the situation.


    But when channeling the skills, my revolver and rifle were given yellow scales. Green and ck splotches covered the barrel.


    [Acid Armor] covered my body in yellow scales that emitted acid when struck. They weren¡¯t that strong, though. But useful nheless. Using it with my gun encased my bullets in that armor. It was like [Acid Bullet], but distinct enough to make it worth choosing when the opportunity presented itself. [Mana Armor] could bebined with [Acid Armor]. It drained my mana incredibly fast when I covered my whole body with both, but it was a powerfulbination. Until I acquired more mana or increased [Mana Regeneration]¡¯s level, I needed to be specific in how I wanted to protect myself using those defensive skills.


    The chest that appeared after the boss¡¯s defeat had another copy of the dagger I found earlier. Surtr sauntered to me, and I scratched the lion under its chin. The doors opened, and Tris entered to congratte us on our victory. The grass had vanished, though. This ce was as t as a pancake and covered in mossy stone. She asked if we would take the teleporter, but I decided on the long way back because it would give me time to master these new skills.


    With my clones helping me, it took about fifteen minutes to aplish all I wanted before returning to Plymoise.


    <hr>


    Surtr was in excellent form, so we arrived at Plymoise in record time.


    ¡°Good evening, Lord Springfield,¡± said a warrior standing guard on the city¡¯s southern entrance. A blue eagle was sitting on the post to his left.


    ¡°You know my name?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct, ma¡¯am. Captain Caulk debriefed us."


    ¡°That was thoughtful of him,¡± I replied. ¡°I take it he¡¯s informed you of Surtr?¡± I petted my lion under its chin.


    The guard nodded and adjusted his helmet. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am, he did. You and your spirit won''t be scrutinized.¡±


    ¡°Good. Well, take care.¡±


    ¡°Likewise, ma¡¯am.¡± The guard saw us off, and his eagle pped its wings and almost nodded as we strolled into town. A few secondster, I dismounted Surtr and walked beside it. It was night-- not too many people were walking, but those we encountered scattered and gave us ample room.


    Surtr was just intimidating. Who wouldn¡¯t be fearful of an 8-foot-tall ming lion with crimson orbs of mes as eyes? But it seemed Surtr enjoyed it when others were afraid. But by no means did the lion purposely antagonize anyone while we walked. The grand beastid down outside the guild, crossing its paws. I entered and went to the empty counter with Tris by my side.


    There was a bell, so I tapped it a few times and waited. An elderly man with a goatee emerged from a backroom.


    ¡°Have a tag for Randall. His head¡¯s in the bag,¡± I exined, putting both on the table. The man confirmed my report with a Scan Stone, then gave me the money.


    It wasn¡¯t much, but it was something. And it was my start on this path I decided to walk down. Killing someone deserving of death differed from forcing someone to my will and stealing their freedom.


    Sure, ending a life meant the same thing, but killing my prey and exclusively hunting targets that were wanted dead or alive helped me acquire power. I had the freedom to choose my targets. Randall killed a child. Therefore, he deserved death.


    I didn¡¯t feel like I betrayed my values or precepts. I didn''t feel conflicted or torn over my actions.


    ¡°Thank you for your service, ma¡¯am. We hope to see you again.¡± The man bowed when Tris and I turned to leave. She could use [Deduction] on the tags on the bounty board to get their details without actually being here.


    ¡°Is it time to leave?¡± asked Surtr.


    ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s head back to the inn. I told Irisa I would be there when she woke. I won''t break that promise. Tris, how are you holding up?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m doing well, my lord. Tonight has not been a problem, but I cannot feel lethargic. Tiredness, as others know it, cannot diminish my analytical abilities. That only happens from maxing my processing mode and operating above normal parameters for an extended time.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± I helped her on Surtr, and we leisurely strolled to our destination.


    The two guards standing near the gate let us through without a word of protest.


    There weren''t many High Elves riding a giant ming lion...


    We hopped off and entered the inn, waving and speaking to the two maids and butlers standing off to the wide. A third professionally dressed servant was behind a desk. They all weed me back at the same time.


    ¡°Do you require anything, Lord Springfield? Are you hungry? Thirsty?¡±


    ¡°No, thank you. We¡¯re fine,¡± I replied. ¡°We¡¯re going to retire to our room.¡±


    ¡°Of course. I hope your rest is refreshing. Please, sleep well.¡± The maids and butlers slightly bowed, and the three of us walked up the stairs to our room. I peeked into Irisa¡¯s room to find her snuggling against her lion, who shared her bed. Erin¡¯s guardian beast was curled on her stomach, and Niva and Primrose held hands while asleep.


    ¡°Shall we reside to the bedroom?¡± Tris asked.


    ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s.¡± I closed and locked the door behind us. Surtr stretched,id down, and licked its murderous paws. I just sat on the bed and stared at my revolver. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s the fastest way to level up my Soul Weapon Evolution Tree?¡±


    ¡°There is none. Acquisition of the Soul Weapon depends on many factors, yet once it is acquired, experience is the only thing that matters.¡±


    ¡°I must use it? Is that what you¡¯re saying?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± replied Tris. She kneeled in front of me and folded her hands across her heart.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Lord Springfield. Allow me to offer my thoughts.¡±


    ¡°Go for it, Surtr.¡±


    ¡°The Soul Weapones from the soul, given the name. You¡¯re unique in the sense that many can share the same. Your clones, for example. Are they not a core part of you? Do they not share the same root as the one they sprout from?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Shit, you¡¯re right.¡± I quickly made a clone of myself. ¡°Hold this,¡± Imanded, giving the revolver over.


    Unlike when I passed the gun to my mom and dad, I didn''t get a permission notice. And when I summoned the revolver back to me¡­


    There it was in my hands, but also in the hands of my clone.


    The two existed because one came from my clone¡¯s soul. The other was from mine. But I summoned both firearms, right?


    Well, I did, but the weapon was ¡®attached¡¯ to the clone, and thus, it was registered to it, so I was free to summon my copy. But once I grabbed the clone¡¯s revolver, the one I held vanished.


    ¡°In the past, the Dark Lord of Tyranny fought against Soul Warriors with the ability to wield multiple copies of their weapon simultaneously. It is not an easy technique to learn, but a chimera can spread their soul to their mimicked replicas. That is your key, Lord Springfield. I rmend using your chimeric prowess the way only you can.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s just another reason why chimeras are feared, huh? I remember Tilde once saying Soul Warriors were immune to transforming into a chimera. Guess this is what she meant. I doubt even that entity in the void could turn me into one if I was a 1-Star.¡±


    ¡°I believe that may be correct, Lord Springfield. But the life of a chimera¡­ How should I put this¡­ Their acquisition of power is akin to rolling a boulder up a steep cliff. It may seem downright impossible at first, yet the more you keep at it, the easier it bes because of the strength gained during that arduous task. It may still take time, but I have no doubt that it will be much easier for you in theing future.¡±


    ¡°You have a good point. With your power, [Ira Ignis], Tris¡¯s intel gathering, and my Soul Weapon, I¡¯m in a much better position than I was a few months ago. I¡ª" A dark orb of ck energy manufactured itself about a foot away from me. Surtr quickly rushed to my side and bared its fangs, gathering mes on the tip of its tail. I drew my revolver and held the tip inches away.


    ¡°Is this how you treat your old teacher on her jaw-dropping return, Lord Springfield?¡± A voice came from the sizzling, crackling orb.


    ¡°Surtr, stand down.¡± A bright smile came to my face as I held out an empty hand towards the cascading ball of devilish mana in the queenliest manner I could. A beam of what I could only call Transcendent Mana erupted from my palm and mmed into the orb, causing it to explode in a magnificent spectrum of purple, ck, crimson, and gold. The particles rained to the floor, forming an intricate magic circle that shed. With each pulse, energy ked. Gradually, from the head down, the fairy I had fallen in love with manifested.


    She was visually different from the one who had taught me everything about being a chimera and surviving in this dangerous, brutal world. Her hair was shorter and an iridescent purple, with matching-colored eyes that were pretty and vibrant. Her wings were smaller-- ornate and soft,pletely ck with purple, pulsing veins flowing through them that suited her beauty.


    The mana crafting her body stuck to her torso, arms, and crotch like clothing, dding her bustier bosom and crotch. The mana formed a pair of cross earrings and a choker around her pretty neck.


    She was still being constructed from the knees down, but she greeted me with a beautiful smile.


    Spoiler


    [copse]

 Chapter Seventy-Three: An Old Friend – Part Two

    Chapter Seventy-Three: An Old Friend ¨C Part Two


    ¡°Oh, my heart is calm at seeing you so well, Lord Springfield... It is impossible for me to be happier!¡± said Tilde.


    ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you a sight for sore eyes? I thought you would¡¯ve been gone for longer.¡±


    ¡°Mmn, I did too. Guess I couldn¡¯t just stay from you. But Lord Springfield, do you mind if I inquire as to why you''re raising towards me?¡± Tilde raised a delicate finger to the revolver and tapped it.


    My finger wasn¡¯t on the trigger, and the cylinder was behind me on the bed. It couldn¡¯t fire in this state.


    <i>Her voice is the same. But there¡¯s something drastically different about her demeanor.</i>


    ¡°Before I do, there is something I must know. Did you or did you not swear to have my best interests in mind?¡±


    ¡°I did. I always¡ª¡±


    "I''ll give you a chance to revise that statement. The Essence of Wrath..."


    ¡°¡­¡± Tilde was quiet. Too quiet. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lord Springfield. I overlooked something and made a critical error.¡± Tilde, now constructed, got to her feet and properly kneeled. She fought hard to look me in the eye like she didn¡¯t deserve my gaze. ¡°The Essence of Wrath is shrewd, but as a Divine Skill-- as one of the Seven Deadly Sins, it canmunicate with its wielder. The same is true with the Seven Heavenly Virtues. But it takes many years to nurture that capability. Time flows differently in the void. Sixty days passed, but the dtion made it feel like a million years, and the Essence of Wrath manifested using that loophole. No, I don¡¯t have an excuse. My inexperience..." Tilde sniffed. "You can tell, can¡¯t you? Your evolution and my reincarnation broke the link connecting our life force because my task has beenpleted. If you decide to end my life, I¡¯ll die for good. I¡¯m not immortal anymore. I¡¯ll ept my death...¡± Tilde sadly smiled and closed her eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s also my fault because I wasn¡¯t strong enough. But that¡¯s going to change from here on out?¡± My revolver and its cylinder vanished, returning to my soul. "How can I ever exceed your standards if you''re not there to keep teaching me?"


    ¡°Lord Springfield¡­¡± Tilde slowly met my eyes, salty water streaming down her cute cheeks. ¡°You¡¯ve changed in the short time I¡¯ve been gone. When my reincarnation process finished, I received the gist of things from Tris, but you¡¯ve grown into a fine woman since then. I¡¯m so proud of you¡­ Oh, it almost makes me want to cry.¡±


    ¡°You are crying, Conduit. I can confirm that,¡± added Tris, standing by my side with her arms folded across her stomach.


    ¡°It¡¯s good I don¡¯t have to worry about hurting you when training.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is. But had it not changed, I would¡¯ve endured it a thousand times if it meant you¡¯d get closer to your goal.¡± Surtr introduced itself and then apologized for the prior hostility. ¡°And good to meet you, Surtr.¡±


    ¡°Likewise, Lady Tilde.¡±


    Tilde flew to the bed and crossed her legs. Her expression wasn¡¯t suited for the crude, crass, overtly sexual Tilde she used to be.


    We chatted about that like old friends, and we were able to reconnect rapidly. But she confirmed a core part of herself was altered in the process. At her essence, she was still Tilde. She likened her previous self to someone going through adolescence. Her new form had a mental state like a young adult graduating college or starting their first professional job.


    Theparison was about as clear as mud, but I understood it. The important thing was that Tilde-- my precious fairy-- was back.


    We just needed Sekh...


    ¡°But let me ask something. Is there anything else I should know? Maybe something that could affect me going forward? Think long and hard, okay?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s¡­one thing. But¡­¡± Tilde nervously rubbed her arms. She looked to Tris for support, and I asked if she knew.


    ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t make me say it. It won''t help you.¡±


    ¡°Telling you has a 0% chance of offering any discernible benefits while irreversibly harming you.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t think you¡¯re ready to hear it. Please, I know you don¡¯t have any right to trust me, but I¡¯m begging you¡­¡±


    Seeing Tilde plead like that¡­ It just felt wrong.


    ¡°If you give the order, I will tell you, my lord.¡± Tris¡¯s look was more determined. I¡¯d never seen her look so resolute. She acted differently¡ªwith a resolved aura that wasn¡¯t there when I had spent an hour fluffing her ears and rubbing her tail.


    Surtr gave me a look.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll leave it to you,¡± I said, turning to Tilde. ¡°You can tell me when you feel I¡¯m ready. I trust you two more than myself.¡±


    <i>I¡¯m curious. But my curiosity doesn¡¯t extend farther than Tris and Tilde. I must believe them. They wouldn¡¯t do this without a good reason.</i>


    ¡°You still trust me? Even¡­¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I?¡± I held a finger to Tilde, and she grabbed it with both hands. She cutely smiled, wiped her teary eyes, and changed topics. We spoke about [Conferment], but Tilde didn¡¯t have any further info on if anything else was locked away. It¡¯d be awesome if I had a list of what I could unlock for myself and the rest of the world. If not that, then some confirmation that there was something else to work towards.


    It couldn¡¯t have just been [Conferment].


    Tilde didn¡¯t know any other factors behind my unlocking of [Conferment], but she was almost certain praying wasn¡¯t connected. She said this world had skills like [Faith Infusion], which would be what a cult leader would have. Their strength would grow as they acquired more worshippers, but that differed from what we were dealing with.


    It was probably my realization and desires that broke the lock.


    ¡°My lord, I felt your difort from the beginning. You didn¡¯t like my worship, did you?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± I said, admitting the truth. ¡°I forced myself to believe otherwise. I love you, Tris, but I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t want to hurt your feelings.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t say that!¡± She grabbed my hands and held them. ¡°Even if it isn¡¯t my prayers, I can¡­ I¡­ I can¡­¡±


    ¡°It seems the Conduit needs to help Little Miss AI,¡± Tilde interjected. ¡°Don¡¯t think of them as prayers. Think of them as inspiration. You know how soldiers sometimes look at photos of their loved ones?¡± I nodded. ¡°Well, this is that. You won¡¯t be the target of her prayers. But you¡¯re what inspires her to try her hardest. Will that work?¡±


    My heart warmed. ¡°Yeah, it would. I don¡¯t want to be thought of as a goddess. Not unless I¡¯m shown proof that it¡¯ll strengthen me in the long run. That¡¯s my concession. Tris, I see you as an equal, okay? I want you to stand with me, not below me. Promise me you¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±


    Tris nodded and disyed a bright smile. She was happy. I knew her ears and tail were twitching and wagging.


    ¡°I¡¯m with you the rest of the way! Ah, Lord Springfield?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not used to you calling me that. It sounds wrong.¡±


    ¡°Oh, would you prefer me to lovingly call you my dearest Master?¡± Tilde narrowed her eyes and grinned.


    ¡°Maybe I do. Regardless, you¡¯ll always be my teacher. It¡¯s impossible to thank you enough for all you¡¯ve done for me. I love you.¡±


    ¡°And I love you too, my lovable Master Lord Springfield. Or would you prefer Lord Master Springfield?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, maybe don¡¯tbine the two.¡±


    We shared a chuckle.


    ¡°My lord, I can confirm your stress has vanished. Your heart is at ease. And I love you, too! It isn¡¯t just the Conduit!¡±


    ¡°Oh? Is someone getting a little jealous? Scared I¡¯ll steal your precious lord away from you?¡± Tilde¡¯s haughty, yful tone returned. She mischievously covered her mouth.


    <i>It¡¯s good to know some of that old personality is still in there.</i>


    ¡°Con-Conduit! Please!!¡± Tris went cherry tomato in the cheeks. It was cute seeing her embarrassed. She quickly sat beside me and hugged my arm, adorably pouting.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always enjoyed being a fairy, but there¡¯s more I wish to do that I can¡¯t do in this body. I grew by three inches... I finally have boobs to grope... but it isn¡¯t enough. Even when you achieve Soul Evolution again, I won¡¯t change. This is my swan song... The Tilde before you is the one you¡¯ll see until the very end. Hey, even if I look like this... I¡¯m not the Tilde you¡¯re familiar with. You won¡¯t...leave me, right?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll always have a special ce in my heart. And you¡¯ll always be my fairy.¡±


    Tilde looked into my eyes. She showed me a picturesque smile, but it was all I needed to understand her feelings.


    <i>I think¡­I know what I must do.</i>


    ¡°Tilde. Do you trust me?¡±


    ¡°More than anyone else I¡¯ve ever met.¡±


    When I stood, the fairy raised an eyebrow. But Tilde didn¡¯t question it when Imanded her to kneel in the middle of the room. Holding out my hand, I focused on the limits of my life force and dug deep inside my soul to extract the left-over mana clinging to Tilde¡¯s body.


    That was going to be the fuel. It¡¯d require approximately 30% of my remaining life force, but that was fine. I could easily rece it. I¡¯d have to work harder than ever... But I knew I could do it.


    ¡°With the power of [Conferment], I use my authority as the Transcendent Dark Lord to dere an end to the Conduit¡¯s eternalbor. Your desire has been made clear, and I grant you the opportunity to fulfill the whims of your heart. From henceforth, you shall be reborn and known as Tilde Springfield.¡±


    Whooshing mana gathered on my palms, and the grey energy covered a crying fairy. Tears flowed from her delicate, beautiful eyes when I spoke, which soon closed as she went limp. An unknown force caused her to float. The surrounding magical energy encased her body within a pir of mana that neither me, Tilde, nor Surtr could pierce.


    But it didn¡¯t remain for long¡­


    The gathered mana simmered and vanished after settling, leaving behind a floating woman naked as the day she was probably born. In terms of appearance, it was Tilde--without the mana body paint, the choker, and the earrings.


    She had grown leaps and bounds, and Tilde was now three inches shorter than me.


    ¡°My lord, did¡ª¡±


    ¡°I did. That isn¡¯t the Conduit anymore. Tilde is now capable of experiencing life to the fullest without worrying about her task. She¡¯s free to level up, fight, spend SP, earn titles¡­ She can live now. This was the best reward I could think of to thank her for her endless service.¡±


    ¡°My calctions suggest you have chosen correctly.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll take a few hours for [Conferment] to write her Status Menu and register her soul. But this means her link to us will disappear. She won¡¯t have ess to our abilities anymore.¡± I walked to Tilde and gently held her in my arms. She was so warm. And soft. Ever since we shared that moment in the tub when Sekh was drunk, I wondered if a day like this would evere¡ªwhen I could embrace her like this.


    And now it had.


    Tris pulled back the covers, and we tucked her into bed.


    ¡°What is the n?¡± asked Surtr, who silently watched as I sat against the bed frame and leaned against it.


    ¡°We have about 4 hours until dawn, so I¡¯m going to use that time to make some stuff with my webbing. Tris, I¡¯ll be relying on you for guidance and support. Might need your help for a few things I wanna experiment with.¡±


    She sat on her knees near me and nodded-- a determined smile across her face. ¡°Leave it to me, my lord!¡± she said enthusiastically.

 Chapter Seventy-Four: The Revolver-Wielding Fairy (R-18) (Illustrations!)

    Chapter Seventy-Four: The Revolver-Wielding Fairy (R-18) (Illustrations!)


    When the crack of dawn rolled around, I stood and stretched, looking at the stack of red and blue me-and-ice-proof cloaks I weavedst night. Anything moreplicated than this was too difficult to wrap my head around¡ªeven with Tris¡¯s guidance. But she helped with the sizes. The cloaks would fit my family perfectly. It took most of my biomass. A clone was sent to the ocean to assimte some fish.


    And once I had made enough, I summoned a second clone and had it work on a speedloader for my revolver. Yes, it was made of webbing and not metal, but this was a prototype. Once the design was squared away, I could move to steel. Besides, reinforcing my webs with a few dozenyers made it sturdier. It wouldn¡¯t perish to any random attack. And it wasn¡¯t like it was going to be targeted constantly.


    As the clone worked, I gave Surtr some loving chin scratches.


    During the night, I spoke at great lengths to the lion. After I mentioned the king of the jungle in that dungeon, Surtr began to consider himself male. He was curious about lions in my world, so I happily told him what I knew.


    Unfortunately, all but a handful of lion species were extinct by the time I was born. But my guardian steadily listened while a pair of spider legs and humanoid arms worked to make the cloaks.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Tris asked. I turned to the bed and saw her on her knees with Tilde¡¯s hand in hers. She rubbed the back of her palm with pleasant, gentle strokes. I looked to the fairy. Those beautiful wings matched the purple tunic we put on her.


    I requested it and underwear shortly before sunrise, and it was here within twenty minutes. The butler didn¡¯t ask any questions. He merely handed the bag over, inquired if I needed anything else, and wished me well.


    <i>If we¡¯re going to stay here, I¡¯m going to use the amenities they provide.</i>


    I confirmed Tilde was a registered member of this world¡ªwithout any special authority. However, she was still precious to me¡ªnot only as my teacher-- but also someone I held near and dear to my heart.


    ¡°I told Irisa I''d be there when she woke up. So, I¡¯m going to do that. Watch over Tilde for me.¡±


    ¡°I understand. Have fun, my lord.¡± Tris winked and returned her eyes to her¡­creator? Tris came from [Hermes Trismegistus], but Tilde used to be its manager. Only she could grant it to someone, but I highly doubt she constructed it.


    <i>A stepmom? I¡¯ll have to askter.</i>


    I was about to morph into slime and wiggle my way to Irisa¡¯s room when Tilde suddenly started to move. Doubling back to her, I sat beside her on the bed and held her other hand.


    ¡°M¡­Master¡­?¡± she whispered, her cute voice slipping past those luscious lips.


    ¡°Good morning, sleepy. How do you feel?¡±


    We helped her sit up. She looked at her arms. Tilde touched her face and felt mine. ¡°You¡¯re smaller?¡± She took my hand and pressed our palms together.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you tell? You¡¯re bigger. Are¡ª Ahh, easy. You¡¯re not used to your¡ªSee, you must take it slow.¡± Tilde stood and tried to walk, but she tripped over her feet and startled to tumble. A bed of vines sprouted from my knee and caught her before she hit the floor.


    ¡°I knew you would catch me¡­ I just knew it¡­ And that means this isn¡¯t a dream.¡± She looked smugly at me.


    ¡°Your dream version of me wouldn¡¯t catch you?¡±


    ¡°Not if I didn¡¯t allow it. It¡¯s my dream, so I decide the rules. But the real you wouldn¡¯t let harm befall me¡­ Master¡­¡± The smugness melted into a smile as her purple eyes became slick with happy tears. ¡°I love you¡­ But I need some more convincing¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to say anything else¡­ Wee back, Tilde Springfield¡­¡± I embraced Tilde as a woman.


    ¡°It tastes even sweeter than I imagined¡­ Hehe! I finally got to steal your lips!¡± Tilde noted. Taking her hands in mine, we sat down and talked.


    In short, Tilde was relieved from duty. ¡°But by no means do I want you to leave my side. I want you to remain with me until the very end.¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s my turn to fulfill your wish. I, Tilde Springfield, offer my unyielding loyalty and love to the Transcendent Dark Lord.¡± She kneeled in front of me and crossed an arm across her chest. And just like that, the loyalty system activated. ¡°Ah, there is one thing...¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­ Do you¡­ Can you give me a seal? A tattoo, I mean. Only Sekh can perform the real [Tyranny Control] and grant the avable options, like the cor or the bracelet. But you can still¡ª¡±


    ¡°Sure, I don¡¯t mind. And I¡¯ll pass over the envement controls to you. It¡¯s just like what I did with Niva, okay?¡± Tilde nodded.


    Tilde stripped naked and said she wanted a heart around her belly button. I bit my finger and drew it seven times until she was happy with the design. It shed, solidified, and turned a faint red. Tilde rubbed her with her fingers and got dressed. ¡°Hehe! Master¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going with Master?¡±


    ¡°Do you prefer anything else?¡±


    ¡°What you refer to me is up to you. But Master just feels right.¡± We sat on the bed while Tris merely stared with a smile after Tilde got dressed. Surtr was also watching. We discussed how Tilde would fight, considering she was Lv. 1, with zero SP, no titles, and absolutely nothing in her Status Menu. She configured [Status Cloak] to affect her and ensured it worked. But as we talked, I realized something.


    ¡°Here, you¡¯ll use this.¡± I handed her my revolver and granted permission. It vanished from her hands and appeared in a leather holster on her side. Meanwhile, my rifle appeared on my back. ¡°The clone¡¯s working on a speed loader. Should be done in a few minutes, and I want you to use it.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Tilde drew the gun and met my eyes.


    ¡°I am. I remember when we went to Aetos Vige. You were curious about them when I exined them to Sekh. So here. If you¡¯re going to fight with me, then I want you to do it this way. But you need more gear. We''ll have to stop and get some pouches for your ammo. Remember, you don¡¯t have ess to [Skyview], [Void Storage], or the other skills. I''ll give you a cloak I made.¡±


    ¡°Right, I understand.¡± Tilde sheathed the revolver, then changed the topic to Sekh. Her words were kind and soft¡ªsoothing in a way. She knew I missed her, but I told the fairy Sekh wasn¡¯t dead. If anything, she was merely taking a well-deserved rest while I worked hard to get her back. It wouldn¡¯t be a short process, and it would take time, but I would never, ever, ever give up on this.


    Tilde asked where I was going when I stood up, and I told her about Irisa and how I said I would be there when she woke.


    ¡°Okay. Have fun, Master. Ah, but don¡¯t tell her about me. I want it to be a surprise.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Take a little time to get used to your body. Your limbs are longer, so you might feel weird. And work your wings, too. Make sure you can fly. If the tunic is too tight for them, let Tris know.¡±


    Tilde nodded, but before I morphed into slime and sleuthed into Irisa¡¯s room via the space under our doors, I kissed her one final time to see her cute reaction.


    <hr>


    Irisa¡¯s room was a dead ringer to mine. Only Kengu was curled next to her.


    After sensing me, the lion nodded and squeezed from Irisa¡¯s grasp, allowing me to take that warm spot between her arms.


    ¡°Mmmnnn¡­ M¡­Noo~~~ don¡¯t touch me there¡­¡± Irisa squirmed, but her face was like a blossoming flower of love. I caressed her face and kissed her cheeks until her eyes naturally opened, revealing those beautiful sparkles that held so much love for me.


    ¡°Good morning¡­¡± I whispered.


    ¡°Mi?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°M!!!¡± The oni hugged me tighter and rubbed her cheeks against mine. She seemed partly confused to see me in her bed.


    ¡°I said I¡¯d be here when you woke up. And I keep my promises.¡±


    ¡°Wha¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hehe!¡± I rolled on top of Irisa¡ªboth our bodies being warmed by the other and the thick nket. I took her hands in mine and interlocked our fingers.


    Her smile was seriously otherworldly. And her lips¡­ I ced mine on hers, kissing her with all my passion.


    ¡°You¡¯re okay, right? You didn¡¯t get hurt? Or injured?¡±


    ¡°As you can see, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°And this isn¡¯t a clone? Is it really you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the real deal. Can a clone do this?¡± We kissed again, but it was hotter-- fiercer and more electrifying as our tongues danced a tango.


    Irisa¡¯s face was flushed and red. She panted lightly, sweat forming on her brown and lovely cheeks. My knee found her crotch and became soaked. That passionate moment put her in the mood.


    And so was I.


    ¡°Irisa¡­ It¡¯s been a while, hasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Ye¡ªYeah, it has¡­ M?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Can we¡­do it? I want you so badly¡­¡±


    ¡°Funny. I was thinking the same thing¡­¡±


    ¡°I love you so much¡­¡±


    Instead of replying, I showed my love with a kiss and proved it even further when she sweetly moaned my name throughout the next hour.


    I had something I wanted to tell her¡­


    But it could wait.


    Irisa¡¯s needs came first.


    <hr>


    While enjoying a post-coitus snuggle with Irisa¡¯s powerful arms wrapped around my back, I remained inside her because she didn¡¯t want us to part. My precious oni gently kissed my forehead as I rested against her chest.


    ¡°Irisa?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Yesterday¡­ I won¡¯t lie¡­ I hated myself.¡± I told her about my self-pity. About how I was willing to disregard my happiness because Sekh wasn¡¯t here¡ªbecause I was the reason she nearly died. ¡°But doing that would only hurt the ones I love. And abstaining from everything I enjoyed doing? It would mean leaving you alone. And that¡¯s just not fair. I can¡¯t even think of a world where it would be fair. I love you so much, Irisa. But I¡¯m sorry¡­ So sorry¡­¡± The tears¡­ They flooded past my eyes and down my cheeks.


    Irisa¡¯s arms felt like the strength I needed.


    ¡°You know¡­ By telling me this, you¡¯ve shown me that¡ªno, I don¡¯t need to say it because you realize it already. I do miss Sekh, M. I miss her a lot. And I miss our home. And Ria. And Smithy¡¯s Corner. And grandpa and grandma. But I was especially worried about you. You¡¯re a strong girl, but you¡¯re also just that. A girl. You don¡¯t have to apologize. M, look at me.¡±


    I met Irisa¡¯s yellow eyes, which softly shone like the sun.


    They were so strong¡­ Unyielding and gant


    ¡°Sekh wille back to us. And I know Tilde¡¯s on her way. And Surtr and Tris are right. Sekh wouldn¡¯t want us to punish ourselves. And I know she wouldn¡¯t want you to ignore me, Mom, and Dad. But I think it¡¯s normal if you feel a little guilty. It just means you¡¯re alive. Dad says we¡¯replicated. You can''t look at one person and understand everything about the next. It''s impossible. When Sekh is back¡­ We can wee her home together, okay? Doesn¡¯t that sound nice?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ It does¡­ It sounds so perfect. I feel so loved right now. I¡¯m happy¡­ Really, happy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d you find my arms soforting, M.¡± It almost seemed like Irisa was about to say something else, but she rubbed my shoulders and slightly quivered. ¡°M¡­ You¡¯re¡­getting big again¡­ It feels weird when it¡¯s happening inside me, but it¡¯s a good type of weird. Do¡­you want to do it again?¡± Irisa¡¯s horns were bright red. Her breathing quickened in response to my erection. I leaned close and kissed her neck, gently gyrating my hips. I went slow to allow my cock to explore her moist, tender insides. Her hands went to my arms and found my fingers.


    Irisa sweetly moaned my name. Her delicious scent wafted to my nose. I moved my tongue up to her lips and sucked them gently, then focused on her horns.


    She loved it when I messed with them since they acted as an erogenous zone when they were horny. She tightened by the second, mping down hard. Suddenly, Irisa¡¯s legs wrapped around my waist, and she arched her back.


    ¡°M~~~~ Mmmmph¡ª¡± She was loud, so I sealed her voice with my lips and pumped my semen. We climaxed together, but I didn¡¯t stop. Instead, Ictated and covered our dancing nipples with my delicious milk.


    A pair of tongues transfigured from my tits sucked Irisa¡¯s breasts, driving her wild even more. The beautiful woman was like molding y. I felt her heartbeat as clear as thunder during a storm in the middle of winter as a tense pressure in my balls built up.


    Irisa felt it as well. I still had my lips against hers, investigating her mouth with my tongue as I climaxed, shooting it deep into the woman I loved so much. She utched her fingers from my hands and hugged me tightly. Irisa''s nails dug into my skin, leaving behind harsh scratches. Her back arched, and then we copsed to the bed in a lewd, lustful mess of sweaty and depravity.


    ¡°M~~~ Maaa!!!¡± She continued to moan my name in the afterglow of our sexual tryst. I healed the scratches on my back and pulled out.


    ¡°Woah¡ª¡± I fell to my ass.


    ¡°M¡­ You flipped¡­my switch¡­¡± Irisa sat up, spread her legs, and furiously fingered herself. She eyed my penis. It was soaked in ourbined fluids, and she opened her mouth. She buried her face in my crotch and ran her thick, hot tongue up and down my dick. Shepped the fluids up, then took it. Her horns were an even brighter shade of crimson, so I grabbed and used them as handles. The more I controlled the speed and felt her lips around my shaft, the quicker and harder she fingered herself. Semen continued leaking from her pussy, and I put my foot between her legs to give her something to grind against.


    ¡°Irisa¡­ You¡¯re so beautiful. I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m cumming!!!¡± I cried out and filled her mouth. Sperm leaked from her corners, but she swallowed most of it. A secondter, she humped the top of my foot until she squirted her juices all over.


    Slowly, I held her horns and pulled my penis free from her inviting mouth to find a little bit dribbling down her chin. Her green skin was so beautiful, and seeing herrge, soft breasts covered in my seed...


    Even if her mouth¡­was filled with my semen¡­


    I just had to kiss her¡­


    I desired to feel¡­her lips touch mine¡­


    Until the end of time, kissing her¡­was something I could do until the day I died¡­


    <i>I love her so much¡­</i>


    ¡°Let¡¯s go take a bath, okay?¡±


    ¡°¡­okay¡­ I don¡¯t know if I can stand¡­ I¡¯m feeling weak in my legs, haha¡­ Ah¡ª¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll have toe rescue you.¡± I swept Irisa in my arms as if she were my princess.


    ¡°Oh, my hero! Mmnnn¡­ I could get used to this¡­¡±


    <hr>


    After enjoying our time in the bath and washing each other, including focusing exclusively on the other¡¯s breasts, we cuddled in bed with our hands fiercely interlocked. Thatsted for about ten minutes before Delouise knocked at the door.


    Breakfast was ready to be served.


    Sure, we could¡¯ve gotten up right then and there, but I wanted a few more passionate kisses. Irisa didn¡¯t mind. Especially if her cute giggles were anything to go by.


    Kengu was lying in the corner and became the topic of our conversation as we dressed. Only Surtr could vocally speak. The other lions used telepathy tomunicate with their bracelet holder and Surtr. He received constant updates at regr intervals. Conversing was possible if my family entered an area I hadn''t indexed.


    Kengu and my family¡¯s lions didn¡¯t have a gender identity. They were protective entities¡ªfirst and foremost. But after talking with Irisa, Kengu regarded herself as female. She also didn¡¯t mind if Irisa and I had sex near her. In fact, she encouraged it because she knew my touch made Irisa happy. In terms of size, she was about as tall as a great dane. Mom and Dad¡¯s lions were a littlerger. Erin¡¯s was about the size of arge house cat. Surtr towered above them, though.


    ¡°Hmm? We aren¡¯t getting Tris and Surtr?¡± Irisa asked when we left her room. She held my hand in hers.


    I shook my head and said they were finishing something up. ¡°They¡¯ll be down in a second. Come on, let¡¯s go.¡±


    We descended the stairs, nodded to the maids and butlers, and entered the dining hall. Mom and the others were there. Their food remained untouched.


    ¡°Good morning. Did you sleep well? When did you return, M?¡±


    ¡°Well enough, I guess. I got back after midnight.¡± I answered Mom¡¯s question and sat. Erin looked a bit nervous. Her lion was in herp while she stared at it.


    ¡°Mistress, Primrose and I are ready to start our training!¡± Niva excitedly stated. She formed a fist inside those oversized robes and was strangely energetic. Primrose shared that excitement and nodded. The vine horns on her head seemed to be greener.


    ¡°You won¡¯t be disappointed, Lord Springfield. I can promise you that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. But don¡¯t overstrain yourself. I don¡¯t need you to get hurt.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re missing Tris and Surtr? Did they note with you?¡± asked Dad.


    ¡°Just watch. They¡¯reing. Look at the doorway.¡±


    ¡°M? I don¡¯t get it¡­¡±


    ¡°Give it a second, Irisa. I don¡¯t think she¡¯s used to it yet.¡±


    ¡°What are you¡­¡± Irisa¡¯s voice trailed when Tris came into view.


    Only she wasn¡¯t alone.


    She held a woman by the hand¡ªa fairy with purple hair, matching eyes, and a beautiful set of iridescent damson wings.


    This woman didn¡¯t quite match the lewd fairy they used to know, but they knew who she was.


    ¡°Umm¡­ My¡ªMy name is¡­ It¡¯s Tilde Springfield¡­¡±


    <hr>


    To say Tilde¡¯s reunion was a happy asion would be a massive understatement. Irisa broke into a crying mess and ran like the wind to wrap her in a tight hug. And Tilde couldn¡¯t hold back her happiness. She was finally tall. More than that, she was rewarded for her selflessness over the dozens of thousands of years she had spent on her task.


    Dad was very intrigued by how her reincarnation worked. You could see it in the analyzing gaze he used to look at her. That same quizzical expression looked my way, but I told him I¡¯d exin itter.


    But with Tris and Tilde here, it was time to start breakfast, which consisted of a fruity sd for me. Everyone else got a delicious-looking helping of sausage, eggs, bread, grits, and ham. Delouise asked if he should prepare another room, but I told him she would stay in mine. ¡°Sorry for not telling you. But I didn¡¯t know when she was going show up.¡±


    ¡°It is not a problem, Lord Springfield. I always say the more, the merrier, hohoho! Lady Tilde, if there is anything I could do to ease the day of a beautiful fairy like yourself, you need but to ask.¡±


    ¡°Thank¡ªthank you,¡± squeaked Tilde, her stuffed cheeks full of bashfulness.


    <i>That''s right. Tilde needs to eat and drink now.</i>


    With breakfast soon over, Niva and her spirit promptly returned to their room to begin their [Mana Perception] training. Lei was a slimeposed of mana, so the little guy tagged along to help. But before they departed, Niva and Prim shared their heartfelt feelings about Tilde, expressing their joy that she had returned sooner thanter. My fairy whispered that she couldn¡¯t believe Primrose¡¯s change in attitude.


    Mom asked me what I was going to do. I told her I was going back to the Bloodhounds. ¡°That reminds me.¡± I gave her the reward for the pirate captain and Randall. But I kept a little bit of pocket change for some purchases soon. ¡°But I have a favor to ask.¡± Susize¡¯s shirt was destroyed in the cmity at Ria, but I had more in my inventory. ¡°Delouise?¡±


    ¡°Yes? How can I help you?¡±


    ¡°Can you arrange a meeting with Lady Plymoise?¡±


    ¡°I can send in a request. May I ask what it¡¯s about?¡±


    ¡°Tell her it¡¯s an opportunity to make a lot of money. My mother will exin the rest. Mom, remember the first thing that caused us to meet? I needed to sell something, and I came to your shop?¡±


    ¡°Does that mean¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I think you can finally find a buyer here. If it helps, tell Lady Plymoise I¡¯ll assist with her little problem if it evolves into something dangerous. But only if she helps you find a buyer. You¡¯re an amazing merchant, so I¡¯ll leave it up to you.¡±


    <i>If the war happens, I¡¯ll have the perfect chance to assimte the life energy I need for Sekh. I hope¡­it doese to fruition. I guess that says a lot about the person I¡¯ve be...</i>


    ¡°You really have changed. You¡¯re so much more confident¡­ It¡¯s awe-inspiring to see it in action,¡± whispered Tilde, who carefully drank a cup of tea with both hands.


    ¡°Leave it to your mother!¡± Mom shed her pretty smile. I asked Delouise to send the message, and he promptly left to fetch a messenger.


    ¡°Tilde, Tris, Surtr¡ªyou¡¯reing with me. We¡¯ll be leaving soon, so make sure you¡¯re ready.¡±


    ¡°M,¡± Irisa said my name while grabbing my hand. She held it as gently as she did when we made love earlier. ¡°I know I¡¯m weak, but I want to change that. Dad, can you start training me again? If we encounter what happened on that ship, I don¡¯t want to freeze up this time. I have Kengu now. We can fight as a team. I¡¯m too old to feel like this. I want to change it.¡±


    ¡°I see your determination, sweetie. I see it loud and clear.¡±


    Mom, Dad, and Irisa talked about what she wanted to do. But then Erin popped up in her quiet, meek voice.


    ¡°Umm¡­ Lady Spring¡ªI mean, M?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± All eyes were on her.


    ¡°Me and Longtooth talked it overst night¡­ We¡­ We want to sign up with the guild! I¡¯ve never fought anything¡­ I¡¯ve always been a hindrance¡ª¡±


    ¡°You know that isn¡¯t true¡ª¡±


    ¡°But it is true! It¡¯s been true my whole life. But like Irisa, I want to change myself.¡± Mom said Erin had little experience fighting, and that was true. Dad and Irisa offered to join my little sister, but she shook her head. ¡°I need to learn to be independent. I need to do this for myself.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure this is what you want?¡±


    ¡°It is. Please, M¡­¡± I recognized that look. Those unwavering eyes of determination. Erin slightly shivered. I knew she was frightened. But it wasn¡¯t in my power to deny her this. Besides, she had Longtooth. She wouldn¡¯t be alone. This could be good for her self-esteem, too.


    <i>Having her be independent would be good. Thest thing I need is for her to feel like she must repay me. I¡¯ll have to ensure that her life will never revolve around mine--</i>


    As I thought that...a realization came into my mind...and it perturbed me.


    Was Irisa training because she wanted to improve herself? Or was she doing it because of me?


    ...


    I felt like I was at the beginning of a slippery slope¡­


    ¡°I won¡¯t stop you if you want to do this. I¡¯ll support you.¡± I pulled out the two daggers I found in the dungeon and handed them over. Since the time was right, I retrieved a couple of red and blue silken cloaks I fashioned from my webs and handed them out to my family.


    They were called iceme cloaks-- a simple, clean name.


    ¡°I¡¯ll escort you to the guild. Are you ready?¡± Erin nodded. Those leaving with me walked to the doorway. I helped Erin attach her cloak. She looked good, but she needed armor if she was going to live the life of an adventurer.


    Irisa walked with us to the front door. She couldn¡¯t let me go without a kiss, and I didn¡¯t want to leave without it.


    So, it worked out.


    ¡°Promise me you¡¯ll be safe, okay?¡±


    ¡°I will. Tris and Surtr will keep you informed.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Irisa had some words of love for Erin, who started to weep. She hugged her half-sister tightly. The sisterly affection tugged at my heartstrings.


    ¡°Umm¡­ There¡¯s one more thing¡­ M, can you do¡­that? I¡­want to have my adult horns. I¡¯m ready for them.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? It¡¯s a big decision because they might not ever grow in.¡± Erin nodded and showed a determined expression. Mom and Dad walked over and put a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Then I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    I knew a skill to sap mana from my target, but it also worked in reverse. In this case, I would fill Erin with mana to elerate the growth of her adult horns. I put a hand to her head and began. My palm felt tingling, and my mana steadily drained until it reached 30%. But Erin¡¯s body started to glow. She glimmered in the early morning sunlight filtering through those light green curtains. It all coalesced on her head. The energy gathered in the shape that proved she was her father¡¯s daughter, which shattered like ss to reveal a set of ck horns that looked as impressive as Irisa¡¯s.


    Erin tenderly touched her horns. Irisa quickly hugged her. ¡°When you get back,¡± she said. ¡°Let your older sister teach you all about them, okay?¡±


    <i>Irisa¡¯s so sweet¡­</i>


    The waterworks started, and I left the onis to their familial hug while Tris, Tilde, Surtr, and I walked to the lobby.


    ¡°That was a sweet moment. I¡¯m d I didn¡¯t miss it,¡±mented Tilde.


    I leaned against the counter and double-checked my rifle. ¡°Same here. I¡¯m d¡­it worked out the way it was supposed to. Tilde, it really feels like things are going my way. Once Sekh¡¯s back, everything will truly be perfect. I¡¯m just waiting for the moment it all goes to shit.¡±


    ¡°With me on the spot, I¡¯ll make certain it¡¯ll always and forever go your way. That¡¯s my promise as Tilde Springfield.¡± Tilde giggled and fluttered her wings. ¡°I love my name! I love it so much!!!¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a very wonderful name,¡± replied Tris.


    I asked about their rtionship after asking the front of the house to give us a few minutes of privacy. ¡°Mother? Stepmother? I¡­do not have an answer to your query.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t create [Hermes Trismegistus]. I was just a caretaker.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m more of an auntie?¡±


    ¡°Auntie Tilde has a nice ring to it.¡±


    Tilde narrowed her eyes. ¡°I was joking! I¡¯m not that old.¡±


    ¡°Incorrect. I estimate you to be more than 18,000 years old. Perhaps even far older. By all ounts, you would be a great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great¡ª¡±


    ¡°Okay! We get it!¡± Tilde pouted, causing Tris to giggle.


    ¡°The distinction doesn¡¯t matter, yeah? At this point, we¡¯re all family. And that is what counts the most.¡±


    ¡°A little sappy, Master, but not untruthful. The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb. The bonds we establish with each other are oft more significant than those we are born with. It¡¯s as true as anything else, and we¡¯re proof of it.¡± Tilde went philosophical for a moment. We became silent to think about her words.


    <hr>


    When Erin and Longtooth arrived in the lobby, we left and walked towards the street with the two guilds. The number of onlookers who stared at the startling sight of a massive lion was not less than yesterday, but I was used to it. Given enough time, even something like this would bemonce. It already was with the guards, who took one surprised look before returning to their task.


    To my surprise, my little sister wasn¡¯t self-conscious about her horns. She took them with pride because they were an undeniable link to our father. She wanted to make him proud. And based on her determination and new-found conviction, Erin wanted to grow into her own person.


    To do that, she needed gear. Tris had found a good ce with quality items for a reasonable price, so we picked up a pair of backpacks, some hip pouches, a pair of adventuring outfits with reinforced leather chest tes, durable, sturdy pants, and four canteens. Erin needed two sheaths for her daggers, so we added that to the list. Tilde¡¯s equipment needed to be altered to fit her wings, but that didn¡¯t take long.


    This store had it all, really. It was called the Gear and Hammer, and it was early enough to where there were just a handful of people. It gave off a rustic atmosphere where people with grand destinies went to start their rise to fame.


    Tilde and Erin went to the dressing room after I paid for everything and emerged minutester.


    ¡°Wow! You two are looking good!¡±


    ¡°Do I? Really?¡± Erin asked, blushing. Tilde was the opposite and struck a pose with her revolver. The iceme cloaks really tied it all together. I could probably sell them. They only required biomass to make, so...


    That was an option. Complete immunity to fire and ice?


    They¡¯d be an instant hit.


    I instilled the proper gun etiquette and rules into Tilde¡¯s pretty head beforehand, so her finger was off the trigger with the cylinder-less gun aimed towards the ground. She twirled it around her finger and slotted it into her holster. ¡°See? I¡¯ve been practicing!¡±


    ¡°Thanks for shopping! We hope to see you again!¡± said a smiling worker when we left to reunite with Surtr. He was just toorge to fit through the door¡ªa running theme-- one that would repeat ad nauseam.


    He confirmed he could incarnate smaller when we left for the guild. But in his mind, that was the antithesis of what the king of the jungle should be. Shrinking to make himself appear weak was not how he wanted to thrive, but he would concede if the situation called for it.


    He really took that to heart.


    Erin said she would pay me back, but I ruffled her hair and said there was no need. I had far more money than I knew what to do with¡ªI just had to liquidate my assets. I also gave Tilde 130 rounds of ammo to store in her pouches-- about half of what I had avable. She had that speed loader, but it was just the one.


    ¡°Tris, do we have any extra webbing in storage?¡± She nodded. ¡°Divert some resources to replicate the speedloader. Make at least two more.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Wait¡­ What¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Master? Why¡¯d you stop? The guild¡¯s over there.¡± Something had caught my attention in the caf¨¦ beside our destination. There was someone very familiar sitting at one of the outdoor tables. Her green hair and fennec fox-like canine ears triggered a forgotten memory. She spoke to a Catfolk with brown and white spotted hair. He stood and excused himself for a moment, leaving the girl to happily stare as he walked away, her hands by her side.


    Spoiler


    [copse]


    ¡°In a sec. Are you thirsty? Let¡¯s stop for a drink.¡± Tilde was confused, but she went along with it. Surtr sat outside as we went in and ordered. The ce had quite a friend vibe. The employees behind the counter were friendly with each other. And for once, I saw a spec of green in the form of a few nts and flowers that didn¡¯te from the color of a person''s hair or fur.


    <i>It''s 1 silver and 95 copper for our drinks? I still don¡¯t know if that¡¯s expensive or cheap.</i>


    ¡°If you¡¯ll have a seat, we''ll bring it out to you when it¡¯s ready.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I told the green-horned Rhinofolk. Tris and the others followed me to the outside seating, where I sat at the table with the Dogfolk.


    ¡°Hmm? Can I help¡­you¡­?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ You¡¯re the who¡ªhelped¡ªI can¡¯t believe it!!¡±


    ¡°It seems like you¡¯re doing well, Ginnie. I¡¯m d.¡±

 Chapter Seventy-Five: Branching Off

    Chapter Seventy-Five: Branching Off


    Ginnie and I had our reunion, but it consisted of her crying. Tris, Tilde, and Erin silently sat with us.


    ¡°Ginnie?!¡± eximed an overprotective Catfolk, who rushed across the caf¨¦, drawing the sword resting at his hip. I stood and turned, purifying his false hatred. His weapon dropped after his grip weakened, and he stumbled with small, child-like steps as his emotional face resembled his one and only, who continued to pour her heart out. The nearly empty caf¨¦ was drawn to the scene.


    Once they had calmed down, we all sat around the table and caught up as the drinks we ordered were delivered. I ordered a green tea that went down smoothly, and it was delicious. Tilde and Erin got milk tea, and Tris requested her coffee to be ck. I didn¡¯t know what kind of beans were roasted to make it, but it smelled pure and earthen.


    Chax offered a meek apology to the waitress for making a scene.


    After I had destroyed the goblinrvae resting inside them, they were escorted out of the dungeon by those Racoonfolk we encountered. It wasn''t easy after that, but those two were saints. They looked after Chax and Ginnie for the next few weeks, nursing them back to health slowly and surely. When asked why, they merely responded that kindness was the oil that squeaked the wheels of reality, which sounded cultish to me.


    But cult or not, Chax and Ginnie were only alive and well because of their efforts. They soon got their strength back. Swimba¡ªleader of the party that left them to die¡ªlearned of their survival not long after that. Perhaps regret tore at him like a hawk wing its prey because he soon appeared before them, begging their forgiveness.


    But that did not happen.


    Swimba sold the brooch Ginnie received from Chax¡¯ste mother, which was the n, but that mere act broke up the rest of the party after they couldn¡¯t handle the guilt. A moment of drunken greed destroyed a tight-knit group of friends. Although if this broke them up, perhaps they weren¡¯t so close after all. But Swimba gave him the money he received after selling the brooch¡ªhe couldn¡¯t bring himself to spend it¡ªand Chax thrashed the back-stabbing piece of shit. He left him in a pile of his own blood and broken bones, with grim words to never, ever, ever try toe after them. ¡°I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s alive or not. He was in bad shape when I walked away. I took what you said to heart. It doesn¡¯t matter what happens in this life, I¡¯ll never forgive him. He was a bastard, and I wish he croaked hisst breath that night. However, I¡¯ll no longer taint my thoughts with him.¡±


    ¡°What happened with the other two?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know. We don¡¯t intend to try to find out, either. You know, we don¡¯t even know your name. We¡¯ve been referring to you as Ms. High Elf.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Lyudm Springfield, but you can call me M.¡±


    ¡°Umm... I remember the look in your eyes, Mi-M,¡± Ginnie said, stumbling over her words. She looked at Tris, Erin, and Tilde, then back to me. ¡°Are...you doing better? We¡¯ve been worried about you¡ªabout if we''d ever see you again.¡±


    ¡°I am. Much better. You could say I¡¯m apletely different person than thest time we met.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Ginnie sounded relieved. She rxed in her seat and gave a soft smile. Since they got me up to speed about them, I did the same, leaving the obvious chimeric details out of the picture. Their memories of the situation were hazy, but they remembered seeing a fairy and a Lionfolk with me. Tilde was quite happy she made such a dazzling impression. Some fairies were known to have a skill to switch them between their ''fairy'' size and their ¡®adult¡¯ size, so to speak, so they probably assumed Tilde had that. As for her new appearance, they thought a simr skill was responsible.


    Regardless, that wasn¡¯t important. Ginnie asked about Sekh, though. Since they remember her being powerful and beautiful in the bloody chaos. I just told them she was having a well-deserved rest after what happened at Ria. ¡°You were there when that happened?!¡± Chax eximed. ¡°But you¡¯re fine? You and your family escaped?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯re at the Waterdale Inn on the other side of town. I helped Captain Caulk and Lady Plymoise, so we¡¯re staying there until we get back on our feet. But¡­ You¡¯re looking different. More confident, I mean.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d you noticed! I have Fennecfolk in my blood, so I¡¯m a mixed breed. When I evolved, I took their ears and kept my Dogfolk tail.¡±


    ¡°Congrattions on your evolution. The ears are cute.¡±


    ¡°Hehe! Thanks!¡±


    ¡°Master, I have a suggestion,¡± Tilde suddenly said. ¡°A favor is more urate. Erin, it concerns you, Longtooth, and our friends.¡± Tilde pointed to the couple sitting across from us.


    ¡°If it¡¯s something we can do to help you, then please ask!¡± Chax and Ginnie erupted at the same time.


    ¡°With your permission, it makes more sense for Erin and me to adventure together to grow stronger. It¡¯s safer for her, and I¡¯ll never be able to help you with your work with the Bloodhounds with how weak I am as a Lv. 1. We can trust Chax and Ginnie, and I know you¡¯ll feel better knowing someone''s looking after us. I also need to train with my weapon. Knowledge is different from first-hand experience.¡±


    ¡°Erin? You said you wanted to be independent, so the choice is up to you. I won¡¯t force you to do one thing or the other, but know that I want you to remain safe above all else.¡±


    ¡°I guess I was being stubborn, huh?¡± Erin hugged Longtooth close to her chest. I nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t want to make things any harder for you. Ms. Ginnie... Mr. Chax, if it¡¯s okay with you, please...teach me. I promise I won¡¯t be any trouble! Me and Longtooth will be on our best behavior!¡±


    Ginnie and Chax didn¡¯t have a problem. They even weed the chance to adventure with another group¡ªand they knew, deep down, that Tilde and Erin would never abandon or hurt them. And they had my promise and vow as a High Elf.


    As we left, they asked Erin if she was a spirit summoner. I told them it was a little moreplicated than that. When they saw Surtr lounging outside, taking in the warm morning sun, they weren¡¯t as confused or surprised as I thought. ¡°Yesterday, we heard rumors of a High Elf riding a ming lion. We never thought it would be you. Longtooth is a sub-servant of your spirit? Is that right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Surtr is the primary spirit. The other four are protecting my family.¡±


    It was just a few short seconds to get to the guild, where I left Erin and Tilde with Chax and Ginnie. My sister¡¯s nerves got the best of her because she trembled when I hugged her. But she said she had to be strong. And I trusted her. This was something she wanted and desired to do. Tilde was yful and wanted a goodbye kiss, so after giving her one, I watched them enter the guild with our friends while I turned towards the bounty-hunting guild.


    Tilde said something about gunshots, and Ginnie and Chax showed her a pair of earmuffs designed to help with loud, sharp, abrupt noises.


    Apparently, they had purchased them in case they ran into me again.


    ¡°Tris, keep an eye on them. They¡¯ll probably enter a non-indexed area, but I want to know when they show back up on the map.¡±


    ¡°Of course, my lord. I¡¯ll watch over them.¡±


    ¡°Longtooth is in constantmunication with me, Lord Springfield. I will alert you if there is a problem.¡±


    <hr>


    ¡°And what is this deal Lord Springfield wished you to discuss with me?¡± asked Gretchen Plymoise from behind her desk at the ministry. The overly verdant woman was dressed in so much green it could suffocate a magical creature rumored to live at the end of a rainbow.


    ¡°It is a way for you and her to make money,¡± exined Ichiha. ¡°In short, we have acquired nearly fiveplete sets of outfits woven by Holy Lord Amos.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Gretchen raised a curious eyebrow.


    ¡°I had the same look when my daughter told me. These are the gloves Lord Amos sewed for Reina, one of his Soul Warriors. It¡¯s said that she was buried in them, but the clothes eventually fell into my daughter¡¯s hand byplete chance.¡± Ichiha retrieved the clothing from a bag she¡¯d brought with her. While preparing for this impromptu meeting, one of her daughter¡¯s clones knocked at her door and left the gloves.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to verify this. I¡¯m sure you understand.¡±


    ¡°Of course. As a merchant, I learned to scrutinize everything thates in. Having fake or forged merchandise and pawning them off as authentic is the quickest way to lose your reputation. I know that more than anyone.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re agreeable.¡± Gretchen rang a bell on her desk. Gerrea walked in a momentter. She promptly left to fetch a trusted merchant with the skills to verify Ichiha''s im. In the meantime, the two women enjoyed a friendly chat over a High Elf important to them both for different reasons.


    When Gerrea returned, she brought a portly man with green freckles. He verified Ichiha¡¯s ims with a gasp of astonishment. Even with the proof, he still found it incredibly difficult to believe he held a piece of genuine history. The excitement and surprise rubbed off on Plymoise¡¯s rulingdy¡¯s face.


    ¡°You¡¯re harboring antiques from a millennial ago? It¡¯s hard to even find inurate records from that time frame, yet what you hold seems like they were created just a few days ago.¡±


    ¡°The craftsmanship of a Holy Lord cannotpare to those of mortals. I still find it hard to believe this came into my life.¡±


    ¡°By the by, Mrs. Ichiha, you said the set was iplete?¡± Ichiha nodded and stated a shirt was lost in the destruction at Ria. ¡°That¡¯s a shame. But the¡­ceremonial burial clothing, you called it? Of four of the five Soul Warriors are¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes. They¡¯replete. I just brought the gloves today because my daughter keeps the rest on her person. There is no safer ce than with her. And about the deal. In Ria, I had an impossible time trying to sell something so valuable. But perhaps with your outreach, Lady Plymoise, we could help each other. My daughter will provide a substantial finder¡¯s fee for introducing me to a potential buyer. If that isn¡¯t enough, she will assist with Plymoise''s problem.¡±


    ¡°You mean the war, yes? Oh, how I wish it was just a little problem.¡±


    ¡°With my daughter¡¯s strengths, perhaps it¡¯ll be just that. She¡¯s perceptive. Very little gets past her gaze, and she can deduce what others wish to keep hidden,¡± Ichiha said, working her magic. ¡°For example, she realizes Plymoise¡¯s supplies are in danger of running out. Ria was your closest and biggest trading partner. On the contrary, Atrix is equipped with more ships, soldiers, and food. Morale is higher, too.¡±


    Gretchen narrowed her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re not wrong, but I severely underestimated Lord Springfield¡¯s ability to gather information. I¡¯ve already discussed the n with my advisors and council. I¡¯ve sent a messenger to the Orchta to demand a Heptarchis. He¡¯s due to return in three days.¡±


    ¡°A meeting? If Atrix is rash enough to attempt an ambush, they¡¯re foolish enough to gather the seven Vestiges. If I remember right, war between the city-statesst broke out nearly 70 years ago?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct. You know your history, don¡¯t you, Mrs. Ichiha?¡±


    ¡°I was born here, after all. But ignoring that, what do you say? Introduce me to someone who may be interested in relics from long ago, and you¡¯ll have a much easier time should this turn ugly.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Your offer sounds much too good to be true. If you¡¯re truthful, and I want to believe it is... If the Heptarchis is granted, perhaps war will be avoided through calming discussions of the city-states¡¯ leaders. I know Atrix¡¯s leader will ignore my demands to meet with them to talk it out, so my only hope is the Heptarchis.¡±


    ¡°That is the hope, isn¡¯t it?¡± replied Ichiha, who kept a perfect form throughout this discussion.


    ¡°But hope is fickle. It¡¯s unreliable in an age where you must grasp a problem with your hands and fight like hell to discover a solution. I¡¯ll have to discuss it further with my advisors, but you can expect a positive response to your offer in theing days. Perhaps by mid-day tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Something this drastic cannot be epted without further discussion. Ah, there is one more thing my daughter wants you to know. If you require working cannons, she wishes to conduct a trade for ss, firesalts, iron, brass, and steel ingots. If you have any to spare, that is. If not, she will grant them as a favor of goodwill with the agreement that she¡¯ll bepensated with those requested goods once the problem is resolved.¡±


    <hr>


    While en route to a cave where my target was taking refuge, I spied on the meeting between Mom and Gretchen and learned a lot. But those terms they used¡­ While familiar to them, they didn¡¯t mean a damn thing to me.


    Tris attempted to send a waypoint message to Tilde, but they weren¡¯t in an indexed area. Instead, Surtr ryed my questions to Longtooth, who told Erin, who asked Tilde. Longtooth then sent the info to Surtr, who told me.


    <i>What a wild game of telephone. They¡¯re traveling to a cavern full of scorpions to retrieve their stingers¡­ I hope Erin does well¡­ I seriously need to spend more time with her. </i>


    The Vestiges were seven shards of an ancient meteorite that crashnded several thousand years ago. A small vige built around the impact crater was called Orchta. The meteor was worshipped since it glimmered seven colors. The ancient Parthinains believed it to be shattered remains of a superior power source. As the decades passed, however, people around Orchta began to be born with distinct physical characteristics matching those colors.


    Mortal nature did as it always did, and a war of inequality erupted. Some with red eyes and hair believed themselves superior to others with green scales and freckles, and it was a period of brutal ughter. The skirmishes and battles were bloody, with each of the seven armies fighting until the bitter end until someone with a clear mind had an idea. The meteorite was vital to the ancient Parthinains, and they didn''t want to kill each other and leave their precious treasure to fall into unworthy hands. An agreement was made to divide the meteor. With a simultaneous attack of the seven leaders, the symbol of their war broke into seven pieces.


    One went to Plymoise, whose primary color was green.


    One went to Atrix, whose primary color was orange.


    One went to Riotic, whose primary color was purple.


    One went to Terokai, whose primary color was blue


    One went to Hairokei, whose primary color was yellow


    One went to Indiko, whose primary color was red.


    One went to Napoli, whose primary color was ck.


    Those seven people founded the seven city-states of Parthina, which took the first letter of their names. But thest letter? The ¡®a?¡¯ No one knew why it was there. Tilde hypothesized a hidden eighth piece of the meteorite, but she didn¡¯t know.


    But that exined why most of Plymoise¡¯s citizens had green hair or scales. A search for the Vestige or meteorite didn¡¯t give me a hit, so it was either elsewhere or went by a different name.


    Orchta was something like a holy ground where conflict was barred. It worked as a ce for the seven leaders to meet and discuss business. Tilde also said that this behavior was modeled after the Kingdom of Aquanis, which held a simr event called the Lord Conference for the Holy and Dark Lords toe and rationally speak of the world. They discussed the terms for summoning Soul Warriors, which needed everyone''s agreement.


    In my world, the United States and the Soviet Union agreed to a treaty to limit the number of nuclear arms the other could carry. A second treaty allowed a team of nuclear scientists to examine the other¡¯s arsenal to ensure they were stored ording to the negotiated standard.


    It was about checks and bnces. The Soul Warrior Summoning System was probably simr. When the Lord Conference came around, Meruria, Gloria, and the others would probably have to speak about their Soul Warriors¡¯ abilities. Soul Warriors were a thing long before Parthina¡¯s holy meteorite was even a spec of dust in the starry sky.


    Whenever it seemed like one city-state was about to start fighting, a Heptarchis could be dered, prompting all leaders to meet in Orchta. It was mandatory to go. Refusal to participate wouldn¡¯t paint you in a pretty light. Attempting to use military might whilst going to one was bound for the other six to dere war on the aggressor.


    But that didn¡¯t stop war from breaking out. It usually fell into a cycle of peace, with one city-state getting confident because things were going well,unching an attack, causing a Heptarchis to be called, which led to massive reparations.


    Treaties were worth as much as the parchment they were written on. Lies, deception, and betrayal had to be around every corner.


    But a Heptarchis wasn¡¯t always called for mere skirmishes. In this case, it was just as probable for Orchta to ignore Gretchen¡¯s plea.


    Why?


    I didn¡¯t know. And Tilde didn¡¯t know that much about the Orchta¡¯s inner workings.


    The Atrixian government must¡¯ve been freaking out because their surprise attack failed.


    <i>I wish I had seen the meeting with their diplomat. It¡¯s too suspicious to have Mom ask about it. I know he¡¯s still in Plymoise, but he¡¯s alone in his embassy¡¯s office.</i>


    ¡°Tell Tilde I appreciate her info.¡±


    ¡°¡­ She said she expects to be back in town in six hours,¡± replied my lion.


    Gretchen¡¯s conversation with Mom and Tilde¡¯s info gave me much to think about. I honestly didn¡¯t know what I was going to do.


    Or what I wanted to happen.


    Should a war break out, the chances of me growing even stronger were very high. But did I need that attentioning my way? Surtr and my current reputation probably indicated that I was already more well-known than I would¡¯ve liked.


    Then again, perhaps this was fate smiling for once. Power and life force were what I needed above all else. There was no need to look this opportunity in the face and snarl in its face like an ungrateful brat.


    <hr>


    Our destination was a series of underground chambers discovered after an earthquake split open the ground. The ravine was deep and dark, descending for a few hundred feet. It wasn¡¯t something for the average explorer to get into without prep and training.


    But my clones needed none of that. After indexing the area with Clone!Bird, I sent another one to kill the bounty, Groxin. This Metal Orc was wanted dead because he had a habit of escorting people through dangerous areas filled to the brim with bandits and leaving them if they didn¡¯t pay him extra for protection. And even then, he would unhook the wagon from his horse and ride away, leaving his victims to suffer a fate worse than death. There were rumors he was connected to the criminals and received money for each poor bastard left behind.


    He was a spineless coward. Lv. 37 he may have been, Tris¡¯s analysis of his skills caused her to conclude he only made it this far because his skin was as hard as metal. When my clone found him sleeping in the furthest depths of the chamber, four bullets to the dome weren¡¯t enough to end his life. It did nothing but grant him a concussion, but Groxin immediately scampered away in a frightful yell.


    Metal was tough and strong, but even the most durable structure would find itself struggling against acid. A couple of [Acid Breath]-infused bullets weakened his head enough to draw blood after the vines restrained Groxin. One more destroyed his brain, causing this hunt toe to a swift conclusion.


    ¡°That¡¯s another 189 SP. But [Mana Perception] still requires more. It¡¯s so expensive.¡±


    ¡°Most choose to learn it manually to save the SP for something else, Lord Springfield,¡±mented Surtr, who yawned while he feasted on a mule deer he had hunted.


    ¡°Easier said than done,¡± I replied, retrieving the corpse¡¯s head that the clone stashed in the appropriate bag. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s head back and get our 23 silver.¡±


    Surtr devoured the rest of his meal quickly and roared. Then we hopped on his back and made the lengthy trip back to Plymoise.


    ¡°Your mother has just left the ministry,¡± Tris said, hugging me from behind. ¡°After the relevant topics were discussed, they chatted like familiar colleagues. However, there will be another meeting between Lady Plymoise¡¯s advisors to discuss the offer given to her. However, it won¡¯t be until tomorrow morning at the earliest, but I predict a small chance of her requesting your presence before then.¡±


    ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°Lady Plymoise knows of your bounty hunting, so I suspect that wille up should she strive to have an audience with you.¡±


    ¡°That makes enough sense. Use a portion of your resources to keep an eye on them. If they say anything important, let me know right away.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    <hr>


    Longtooth informed Surtr that they were ten minutes away from reaching the guild when we turned in the bounty. We spent that time at the caf¨¦, enjoying delicious tea outside the entrance while ordering arge bowl of milk for my lion.


    He would be fine without eating, but it increased his stamina¡¯s recovery. The mana inside what he ingested was turned into pure energy, so it was like digestion but on an elerated scale.


    ¡°Maaasterrr!!!¡± Tilde shouted once she came into view. My fairy ran ahead and leapt into my arms. She and Erin reached Lv. 3, and I got 23 SP from the loyalty system¡¯s sharing effect.


    I still needed much more. Much, much, more.


    I weed Erin and Longtooth back once they reached us. Ginnieplimented Tilde¡¯s uracy with her gun. After they turned in the quest, I invited Chax and Ginnie to have dinner with us, and I was happy they epted it.


    ¡°If you¡¯re offering, M, we¡¯ll dly ept it.¡±


    I¡¯m so happy they¡¯re doing better.


    On the way back, we chatted about Erin and her surprising adeptness at fighting. She was small, so those daggers were perfect for her¡ªonce she obtained the [Dagger] weapon skill, that was. But without it, she could still stab her enemies with the pointy end, which she did after Longtooth used their mes to create a ring around the scorpions. It would always go down right when Erin sleuthed around its rear to stab it.


    The vines emerging from the wounds endlessly battered its prey with powerful ms. At the cost of expending mana, Erin could force the vines to act in a specific way, which she did to restrain any other scorpions. The openings allowed Tilde to pick them off.


    I told Erin I was proud of her and rubbed her head. ¡°I wanna help the family. I don¡¯t wanna be¡­like how I was before. Mom and Dad¡­ You and Irisa¡­ I¡¯m¡­happy when you rub my head like that. It makes me feel fuzzy inside. Longtooth told me about image trainingst night. I just kept imagining us in a fight with a monster, and Longtooth really helped me. I know I have a long way to go. It was scary, but¡­¡±


    Ginnie and Chax said they saw potential in her, which made the Catfolk blush harder.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to reinvent yourself in a day. Or a week. Or even a month. Go at your own pace. Do what¡¯sfortable. No one¡¯s going to me you, okay? I won¡¯t let them.¡± I rubbed my sister¡¯s head again and watched her tail swoosh through the air.

 Chapter Seventy-Six: What Tilde Wants

    Chapter Seventy-Six: What Tilde Wants


    After returning to the inn, Delouise exined that any guests I brought to the inn would experience the kindness he showed me and my family. Ginnie¡¯s eyes lit up profusely once I told her of the geothermal heat warming the waters.


    I had brought up the idea of using it during a midday snack of tea and sweets.


    Dad and Irisa were still sparring in the courtyard, and Mom watched them. They took a short break after I introduced them to Chax and Ginnie. Mom really was a sweet woman¡­ I also thanked her for her talk with Gretchen. My family understood my friends weren¡¯t privy to my secret after Tris told them with waypoint messaging.


    "Master, doesn''t it seem like a waste not to use the hot springs when we''re at a ce that has them?" Tilde hovered nearby, observing as the father and daughter duo resumed their training.


    I nodded.


    "Well, why don''t we change that? Irisa, want to join?"


    "Sorry, but I''m okay for now!" Irisa held arge training club, but her movements were too stiff, falling short of Dad''s standards. Tilde inquired with Mom, who mentioned she had already taken one upon her return from talking with Gretchen.


    That left Primrose and Niva. Erin volunteered to ask them before dashing off, with Longtooth close behind. Surtr stretched and mentioned he would be in our room.


    Ginnie, Tilde, Tris, and I headed to the women''s changing room, while Chax entered the men''s.


    We began stripping and putting our clothes in the baskets assigned to us.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard stories of some elves having¡­that¡­¡± Ginnie said after catching a glimpse of my penis. She didn¡¯t stare at it, though.


    ¡°I hope it doesn¡¯t bother you.¡±


    ¡°What?! No¡ªnot at all!¡± she replied defensively, throwing up both hands and dropping her robe and towel.


    ¡°¡­ That scar¡­ Is it from¡­?¡± Instinctively, Ginnie covered the spot I pierced to burn the goblinrvae. After arriving in Plymoise, she had asked three apothecaries for their opinions, and they all agreed motherhood was an impossibility.


    She loved Chax. And I knew she wanted to bear his child when the time was right. The Dogfolk saw the bitter sadness glimmering in my eyes. ¡°Please know that I don¡¯t me you! Chax doesn¡¯t either! M, we¡¯d never do that! Without your kindness¡ªwithout¡­ Without you, we wouldn¡¯t be here at all!¡± She tightly held my hands, her ears folding down against her head. Her tail dangled between her legs. ¡°Please say you understand! I don¡¯t want it to gnaw at you!¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± That was all I said. For Ginnie? It was what she desperately needed to hear.


    But I wondered if¡­I could¡¯ve solved it another way. My chimeric body was y, free to mold to my whims. But could biomass be directed elsewhere? Could I manipte a foreign object? Alter a person¡¯s DNA and fix their illness? In Ginnie¡¯s case, make her womb sustainable to carry life?


    ¡­


    Maybe. Not now, though. I was nowhere near strong enough to aplish something like that.


    [Conferment] could probably do it, though.


    It was probably locked away for a reason.


    We entered a warm outdoor bath, separated by a weathered wooden divider. Facing the vast ocean, the rhythmic waves provided a captivating soundtrack. Steam rose, blending with the warm water, carrying scents of cedar and sea. Nature''s soundspleted the sensory experience, making rxation more profound.


    ¡°Ahhh¡­ Thanks a ton for suggesting this, M¡­ I¡­feel like I could melt away¡­¡± Ginnie stretched her arms and rxed.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee,¡± I said, sitting opposite of her. Tris and Tilde were to my left and right. The conversation turned to my priceless Fragment of Wisdom.


    ¡°She¡¯s kinda like Master¡¯s secretary,¡± exined Tilde, stretching. ¡°Tris handles the day-to-day and keeps her on track.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s important to me. I wouldn¡¯t be here without her assistance,¡± I replied. I just had to rub her fluffy ears.


    ¡°Thank you for the kind words, my lord.¡± Her tail joyfully slithered.


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­a noble, right?¡± Ginnie suddenly asked.


    ¡°It''splicated. Why?¡±


    ¡°I was curious. I''m sorry for bringing it up. It sounds like it was rough for you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an understatement, but you don¡¯t need to apologize. I don¡¯t feel like a noble¡­ I hardly ever act like one. I want to be me. That¡¯s it. Be my own woman. Take control of my own destiny with these hands. I don¡¯t want anyone to control me. Not now. Not again.¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­ M? Are you in there?¡± I heard Erin¡¯s voice as she opened the sliding doors. The topic was getting kinda heavy, so her presence was weed.


    ¡°Right here.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but Niva and Primrose were already taking a bath. Is it okay if Leies in?¡±


    The yellow slime jiggled and made some happy squeaking noises. It wiggled free from Erin¡¯s arms but remained outside the bath until I nodded. It jumped in and happily swam around the bath, much to Ginnie¡¯s amusement.


    She said she hadn¡¯t seen a slime like Lei before.


    Longtooth jumped to a heated rock, stretched, andid down. The lion¡¯s eyes never left us.


    Erin readjusted her towel and slipped on in. She yawned almost right away. ¡°I didn¡¯t think I was this tired,¡± she said, rubbing her eyes.


    ¡°You worked hard today. Your body needs time to adapt to it.¡±


    ¡°How did you do it, Ms. Ginnie?¡± Ginnie said she grew up in a farming vige, so working in the fields helped wonders in the stamina department.


    A man¡¯s voice came from the bath¡¯s other side. ¡°It¡¯s the adrenaline coursing through your body. I guess it¡¯s leaving you now.¡±


    ¡°Chax¡¯s right. You¡¯ll have the best sleep of your life tonight. There¡¯s really nothing better for recovery than a good night¡¯s rest,¡± added Ginnie.


    ¡°I hope I can stay awake until dinner. Oh, M, Mom said the water felt good on her blisters.¡± Erin looked at me with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s good, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is.¡± They showed no signs of going away, but they weren¡¯t worsening. And they didn¡¯t hurt much, if at all, so that was a good sign, right?


    I seriously hoped it was.


    I was the first to leave the bath. Tris wanted to follow, but Tilde convinced her to be selfish and enjoy the warmth.


    Irisa was still outside, lying on the grass while looking at the sky. Dad had returned to his room to freshen up with Mom. ¡°He really worked me over,¡± she whispered as I joined her. She was worried I would get filthy but realized that wasn¡¯t a problem.


    Irisa did her best. Tris kept watching during our bounty hunt and told me of the effort Irisa put in. Seeing her try so hard... Forcing her battered, bruised body off the hard ground to resume her training every time she was knocked down...


    I seriously loved her.


    But I hoped she did it for her sake and not mine.


    Thest thing I needed was for her life to revolve around mine, but how would I approach that?


    I didn¡¯t know how to bring it up without making it awkward.


    I talked with her about something else until I heard Ginnie and Chax. They hade to get some fresh air, and Niva and Primrose arrived not too long after for the same reason.


    ¡°Wee back, Mistress!¡±


    ¡°A nature spirit?¡± Ginnie saw Niva¡¯s prosthetics, but she didn¡¯t bring it to attention. ¡°Ah, my apologies. You¡¯re a woond spirit, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Primrose. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡± The spirit helped Niva to a bench and sat beside her.


    ¡°Mistress, I think I did a lot today.¡±


    ¡°The training went well?¡± Ginnie was curious, so I told her about [Mana Perception] to get around Niva¡¯s blindness.


    ¡°Yes! We spent six hours! And I managed to finally see Lei!¡± She said she couldn¡¯t see anything else, but that was a start.


    ¡°I ensured she didn¡¯t stress her body, Lord Springfield, and the rejuvenating bath refreshed her mind.¡±


    ¡°Was it good for your vines?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes. The waters here are rich with mana. It felt like I was being massaged all over.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    Irisa said something about how it felt to be a mage, which started a discussion about mana and magic.


    <hr>


    Dinner was roasted pork with an apple honey ze over the top,plete with threerge sds, a delicious cornucopia-like fruit disy, and a slice of pie for dessert.


    It was far toote for my friends to go home. Delouise had his employees prepare a room for them to spend the night. And that was for the best.


    We remained at the dinner table and chatted over coffee and tea. Tris telepathically asked me to make three clones, so I formed three drops of slime that slithered to Surtr, who rested behind me. They caught a ride deep in his fur, and Tris and Tilde excused themselves. My lion followed them to my room, and I wondered what they would be used for?


    I could¡¯ve spied, but I wanted to be surprised.


    One by one, my family and friends said their good nights and departed to their rooms until it was just me. Irisa left me with a hug and a kiss, and I stayed and finished my coffee.


    An idea came to me...


    I went to Ginnie¡¯s and Chax¡¯s room, asking if they would consider staying here until our two months were up. Part of it was to help Erin. She and her shiny horns had confided in me earlier and said Chax and Ginnie were nice to her. They knew she was a beginner and didn¡¯t get mad or upset when she let a monster escape.


    To my relief, Ginnie epted and quickly stated she wouldn¡¯t take my money. She left with Chax to tell Erin.


    I checked on Niva and her spirit next. Primrose was dressing her in her pajamas. ¡°I won¡¯t overdo it, Mistress. Primrose and I were about to go to sleep. She said rest is what the body needs, and that¡¯s what I want to give it.¡±


    ¡°Good. Sleep well, okay? I love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you too!¡±


    ¡°Good night, Lord Springfield. May your dreams be pleasant,¡± replied the spirit. Lei was chilling on the bed, acting all cute. It extended a wiggling appendage, and I held it until it waddled to Niva¡¯s arms.


    ¡°You too, Prim.¡±


    I left and heard the lock click behind me. Mom and Dad were already in bed, so I checked on Irisa, but she was already asleep. I didn¡¯t want to wake her since she was tired and sore, so I let her be. Kengu curled around her stomach and yawned, meeting my eyes with a subtle nod before I gently closed the door. Slime was used to grease the hinges to ensure it was silent, and I returned to my room.


    <hr>


    ¡°Wee back! You finished with your rounds?¡± Tilde asked, giving me a beautiful smile. My fairy sat cross-legged on the edge of the bed, naked.


    Tris stood near those clones, who were weaving thread and sewing. Surtr cleaned his paws, yawned, and stretched before plopping down.


    ¡°Yep. You wasted no time in gettingfortable, did you?¡±


    ¡°I had to let the girls breathe, you know,¡± she said, groping herself. ¡°I don¡¯t wanna keep them behind a bra forever. And yes, my panties are the same. It feels weird wearing them. I might gomando. They¡¯re ufortable.¡±


    ¡°Sorry about that. Guess I did dress you without asking, so why don¡¯t I make it up? How do you feel about a shopping trip soon? Do you want a new dress?¡± I asked, sitting beside her.


    ¡°Mmmnnn¡­ Maybe! Hey, do ya know what Tris is doing?¡± I shook my head. ¡°I asked her to make us a pair of matching jammies.¡±


    ¡°And they¡¯re finished. Good timing, my lord.¡± Tris picked up the garments and thanked the clones for their hard work. They returned to my body in a haze of slime. Two of the three outfits disappeared into our storage.


    ¡°Yay! It¡¯s about time!¡± Tilde skipped to Tris and grabbed thest one. ¡°Oh, and check this out.¡± Tilde snapped, and the pajamas appeared on her in a sh. She was nude a snapter.Her clothes were by her feet in a neat file. ¡°It¡¯s a skill called [Quick Change]. I have the most experience with this world¡¯s skill system, so I know the ins and outs of learning them quickly.¡± Tilde redressed herself.


    ¡°That¡¯s very impressive.¡±


    ¡°Hehe! Now! It isn¡¯t a pajama party if I¡¯m the only one wearing them.¡± Tris and I got the hint, and we changed. They fit me like a glove and were softer than the cloaks. Tris said she used a new method of double-stitching the fibers or something.


    ¡°Yeah! That¡¯s more like it.¡± Tilde flew to the bed and sat to my left.


    ¡°Hey... I did good today, yeah?¡± Tilde rolled to her back and rxed her head on myp. ¡°I kinda think that deserves a reward.¡± She reached for my hand and ced it on her head.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want the shopping trip?¡± I asked, rubbing her. ¡°Are the pajamas enough?¡±


    ¡°I do, and they¡¯re nice, but my kind-hearted Master won¡¯t force her precious fairy to pick just one reward, will she?¡± She gave me those puppy dog eyes.


    God, Tilde was just so cute. And adorable. And pretty.


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky your Master loves you so much¡­¡± I relented, chuckling softly. ¡°You¡¯re a good girl.¡± I cupped her cheeks and rubbed her lips with my thumb.


    ¡°Mmmnn¡­ That¡¯s it¡­ I wanna hear it again¡­¡± She closed her eyes and squirmed her thighs. I felt her wings flutter against the bed. Her clothes had a slit for them.


    A dog wagged their tail, so did a fairy p their wings when they were happy?


    ¡°You¡¯re a good girl, Tilde. I¡¯ll tell you what. Tonight''s your night. I¡¯ll do whatever you want.¡±


    ¡°Hehe! You can¡¯t go back on your word! But¡­ Is it okay? Tris told me of your concerns and the talk with her and Surtr. Are you okay, Master? Do you wanna chat with your favorite fairy?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with it. I¡¯ve made peace with myself. Sekh loves me. She wants me to be happy. When she returns to us, I¡¯ll have to make up for lost time.¡±


    <i>I feel like a broken record¡­ Just how many times am I going to bring it up?</i>


    ¡°What? You¡¯re going to give her an entire week?¡±


    Try longer. The Year of Sekh.¡±


    ¡°That long?! And your favorite fairy gets a single night? Oh, you¡¯re a cruel Master.¡±


    ¡°It could be the Century of Tilde if you y your cards right.¡±


    ¡°Ha! You can¡¯t go back on your word, Master. Tris, make sure to write this down.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make special note of it.¡±


    We shared a nice giggle.


    ¡°So¡­ What¡¯s on your mind? Let me guess. It¡¯s about Irisa, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m that easy to read?¡±


    "You are to us.¡±


    ¡°I just don¡¯t know if Irisa is training to improve herself, or if she¡¯s doing it for me. I don¡¯t want thetter. I really don¡¯t. I want her to live for herself. Her life doesn¡¯t need to revolve around me.¡±


    ¡°Overenthusiastic devotion to a new and exciting thing can develop into something unhealthy. But it often slows down over time into something more healthily bnced that can have the focused devotion to the target or field withoutpletely consuming them. My lord, I believe Irisa needs to learn the proper ratio,¡± Tris said.


    ¡°Tris¡¯s right. That¡¯s called the ¡®honeymoon period.¡¯¡±


    ¡°How do I bring it up?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes you just gotta go for it.¡± Tilde closed her eyes and said approaching the topic would be ufortable. She¡¯d seen simr scenes y out a few hundred times. ¡°I¡¯m just saying this, and this is me speaking out loud, but the rtionship might be too much for her. She doesn¡¯t have experience dating one person, let alone multiple.¡±


    <i>Is it...too much? I¡­ That¡¯s possible, isn¡¯t it?</i>


    ¡°I need to talk to her tomorrow. If I need your help¡­¡±


    ¡°Consider it done, Master!¡± Tilde winked. ¡°But it¡¯s gonna cost ya. Do you know what I want? Here, I¡¯ll give you a hint.¡±


    I expected her to take my hand and ce it on her chest, but she didn¡¯t do anything. I was perplexed, and she read my expression. ¡°Hmm? You thought I was gonna do something lewd? Well, it¡¯s not the time for it.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Irisa. It¡¯s not time.¡±


    ¡°But I had sex with her. It¡¯s not fair¡ª¡±


    Tilde ced a finger across my lips. ¡°Listen up, Master! It¡¯s time for me to teach you about girls. You see, we only have our first time once. And we almost always want it to be special. It¡¯s the same with me, you see, so why don¡¯t we begin this Century of Tilde with a 100,000-step n I¡¯ve been saving for a rainy day.¡± Tilde pointed to the pillows, and before long, the three of us were cuddling under the heavy nkets. My fairy took my front. She tightly wound her arms around my back as Tris did the same to my stomach.


    ¡°And you gotta hold me tight so I don¡¯t fly away, ¡®kay? That¡¯s step 2. I¡¯ll have you know fairies are known to do that. But if I did, you¡¯de for me, right?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t stop until I have you back in my arms.¡±


    ¡°See? That¡¯s the kinda stuff a girl wants to hear! Congrats on crossing off step 25,628.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already skipped that many?!¡±


    ¡°Nah, it¡¯s not something that has to be done in order. Just know that my century won¡¯t beplete until everything¡¯s marked. So, you know, it might even take longer. It might even require a few centuries, so¡­¡± Tilde nuzzled her face against my chest, her giggles like music to my ears. ¡°You¡¯re in it for the long haul, Master, and the Tilde Train isn¡¯t gonna stop for anything!¡±


    ¡°Choo choo!¡± adorably honked Tris, who offered to be the conductor.


    Tilde knew I knew what she and Tris were doing. And that was why I loved them so much.


    ¡°Good night, Master. I love you!¡±


    ¡°Good night, my lord. I love you, too.¡±


    Tris and Tilde hugged tighter.


    ¡°Sweet dreams, you two. I love you both.¡±


    Before I knew it, I was out like a light.

 Chapter Seventy-Seven: Authorized Mercenary

    Chapter Seventy-Seven: Authorized Mercenary


    Morning came before I knew it, but I had already been up for a few minutes before Tilde slowly stirred awake. She immediately realized I was warmer than usual.


    ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m heating my blood. You wouldn¡¯t want to wake up cold, would you?¡±


    ¡°Nah. Being warm is the best¡­ especially when you¡¯re my Master-sized personal heater.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d you love me that much to grant me my most precious title yet.¡±


    ¡°Hehe! Good morning, Tris!¡± Tilde sat up and yawned, stretching her arms and wings. ¡°Wow¡­ You don¡¯t really have to worry about bedhead, do you?¡±


    ¡°I do not,¡± Tris replied, wishing us a good morning. She stared at Tris and kissed my cheek beforeying back down. She said it was too early to get up and wanted to bezy for a little bit.


    Unfortunately¡­


    That wouldn¡¯t happen.


    ¡°Oh? Gretchen has dispatched messengers to fetch her advisors, and a carriage has left the Ministry. I presume she''ll request your immediate attendance.¡±


    ¡°You know what this means if you help them, right?¡± Tilde asked. I nodded. ¡°Okay, I wanted to make sure. What are you going to do if they can¡¯t find a buyer? Still gonna offer your assistance?¡± asked my fairy.


    ¡°That¡¯s the n. I gotta protect my family. My talk with Irisa can wait until I return.¡±


    ¡°This might be morbid, but chimera excel at this stuff. With your clones and Tris¡¯s ability to download visual data, you¡¯re the master of espionage. Add in [Skyview]? Or [Wilted Rose] and [Lavender Kiss]? You used them to kill Oswell''s group.¡±


    "You do have a point. I could walk in and take out Atrix''s leader, no problem. I know I can do it, and nothing could stand in my way. But rushing into things isn''t wise. I need to strategize ande up with a n of attack first. Killing Lord Atrix might create a power vacuum, or some other city-state could interfere. If they had an agreement, we might end with a two-front war. And even then, my presence might not be necessary to resolve this."


    ¡°Mmmn¡­ You never fail to surprise me. You have a smart head on your shoulders, Master. It''s pretty, too. Arrogance and cockiness? Those lead down slippery slopes to a thing called death.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I try to avoid that. Living is much better than being dead.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m here, right?¡±


    ¡°I can safely say you¡¯re part of the reason. Tilde?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­kind of hoping¡­it turns into something bad.¡±


    ¡°For Sekh?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I need to get stronger. I need more SP. I need a lot of things. And if this turns into a war, it¡¯ll be the perfect excuse. Bounty hunting won¡¯t cut it. It¡¯s too slow. I don¡¯t want to rush. But I don¡¯t want to wait. And this genuinely seems like the opportunity I needed.¡±


    ¡°War is war, Master. You may hold sway and influence over them in the future, but this will happen with or without your input. Honestly? It¡¯s probably already been decreed. With Parthina, it¡¯s hard to predict how they¡¯ll act. The whole Vestige and meteorite fragments are¡­rather unique. It¡¯s odd and cultish. And I don¡¯t even understand it all myself.¡±


    ¡°Wishing for war isn¡¯t moral. But you¡¯re right. It¡¯ll happen with or without me. And¡­ I suppose I can¡¯t always choose the moral high road. Not when I have my revenge in mind.¡±


    Tris estimated our escort would arrive within twenty minutes, so it was time to get dressed.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say it before, but this outfit is really something. It seriously looks amazing on you,¡± Tilde said, ying with my sleeves.


    ¡°You like it?¡±


    ¡°Totally. It¡¯s powerful. It¡¯s sexy, but it¡¯s not lewd. It¡¯s tasteful and reserved. And it¡¯s so soft. If nothing else, Susize and the others knew how to throw together a fit.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d you approve.¡±


    We chatted on the bed about Sekh and held hands until Delouise knocked at the door.


    ¡°Just focus on the meeting, Master. I¡¯ll handle things here.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good to me. Tris, Surtr. It¡¯s time to move.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord.¡±


    ¡°Lead the way, Lord Springfield.¡±


    <hr>


    ¡°Lord Springfield! I hope this morning has found you well!¡± Gretchen said when I walked into a meeting room with Tris and Surtr to my left and right. Every chair but two was filled, and all eyes were immediately drawn to my lion.


    ¡°It has,¡± I replied, wishing her, Captain Caulk, and the others a good morning.


    One by one, the strangers I didn¡¯t know introduced themselves.


    General Fruide¡ªa human with green braids and pale skin¡ªhad overarchingmand over Plymoise¡¯s entire military force. His ornate breastte featured symbols of power and leadership. Those pauldrons he wore contained sharp edges, providing additional defense for his shoulder and upper arms. His gauntlets had padding around the knuckles, and his belt carried pouches, holsters, essential tools, a few scrolls, and a ceremonial dagger forged out of some green-tinted steel. His bracers were enchanted with magical defense. The knee-length dark green cape was lined with gold trim. I thought everything would¡¯ve been green, like everything else I¡¯d seen in this verdant wondend. Well, his polished greaves and boots were tinted green.


    Captain Morgan was a Nekofolk with two green tails. He led the ground forces like Captain Caulk led the city-state¡¯s navy. Captain Morgan wore gleaming te armor adorned with emblems of courage and unity. The sturdy pauldrons and gauntlet contained intricate engravings of a green shard, which I presumed to be what the Vestige looked like. A pair of polished wands were securely attached to his hips, and a long, flowing cape of deep green fabric rested against his back. There was no sign of any gold.


    Vauche was a stubby gnome with a thick green beard. He had the title [State Historian] and was the master record keeper for Plymoise¡ªas evidenced by the pile of books in front of him. He looked and dressed like a schr, with brown robes highlighted with green swirls going down the sleeves.


    Verdant Sneakshadow, a Forest Elf with a mask over the bottom half of her face and green tattoos down her right arm, was Plymoise¡¯s spymaster. Her attire suited her role and was a testament to her affinity for the forest and her dedication to the art of espionage. Her tunic seemed to be tailored from soft, moss-green fabric. It hugged her lithe body, allowing her to move swiftly and silently. Unlike the others, heryers of intricately designed armor were made of leather to enhance her flexibility. A hooded cloak weaved from thin, green fibers cascaded down her back, its rich emerald hue a striking contrast against her dark hair. It draped around her like a shroud of secrecy, concealing her movements and intentions. Her boots were enchanted with {Silent Step}.


    <i>There¡¯s so much green... I get the reason behind it, but there¡¯s so much!!!</i>


    ¡°And I¡¯m Lyudm Springfield. This is Tris, my advisor. My spirit is Surtr, and I¡¯m sure Captain Caulk has briefed you on his power.¡± I bowed, showing grace and elegance, before sitting. Karen Bary¡ªErin¡¯s mother¡ªknew a skill called [Etiquette], which I obtained for purchasing after assimting her. Tris suggested it wouldn¡¯t hurt to buy it, so I pumped some points into it until it was Lv. 4.


    ¡°I presume you understand why you¡¯re here?¡± asked General Fruide.


    ¡°My mother met with Lady Plymoise yesterday at my request, so I¡¯m aware of it. Have you given any thought to my assistance?¡±


    ¡°About your offer¡­ It doesn¡¯t make sense, Lord Springfield,¡± said the historian. ¡°There are things I do not understand.¡± Vauche flipped through a book and read a passage about the Springfield Forest. The n was thought to have gone extinct, and the forest¡¯s location was lost to time or destroyed in some natural disaster.


    ¡°The location must remain secret, but it¡¯s still here. Would you care to get a Scan Stone? I don¡¯t mind if you need to verify my ims.¡± Tilde told me it still existed 10 years ago, so I went with it.


    <i>Now¡­ Do I keep Vredi as my middle name? Is it¡­worth it? Wait, I can y this to my advantage¡­ okay, yeah. That¡¯ll work out. I¡¯ll get more leverage, too.</i>


    ¡°I don¡¯t think¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, I insist, Lady Plymoise. I¡¯m a woman who values honesty in her dealings. If there is to be trust, a hint of doubt¡ªno matter how small¡ªcannot remain to cloud our words.¡±


    Gretchen nodded and sent someone to fetch one, and they returned in less than a minute.


    ¡°Lyudm Vredi Spring¡ªVredi?! Lord Springfield, you¡ª¡± Gretchen nearly dropped the stone from her surprise, and the murmurs didn¡¯t stop at her. ¡°Then the¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s correct. When I told you that Bellerophon in Ria was willing to kill a High Elf from Vredi... I was talking about myself.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t understand. Why do you need us to find a buyer? Why not return to your kin?¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s not that simple,¡± I said, telling another lie. At this point, I didn¡¯t even know if this shadowy falsehood matched what I told Aello in Aetos Vige. But to summarize this lie, I said I was born 1,000 years ago in Vredi Forest. Something awful happened that required me to be in stasis. A thousand years passed, and I awoke in the Springfield Forest. It was a second birth, which granted me the Springfieldst name. ¡°I was a secret. No one knew I existed. I would be treated as an outcast, and all I have to my name are these ceremonial burial garments Lord Amos crafted for his five Soul Warriors. I¡¯ve been lucky to escape the use of a Scan Stone until now, but I hope you understand why I cannot announce myself as a Vredi. It¡¯ll cause trouble. My mother attempted to sell the garments on my behalf, but her reputation and outreach weren¡¯t enough to attract a buyer.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a tremendous story!¡± gasped the historian. He stuttered over his words at this discovery and said record keepers would pay a lot of money to learn what I divulged.


    ¡°And I trust you to keep it to yourselves. Do not make me regret putting my trust out there.¡± I believed it would work out my way regardless of if this leaked. By all ounts, I had the Vredi name. In this world, you couldn¡¯t fake that.


    It was impossible.


    Therefore, it would always be epted as the ultimate truth, no matter what.


    To everyone, I was Lyudm Vredi Springfield¡ªan amalgamation of the Vredi and Springfield Forests. I was the impossible given form.


    And it was all thanks to [Status Cloak]. It was such a powerful skill.


    ¡°Ye¡ªYes, of course, Lord Springfield. Pardon me for my outburst.¡± Vauche bowed his head and apologized.


    It wasn¡¯t sincere. Tris telepathically said she¡¯d keep an eye on the shifty-looking fellow.


    ¡°I believe the best way to sell them is to contact any remaining Vredis. As I¡¯ve said, I cannot be the one who reaches out to them, and they cannot know I exist. Give me your promise and a contract, and we¡¯ll have a deal. I¡¯m willing to go to 15%.¡±


    ¡°Contacting a Vredi is far easier said than done,¡± said Gretchen.


    ¡°Then a promise on paper is enough to suffice me. Should a Heptarchis be called, I assume that¡¯ll make the task easier?¡± Gretchen nodded. ¡°Then let us hope that¡¯ll be the case. Tris, show them the cannons.¡±


    ¡°Cannons? Here? What do you¡ªWhat?! Where did theye from?!¡± Captain Morgan mmed his hands and stood up when the cannons I stole from that pirate ship popped up out of nowhere.


    ¡°I¡¯ll throw in the cannonballs, too. I intended to put them on my vessel, but Surtr is more than enough. Give me brass, iron, steel, ss, and firesalts, and you can have them.¡±


    ¡°Your¡ªYour generosity is otherworldly,¡± said General Fruide.


    ¡°I assume we have a deal?¡±


    Vauche, the record keeper, shook his head. He was the smartest one here who wasn¡¯t named Tris, but he couldn¡¯t ept it. He figured there was something else at y.


    ¡°The wisdom of a High Elf surpasses that of a gnome. Our perception is elevated, and our thoughts are expansive. Time flows differently for us, unfazed by its passing. We possess foresight that spans not just months or years but decades and centuries. My reasons are not understood by most. Should you grant my request, I assure you that Plymoise will emerge victorious in this war should it be one.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s assuming a Heptarchis isn¡¯t called. Lord Springfield, please forgive Vauche¡¯s outburst. He¡¯s a man of logical thinking. ¡®Going against the grain,¡¯ as one might call it, is tanta--¡±


    ¡°Lady Plymoise!!! Lady Plymoise!!!!¡± The door burst open, causing us all to turn around to find an exhausted, tired messenger. He ran towards the table with a letter raised. On it was a seal belonging to the council in Orchta. Gretchen snatched it from his hands and scanned it, the color draining from her cheeks.


    ¡°This cannot be! The Heptarchis? Why would they deny it?! It doesn¡¯t make sense!!¡±


    <i>My lord, that soldier¡­</i>


    <i>I know.</i>


    ¡°Are they mad? Orchta must know how deadly conflict can be. If they can peacefully resolve this, as they had done many times before, why¡ªLord Springfield?! What are you doing?!¡± General Fruide started ranting, but when I stood up and summoned my rifle, he just about lost it. Right away, Captain Caulk drew his sword and protected Gretchen. Vauche went under the table, and Verdant had a dagger against my neck in the time it took to breathe.


    Surtr was stillying down, as per mymands.


    ¡°That guard isn¡¯t from Plymoise.


    ¡°That¡¯s madness!¡± cried Captain Morgan. ¡°His name¡ª"


    ¡°Gordon? No. That¡¯s a mimic. It¡¯s a monster masquerading as your soldier. Don¡¯t believe me?¡± Without waiting, I fired and struck the false bastard in the shoulder. He mmed into the wall and angrily morphed into a flesh-colored blob of teeth and ws.


    Amid the confusion, Surtrunched and tore into the mimic, ripping it to bloody shreds. Fifteen soldiers rushed into the meeting room with their weapons ready.


    <hr>


    ¡°I don¡¯t doubt the letter¡¯s truthfulness,¡± I said after the excitement died. ¡°I¡¯m certain it¡¯s legitimate. That mimic¡¯s been here for a few months. Perhaps even a year. It depends on how Atrix viewed this war and how long they prepared for it. I presume it intended to kill you while we were distracted with the letter¡¯s contents.¡±


    ¡°If our ranks have been infiltrated, there must be more than one! Lord Springfield, how did you know?¡±


    ¡°Tris specializes in seeing through trickery and discovering the truth. As it stands, there are most likely more within the city. Grant permission, Lady Plymoise, and I will hunt them. If you remember our deal, that is.¡±


    Gretchen gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. She asked to have some time with her advisors, and I acknowledged. Tris, Surtr, and I spent twenty minutes in the lobby while I marked waypoints on the targets.


    Once I was called back in, I was given five contracts to sign. Four concerned the clothing and trading cannons for supplies¡­but thest time?


    ¡°You want me as a mercenary?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct. You¡¯re with the Bloodhounds, yes?¡± I nodded. ¡°After the assassination attempt on my life, we cannot pull punches. We¡¯ve also received more information. Captain Caulk?¡±


    ¡°Lord Springfield, recall the pirate ship you destroyed. After interrogation, the captain you captured confessed Atrix paid the pirates to lure me away into an ambush.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps they were attempting a blitzkrieg? It¡¯s a lightning-fast military tactic characterized by swift and overwhelming attacks usingbined arms to disrupt and encircle enemy forces, aiming to achieve rapid territorial gains through speed, surprise, and coordinated assaults. If you died, the mimics would¡¯ve acted in the chaos. Once they did, Plymoise would fall like a stack of bricks. Since you¡¯re alive, things have changed.¡±


    ¡°¡­I cannot doubt your words. We were close to falling for their trap.¡±


    ¡°Tris, stay here and helpe up with a n. Lady Plymoise, please give her any information you can about Atrix¡¯s capabilities and documents concerning your navy¡¯s strengths and weaknesses. Surtr,e with me.¡± <i>Send a waypoint message to Mom and the others.</i>


    <i>Right away.</i>


    ¡°I¡¯ll return within the hour with proof of my work.¡±


    ¡°That fast?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that fast,¡± I replied to Verdant. Her mask fell to her chin, revealing green clovers tattooed on her chin.


    <hr>


    When it came to assassination, a chimera had no equal. They could assume infinite forms and close the distance without you knowing.


    Even if your target was a housewife pretending to be a mother¡­you only needed a clone to take the form of a random child to lower their guard.


    Even if your target looked like a child gleefully running around the city without care¡­you only needed a clone to take the form of an animal to lead them to a dark alley.


    Even if your target worked at a caf¨¦ with a dozen people¡­you just needed to create a fake disturbance to separate everyone before running a knife along their throat.


    Even if they were the beloved pet dog of a family¡­


    Even if they were Atrix¡¯s ambassador to Plymoise¡­


    Even if they were anything at all¡­


    My targets were monsters. Mimics could be trained like animals and givenmands. Should they assume a humanoid form, speech wasn¡¯t out of the question. But they died all the same. Often pathetically, too. And they were much weaker than the one responsible for taking out Gretchen.


    And my clones were dangerous. The more I took out these monsters, the more I truly understood why Bellerophon worked extremely hard to ensure chimera never had a chance to assimte a slime.


    It was downright powerful in the right hands. You could aplish so much without ever putting yourself in danger.


    During the invisible chaos that no one else was aware of, I took a leisurely stroll around town with Surtr, who found it discouraging he couldn¡¯t fight.


    I told him his power would be needed shortly, which satisfied him.


    Assimting a mimic granted me nothing but a weaker shape-shifting skill.


    I returned to the ministry within thirty minutes. Iid the flesh-colored blobby carcasses out on the meeting room¡¯s floor when I was let in.


    Maybe they saw how little effort this task took from me. Was that fear in their eyes?


    After they epted the proof with their eyes, I told Surtr he could have a snack. He obliged and devoured the pile down his mighty gullet before cleaning his paws.


    After Tris requested ess to Plymoise¡¯s maps and records of any war Atrix had been involved with, she focused and crunched the information. The math Tris calcted was child¡¯s y to her, but it was probably pretty advanced to the people here.


    "My lord, there are three likely locations to monitor. Atrix''s navy appears formidable, hinting at a naval bombardment. They might position themselves about here¡ªclose enough for their superior ships to act swiftly, yet beyond Plymoise''s patrol reach. My calctions are based on parameters and ocean patterns. The <i>Mengoire</i>, Plymoise''s fastest ship, bes the slowest with Atrix''s vessels factored in. As for Atrix''s trade, since Holy Lord Gloria closed the Mines of Gamor, they must have engaged with another city-state, although Ick concrete proof and export records for precise armament assessment."


    ¡°And the next?¡±


    "Approximately 150 miles away lies Tiran''s Crest, a deep valley with Atrix-guarded bridges as the only safe passage. Their mastery of fog-inducing magic, as seen in the naval ambush, has caused three years of perpetual haze surrounding the valley, which isn¡¯t easy to maintain. While it may seem a stretch, if their aim is to im Plymoise¡¯s Vestige, they may deem this effort worthwhile. Their overconfidence in victory likely didn¡¯t ount for setbacks. Following the recent assassination attempt, I anticipate action within the next fortnight; dying longer risks losing the upper hand. It remains uncertain whether they¡¯re aware of the mimics¡¯ failure.¡±


    ¡°And the third?¡±


    ¡°I¡­am not sure yet. I do not have enough information to draw that conclusion, but I know there is something I am missing.¡± Tris removed her hat. Her ears folded against her head.


    ¡°You did good, Tris,¡± I rubbed her head and watched her cute smile. ¡°Anyways, you heard her, and I rmend you heed her advice. As for myself¡­I might go hunting.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± demanded Gretchen.


    ¡°I mean what I said. I need to pass through Tiran¡¯s Crest to reach their city-state. Sever the monster''s head, and the war shall crumble. Should there be multiple heads, I will cut them all. Remember. My family is staying at the Waterdale Inn. Anyone daring to raise an arm against us will meet the harshest death.¡±


    <i>Guess I¡¯m heading there anyway. This isn¡¯t a full-blown war, but I can work with this. Soldiers are fair game. Their life force would serve me well. And I know I could kill Lord Atrix and rece him with a clone long enough to set up peace talks. I could easily handle it without any risk, but¡­</i>


    <i>¡­I don¡¯t want that. Let me feed on soldiers. Let me assimte. Let me grow stronger. I cannot pass up this opportunity, even if the morally correct choice is to bring peace as soon as possible.</i>


    ¡°Your words hold merit. I feel it¡¯s a blessing you showed up when you did, Lord Springfield. Captain Caulk. Head to the shipyard and tell the men to pick up the pace. We need worthy vessels if we¡¯re to defend our sea. Verdant, use your contacts in Atrix and learn what you can. General Fruide, Captain Morgan, I want our men to be ready to advance. Double our patrols and implement a system to prevent further mimics from infiltrating our ranks.¡±


    Gretchen barked orders, and the room emptied in seconds, leaving me alone with Gretchen. ¡°It¡¯ll take a week before Verdant hears anything. I advise you not to leave before then.¡±


    ¡°While I appreciate your concern, it isn¡¯t needed. I¡¯ll set off in an hour. Surtr.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lord Springfield?¡±


    ¡°You are to remain by Captain Caulk¡¯s side. Keep me informed every hour on what is happening. Should you meet Atrixian soldiers, I give you permission to answer the hunger growing in your belly.¡±


    Surtr stood and roared, the mes dancing upon his back. ¡°They will die in your name!¡±


    ¡°I trust you, my friend. Tris, stay here and help with the battle ns. Assist with the defenses.¡±


    <i>Start making blueprints for bullets when they deliver the supplies. If a fight does break out, try to store the corpses. I¡¯ll assimte them when I return.</i>


    ¡°Yes, my lord. I will not fail you.¡±


    ¡°Lady Plymoise? What¡¯s that expression?¡± I turned to Gretchen and saw something I didn¡¯t like. She looked sad¡ªmiserable¡ªalmost as if a thousand truths smacked her in the face.


    ¡°Looking at you¡­ No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± She restructured herself. ¡°Forgive me for that. Lord Springfield, I cannot thank you enough for this. Your kindness¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but it¡¯s not kindness. I am fighting for my family. This may be harsh, but if I were alone and my family were in Ria? I would not help. I would not involve myself. I would leave and let Plymoise fend for itself. If I had this kindness, I would have offered to help without any reward. But I did not, and you¡¯ve mistaken my kindness for familial love.¡±


    <i>No. I¡¯ll probably have still taken advantage of it. Can¡¯t pass up the opportunity.</i>


    ¡°¡­ Ah, of course. My apologies. Forgive me, Lord Springfield. Please, take care. I promise, on my name as Gretchen Plymoise, you will be heavily rewarded andpensated.¡±


    ¡°Tris will tell you of any updates I may have. Surtr, let¡¯s head to the Waterdale Inn for a moment. I need to say my goodbyes.¡±


    <hr>


    Irisa really, really, really did not want me to go. She dropped her sword and damn-near tackled me to the ground, wrapping her sweaty arms around my back.


    Even when I said it was to protect my family... She didn¡¯t want me to leave. She said it wasn¡¯t fair. She said it wasn¡¯t right I had to fight other countries'' battles.


    But Dad understood¡­ He helped me convince Irisa that this was for the better. She didn¡¯t like it, but she eventually understood I was doing this because I loved her.


    But that didn¡¯t stop her from crying. Nor did it prevent her from proiming her love no less than ten times in three minutes.


    <i>I shouldn¡¯t bring it up. Not now. It must be when I return.</i>


    ¡°If it were up to me,¡± Dad said while hugging me. ¡°I¡¯d rather go in your ce. I know your goals. I know your desires I wish I had the power to fix your problems without you having to be involved in foolish power struggles by men too old to fight themselves.¡±


    ¡°I know. Dad, I love you. I promise I¡¯ll be safe,¡± I held him tightly. ¡°This is something I need to do. You''re my family. And I protect my family.¡±


    The conversation with Mom was just as emotional. She didn¡¯t want me gone, but she knew this was an opportunity for me. And Mom trusted me to take care of myself. It also meant a lot to her because she was born in Plymoise. Mom had a connection to the city-state.


    After exiting the courtyard and leaving Mom and Dad alone tofort Irisa, I went to Niva¡¯s room. Primrose was there to let me in, and she joined me in sitting beside her summoner after closing the door. ¡°That¡¯s the situation. I want to see some results when I get back, okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes! I promise I¡¯ll work even harder! Primrose?¡± She made a fist and showed me a bright smile.


    ¡°She¡¯s making great progress. I surmise it must be the mysterious entity that blessed her with [Mana Language] and [Summoning Magic: Spirit]. But be safe, Lord Springfield.¡±


    ¡°Worried about me?¡± I teased her.


    ¡°Yes, I am,¡± she replied, her tone straight and narrow. ¡°I¡­ Trust you¡¯ll be fine, but I cannot sit here, lie, and state I don¡¯t harbor any worry in my heart.¡±


    ¡°Wow. You care more than I thought.¡±


    ¡°I care!¡± Primrose huffed and crossed her arms under her sizable breasts. Her outfit was skimpy as usual, showing cleavage and midriff. But that was Primrose. If nothing else, she was proud of who and what she was. ¡°But please be safe.¡±


    I walked downstairs to find Tilde, Erin, her lion, Ginnie, and Chax. My precious fairy jumped into my arms and said two words.


    ¡°Pawsome Fables?¡± I repeated the strange name.


    ¡°Yep! That¡¯s our party. Cute, right? We registered at the guild after finishing up. Where¡¯s Tris? She¡¯s usually stuck to you like glue.¡± I told Pawsome Fables of what I had nned. And they were definitely shocked.


    Except for Tilde.


    But Erin? My little sister, who had been so brave, just broke apart. She didn¡¯t want me to go. I rubbed her head and said I loved how much she cared about me.


    ¡°But I need to do this to protect you. And not just you, but Ginnie and Chax. If I don¡¯t, Atrix will ravage the town. I¡¯ve already stopped an ambush at the sea. You know how strong I am, right?¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh¡­¡± Erin wiped her eyes against my clothes. I rubbed her head.


    ¡°Then you know I¡¯ll be fine. Surtr willkeep the lions informed, okay? You can talk to me through Longtooth and him whenever you want. Ginnie, can I trust you and Chax to help look after her?¡±


    Ginnie nodded. ¡°Please be safe, M.¡±


    ¡°I will. I won¡¯t go and die. I¡­have things to finish before I can face my end.¡±


    With my goodbyes said, I ruffled Tilde¡¯s head and left. Surtr was waiting outside to take me to the city gates. I hopped on his back, and...


    <i>My lord, there has been a change of ns! Verdant received a coded message from her spies in Atrix. The navy has dispatched a fleet of ships, and a military detachment has departed from Tiran¡¯s Crest!</i>

 Chapter Seventy-Eight: Atrixian Invasion

    Chapter Seventy-Eight: Atrixian Invasion


    <span>¡°Look at em¡­Seven ships? Don¡¯t they have like 30? I wonder if they¡¯re that sure of themselves that they foolishly believe they don¡¯t need any more than this,¡± I said, standing on a building¡¯s roof near the dockyard. Surtr sat beside me as we looked at the approaching vessels in a [Skyview] window. They were about 4 hours away.<span>


    <span>¡°I cannot think of anything better, Lord Springfield. Let us wipe them to thest pathetic life.¡± I hopped on Surtr¡¯s back, and he jumped off the roof,nding with a silent step. Captain Caulk and his naval soldiers were rushing to get the ships loaded with supplies to meet them head-on.<span>


    <span>We had 72 hours of forewarning, and that time was devoted to readying the vessels.<span>


    <span>I spent two days indexing the path our enemies would likely take to have them on my map.<span>


    <span>But it wasn¡¯t just here.<span>


    <span>After receiving the coded message, Gretchen dispatched a group of winged-wildkin scouts to investigate the detachmenting from Tiran¡¯s Crest. They returned after two days with gruesome news. The viges located between the valley and Plymoise were ransacked for additional supplies. The men were killed, and the women and children were taken to Atrix as ves.<span>


    <span>The scouts flew so hard they crippled their wings on the return trip and ran the remaining 12 hours home non-stop.<span>


    <span>Additionally, Atrix was invading with a force 10,000 strong, and they employed 5 drakes and 3 hippogriffs.<span>


    <span>¡°Move your asses! Get those cannons in ce! Hurry up with the cannonballs! Mage unit, ensure you have your mana potions!¡± Captain Caulk barked orders.<span>


    <span>Captain Morgan¡ªthe groundmander¡ªwas doing much of the same for the 6,000 soldiers Plymoise had avable after implementing a draft.<span>


    <span>They were amassing their forces near the entrance. Rather than bunkering down and turning this into a defensive siege battle, the n was to meet the bastards head-on. They had the numbers and momentum¡­<span>


    <span>But I had a lion¡­ A lion serving the most fearsome threat this world had ever seen¡­ Captain Caulk had witnessed Surtr¡¯s might for himself.<span>


    <span>¡°If only Sekh was here.¡±<span>


    <span>¡°Indeed. Our devilish Dark Lord of Tyranny lived for bloodshed and war. I wager she wants nothing more than to spread your infamy¡­ s, I will fulfill the role in her stead.¡±<span>


    <span>¡°And this is good for us. I really couldn¡¯t have asked for anything better.¡± I patted Surtr on the head and scratched his chin.<span>


    <i><span>Tris? A report?</i><span>


    <i><span>Your family has taken cover in the inn¡¯s basement. The lions are on the roof, and they will report to Surtr if they see a ship approaching. I doubt they would sail around the coast. The path is too long. Additionally, most of the citizens have taken shelter. General Fruide is still preparing a n.</i><span>


    <i><span>Okay. Let him know I¡¯m sending Surtr to the front lines.</i><span>


    <i><span>Yes, my lord.</i><span>


    <span>¡°Surtr, I want you to give them hell.¡±<span>


    <span>¡°I wouldn¡¯t give them anything less, my lord!¡± Surtr roared and took off. Meanwhile, I retrieved my flute, yed a song, summoned my wings, and flew to the <i><span>Mengoire¡¯s </i><span>crow¡¯s nest. It wasn¡¯t anywhere near ready to fight against seven Concordian-ss battleships. However, there were three other ships in the dock getting stocked.<span>


    <span>Supplies were low. Honestly? I doubted the cannons could fire more than four or five times before ammunition became a dream. The cannonballs I supplied weren¡¯t enough.<span>


    <span>I was here, though.<span>


    <span>I retrieved my rifle, checked it, and rested it in a low-ready position.<span>


    <i><span>It seems like life is throwing me excuses I didn''t need. When this is over¡­ I¡¯ll have that talk with Irisa. I can¡¯t keep putting it off.</i><span>


    <hr>


    <span>¡°The fighting has started,¡± I told Captain Caulk. We were out at sea. In just ten minutes, our battle would begin. However, we looked towards Plymoise and saw smoke drown the sky.<span>


    <span>To our left and right sat three more vessels. They were starving for supplies and operated by a skeleton crew.<span>


    <span>Captain Caulk said they didn¡¯t have enough mages to fill the battalion designed to shield the ships from iing damage. Gretchen had authorized him to offer mercenary contracts to anyone willing to fight in Plymoise¡¯s name. People signed up after realizing the ¡®crazy elf with the massive lion¡¯ would be participating, knowing the chances of losing were extremely slim. And my hasty reputation at the Bloodhounds didn¡¯t go unnoticed. I¡¯d only been on two contracts, but I was starting to develop notoriety as someone who used a weird gun and rode a ming-covered beast taller than an ashura.<span>


    <span>We had six mages per ship, not including the 12 on the <i><span>Mengoire</i><span>. He¡¯d like to have at least two dozen per vessel, but beggars couldn¡¯t be choosers.<span>


    <span>On the front line, it was better. About a hundred mercenaries from the adventurer¡¯s guild and Bloodhounds had joined General Fruide and Captain Morgan.<span>


    <span>I opened a [Skyview] window and locked into Surtr to see the lion having the time of his life. Two drakes were dead on the ground, their corpses a burning reminder of the fate befalling every Atrixian soldier. Surtr dodged and dashed on ming steps, keeping pace with his winged-opponent.<span>


    <span>The gray-scaled serpent roared and pped its wings, summoning a cyclone of wind with it as the center. Surtr replied with a mighty roar, creating a pir of mes that caught the gusts. Everything inside burned to a sizzling crisp, including his opponent. He lunged at the drake, mping his teeth around its neck while falling to the ground.<span>


    <span>The monster softened Surtr¡¯s fall, and he tore and bit, brutally ripping away its head. With one more roar, Surtr¡¯s mes increased in tenacity, causing the fire trapped in the cyclone to break free. They were scattered all over the battlefield¡­<span>


    <span>Yet none hurt or burned a hair on Plymoise¡¯s soldiers. Tris devoted all her resources to keeping track of our soldiers and ryed those coordinates to Surtr via waypoint messaging, telling him which mes to cancel and which ones to ignore.<span>


    <span>It was chaos. Pure and simple. War in the rawest sense.<span>


    <span>Surtr had purposely dove into the army''s heart to fight without holding anything back. His harsh mes prevented mere iron weaponry froming close to shedding his blood. And no pathetic arrow of stone or iron could hope to touch his fur before melting. The immense heat he emitted protected him against most elemental spells.<span>


    <span>He was a force of diabolical nature, sent to bare his bloody teeth and relish in spreading death.<span>


    <span>He was, for all intents and purposes, the perfect manifestation of the Dark Lord of Tyranny¡¯s excessive mana.<span>


    <span>After roaring, he collected fire in his mouth andunched it into the sky. It formed into a ball, which exploded into ming meteorites that continued to bombard the heart of our enemy.<span>


    <span>Atrixian morale?<span>


    <span>Nearly non-existent.<span>


    <span>Plymoise¡¯s morale?<span>


    <span>It was higher than ever. General Fruide and Captain Morgan took Surtr¡¯s power and spread word of our impending victory. The soldiers fighting against Atrix¡¯s front line had the advantage. They pushed and fought, then synchronically raised their shields when the archers used [Arrow Storm] to flood the battlefield.<span>


    <span>From behind? They feared getting eaten by a monster with enough power to take out drakes like it was nothing.<span>


    <span>In front? They had to fight against an army that had an overwhelming morale boost.<span>


    <span>And I just smiled¡­<span>


    <span>¡°Lord Springfield?¡± Captain¡¯s Caulk voice reached my ears. I canceled the [Skyview] window and looked at him.<span>


    <span>¡°Battle may begin at any moment,¡± he said. I looked at the crew. Some shivered. Others seemed excited because they saw smoke and fire from Surtr¡¯s attacks fill the sky.<span>


    <span>¡°Might want to say something to your men. Or do you not care for big speeches? It could be thest thing they ever hear or see. I¡¯ll help you out.¡± I retrieved my Susize¡¯s flute, walked to the bow, and began to y.<span>


    <span>The haunting melody pierced through the air, carrying an ominous resonance. Each note wasced with an undeniable fury, a seething anger that resonated deep within the hearts of those who listened. The tune was a relentless cascade of piercing trills and discordant intervals, evoking a sense of chaos and unrest. It seemed to beckon the dormant rage within, stoking the mes of wrath with its relentless rhythm. As the song wove through the air, it left a trail of unease and difort, like a storm gathering on the horizon, promising a tempest of raw and untamed emotions.<span>


    <span>Everyone looked at the High Elf ying her heart out, then nced to the captain when he raised his sword and shouted.<span>


    <span>"Today, we face the despicable Atrix scum who dared to ambush us and plotted against the honor of Plymoise. They aimed to spill the blood of our revered ruler and failed, but we won¡¯t let their treachery go unanswered! Though outnumbered by their seven ships, we shall unleash righteous fury upon them! Prepare yourselves, my fearless crew! Plymoise shall emerge victorious, and the seas shall bear witness to the wreckage of our vanquished foes!"<span>


    <span>I reached the apex of my melody. My wings appeared on my back! Large and ck, with red mana lines masqueraded as arteries.<span>


    <span>But then another me appeared. And another, and another, until there were four.<span>


    <span>Their body and hair were the color and texture of wood¡ªmatching the same hue as Primrose¡¯s skin.<span>


    <span>Because this was her idea. Sure, she said I could exin my clones as a spell I used via my flute, but it was risky. But if they were products of [Wooden Puppetry]? That was a real spell, and I ¡®added¡¯ it to my front-facing Status Menu with [Status Cloak]. <span>


    <i><span>Tris, thank Primrose again. Tell her I¡¯m grateful for the advice.</i><span>


    <i><span>She¡¯s embarrassed, my lord. Shall I tease her?</i><span>


    <i><span>Only a little, but don¡¯t go overboard.</i><span>


    <span>The wooden puppets¡¯ clothing matched mine because I recreated them with slime, mana, and biomass. The drain on both was substantial.<span>


    <span>Surtr''s desire to fuel his mboyant visual skills sucked away my mana like a hose pipe on full st.<span>


    <span>But it was fine. [Photosynthesis] kicked in and helped mitigate some of the consumption, although I was below 10%.<span>


    <span>My clones and I pulled our rifles from our back. We aimed at the sky and used [Chimeric Armatization] to charge [Fire Rain]. The firearms became like living mes¡­<span>


    <span>And at once, we pulled the trigger, sending four thin beams of mes into the sky. They exploded and cast down a deadly downpour of pure fire to cover the four closest ships.<span>


    <span>The battle had started with my attack, and it was on.<span>


    <span>


    <hr>


    <span>Afterunching the first blow, my clones and I flew from the <i><span>Mengoire</i><span> towards the closest ship, dodging sharp wind enchanted with lightning and hailstorms of ming arrows. Tris identified the gaps, and we flew through them, avoiding everything. My Fragment of Wisdom also calcted the [Lightning Wind de] barrage and pinpointed the opportune time to take them out with a swift swipe from Kronto.<span>


    <span>It was...<span>


    <span>It was just so easy.<span>


    <span>Tris vowed that nothing would get past her sight. She edged closer towards her limit and fired on all cylinders to process everything happening on both battlefields.<span>


    <span>I left that to her and focused on reaching the ship. We flew low to avoid any more arrows, then suddenly soared high above, our rifles aimed at our enemies.<span>


    <span>Eight soldiers got shot, and eight perished. Armor, defensive gear, and enchantments couldn¡¯t do much if you were hit in the eyes with multiple bullets simultaneously. The first victims were an orange Lizardfolk, an elf, a gnome, and a few others I didn¡¯t care about. Their lifeless corpses hit the floor, and I was already turning out to shout orders to my clones. <span>


    <span>¡°Go and handle the other ships. Provide backup to Caulk if he needs it!¡± The three clones left, and Inded on the ckened deck. [Gunde] switched my rifle to Kronto, and I had my Colt SAA in my other hand. Tilde wouldn¡¯t need it, so I fought in sync, swinging my spear with one hand to keep the enemies at bay while shooting them through gaps in the armor.<span>


    <span>When I exhausted six rounds, I made two more arms and birthed a fifth clone without caring about masquerading it.<span>


    <span>Why?<span>


    <span>I had no reason to hide it because who would live and tell the truth?<span>


    <span>The clone transformed into that snake boss from the Hershire Valley dungeon and burrowed into the deck, where it emitted acid and devoured what it could. It assimted whatever it ate, refilling my biomass and mana and added to my strength and life force.<span>


    <span>This technique allowed me to grow stronger in public...<span>


    <span>No one would know I was a chimera...<span>


    <span>¡°It¡¯s a monster!! HELP¡ª¡±<span>


    <i><span>Bang</i><span>!<span>


    <span>¡°WHAT THE HELL¡ª¡±<span>


    <i><span>Bang</i><span>!<span>


    <span>¡°PLEASE, I DON¡¯T¡ª¡±<span>


    <i><span>Bang</i><span>!<span>


    <span>¡°MOTH¡ª¡±<span>


    <i><span>Bang!</i><span><span>


    <span>Those four shots didn¡¯t kill them, but a swift thrust with my spear finished the job.<span>


    <span>Tris told me my clones had killed 26 enemies, but two perished from being overrun.<span>


    <i><span>Making clones splits my strength. I¡¯ll get stronger when they perish.</i><span><span>


    <b><i><span>New Skill: [Soul Link]</i></b><span><span>


    <b><i><span>The Winchester Model 1887 is avable to use!</i></b><span><span>


    <span>That earned me enough experience for a new gun! And I had [Soul Link]! Since I now had the skill, I could finally use [Soul Energy]¡ªthe crimson bar resting beneath my biomass gauge. I proceeded below deck and started kicking in doors, eventually finding a group of hunkering soldiers.<span>


    <span>The Clone!Snake boss burrowed deeper throughout the ship and broke through the bottom. Water rushed in, and this boat didn¡¯t have long left.<span>


    <span>But these survivors¡­?<span>


    <span>I couldn¡¯t have that.<span>


    <span>The revolver I held? It vanished, and something beautiful took its ce.<span>


    <span>The stock wasmeticulously carved from walnut wood, disying a rich, dark hue and showcasing the natural grain patterns. The wood was polished to a smooth finish, enhancing the shotgun¡¯s overall aesthetics and providing afortable grip for the shooter. The receiver was solid steel-- robust and exhibited a blend of functionality and artistry. It bore ornate engravings, showcasing the craftsmanship and attention to detail of its era. These embellishments were intricate, depicting wildlife, floral motifs, or even scenes from the Old West, adding a touch of historical charm to the firearm.<span>


    <span>It was the goddamn Winchester Model 1887¡­ One of the most famous lever-action shotguns¡­<span>


    <span>¡°JUST¡ªJUST DIE! YOU MONSTER!!!!¡± One of the soldiers found some worthless courage and drew his sword when he stood. His teeth chattered. He shouted for his friends to run away while gripping his weapon.<span>


    <i><span>Tris said that Lizardfolk used some charisma or courage skill. Guess it wasn¡¯t enough.</i><span><span>


    <span>I cocked the lever, aimed, and sted his torso. My soul energy drained by a quarter, and I felt lethargic and weary.<span>


    <i><span>Okay, this isn''t the end all be all if I can only fire it four times. Soul energy needs time to regenerate, so I still need to focus on making ammo.</i><span><span>


    <span>The soldier was knocked back against the wall, breaking it, but he was alive. The armor was durable, and my gun wasn¡¯t strong enough to break through it. If I were using soul energy to fuel my rifle and revolver, they¡¯d probably be a fair bit weaker since the bullets I made were stronger.<span>


    <span>But it wasn¡¯t anything Kronto couldn¡¯t handle. I flourished the spear and ended the cowering soldiers¡¯ lives. I used the lighting spells enchanted onto it to send me up in the air, then dove through the deck and out the bottom.<span>


    <span>The snake clone slithered through the water, catching me in its mouth. It jerked its head and threw me out of the water, where my wings rejoined my back.<span>


    <span>Two ships were fucked, a third was on itsst legs, and thest of my clones died after being skewered through the mouth with a trident.<span>


    <span>I told Tris to mark the stragglers trying to swim away, and I flew over to and sniped them from the air with my rifle. Without ammo, it took 16% of my soul energy, so I reloaded andnded on the third ship Tris had marked for me. Captain Caulk had the <i><span>Mengoire </i><span>locked inbat with the fourth and fifth, and the three other vessels took the sixth and seventh. Smoke and death filled the sky.<span>


    <span>Instantly, I took aim and snipped an invisible soldier attempting to sneak behind Captain Caulk. He blocked an iing slice, kicked away the foe, and looked behind to see an orange-skinned ogre with a hole in her forehead. She wasn¡¯t dead¡ªfar from it¡ªbut she perished when he severed her neck from her shoulders.<span>


    <span>Caulk took to the skies and resumed the fighting, and I did the same. The snake boss clone heeded my mentalmands and burrowed through the bottom of the third ship, and I worked my way to the fifth to help.<span>


    <span>


    <hr>


    <span>¡°There! That¡¯s thest one!¡± said a soldier with bloodshot eyes. Six ships were burning piles of wreckage. Captain Caulk had caught a cannonball to his wing¡ªa lucky shot¡ªand he recovered below deck while the healers nursed him.<span>


    <span>The final ship had turned tail and tried to retreat, but it couldn¡¯t get far with broken masts and torn sails.<span>


    <span>The fight had gone on for forty minutes or so, and there were a ton of dead to show for it. The ground battle near Plymoise was also wrapping up. Surtr did most of the heavy lifting, and my lion was chasing after the retreating soldiers. Waves of fire erupted from his mouth, burning them alive without any chance of ever hoping to survive.<span>


    <span>But it wasn¡¯t all what it seemed. 1/3rd of Plymoise''s 6,000 warriors had been lost in the chaos. The dead spewed over the battlefield like trees in a rainforest. Captain Morgan lost an eye from a thrown spear, and General Fruide broke his leg after a hippogriff attempted to take him out. Surtr came in time to save him, but he couldn¡¯t stay on the field and lead his men.<span>


    <span>Atrix¡¯s losses?<span>


    <span>A lot. Their drakes and hippogriffs were piles of burnt flesh. Surtr alone was responsible for taking out 900 soldiers. His strategy of attacking the heart of the army worked wonders. Tris had searched and found the highest-ranking soldiers, so Surtr killed them. He had such an impact that no small majority died from being trampled on by their allies after they decided running was better than fighting. Surtr was no ordinary spirit. Once that became clear...it was all but over, really.<span>


    <span>Jumping off the Mengoire, I flew to the escaping vessel andnded on the deck. The survivors from the seven ships stared me down. They looked at the revolver I held, staring at the crackling lightning dancing around the barrel.<span>


    <span>That was [Soul Weapon Enchant ¨C Lightning]¡ªa Soul Weapon skill I acquired in the battle. It used my soul energy to infuse my gun with electricity, so it didn¡¯t need mana. It was efficient, too, using just 8% with each shot from my revolver. With the rifle? It drained 22%. The shotgun needed 44% but included soul energy for [Soul Link]. I didn¡¯t have any shells to test the consumption without it.<span>


    <span>¡°Your shitty little ambush failed to take us out. And you¡¯re going to die¡­¡±<span>


    <span>Six dead bodiester¡­I flew to Caulk¡¯s ship, but the slime I dropped assimted the corpses.<span>


    <span>All in all, I gained 13,361 SP¡ªway, way, way more than I expected¡ª and went up nine levels. Surtr didn¡¯t gain experience from killing, so it didn¡¯t go to me. But I had enough to upgrade [Mana Language] and purchase [Mana Perception], which marked off one of my goals.<span>


    <i><span>That¡¯s not nearly enough life force. I need more.</i><span>


    <span>Caulk was there to meet me on the deck with a bandage wrapped around his muscled body. His bare elbows had green-tipped feathers.<span>


    <span>He remained silent and looked at the snake boss clone. ¡°Your spirits never seem to surprise me." His voice was solemn for the losses. Two of our ships perished in the attack, and we couldn¡¯t save the ones on board.<span>


    <span>¡°You should know I have far more up my sleeve.¡± My ¡®spirit¡¯ delved deep into the water and vanished.<span>


    <span>¡°Turn her around! We''re returning to Plymoise!¡±<span>


    <span>¡°Aye aye, captain!¡± said the helmsmen.<span>


    <hr>


    <span>Once we returned, I rushed to the Waterdale Inn and hugged my family and friends. It was an emotional reunion, but I told them the battle was won. They didn¡¯t have anything to fear. Erin didn¡¯t want to let go of my waist. I patted her head and said she didn¡¯t have to be scared.<span>


    <i><span>She¡¯s been a nervous wreck these past three days¡­</i><span>


    <span>¡°I won¡¯t let anything hurt you, okay? You¡¯re my sister. I¡¯m going to protect you.¡± She wanted to be strong, but sitting here¡­in the lobby¡­ She outright dered she wanted to get stronger and grow independent.<span>


    <span>She was still a little girl. Adventuring with a lion, a fairy, and friends was one thing, but taking shelter in an active war was something else entirely.<span>


    <span>The one with the most reason was Tilde. She had experienced thousands of wars in her time. Not long after I arrived, a messenger said I was needed at the ministry. Surtr was still on the battlefield. I asked him to help recover the dead. I doubt I could sneak in and assimte the corpses. I¡¯d try, though. The dead benefited me more than anyone else.<span>


    <span>¡°I was still scared, Master,¡± Tilde said as she and Irisa walked with me to the inn¡¯s entrance. ¡°The inherent paradox of certainty lies in its elusive nature. The transformative power of chance can swiftly transmute into resolute assurance, akin to the fleeting nature of hope that metamorphoses into resounding triumph. This intery between uncertainty and conviction underscores the intricate tapestry of life¡¯s oues, demanding astute discernment and intellectual acuity to navigate its intricacies.¡±<span>


    <span>¡°¡­ What does that even mean?¡±<span>


    <span>¡°It means you can still fear something failing when you have 100% of seeding. Nothing in life is guaranteed. If someone says it is, it isn¡¯t. And if something isn¡¯t, it means you can make it guaranteed. It¡¯s a paradoxical statement. One that might perfectly describe you, Master.¡±<span>


    <span>¡°Maybe you¡¯re right. But I¡¯ll be back. Irisa, take care, okay?¡±<span>


    <span>¡°Okay. M, I¡¯m d you didn¡¯t get hurt. I¡¯m so happy you¡¯re safe.¡±<span>


    <span>¡°Me too,¡± I said, holding her hand. I ruffled Tilde¡¯s hair and left.<span>


    <hr>


    <span>¡°My lord!¡± Tris skipped into my arms after I opened the meeting room''s doors.<span>


    <span>During the battle, she maxed her processing power to handle the massive influx of information. However, she admitted she wasn¡¯t satisfied with her performance when I walked over here. She identified forty dozen errors in her methods, but I told her she didn¡¯t have to be hard on herself.<span>


    <span>Unfortunately, the cooldown period this time was a week. Tris couldn¡¯t do anything other than talk and walk. Trying to mark stuff on the map or attempting to use [Artificer¡¯s Arsenal] to manufacture bullets would fail. That contrasted with the naval ambush. At least then, she could use [Skyview] to keep a somewhat urate overview.<span>


    <span>Well, she couldn¡¯t this time.<span>


    <span>We were still telepathically connected.<span>


    <i><span>You did so good, Tris. I¡¯m proud of you.</i><span> I never had any positive reinforcement beforeing here, so I¡¯d be damned if I wasn¡¯t going toy the praise upon my cute Fragment of Wisdom when she absolutely deserved it.<span>


    <span>Gretchen, Captain Caulk, Verdant Sneakshadow, Vauche, and Captain Morgan, with a bloody patch over his missing eye, were there. General Fruide was still being looked at by medics.<span>


    <span>Suddenly, the people in the room began to apud me.<span>


    <span>It felt¡­ It felt nice, you know? Being¡­thanked¡­and appreciated. If I wasn¡¯t here¡­if Mom had been born in Atrix or some other city-state¡­<span>


    <span>All these people would have died. And I wouldn¡¯t have cared. Not a single bit. Even now¡­<span>


    <span>I still didn¡¯t know if I cared enough. My only goal was to find Grandma and Grandpa. Once that was done, I had to find a way to heal Sekh. Then I needed enough life force to use [Conferment] to cast out the curse in her soul and stop any more froming in. After that, it was to rid her soul of the curse itself, which¡­ I didn¡¯t know how to do that without an ungodly amount of life force. The curse was ever urring¡ªit always showed up. It forced her to be born for as long as she could remember. A thousand lifetimes of being involuntarily controlled to destroy the world.<span>


    <span>¡°Lord Springfield, Captain Caulk has briefed us on your aplishments at sea! You¡¯ll be handsomely rewarded! I can promise you that!¡± Gretchen was all smiles.<span>


    <span>¡°We¡¯re not done yet, are we?¡± I asked while petting Tris¡¯s head. Everyone in the room, except her, was taken aback.<span>


    <i><span>It¡¯s time to press on.</i><span><span>


    <span>¡°What do you mean? We won the battle. Atrix¡¯s military is in shambles. Their assault failed. Your spirit killed their drakes and hippogriffs, severely limiting their aerial capabilities. You destroyed seven ships, yes? Even if they have more in reserve, they cannot recuperate in a week or two.¡±<span>


    <span>¡°That doesn¡¯t mean they won¡¯t return. They¡¯re on the run. They¡¯re scared. Now is the chance to strike.¡±<span>


    <span>¡°But we don¡¯t have the manpower to do that. Our soldiers are exhausted and hungry. It¡¯s ludicrous to think we have the necessary strength and supplies to stage a siege. What if Atrix regroups and tries tounch another attack from the sea once they see an army approaching through Tiran¡¯s Crest? They¡¯d correctly assume most of our forces had left, leaving Plymoise undefended. Atrix¡¯s ships are faster and tougher. It¡¯s one thing if Surtr and yourself are here, Lord Springfield, but--¡±<span>


    <span>¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong, Captain Morgan. I didn¡¯t say anything about staging a siege. Verdant, you have spies inside Atrix, yes?¡± I turned to the Forest Elf.<span>


    <i><span>I can still aplish my goal from the inside.</i><span>


    <span>¡°I do... Lady Plymoise, Lord Springfield may be correct. Atrix is bound to be in panic. This chaos could be what we need.¡±<span>


    <span>¡°Exactly. How long will it take to send a message?¡±<span>


    <span>¡°It¡¯s difficult to say. The routes I usually use will no doubt be dyed.¡±<span>


    <span>¡°Then why not go there directly?¡±<span>


    <span>¡°What?!¡± My ¡®outrageous¡¯ suggestion was something they weren¡¯t prepared for. ¡°You heard me. Verdant, we can sneak into the city and meet with your spies. There, we can finish it from the inside. I don¡¯t mean wipe them out to thest soldier, but we need to make Atrix see the error of their ways. Imagine the mothers seeing their sons off to war, praying for their safe return, only to discover that he fell in battle. Wives and siblings unable to see their loved ones anymore. From my experience, that doesn¡¯t just fade away so soon. It''s a powder keg, and I think a few sparks are enough to explode it. Why not subtly spread word of a powerful lion that ughtered their flying beasts without trouble? Have the fear infect them. Let Atrix¡¯s citizens turn on their leader.¡±<span>


    <i><span>Rebellion. That¡¯s the best option.</i><span>


    <span>¡°It¡¯s still not without risk. Lady Plymoise?¡± Verdant turned to Gretchen. She asked Captain Caulk and Captain Morgan for advice. That sprouted into an hour-long discussion. The concerning factor was Verdant¡¯s tattoos. They were proof of her connection to Plymoise-- just like the orange hair traits of the Atrixian soldiers I killed at sea. No one in Atrix had green. Or if they did, it was immigrants wanting to migrate to Atrix from Plymoise. You could be sure they were being watched under a heavy, non-blinking eye.<span>


    <span>They then asked me how I was going to enter the city. It was highly probable Atrix had spies. They probably left shortly before the attack, and since it happened not even seven days after I arrived¡­<span>


    <span>They probably knew about a High Elf with a lion spirit, but the organizers of the blitzkrieg didn¡¯t. No¡ªthey¡¯d know about me in a few days, if not a couple of hours.<span>


    <span>Maybe they already did, but that didn¡¯t matter because I had a solution.<span>


    <span>Whipping my flute out, I yed another tune. My ears became more simr to amon elf, and my hair turned orange, matching Atrix¡¯s color scheme. ¡°Unless they can see through my illusion, and I doubt it, they wouldn¡¯t suspect me.¡±<span>


    <i><span>And no one can¡¯t see through me literally changing myself¡­ Chimerism is amazing.</i><span>


    <span>¡°And here I thought I couldn¡¯t get any more surprised¡­¡± said Gretchen as I ¡®dispelled¡¯ the illusion. The topic turned to Verdant, and after some discussion, they decided on something¡­<span>


    <span>Drastic.<span>


    <span>They took a knife and carved out the tattoos.<span>


    <span>Yes.<span>


    <span>They pierced her flesh and removed proof of her connection to Plymoise¡¯s Vestige, leaving her with bloody, gross holes.<span>


    <span>She sacrificed her body¡ªall for the sake of Plymoise. That kind of nationalism couldn¡¯t be bought. It had to be earned.<span>


    <span>¡°We cannot risk arriving by wagon or carriage, so we must walk,¡± Verdant said. Her eyes were unflinching. The light she harbored in them was determined. ¡°Forgive me for this, Lord Springfield, but I cannot rmend Surtring alone. He is¡­far too noticeable.¡± She winched twice when a medic entered and sewed her wounds. I gave her a potion I had in storage to elerate the healing and told her that was fine.<span>


    <span>¡°When are we departing?¡±<span>


    <span>¡°Nightfall. It¡¯ll be safer if we stick to the moonlight and rest under the sun¡¯s glory.¡±<span>


    <span>¡°That¡¯s eptable. I¡¯ll meet you hereter tonight. Tris, let¡¯s head to the inn.¡±<span>

 Intermission – An Opposite Viewpoint

    Intermission ¨C An Opposite Viewpoint


    Landon was an orange Lizardfolk who had no aspirations or dreams. He was content with scrounging throughout life as a beggar since he felt happiness no longer applied to him. And he would¡¯ve died¡ªdrunk and forgotten on some backstreet¡ªas the overbearing poison of alcohol dissolved his stomach lining.


    And that would¡¯ve been fine.


    Just what did he have to live for?


    His wife had passed.


    His daughters had left the nest to mitigate elsewhere after he had turned his hand upon their cheeks in a fit of drunken rage upon losing his job as a baker.


    And what friends did he have?


    No one really cared if he lived or died.


    Yet it was a soldier who called out to him¡ªto the filthy, undesirable who had lost his home, wife, and children, with an offer he couldn¡¯t refuse.


    ¡°The winds of war will eventually blow towards us,¡± said the golden-tongue recruiter. ¡°The glory of Atrix will forever be known in the hearts of men and women throughout Parthina. We will stand, fight, and take what¡¯s rightfully ours¡ªour birthright that has been for told since the days of olde. Join us, Landon, and fight. Fight for honor and your home, and you shall again find the spark that had long since abandoned you.¡±


    Landon was perplexed at why someone would take the time to speak so elegantly to him, but the man didn¡¯t realize he had imagined the soldier. He didn¡¯t exist¡ªno one important would ever know Landon by name. Perhaps his mind had onest defensive mechanism to give Landon a final chance at life.


    Atrix was a city-state founded on war and aggression, so Landon must¡¯ve overheard a soldier speaking about some conflict. Either way, Lord Atrix was sure to implement a draft when he raised his armies. Sooner orter, Landon would¡¯ve been picked up, taken to the registration office, brought to the barracks, where he would¡¯ve beenughed at for being a measly Lv. 8 at his age, given a sword, a shield, and told to be on standby until his life was needed.


    But Landon didn¡¯t want that. That golden-tongue recruiter said the words a drunken man at rock bottom needed to hear.


    He picked himself up out of the garbage and threw away the bottle he clutched with bruised knuckles, then drunkenly stumbled out of the alley and onto the main street. People looked at him like a pariah¡ªprimarily because he was one. Landon wasn¡¯t that popr or well-known, but the ones who knew him despised him.


    As life did, the recruiting officerughed at Landon¡¯s pitiful qualifications and internally regarded him as someone they could throw to the meat grinder.


    The officer was a noble¡ªsomeone who knew how much more his life mattered than those meant to till thend and grow food to make him fat in his retirement.


    Landon couldn¡¯t read or write, so he didn¡¯t know what kind of contract he had to sign¡ªonly what the officer had told him. He wanted to learn. His wife was his teacher, and he held the passion, but that vanished upon her death.


    It seemed like everything that once made Landon...Landon...had died with her.


    She wouldn¡¯t be proud to see the man he turned out to be¡ªhow the spark of life had vanished from within his orange eyes that bordered on twilight madness.


    Landon grabbed the ticket and left, barely managing to avoid stumbling over his feet as he walked down the cobblestone pathway to the barracks about 50 minutes away. The alluring scent of freshly poured alcohol nearly stopped him, but that fictitious golden-tongued soldier appeared in the corner of his eye.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fall victim to it, my friend,¡± said the guard, extending a hand that wasn¡¯t real. But it felt physical to Landon. He turned his gaze away and continued, finally managing to refuse liquor¡¯s seductive gaze for the first time in three years.


    Maybe this was a start for him?


    Landon still didn¡¯t think so. He had nothing, but that changed after he arrived at the barracks. He shared a room with thirty other ''maggots'' and had to endure basic training for a month. There was a dungeon not too far from the city. It provided the perfect ce to be used to attacking, casting, and killing.


    And...


    Landon was good at it. He surprised himself at how well he took to it, considering he hadn¡¯t ever lifted a sword before. But his strengths were in tactics that surprised his instructors. Hit-and-run strategy wasn¡¯t some new-wave kind of thinking, but no one could pull it off better than a coward who survived by stealing for the past three years.


    Landon was with six others when they had fallen victim to a teleport trap. It took them to a maze on the dungeon¡¯s deepest floor. The enemies¡¯ levels ranged from 20-40, and Landon was the fourth highest at Lv. 9. The only one who knew magic was the young elf with a deformed arm, but her spells were limited.


    Yet he endured on. He didn¡¯t want to disappoint that golden-tongue officer and rallied the others. Together, they used dishonestly and trickery¡ªthe greatest weapons¡ª sending the scissor eagles to fight against the knife hawks that circled overhead. And in their weakness, he struck, dealing the finishing blow when the fatally injured were moments from death. Or hemanded his soldiers to organize pitfall traps while using the elf¡¯s magic to chip away at deadly spikes above.


    It was a rough week. The brass had long since written the group off. They didn¡¯t send a rescue squad since those weaklings were everywhere. One just had to look at the slums to find the ones desperate enough to slit a throat for a handful of copper coins.


    But these seven days changed Landon more than the past three years. He hadn¡¯t gotten to know the others during his first month, but now he did. Some were almost like him¡ªdepraved beggars with nothing else left. A few were younger, yet they looked twice his age. That young elf bore wrinkles, with scabbed wounds and dark bruises, and felt close enough to share her scarred past.


    She had said elves were symbols of grace and beauty, but she was born like this. A gue amongst her family with deformities, and they had tossed her away upon her fifteenth birthday after a healer had said he couldn¡¯t reverse what was etched into her body. Her mother believed it to be a curse, and no one objected to ¡®trying¡¯ again for a better daughter. The girl was still just a child, yet she was thrown to the wayside and had nothing else, so she went for the only option avable to all recluses without anything to their name.


    Mercenary work.


    She was the only one without a spec of orange to her body¡ªValima wasn¡¯t a native of Parthina¡ª but her journey eventually brought her to Atrix for an unrted mission. Afterpleting it, she joined the military to see where it would take her. She had to prove her loyalty, though. On her backid a dark orange scar brought upon by a tainted knife¡ªthe cost outsiders had to pay. And it should¡¯ve marked Valima for life as a foreign mercenary of Atrix, but her body was in so much pain at almost all hours of the day that it wouldn¡¯t be a problem to just...


    ...rip off that section of skin and add another fleshy wound to her collection.


    In her own words, she had said no one would ever love a freak like her. So why not deform her body even more as punishment for being born?


    But Valima secretly yearned for a ce to belong. She would¡¯ve given anything for it. Loneliness was frightening, and she had enough of it for one or two lifetimes.


    Upon sessfully returning to Atrix, Landon was promoted to squad leader and officially given control over the unit he had led to survival. No one expected a bunch of misfits to make it back.


    Throughout the next two years, Landon and his squadron grew and thrived, eventually acquiring three more members after aplishing a rescue mission deep in Tiran¡¯s Crest.


    By that time, he had reached Lv. 35. Valima was Lv. 44¡ªthe highest, and his unit averaged Lv. 38. They weren¡¯t the strongest, but they weren¡¯t the weak misfits they used to be. A few dayster, the forting conflict with Plymoise was officially announced.


    Plymoise was going to be attacked. Atrix had a history of being warthirsty. And some people didn¡¯t want conflict, but what could they do? Lord Atrix ruled with an iron fist, and those who spoke against his barbaric tendencies were thrown in jail, branded, and tossed to the meat grinder to die for the glory of their ruler. The tyrant framed it as a war of reunification since he believed all Plymoise should belong to Atrix.


    The operation was set to begin within the week. Landon¡¯s unit received orders to board one of the seven ships that would bombard Plymoise¡¯s military ports and shipyards with magic and cannonballs.


    There was much to do and many supplies to prepare, and after six days of prepping, Landon finally rxed in his bunk. Exhaustion covered his face. The recent sleepless nights had drained him, but not once had the alluring taste of alcohol¡¯s sweet nectar tempted him. Landon felt a churning in his stomach whenever he thought of booze. And he had even quit smoking.


    He scrolled through his Skill Menu, a mncholy smile stered on his face since he wanted to share this aplishment with his children. But they didn¡¯t want a drunk abuser like him for a father, and they had made their choice a long time ago. Second chances didn¡¯t exist for them after he had scorned them so much.


    Even if he knew what city-state they immigrated to... Landon knew they wouldn¡¯t ept his letters. Nor would they ever forgive him. Only Valima knew the truth behind his past. He didn¡¯t know what she saw in him, and she was perplexed any man would want her to warm their bed or teach them literacy.


    Landon wondered what would¡¯ve happened if he encouraged himself to get out of that slump years prior. Or if he would¡¯ve tried to reach for those who extended helping hands instead of preferring the sweet nectar that slowly turned him into an alcoholic drunk.


    He turned to the right, then tossed to the left. That tightness in his chest never left him until morning came, and he greeted the day and the soldiers under hismand while readying for deployment.


    They each had rucksacks to carry and bags to haul, and even though they were developing a rather unique reputation for achieving cowards, the centralmand didn¡¯t give them horses or wagons.


    But the hard life was what he and his unit specialized in. Fate always kicked them down a few dozen pegs, so he found thebor almost refreshing--something akin to a palette cleanser before the main event left a sour note lingering on his taste buds.


    <hr>


    Landon fixated on the boundless sea, casting a contemtive gaze towards Atrix after night had descended. The distantnd, now obscured from view, left a lingering sense of longing within him. His orange eyes shifted leftward, revealing the presence of two ships. On his right, four more vessels sailed in a disciplined formation, steadfastly navigating toward their destination.


    Each vessel carried 24 fully stocked cannons on each side, and Atrix¡¯s training had told the sailors that each one needed two people to fire as efficiently as possible. And then there were the 24 mages on each ship that wove protective barriers to stop arrows and iing projectiles.


    The ships wererge enough to need three giant masts, and twenty were responsible for steering and controlling the vessels. Only the truly trained and adaptable could handle this task.


    Others were responsible for preparing the food and other misceneous tasks, but everyone was trained and primed forbat.


    In total, nearly 750 would take part in the naval blitzkrieg, and everyone was over Lv.15, with the average across all vessels being Lv. 36. Each wasmanded by a Lv. 55 captain.


    Landon wasn¡¯t worried about anything. He knew 10,000 were marching to Plymoise at the same time. Even if word leaked about their ns, Plymoise''scking resources couldn''t fend off seven fully armed and stocked battleships. The top brass had said the war would be over quicker than it began. The estimated 5-6,000 soldiers Plymoise could raise had to be focused on the frontal assault by Atrix¡¯s main force.


    Once Atrix¡¯s shipsnded at the ports and the soldiers disembarked, the n was to capture the capital building. The mimics, if they had obeyed their orders to the letter, should''ve already killed Gretchen. Landon didn¡¯t know much about that, but he had heard musings of work being done in the shadows behind the scenes to make the conquest as painless as possible. He wasn¡¯t technically a ¡®rank and file¡¯ soldier, but Landon wasn¡¯t privy to the juiciest details.


    And so...


    Days passed out at sea. Unseaworthy soldiers felt queasy and vomited their supper overboard due to the endless nking waves battering against the ships¡¯ hulls.


    Time soon became an aspect of life that everyone had too much of. Patience was always acking virtue, especially before an operation like this. But Landon knew that overbearing stress due to excessive thinking would only be detrimental. Oh, such a thing had nearly cost him his soldiers'' lives on a past mission. And the same sorrow he felt when he looked at the bloody costs of his severe mistakes.


    The man spent much of that time recalling his family. He wondered¡ªno, he knew he wasn¡¯t good enough to make amends with his children. But what if he were to be a famous strategist? One who always aplished his missions with minimal risk and losses? The sword and shield he carried were more decorative than anything else. His real value was the exceptionally unique leadership skills Landon had groomed over the past years. His squadron all received substantial buffs to their physical, dexterous, and magical abilities just by being close to him. And [Mental Coordination] enabled a minor form of thoughtmunication that allowed his squad to read each other''s movements in the flow ofbat to better fight as one cohesive unit.


    <hr>


    Finally, it was the night before they would be within range tounch the initial volley.


    Landon was sitting in a room on the third deck, watching his soldiers perform their final preparations. Empty bowls of oatmeal and hard bread littered the room. Eating more than a serving or two was fine since they¡¯d be restocked in less than 24 hours.


    <i>By this time tomorrow... The city will be ours...</i>


    ¡°My son and I used to talk about battle. He wanted to die a hero¡ªprotecting the innocent and weak from dragons and vile demons,¡± said a man with loose lips. Landon could see thatzy eye amid darkness. The tender, shy moonlight did little to gleam some much-needed brightness through the little porthole that couldn¡¯t be called a window. ¡°But the sickness took him. What else could I do but fulfill his wishes? I want to be the hero he dreamed of being...¡±


    ¡°Aye, dragons, huh?¡± asked a dwarf. He had long orange nails and carefully sharpened his axe¡¯s edge. ¡°Funny ye should say that. I heard it before we left, but rumors circting say we have a drake and hippogriff on our side.¡±


    ¡°Is that really necessary?¡± asked Valima. ¡°We already have the overwhelming advantage. Why reveal cards that are better left hidden?¡±


    ¡°Lord Atrix wants to showcase his overwhelming might,¡± said Landon. He''d heard the same whisperings, but he didn¡¯t pay it much mind.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then why didn¡¯t he send the Citrine Reapers?¡± asked another¡ªa gnome.


    ¡°You mean the group that doesn¡¯t exist?¡± answered the dwarf with another question. Nothing but hazy rumors surrounded that elusive unit.


    Supposedly, they consisted of highly specialized squads so utterly devoted to their lord that nothing else mattered. The nationalism they disyed couldn¡¯t be earned or bought¡ªapparently, it had to be ¡®instilled¡¯ from an early age through brutal training designed to reinforce ultimate loyalty.


    The whispers continued¡ªyou could find them anywhere. One source said their eyes only saw their lord, Gregory Atrix, as the only man whose words they wanted to grace their ears. Everyone else was filthy trash that deserved to be incinerated.


    Landon had heard a rumor that the final step to bing a member of Atrix¡¯s most elusive and feared group of warriors was to kill their family. But he didn¡¯t know if it was hogwash or not. It probably was. Then again, it probably wasn¡¯t. No one would admit to them being real. The details behind the group¡ªif they were tangible¡ªwere potentially only known to Gregory Atrix and a few chosen close allies, let alone someone like Landon, who was so far down the totem pole that he was still treated like amon foot soldier.


    ording to the pervasive gossip, the mark of the Citrine Reapers was more than mere hearsay. Shadowy whispers suggested that each member bore a unique, magical glyph etched onto their flesh ¨C an orange scythe branded with mystical precision¡ªthat only made itself visible under specific circumstances.


    Of course¡­


    Only those involved knew the truth. It was just as likely that the Citrine Reapers were Boogeymen the city had carved to keep the popce in line.


    ¡°I don¡¯t expect us to do all that much,¡± said Landon. He sighed and sat, raising his arms and stretching before rubbing lotion oil on his orange scales. Long ago, histe wife had chastised him for neglecting his scales, and after getting off the booze, Landon took that advice to heart to be a better man. ¡°But don¡¯t think we won¡¯t seebat. If it¡¯s not tomorrow, then it¡¯ll be when we turn our fangs against the other city-states.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re probably right, squad leader,¡± Valima said. ¡°But what¡¯s the n when Orchta sends a Heptarchis summon?¡±


    ¡°We aren¡¯t paid to think that far ahead,¡± warned the dwarf. ¡°Let the brass figure it out. Ye and I should obey orders and do what we¡¯re told.¡±


    The other members nodded and agreed, but Valima wasn¡¯t so convinced. However, she had thrown her lot in with this group. Cowardice was her definitive trait, but it was one she wanted to get rid of.


    Things hadn¡¯t been awkward since she warmed Landon¡¯s bed. A woman like her would¡¯ve thought she¡¯d have severe regrets and run away, even if it meant facing death due to going AWOL.


    But no.


    Being with him and the others had stirred certain feelings within her breast that she hadn¡¯t felt years before falling into that teleportation trap. It took many weeks of internal deliberation, but she finally had an answer once she had willingly felt the pleasures of a woman.


    It wouldn¡¯t be so bad to remain with them. In Valima''s eyes, she didn¡¯t know any other ce that would ept a misfit like her the way Landon did.


    Even now, she felt a warm blush assail her cheeks whenever she looked at his tail. Or his face. Or his scales. Really, any part of him almost caused her to blush like a schoolgirl having her first crush.


    ¡°Do you think Plymoise will surrender? This loss of life is...needless. Only fools would fight in the face of certain defeat,¡± inquired a Caterpirfolk with orange antennae.


    ¡°Plymoise isn¡¯t known for bearing substantial military might. They barely have enough soldiers to be called an army. And theyck a proper navy,¡± said another¡ªa Cowfolk with orange horns.


    ¡°And I¡¯ve heard they¡¯ve been having supply issues since Holy Lord Gloria went off the deep end.¡±


    ¡°Supply issues? What ominous timing.¡±


    ¡°Are you suggesting Lord Atrix nned this with Lord Gloria¡¯s fit of madness?¡± asked the dwarf.


    ¡°Possibly,¡± answered the Cowfolk. ¡°But I doubt it. I think the stars aligned, and Lord Atrix and General ckthorn decided to go ahead of schedule.¡±


    ¡°Interesting.¡± Landon jumped into the conversation. ¡°Why do you think that? It costs time, money, and resources to amass the force Lord Atrix has gathered. It¡¯s unthinkable to assume that he has some agreement with a Holy Lord with no reason to care.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, captain, but¡­ Doesn¡¯t something feel off?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s called nervousness. It happens. It always does before a big mission. You''ll learn to ept it in time, but it¡¯s good you¡¯re feeling it.¡±


    ¡°Great, here¡¯s another lecture¡ª¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re damn right it is,¡± interrupted Landon. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ever allow confidence to overshadow what you¡¯re capable of. Assume the worst and pray for the best.¡±


    ¡°And the worst is¡­us losing this naval battle...because Plymoise has an answer? Maybe word of the n has leaked?¡±


    Landon nodded. ¡°But you must also usemon sense. I could say that the worst case is a goddess descending from the heavens in a ze of hellfire, but do you think one would purposely choose this specific moment to incarnate?¡±


    The Cowfolk went quiet.


    ¡°Just be ready for Plymoise¡¯s navy to put up a fight. Remember our training. Valima, I want your spells at the ready if we encounter them. Target the waterline with mes with our barriers descend. The idea is to smoke them into surrendering.¡±


    ¡°Understood, squad leader.¡±


    ¡°We aren¡¯t killing?¡± The dwarf grumbled and returned to polishing his axe.


    ¡°If ites to it. Indiscriminately killing when there¡¯s no need when we¡¯re nning to upy a city-state is a fast way to cause an insurrection. There¡¯s bound to be a few, but let¡¯s not give them fuel to add to the growing fire of rebellion. Extinguishing them is the hard part. That''s our primary objective once we control the capital building.¡±


    ¡°Aye, I suppose you have a point,¡± growled the dwarf. Landon internally sighed. His soldiers were enough. He enjoyed leading them. It gave him a purpose in life since he felt like this was what he was made for.


    Really, everything had changed for the better once that golden-tongue recruiter was given false life by his mind¡¯sst attempt to save him from suicide via alcohol poisoning. It wasn''t all sunshine and rainbows, but it made him sober.


    It made him stronger.


    The luster of his scales had returned!


    His heart had found someone who epted his sins and wrongdoings and still understood how much he had changed from who he used to be.


    Landon stood and announced he was getting some fresh air. A gnomeined about the salty breeze and whined about how it made his skin feel, but Landon found the sensation tickling.


    He left and shut the door, but Valima slipped out behind him.


    ¡°Care for somepany?¡± she yfully asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s better than being alone,¡± he said, his heart thumping. There were about 110 others on the ship, but most were busy. Only the scouts and night watchers would be awake thiste, so they had free run of the deck.


    Very little was said as they stared at the bright blue yonder, but Valima broke the silence bymenting on how beautiful the moon was.


    ¡°It was much like this when I was born,¡± she softly whispered. Her ears slightly twitched up and down. ¡°The ship had sailed gently throughout the evening as Mother pushed me into this world. And her gaze¡­ Her scornful look upon my deformities.¡± Valima lifted the arm that had been the catalyst for so much hatred. Landon surprised her when he took it in his hands and carefully rubbed it.


    ¡°Then I shall rece it,¡± he said. ¡°You know I won¡¯t look at you like that. I merely see a beautiful woman. One who¡¯s been there for me. I¡¯ll ask for a break once we''re done here. They¡¯ve been working us hard, and we haven¡¯t failed a mission yet.¡±


    ¡°If¡­only I¡¯ve met you sooner.¡±


    Landon¡­wondered about that life. His heart belonged to his daughters. He loved them so much and desperately wished for a chance to reconcile. And his wife¡­ Valima knew all about her. She was the one who had asked to visit her grave, and Landon left her alone to speak her peace after they arrived at the twilit sanctuary. The skies were halfway between dawn and dusk.


    There, she had told his wife that Landon was a man with a heavy heart. She knew a part of him died when she passed on to the afterlife and knew she couldn¡¯t rece her. ¡°But I wish to help mend the hole,¡± she had said, kneeling, touching her good hand to the grave. ¡°He¡¯s been tormented for so long. I cannot rece the love, nor do I expect him to forget about you. I...want to reforge the connection between father and children... He often speaks of being a grandfather. He wishes to make amends... About everything. He¡¯s been using his pay to offset the damages from when he had to steal to survive.¡±


    With a quick shake of her head, Valima left the world of her memories and returned to the present, only to be whisked away to the future she wished to have. She felt the phantom sensation of a child growing in her womb, then imagined the agonizingbor all women were said to endure, and then...


    There they were...


    A child of her own...wrapped in a nket¡­held in her arms¡­


    A child that, ording to her mother, would never exist because no one could love an Elven disgrace like her who went against the Elven ts of grace and beauty.


    And Valima believed that for years¡ªdecades, even. But Valima¡¯s mother was wrong.


    <i>That future... I¡¯ll grasp it... And I¡¯ll never let it go.</i>


    The two shared a longing look for what still awaited them in their twilight years, refusing to think about the immediate concern that was their lifespan. Lizardfolk lived longer than humans¡ªgranted¡ªbut they couldn¡¯t outage the long-lived elf. Even if they weren''t immune to time advances like the fantastical High Elf or Dark Elf, centuries could still pass them by without growing wrinkles.


    It was a tale as old as time¡ªone that always had a stark message behind it. But love wasplex. It was difficult to understand, and anyone to imed to have deduced its mysteries was a liar.


    The two lovebirds eventually returned to their barracks and joined the others, most of whom had fallen asleep to the rocky motions of a ship at sea.


    Night eventually turned to day, marking the beginning of a new period in Atrix¡¯s history.


    <hr>


    The morning was spent doing the final prep, although once they saw a handful of approaching ships, the captains ordered their soldiers to take battle positions. Commanders and squad leaders continued to bark orders as each ship¡¯s deck turned chaotic for an hour or two.


    Archers found themselves at the ready, their bows in a low-ready position. A mage stood behind them and weaved a spell to enchant their projectiles in deadly mes.


    ¡°Perhaps they¡¯ll reconsider once they see a ship or two go up in mes?¡± asked the gnome. He stood near Landon with his daggersfortably sheathed on his hips.


    ¡°We can only hope for their sake,¡± replied his leader. Landon felt a queasy pressure behind his heart. It often never meant anything, and he chalked it up to that nervousness he mentioned the previous night. Landon believed that if someone didn¡¯t feel it, they were broken and needed help, and he never wanted to get that far gone. And perhaps...


    That was a potential destination had he not found the will to continue living and try to make something of himself. If he hadn¡¯t found Valima and the others who looked at him as their squadron leader.


    ¡°Do you remember the n?¡± Landon looked at his squad, but then his eyes perceived something strange. He clearly saw Plymoise in the far distance. Their destination was right there.


    But the smoke...


    The foggy haziness clouding the air...


    It was...far too much for a single drake to make. Even a couple dozen couldn¡¯t hope to corrupt skies in such a way.


    ¡°WHAT DID YOU SAY?!¡± Suddenly, the captain of Landon''s ship shouted at an owl-like familiar.


    Landon saw them arrive hours earlier. The mages on the front lines had sent them to the ships to serve asmunication beacons to ry what was happening to the main force.


    ¡°What the hell do you mean a lion has taken out our drakes?!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just what I said, sir! There¡¯s a lion! It¡¯s covered in mes! The demon¡¯s devouring us! No, wait?! What¡ªNO.... NOOOOOOO!! YOU MUST SAIL AWAY! DON¡¯T EVEN TRY TO FIGHT¡ªAHHHHHHHHH¡ª¡± The line went dead as the panicked, high-pitched voice ceased, and the familiar immediately died. It wasn¡¯t a spirit or demon, so it couldn''t sustain itself after its creator¡¯s death.


    An uneasy silence reigned supreme over the ship. The same nervousness and fear spread to the other boats as the familiars assigned to them promptly died, although each gave a little more information before brutally perishing.


    Immediately, the seven captains called for a meeting and convened on Landon¡¯s ship. Trying to downy what had happened wouldn¡¯t work. Word quickly spread.


    After exchanging information, they deduced someone had summoned a mad, terrifying demon from the Demon Realm.


    The lion exuded immense power, resembling hellfire bestowed with vitality¡ªa living embodiment of fiery strength and an untamed source of awe.


    ¡°It can create ming meteorites, andmon weaponry can¡¯t brush past its mes,¡± said Captain Monroe. His wings nervously fluttered. The great axe resting on his back seemed like a toy. He knew spirits and demons were powerful, but to call forth one that was this strong? "Magic can''t get close enough to harm it. It...seems unkible."


    ¡°...¡±


    No one could speak. The thought of Plymoise having something like this never crossed their minds. The spies they had sent into the city never mentioned this. But one of the captains¡ªa man with a rhino horn and three eyes¡ªsaw a silver lining.


    ¡°A demon or spirit can¡¯t use their strongest attacks forever,¡± he said, crossing his thick arms. ¡°It¡¯ll drain its summoner¡¯s reservoir once it runs out of mana.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t think there¡¯s another summoner in waiting?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± the Rhinofolk turned to Captain Monroe. ¡°Summons that powerful are rare. I¡¯m not sure why a summoner of their caliber is here, but there cannot be more than one.¡± The Rhinofolk¡¯s confidence wasn¡¯t backed by anything except faith, hope, and silent prayers. The salty sea air clung to his armor and almost betrayed his hardened gaze.


    ¡°You think they would unleash a show of force to get our army to back off,¡± said another captain with long, orange air with spikes jutting from his cheeks-- he was a Hedgehogfolk. ¡°But there¡¯s just the one. I believe you¡¯re right. That lion is their trump card, and once it runs out of mana, they won¡¯t have anything left. They wish to break us and get us to leave with our tail between our legs.¡±


    The meeting quickly ended, and the captains returned to their ships tomand their soldiers. While they didn¡¯t fear a mutiny, they needed to regain morale and ensure their warriors that the Goddess of Victory was on their side¡ªthat Atrix would emerge victorious¡ªthat they couldn¡¯t let the lives of the fallen go to waste.


    They needed to break through the ships opposing them and reach their target. The fight would be over once they held the capital building. It wasn¡¯tmon knowledge, but the captains knew Lady Plymoise was dead. The mimics they sent in were perfect¡ªthe best ones Atrix could buy with money. And expensive, too, but they could function as well as any humanoid and fluently speak themon tongue. And their mannerisms were a dead ringer for whoever they reced.


    But their words did little to console their soldiers. Some felt at ease, but Landon...


    He tried not to show it, but he feared the worst. Praying for the best felt like a foolish endeavor.


    The uneasy crew couldn¡¯t do anything but wait for their battle to begin.


    And wait they did, with bated breaths and unsteady hands that kept a sweaty grip on their weapons. The smoke they saw in the distance continued to grow. A few hopefuls wondered if a mage would use their wind magic to swirl the smoke away, but that never happened in the time they spent waiting.


    And then...


    The opposing forces were close enough to see vividly with the naked eye, and the Atrix''s mages were preparing for the initial assault. Their targets would be within range in just 600 seconds¡ªswiftly approaching in less time than it took to prepare a modest breakfast.


    Valima, with her excellent eyesight, looked through her brass spyss and ryed what she saw.


    ¡°A... A High Elf?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± she said, answering Landon¡¯s confused question. ¡°She¡¯s ying a flute. It looks like the captain...is giving a speech?¡±


    ¡°What about their morale?¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t seem afraid.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they believe they hold the advantage. Can you tell anything from the elf?¡±


    Valima shook her head. ¡°A few ns are known for their musical prowess. It¡¯s faint, but I can hear an angelic grace from her instrument.¡± The elf kept watching and rying what she saw. ¡°Her weapon reminds me of a firearm. But High Elves aren¡¯t known to use them. That¡¯s more of a Dark Elf preference, so...¡±


    And then panic dominated her voice when that High Elf turned to face the seven ships barreling towards them. ¡°She¡¯s ying...and... [Wooden Puppetry]? Does she n to... But we¡¯re still too far away!¡± Valima shouted. She watched as the High Elf and her puppets retrieved the rifles on their backs. They raised them towards the skies as the firearms manifested the living embodiment of me and fire.


    ¡°Get away...¡±


    ¡°What? What are¡ª¡±


    ¡°WE NEED TO LEAVE!¡± Valima shouted. Landon was shocked. He had never seen Valima act like this. She always kept it together when things looked dire. For her to be like this...meant that...


    ¡°WATCH OUT!!¡± The scout high on the crow¡¯s screamed. In the clear, nearly cloudless skies of a noonday sun, the fiery beams sted from the firearms ascended like ethereal serpents, catching the sunlight as they soared. The serpentine mes became a cascading, fiery rain with a thunderous explosion. The individual droplets seemed like miniatureets, leaving trails of embers that painted a surreal picture against the pristine blue canvas overhead.


    Four of the seven ships were targeted, their decks bing consumed by a mighty congration that was too fast and ferocious. Valima grabbed Landon¡¯s hand and yanked him away from the me¡¯s initial path. Six of his teammates were able to get out of the way, but two perished amongst the inferno, their screams raw and unfiltered as their nerves were scorched.


    Immtion was always a painful way to go, but there must be a silver lining. If the High Elf was the demon''s summoner, she shouldn¡¯t have had much mana left. To sustain something that powerful while pushing her magic to the limit...while also fueling that lion¡¯s spells...


    Even splitting her strength into quarters tounch a four-prong attack...


    That didn¡¯te cheap.


    Landon was so sure that Plymoise didn¡¯t have a way to fend off a sustained assault that they chose to try to overwhelm them with a devastating first strike.


    But it wouldn¡¯t work.


    But the orange Lizardfolk also felt as if Atrix had awoken a beast that was better left alone. To disturb its slumber or attract its ire like a cub wishing to pester its mother.


    Even still, Landon had faith. The future he and Valima had imagined for themselves was still something they could grasp. It wasn¡¯t out of their reach.


    And wasn¡¯t he a master of getting out of tight spots? No one was a better survivalist than a coward who had to scrounge and steal to support his awful habits. And with his experience as squadronmander, who repeatedly returned alive with minimal injuries or losses from missions that no one else wanted to ept?


    Landon used his leadership abilities and buffed his squadron, then began to bark orders.


    ¡°Get it together!¡± he shouted. ¡°[Inspiring Aura]!¡± A soft azure glow radiated from Landon¡¯s body and spread throughout the ship, instilling everyone with courage. ¡°We need to focus! Fetch the pails! Put out the fire! Mages, I want you to set up our barriers!¡±


    Valima immediately conjured a sphere of water andunched it into the sky, where it broke apart and rained upon the ming deck. It wasn¡¯t enough, but sailors had quickly fetched their water pails and used their teamwork to extinguish the devouring mes. They had suffered losses, though. The wood was already scorched ck. The people he had known were turned into ash and swept away by the breeze.


    The time for mourning and crying couldeter.


    But the seven ships were still too far away to fire. Their magic wouldn¡¯t reach. Arrows would crash into the salty sea. Turning the battleships hard to port or starboard would open them to additional attacks¡ªeven if their cannons could reach that far.


    They had to hope and pray that the High Elf was out of mana and attacks.


    Landon looked at the three other ming ships-- the inferno was still going strong. Suddenly, Valima grabbed his arm and told him to look.


    And there...


    They were...


    The High Elf and her wooden puppets had grown wings! They were quickly flying towards Landon¡¯s ship.


    Valima lifted her staff and changed, summoning sharp des of electrified winds that shot out towards the iing enemies. The archers regrouped and readied their bows with shaky hands. The mages behind stuttered butpleted the chant to bless the arrows with fire.


    ¡°FIRE!¡± shouted the ship¡¯s captain, spit spewing from his mouth. He was unsteady, but he had already recovered from the surprise attack.


    The hailstorm of ming projectilesunched towards the iing High Elves, but they flew fast and quickly and...


    ...effortlessly avoided it all...


    It was like they could spot the gaps in the barrages. Valima¡¯s [Lightning Wind de] bombardment was cut down after the High Elf switched that rifle for a ck spear. She turned it back into the gun and continued elerating, keeping low to the ocean with her wooden puppets until they reached the hull. They soared skyward and hovered like angels of death, four rifles pointed at their enemies.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    <i>Bang!</i>


    <i>Bang!</i>


    <i>Bang!</i>


    All four fired at once, sending a round through four of Landon¡¯s soldiers¡¯ heads¡ªthey just happened to be the weakest.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    <i>Bang!</i>


    The next four gunshots sounded as two, with the gnome and Cowfolk receiving two bullets each to their forehead, killing them instantly.


    It all happened so incredibly quickly. But Landon perceived it in slow motion.


    This...


    This was it.


    His life was really shing throughout his mind. Landon saw it all¡ªhis first kiss... His marriage... The first fight... The first time he held his children... Holding his wife¡¯s hand on her deathbed...


    There...was noing out of this alive. That golden-tongue officer¡ªthe figment of his mind that saved him oh so long ago... He would not make an appearance in his final moment.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    Four bullets sounded as one and delved into Valima¡¯s brain, instantly killing her.


    And he knew he was to follow.


    And Landon felt...oddly calm. He wasn¡¯t fearing it like he thought he would.


    Maybe because he wasn¡¯t dying alone. That was his biggest fear. There was a difference between dying as a drunk under a pile of filth in the slums behind a bar that kicked him out for stealing¡ªwith no one who cared about his life¡ªor passing into the afterlife with friends and lovers by his side so they could enter the cycle of reincarnation together.


    But could Landon be proud of his life?


    If someone had asked him years ago, he¡¯d have said no.


    But...


    He was content.


    He had regrets, of course.


    He never reconciled with his daughters. And his death would be a boon to them. It would eventually reach them. Landon didn¡¯t know how, but it would, and they wouldn¡¯t have to fear him finding them. To them, he was an irredeemable monster without any good qualities. Their father had died with their mother, and the abusive monster he became was someone they didn¡¯t know or love.


    And then there was Valima. She dreamed of being a mother, but some fantasies would never be fulfilled.


    But Landon still hoped he would meet her in the next life. He wished that his wife and Valima would get along. He wanted to make the two of them the happiest women in the world, but would fate allow it to happen?


    <i>Bang!</i>


    Landon¡¯s brain stopped working long before he could think that far ahead. Skull fragments exploded from the back of his head as he slumped lifelessly to the ground. Smoke erupted from the firearms¡¯ well-used barrels, seemingly seeing him to the afterlife.


    His life, Valima¡¯s life, and the lives of his team were just one me that Atrix¡¯s cruel conquest for war had extinguished long before they were ready.


    Everyone had a story.


    And on that day...


    The day of the futile naval assault to take out Plymoise¡¯s capital building and ports...


    Atrix would lose over 750 soldiers at sea.


    There would not be any survivors.

 Chapter Seventy-Nine: Atrix Bound (Illustrations!)

    Chapter Seventy-Nine: Atrix Bound (Illustrations!)


    I had around 8 hours before meeting with Verdant, and I chose to use that time by spending it with my family. Irisa especially. God, her world had been twisted upside down, thrown to the wolves, set on fire, and tossed into the sea.


    But she was strong. Once the danger was over, she went back to training with Dad. Mom, I, and the members of Pawsome Fables were outside in the courtyard. I had briefed them on mytest mission to infiltrate Atrix.


    Oddly enough, Irisa was much calmer. She told me to be safe, of course, but she knew this was something I could handle. Seeing her sister train so hard got Erin in the mood, so I sparred with her for a few.


    <i>I got humbled a thousand times when I first trained with Dad. But my body feels so adjusted¡­ The SP I spent after killing Oswell¡¯s group is kicking in. I can feel the improvements down to my toes.</i>


    To warm up, I sped through the basics of the Iron Tree Stance Dad taught me with Kronto. The moves flowed together more wlessly than before. He didn¡¯t have to whistle to get me back on track. Dad was still my better in every way¡ªsomething demonstrated when I challenged him to a match. Even with my increased speed, he was there to meet my thrusts and swipes with counters reinforced by his strength, knocking me to my ass.


    Dad was just... He was just so amazing...


    Erin joined in. Spending time with us like this was good for her nerves. I was broken, so perhaps I didn¡¯t feel what everyone else felt after sheltering during a genuine battle.


    Was Mom scared? Did Dad fear the worst? What about Chax and Ginnie? They lived through something frightening and harrowing, so did the potential thought of an invading army swirl up memories that were best forgotten?


    ¡­


    What about the town? It was almost pandemonium when Gretchen sent her messengers through the streets, telling them to seek shelter. Women and children running and screaming to get to their houses. The town became eerily quiet in almost no timeas the menfolk gathered their weapons and prepared for a potential siege.


    How long would it take to go back to normal? Just when would the town feel like a town again? When would the citizens feel safe enough to think of Plymoise as their home, not a grave?


    I didn¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t have any experience in that type of stuff.


    And I also didn¡¯t have any experience in perceiving mana. After spending more time with Erin, I went to Niva¡¯s room. Primrose answered, and I strolled in to take a seat beside her. Tris had already informed them about me leavingter tonight.


    ¡°Okay, it¡¯s time. I¡¯ve already bought and upgraded [Mana Perception] to Lv. 3. [Mana Language] is at Lv. 2. I don¡¯t have much SP left. If you can teach me how to use it, I can have my clones work on leveling them up.¡±


    ¡°Yes! Mistress, it works like this.¡± Niva chanted, and in the spot where her other eye should have been was a vibrant-colored magic circle. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Suddenly, she reached a hand to my head and then touched my cheeks. A few fingers went to my ears, and then she sweetly smiled. ¡°You¡¯re beautiful, Mistress. This is the first time I¡¯ve seen your face. You look so strong¡­it¡¯s just like what I''d imagined."


    ¡°Thank you, Niva. That¡¯s sweet.¡±


    It was time to start. ¡°I must chant, but you should only have to think it.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I did. My vision went white.¡±


    ¡°The angle of viewing is too open, Lord Springfield.¡± Primrose crouched and ced a hand over my right eye. ¡°Do you feel my fingers? I''m making a squeezing motion. Try to replicate that.¡± The spirit told me Lei was sitting to my right, so I pictured that odd feeling and focused. The stark whiteness¡­almost left?


    I felt it getting hazier, kind of, and weaker. After an hour, I said it reminded me of staring into a white room with white lights.


    ¡°No¡­ Not like that. Focus on my fingertips. Summoner?¡±


    ¡°Mistress, umm¡­ Can I see your hand?¡± I said she could. Niva drew a circle on my palm. Then she made another one, except it was smaller. And then another even smaller one. ¡°Don¡¯t try to close the angle at once. It won¡¯t work. Go slowly. Umm¡­ Think of it like you¡¯re squinting.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a better way of putting it. Squint, Lord Springfield, but avoid moving your ¡®eye.¡¯ [Mana Perception] works by imnting a magic circle that converts mana to the visible spectrum. Fine-tune the circle. However, I¡¯m sure it''s different for other people. You are a Soul Warrior, so I cannot be sure that the same rules apply to you. You¡¯re also a chimera, so that may change things.¡±


    I knew the mechanics behind it. But putting them into motion?


    I opened a [Skyview] window on myself and observed the magic circle over my right eye. I thought seeing it from an outsider¡¯s perspective would help¡­


    And it did? Squinting without squinting was difficult. But as the afternoon turned to dusk, I was still stuck.


    Tris knocked on the door earlier and said dinner was almost done. The n was to eat with the family before meeting Verdant at the ministry.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t be discouraged!¡± Niva said, pointing at Lei as the slime jumped around the room. She was proficient enough to track it, so she trained like this.


    ¡°I have [Eyes of the Huntress]. Think that might have something to do with it?¡±


    ¡°It could be,¡± Primrose said, putting a finger to her chin. ¡°Susize Vredi had it, yes? I¡¯m sure she essed its full potential. Didn¡¯t you say you unlocked¡­ What¡¯d you call it? A ¡®zoom¡¯ feature?¡± I nodded and said it was like looking through a telescope or a spyss.


    Primrose manipted her vines and used [Minor Heal] on herself, but only Niva saw the warm glow of mana.


    It was still nothing for me.


    But I wasn¡¯t discouraged¡­


    It was gettingte. Before heading off, I enjoyed a quick dinner in the dining hall. Everyone escorted me to the lobby when it was time to leave. Delouise carried four wrapped lunches and thanked me profusely for protecting Plymoise. He said his family had lived here for multiple generations. Having it meet a brutal, violent end while he ran it would stain his family¡¯s legacy. He didn¡¯t know how he would ever face his ancestors in the afterlife if this failure marked his soul.


    He was¡­as close as you could get without crying. He really was a nice fellow. As kind as you could get while being totally respectful of this strangeness I brought with me everywhere I went. The same went for the maids and butlers. Green eyes, grassy freckles, and emerald scales looked at me like I was a heroine. They thanked me for my service throughout the day.


    Surtr was already outside waiting to take me to the ministry, so after one final round of hugs, kisses, and head pats, it was time to leave.


    But I told Irisa I wanted to talk with her about something important when I returned. She just nodded and said okay before wishing me well two more times.


    <hr>


    ¡°Verdant, let me pick your mind for a bit." I looked at my travelingpanion. We were walking down the ¡®road¡¯ with nothing but silence, night, and a bunch of brown, dry, dusty rock. The Forest Elf wore the same outfit-- only the green parts were colored orange.


    Before we left, Verdant helped me pick out an outfit to rece mine since we were infiltrating a city-state. I wished I had that ck outfit I got at Susize¡¯s mansion, but it was destroyed. Until now, I had worn the outfit Susize wore when attending diplomatic functions, although the specific look was recreated bybining garments from her, By, Reina, and Yaekira.


    However, I reced that with an orange dress that shimmered like the sun when light hit it, which matched my eye and hair color. Under it, I wore a ck shirt with long sleeves. A ck and orange belt wrapped around my waist. Orange bootspleted the outfit. I tried to wear regr boots, but Susize must¡¯ve worn heels nearly all day because nothing else felt right, so we were dyed for a few minutes while I swapped them for a pair with heels.


    Spoiler


    [copse]


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I follow, Lord Springfield.¡±


    ¡°You can call me M.¡± I pointed to my orange hair. She thought it was an illusion spell. I wouldn''t correct her. I asked her about [Mana Perception]. She knew of the skill and had it, and she showed it to me once I asked.


    Instead of the magic circle appearing outside the eye¡ªoveyed on top¡ªit was etched into her iris. It was smaller, too. I activated mine and asked for her help in using it.


    Verdant didn¡¯t need to say what she thought because her face betrayed her. She wondered how a High Elf¡ªone who seemed so powerful¡ªstruggled with something so easy?


    She said visualizing mana came to her because she was born a Forest Elf. How ironic an elf of the forest was born in this dry, barrenndscape. But she said she picked up on it early in her childhood. It came to her as easy as breathing. ¡°But your situation is unique, Lord¡ªM. It¡¯s unheard of.¡±


    ¡°I never had¡­the chance to dance and y in Vredi Forest. I don¡¯t remember it much. And I was cast out from Springfield Forest in no time at all. You could say I¡¯m a human pretending to be a High Elf¡ªthat these long ears are just for show. But I¡¯ve epted that. I can¡¯t turn back time and change how I was treated. Nor do I want to. At least I have [Eyes of the Huntress].¡±


    More lies.


    Verdant eximed that was the key. [Eyes of the Huntress] was a powerful skill, granting many effects without needing five or six different skills to achieve the same thing. I could see in the dark, zoom in, and track fast moving objects. Dad¡¯s strikes were more easily trackable¡ªI noticed that when we trained. But that was only 3 effects out of¡­I didn¡¯t even know how many.


    Verdant hinted that [Mana Perception] couldbine with [Eyes of the Huntress]. As we walked to our resting spot, she guided me through the same troubleshooting Niva and Primrose did. It really was like an adjustable shlight. The problem wasn¡¯t understanding the mechanics of how it worked.


    It was doing the damn thing. Mypanion tried to help for six hours, but by the time we reached a part of thend that had cracked and shifted to take shelter inside a hidden, hollowed chamber...


    We hadn¡¯t progressed an inch.


    Verdant retrieved a wrapped sandwich from the backpack she brought with her, then poured a hot drink from a bottle into a traveling cup attached to it. It smelled sweet, like tea.


    She offered food, but I said I had already eaten. I asked another question.


    ¡°[Mana Language]? Yes, I have it. I don¡¯t know any ice magic, but I¡¯m a practitioner of [Wind Magic].¡± She chanted and used the rather weak spell after I asked her¡­but it was tranted¡­by my newly acquired [Mana Language]. ¡°Ventus Pulsus, tus Firmus, Per Palma Emissus, Aeris Vortex!¡± From her outstretched palms came a solid ball of wind. It sted from her hand and smacked into the wall, making a sudden, sharp noise before dispersing.


    ¡°I trust you¡¯ve realized the secret behind chanting? Thenguage one uses to cast spells differs from person to person. It¡¯s always rted to something they feel strongly about. For me? It¡¯s my Elven heritage. I¡¯m proud of my blood. Inyman¡¯s terms, this is what it means to me. By elven bond and harmony profound, I weave enchantments, the air¡¯s essence unbound. With ancient words, carried on zephyr¡¯s flight, I cast [Wind st], a tempest of might!¡±


    I wanted to make a few clones and put them to work learning the spell. Unfortunately, [Wooden Puppetry] didn¡¯t work like that. The experience they earned didn¡¯t transfer to the caster.


    So, I practiced alone, with Verdant watching while she ate.


    Soon, it was time to sleep the day away to continue our nightly journey to Atrix. I stopped practicing, but Verdant said she could sleep through the noise.


    And so?


    I kept the training up. But I did use clones after Verdant was sound asleep. They marched outside this hollow chamber and got to work. I only stopped to refill my mana and biomass when it was low. [Mana Regeneration] was getting a workout, but it never leveled up.


    I¡¯d probably have to find a ce of pure mana¡ªmaybe some mystical spring? My regeneration would kick into overdrive if I was there. It could have outpaced the drain, giving me unlimited mana.


    I canceled my clones an hour before Verdant woke for breakfast. An entire night¡¯s progress had passed me, and I wasn¡¯t close to manually acquiring [Wind Magic] or [Wind st].


    Once I acquired the former, seven spells would be at my disposal because the wind spells I gained from assimtion were stored within it. That was another reason why chimera grew stronger exponentially.


    <em>And I don¡¯t need the chant to use it after I cast a spell for the first time¡­ That¡¯s super useful. Once I get enough root words, Tris can make spells for me.</em>


    Verdant asked if I remained awake, and I nodded, saying sleep did very little for me. When asked if it was rted to me being a High Elf, it was easier to remain silent and nod, which prompted her to speak of the future.


    Every elf wanted to be a High Elf or a Dark Elf, and Verdant wasn¡¯t different. She was born a Forest Elf, so the only option avable was those two. Whereas if she were a regr elf, there would be about two dozen evolutions for her to work towards. Fate yed a role in her being born without having a choice. Verdant admitted to me that, while rare, you could find elves or dwarves suffering at being alive as an evolved species that didn¡¯t match their feelings. She used an Ice Elf who felt disgusted at how he understood life as an example. This elf never felt safe or satisfied in his body and wished to change himself.


    But he couldn¡¯t.


    You couldn¡¯t regress to the first stage of evolution and try a different approach. This inability to respect himself¡­ Verdant didn¡¯t want to exin further, but her cryptic words hinted that this elf wandered into a volcanic region and forcibly tried to adapt to the environment.


    He died alone, afraid, and angry.


    Verdant shared a personal fear with me. She¡­was afraid to evolve¡ªafraid to change. She didn¡¯t know what it entailed to undergo something that drastic. Being a Forest Elf was all she had ever known. And she loved Plymoise. If nothing else, she wanted to further devote herself to her city-state¡ªto see it thrive for the decades toe.


    Her dedication was remarkable. As we packed up and left to start on the second leg of this journey, she timidly asked me more questions about how life worked as a High Elf.


    I wasn¡¯t the best authority on that¡ªfor obvious reasons¡ªyet I did my best. Verdant promised to help me with [Eyes of the Huntress] and [Mana Perception].


    <hr>


    While the journey ahead of us wasn¡¯t overly challenging, it still took longer than we would have liked. Not because we strictly traveled at night, under the blossoming glow of the moonlight, but because we kept running into hidden camps. When the Atrixian army retreated, they left little bases behind. The unlit pyres behind them? They were to ignite them if they saw Plymoise¡¯s approaching army. Then the next hidden camp would light theirs, and so on, and so on.


    We had first encountered them during our second night of traveling¡ªonly a handful of minutes aftering to the first vige Atrix had scorched to the ground. The dead were left rotting in the elements, and the livestock were butchered. The homes were little more than cinders. Verdant¡­ She lost it. The Forest Elf copsed to her knees and mourned the dead with eyes slick with heavy, angry tears while her face took this grimace.


    She detested the bastards. Verdant was close to a few soldiers who had perished in the skirmish, and she often visited the viges along this route when it was time to meet with her spies.


    My sharp eyes had seen movement in the distance, and I sent my ¡®spirit birds,¡¯ as Verdant called them, to investigate.


    When I told her what I saw, her face took a look of revenge, and as a woman dictated by my utter hatred of a Holy Lord and her shitty little Soul Warriors, I felt obligated to end the lives of these miserable wretches.


    However, wiping out the scouting parties offered two opportunities I couldn¡¯t pass up.


    Fighting with my Soul Weapon naturally helped me unlock additional abilities and weapons.


    By using the zooming feature of [Eyes of the Huntress] and [Mana Perception] simultaneously, Verdant theorized it was possible I could somehow trigger an upgrade to the former to allow me the ability of thetter. The problem was this: using [Mana Perception] in the untrained state turned my vision stark white. Verdant¡¯s assistance was greatly needed to help keep my aim centered on my targets. To ensure they would die in one shot, I used [Ira Ignis] to enhance my me skills, charged [Fireball] with [Chimeric Armatization], and used my newly acquired lightning enchantment to give me a boost with my rifle. I had to be quick because using those drained my mana, biomass, and soul energy. Verdant was taken aback by my ming horns, but it was something she just epted.


    No. If it meant the Atrixian scum would die, Verdant was happy¡­


    <i>I could probably tell her I¡¯m a chimera, and she¡¯d appreciate the help of a ¡®monster¡¯ to kill her enemies. But I won¡¯t. It¡¯s not worth it.</i>


    Without fail, and when it was time to leave after wiping out a camp, I secretly left behind a clone to assimte the ashy corpses. Sure, the fodder was weak. Almost too useless since most weren¡¯t even Lv. 25, but it was better than nothing.


    And the viges¡­ The dead were dead, and I ensured a clone assimted the burnt corpses¡­


    I didn¡¯t really care much about letting them rest in a grave.


    Gunfire? Yes, it was loud, but in the barren wilderness, the wild animals and monsters roamed, howled, yelped, and growled. The sharp crackle of gunshots wasn¡¯t that out of the ordinary because simr sounds were heard.


    During these nights, Tris kept in touch. She couldn¡¯t handle [Skyview] or any other ability, but her voice was weed. I still had ess, but everything took so long to do that it reminded me of when I first awoken [Biological AI].


    Tris also mentioned Gretchen was performing funerals for the soldiers who died in the skirmish. My family paid their respects, and the city¡¯s inhabitants worked together to dig the graves. Burial rites here involved giving the deceased something green to hold. It signified a piece of the Vestige would follow their loved ones into the afterlife to keep them safe and sound. Being put to rest without one was only reserved for heinous criminals and enemybatants.


    Likewise, the other city-states had something simr with their respective colors.


    When it was time to rest, I devoted four clones to acquiring [Wind Magic] and [Wind st] after Verdant was asleep. They practiced until the sunset, doing the same thing over and over and over again.


    But I was not close to acquiring them. My Skill Menu disyed I had those skills avable for purchase, so I had to be somewhat close to it. Like hell would I waste my SP.


    Besides, Verdant taught me more spells, but my [Mana Language] was too low-level to handle most of them. But I learned the chant to [Lightning Ball]¡ªa lightning version of [Fireball], [Aerial Slice]¡ªa spell simr to [Razor Wind], and [Root Restraint]¡ªa spell that created thick roots to bind around the feet of your enemies.


    With [Chimeric Armatization], the first turned my guns into a bolt of living lightning, the second transformed them into vtile wind that felt cold and dangerous, and thest encased my weapons in thick, brown roots that curled around my forearm.


    Recoil wasn¡¯t a problem, but it was lowered with the added support.


    <hr>


    It happened five nights after leaving Plymoise.


    ¡°Do you see them, M?¡± asked Verdant from my hiding spot near a desert-colored boulder. Her voice was cold and stoic. How could it not have been after passing almost half-a-dozen burnt, ravaged viges? Each one showcased a little bit more of Atrix¡¯s brutality.


    ¡°Yeah. Four this time.¡±


    ¡°The valley¡¯s just past that.¡±


    ¡°I definitely see the fog. We¡¯ll camp after taking out this scouting party.¡± I readied my rifle and took aim. ¡°Then we¡¯ll reach our destination tomorrow.¡±


    It was like clockwork¡ªsomething I had done dozens of times over the past days. Verdant helped me adjust my aim¡­and after firing the first shot¡­


    [Eyes of the Huntress] and [Mana Perception]bined into [Arcane Sight: Veil of Mystical Vision].


    Right away, the world of stark whiteness gave way to a monochrome reality, where the only color came from the me¡¯s crimson mana burning corpses.


    <i>That¡¯s fire mana, my lord. Congrattions!!!</i> Tris¡¯s slightly shaky voice echoed in my mind, and I heard her pping. Verdant noticed it because I quickly killed the remaining scouts without her instructions.


    We rushed to the camp and scavenged for anything potentially useful, then proceeded to thest resting spot for this journey. Like always, a slime clone was left behind to assimte the corpses.


    ¡°It¡¯s always intimidating,¡± Verdant whispered from our cave. It held a false wall¡ªour camping spot, but she peeked at the foggy abyss awaiting us.


    ¡°How¡¯d you get past it before?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably destroyed, but a path leads down to the valley about four miles away. If you can sneak to the other side, there¡¯s a section of the valley with hollowed handholds. It¡¯s a perilously difficult climb, but it¡¯s possible.¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t go that way.¡±


    ¡°Then how?¡±


    ¡°Fly.¡± I yed my flute and transfigured my wings. Using [Song Magic] as a proxy worked so well. This was even better because I actually had [Flight Magic]. What I did was wholly possible by a non-chimera. ¡°When it¡¯s time to depart, I¡¯ll carry you. I¡¯ll send my spirit birds ahead to verify a flight path.¡±


    <i>I¡¯d rather have Tris do it, but she needs a few days to cool down. My map¡¯s not responsive enough to do that in real-time.</i>

 Chapter Eighty: Initial Reconnaissance

    Chapter Eighty: Initial Reconnaissance


    When the next night rolled around, I stood outside the cave¡ªpping my wings. Behind us sat two corpses with slit necks. Two Atrixian scum had entered the cavern to empty their dders. My Elvenpanion ended their lives. Verdant spat on their bodies and crushed their bloody necks with a few stomps.


    ¡°Let us go, M¡­ I¡¯m ready.¡±


    I picked up Verdant and took flight, leaving a drop of slime behind to assimte the corpses.


    The magical fog dding Tiran¡¯s Crest wasn¡¯t static. It had a little give and take, and its precise position was never the same. And as of now, it had advanced about half a mile towards Plymoise, providing good cover for my ascension. My Clone!Birds had scouted the area earlier, so I knew we would be fine once we broke through.


    From there, I merely flew forward and cross-checked my current location with the stuttering map. It was still too dangerous tond, so I kept flying until the mist was no longer below.


    At that point, it was dumb to remain airborne, so I took us to the ground. We walked the rest of the way while sticking to the surprisingly high number of trees. It was like the whole ecological environment was part of a different world. One side reminded me of an arid, dry desert, and the other was like a luscious, green wondend.


    Why the hell were the two environments so different?


    Verdant didn¡¯t know. She said Atrix had always been this green. When she was a child, she thought it strange her birth city-statecked natural evidence of its Vestige¡¯s color.


    We attempted to talk about why thendscapes didn¡¯t match up, but the closer we came to those tall walls protecting Atrix, the more patrols we encountered. Since it was the dead of night, I saw them way before they noticed us, but the guards required torches.


    I didn¡¯t.


    ¡°So, that¡¯s where they¡¯re keeping their soldiers? Out in front of the city? Why not let them rest in their barracks?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the price for failure, M. Atrix¡­ Thest time they waged war was nearly 70 years ago. Their target was another city-state. It wasn¡¯t Plymoise.¡±


    ¡°Atrix punished their soldiers like this back then?¡±


    ¡°Worse. Half were hanged. The other half was forced to fight for survival against each other. Only a quarter survived¡­and¡­ And I presume Atrix instilled those failures onto their soldiers as stark reminders.¡±


    ¡°That exins the burnt viges¡­ How disgusting¡­¡±


    ¡°Turning the citizens against Atrix may¡­prove difficult. I don¡¯t know if their fear can be conquered.¡±


    I put a hand on Verdant¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Trust me, it¡¯s possible. It doesn¡¯t matter how many people you have. There will always be differences of opinion. Everyone can''t agree on everything all the time. That has never been done before in a world that has free will. You¡¯d have to control the minds of everyone at the same time. Something tells me Atrix doesn¡¯t have that power. If they did, everyone inside the city would have marched on Plymoise.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I know people are wanting to change things. The problem is finding that spark of rebellion and giving it a push. Revolution grows quickly. And people enjoy being on the winning side. If we show them victory is possible? That¡¯s all we need to do. When we get close, I¡¯ll check the walls with my birds and fly in when it¡¯s clear.¡±


    My goal was to use my clones as martyrs. Their ¡®deaths¡¯ could be the catalyst. I¡¯d do anything to get the revolution going.


    <hr>


    ¡°When Atrix¡¯s spies returned before the attack, we heard whisperings of a High Elf with a ming lion. The soldiers confirmed its overwhelmingly staggering might and destruction over the battlefield¡­ They said it took out five drakes and three hippogriffs¡­ And it charged into the heart of the army¡­¡±


    ¡°I can confirm the validity of that statement,¡± I said, ferrying a cup of tea to my lips. I sat at the head of a table that fit fourteen, and every seat was filled. ¡°That very lion is named Surtr. He¡¯s my loyal protector.¡±


    After entering Atrix, Verdant had taken the lead. We kept to the shadows and slowly ventured into the merchant district, where mypanion slipped around the backside of a cksmith¡¯s shop to knock on the wall. She said a passcode, the door flipped away, and we entered, descending a long, barely lit staircase carved of rock and stone. The bottom held a door, which housed an underground building. Verdant¡¯s spies lived here, but different tunnels and paths led to their respective cover jobs.


    Apparently, shortly after thest war Atrix was involved in, Plymoise¡¯s ruler of that time predicted the fangs of conflicts would chomp at their neck. Theymissioned a multi-decade-long operation to instill spies, leading to this underground cavern of connected tunnels.


    But that was risky. All it took was one turncoat, and everything would be ruined. Just how insane was their nationalism to their country? It was something I almost found endearing, but still¡­


    I didn¡¯t think anything like this had ever happened in my time.


    Then again, this world couldn¡¯tpare to the one I originated from.


    Maybe¡­


    Maybe these mysterious Vestiges were responsible? It was a far cry thought, but what if the Vestiges wanted to be reunited? You had to assume they influenced the people around them if they could alter physiology.


    But could that be the case? Maybe? Stranger things had happened.


    ¡°Master Verdant, why are you here? You never told us?¡± asked an orange-haired dwarf. She had a full, long beard.


    ¡°We are here to sew the threads of rebellion. Lord Springfield has been instrumental in helping us thus far, and she believes she holds the key to ending this conflict sooner thanter.¡±


    <i>I¡¯m only being held in high regard because I''m a High Elf. If I were a Dark Elf? Maybe the same, but a Cowfolk? Desert Foxfolk? I doubt it.</i>


    ¡°Revolution is the relentless roll of a stone downhill, gathering the strength of dissent and the power of change, unstoppable in its pursuit of a new dawn,¡± I said.Essentially, we would spread rumors of general aggression towards Atrix''s ruler concerning how this invasion turned out. Some would be angry mothers protesting their sons¡¯ death. Others would be wives angry that their children would be without a father.


    Anything we could do to sway the general opinion, which seemed to be slightly on the positive side. One of Verdant¡¯s spies said the rumors he had heard still believed victory was in Atrix¡¯s grasp. They nned to use their superior wealth to grant the ¡®High Elf Lioness¡¯ a mercenary contract to switch sides. One of their spies was sneaking into Plymoise at this moment.


    I told Tris. She said she would alert Gretchen in the morning and search when her capabilities were restored.<i></i>


    Another spy asked how to do this, causing me to create a wooden puppet after ying a tune. ¡°I can use [Illusion Magic] to alter their appearance,¡± I said, disying my ability.


    <i>Might want to add [Illusion Magic] to my front-facing Status Menu¡­</i>


    ¡°I can handle that. As for you¡­ We need to sew discourse. If we set fire to military offices, food supplies, maybe their ships? If you know of any firesalts, we can use that. As I said, we need to ignite the powder keg. And to make that keg, we must show the people they have a voice. Once the pendulum of revolution is set in motion, its force bes unstoppable, sweeping away the barriers of oppression and heralding a new era of liberation."


    <hr>


    After the meeting with Verdant and her spies, I retired to one of the rooms in the safe house after they asked me to get some sleep. It would take time to grease the wheels of revolution for the initial ns we wished to set in motion.


    A couple hours of rest here and there certainly wouldn¡¯t hurt anything. My quarters werecking in many ways. The room was small, with the bed being tinier than me. It looked just like a well-used sleeping bag, except it had holes. But that didn¡¯t bother me. I was a chimera who ate the dead and slurped her enemies with her slime as if they were smoothies.


    ¡°Ahh... Who knows how long this is going tost¡­?¡± I walked over to the sleeping bag and chose to rest against the wall while opening a [Skyview] window to my room in Plymoise.


    And there they were¡­ Irisa¡­ Tilde¡­ Tris¡­snuggling together in the bed in my room.


    The stream was soggy and blurry it almost gave me a headache. Tris was scheduled toe off cooldown in about 24 hours, so it would be much better by then.


    Before arriving in Atrix, I told Tris to invite Irisa to sleep with her and Tilde because I didn¡¯t want her to be alone. And I figured Tilde could prime Irisa for the talk I wanted to have with her.


    It never turned sexual, though. There was a time and ce for everything, and this wasn¡¯t it.


    Irisa knew my fairy was long-lived. She wasn¡¯t just sprouting smoke whenever she talked because whatever she said could be reinforced by hardened evidence or personal life experience.


    Those three were very important to me, but there was one more woman¡­who had a grip on my heart.


    Although...she wasn¡¯t here.


    She wasn¡¯t dead, and I could ¡®make¡¯ her appear, but it wouldn¡¯t be the same until I had broken her free from that icy coffin and cast out the curse from her soul.


    I looked at the empty room and waved my hand, forcing my mana and biomass particles to turn into someone I missed with every inch of my heart.


    She was a light gray-skinned Lionfolk with fluffy, lion-like ears that shocked my heart when they twitched. Her soft, slender arms once held me close to her chest¡ªI remembered all the times she rubbed my back and spoke sweetly to me with a heavenly voice. The soft fur she used to harbor on her forearms and legs burned away when [ck Fire] evolved into [Abyssal Iceme], but her ck tail was still there.


    It was still as fluffy as ever.


    Those silver eyes¡­ Every time I saw them, they were either gazing at me with love or looking for a way to ughter my enemies before they could harm me.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Sekh,¡± I whispered, pushing her ck hair from her eyes. ¡°I know you¡¯re just a clone. But I wanted to talk to you.¡±


    And so, I spent a few hours just talking. Clone!Sekh didn¡¯t respond, but she sat on her knees and held my hands. ¡°And Tilde¡¯s back. She¡¯s grown, so she¡¯s not that lewd menace anymore. She''s cute and mature. And now we''re just missing you, Sekh.Once you return¡­ Our family... It¡¯s going to beplete. But you wouldn''t want me to mope around, would you? I thought about it. I just wanted to sit and cry. I wanted to hurt myself... I desired to force unhappiness and neglect upon myself because I believed I didn¡¯t deserve joy when you weren¡¯t here. But I can¡¯t do that. Mom and Dad. Irisa and Erin. Niva and Primrose¡­


    ¡°Oh, Primrose and I made up. She no longer hates my guts. She even cried in my arms. I know, can you believe that? And Niva¡¯s making excellent progress on [Mana Perception]. She wants to hurry up and fight. She¡¯s tired of being dead-weight. I told her she¡¯s not. But she wants to repay my kindness by growing as a summoner. She still vowed to summon a draconic spirit for me. Oh, and remember Ginnie and Chax? Yeah, they¡¯re here too. I¡¯m d we ran into them.


    ¡°But¡­ I¡¯m doing okay. I still miss you. I still have dreams about you. But Surtr and Tris really helped me understand my feelings. Especially Surtr. He¡¯s just the best, you know. He¡¯s so wise¡­ I don¡¯t even want to imagine how things would¡¯ve turned out if he wasn¡¯t here to make me listen to reason. But it¡¯s not just him. It¡¯s you, Sekh. You taught me a lot. More than you ever know. And I still want to learn more. So hang on, Sekh. You''ll be back in my arms before you know it. I stand to gain a lot of life force soon. If it¡¯s enough, I need to find a healer, and I can leverage my Vredi name to get an elixir. I can¡¯t recreate the one Ruru made, but I¡¯ll figure something out. I swear I will.¡±


    The clone turned around and let me fluff her precious ears before fading into slime, returning to my body.


    But I wasn¡¯t sad.


    No.


    I looked at my hands and smiled because I still felt the warmth on my palms.


    Slowly, I closed my eyes and drifted off to a restful, unneeded slumber that was interrupted a few hourster.


    <i>Knock! Knock! Knock!</i>


    ¡°M? We¡¯re ready to begin! Are you awake?¡±


    <hr>


    During breakfast, Verdant¡¯s spies told me of four people I needed to keep an eye out for.


    Lord Gregory Atrix, a man who had inherited rulership over Atrix from his parents after they died from disease 22 years ago. He was but a brat then, but he had grown into a cold, calcting man who only desired power.


    Rydeck ckthorn, a general who stood at the top of the chain ofmand when it came to Atrix¡¯s military forces. From what I had heard, he was the one who organized and nned the raid on Plymoise while creating a deal with the pirates to assassinate Captain Caulk.


    Merchant Guildmaster Isabe Thornbrook. The Slugfolk held significant sway over Atrix¡¯s trade andmerce. She gripped an unfair monopoly and benefited from exploitive practices that only served to line the pockets of her and Gregory Atrix. She also oversaw trade agreements with the other city-states.


    Chief Justice Maximus Darkfeather was a Crowfolk who presided over Atrix¡¯s judiciary system. He was responsible for using his authority to throw dissenters into the jails, and he was damn good at it.


    You just needed to give the people a reason they couldn¡¯t refuse. Let them see the depravity of the regime. Have them forced to pick between life or death¡ªvery or freedom. If it was about making a better life for their children, the people choose to fight.


    Not all of them, but we needed a few, and the rest would join.


    And that was the key.


    Children.


    After I finished my coffee, it was time to start the n.


    But life had other ideas.


    ¡°Lady Verdant!¡± Margie, a dwarf who had killed an Atrixian dwarf, shaved his beard, painstakingly glued his hair to needles, and then imnted them within her face as part of her disguise, rushed into the dining hall with a startling report. It wasn¡¯t that weird since female dwarves could grow facial hair.¡°Captain Max is nning to publiclyexecute a squad of soldiers who had reportedly run away from Sir Surtr,¡± she said. ¡°He ns to do it near the slums since that¡¯s where they were from.¡±


    ¡°Then this is perfect.¡±


    ¡°Perfect? Lord¡ªM, what do you mean? What do you intend to do?¡±asked Verdant.


    ¡°This is the chance we need.¡± I intended to make four wooden puppets of children to spread antiwar sentiments throughout the city. I anticipated their capture and subsequent execution as part of my scheme, but I didn¡¯t know if the soldiers would turn it into a spectacle. They''d likely just be cut down and left to rot after being dragged to another location.


    But this?


    This could work in my favor if Captain Max acted as I desired.


    I yed my flute and made five wooden puppets. A dash of ¡®illusion magic¡¯ made the three small ones look like kids. The fourth humanoid was an adult, and thest¡ªa bird¡ªturned into a cardinal.


    We left the hideout separately so as not to arouse suspicion, then met up forty minutester in a poor part of the city. Captain Max was finishing speaking to the collected onlookers about the value of courage and dying for your city-state. The crowd was held at bay by a unit of Atrixian soldiers.


    The gallows sat behind them. Nooses were tied around the deserters¡¯ necks.


    ¡°The powerful and gracious Lord Atrix offered you whelps money and glory. Yet these insufferable pests behind me saw fit to spit in the face of his generosity when they should die for him and our city-state! Cowards do not belong here! Let this be an unforgettable warning! You must pay with blood should you want our lord¡¯s generosity!¡±


    Clone!One stepped forward, her hair flowing like liquid citrine. She wasn¡¯t older than thirteen, but she spoke with as much conviction as an adult and decreed the senseless use of violence. ¡°You can¡¯t expect people to blindly follow! You¡¯re a madman! Putting these people to death because they wanted to live?! I bet you would¡¯ve done the same. You¡¯d have run away like a coward with your tail between your legs if you had met that kind of force!¡±


    Captain Max personally pulled the lever with his orange, scaled hands. The floor dropped, and they fell. The force broke their necks, and they dangled, struggling¡ªfailing¡ªto find any footholds.


    I could¡¯ve saved them.


    But I... But they had to die for the revolution n to work.


    And I knew what that said about me. I really did.


    But they weren¡¯t innocent. They were fighting for my enemy. They would¡¯ve ravaged Plymoise had they not been repelled, and I could assimte them when the time was right.


    A guard rushed to grab my Clone!One on Captain Max''s orders.


    ¡°Let her go!¡± shouted Clone!Two. He drew back a fist and clocked the guard across the cheek with a running punch. He straddled and wailed on him as another soldier tackled him to the ground. Two more appeared and helped their ally up before grabbing Clone!One.


    ¡°Get your hands off of my sister!¡± Clone!Three joined the fight, and it turned into a brawl that quickly delved into a senseless beating.


    They were, after all, under 15 years old, shing against grown men who had, presumably, killed in the call of duty to serve Lord Atrix¡¯s wishes.


    ¡°Please, forgive my children!¡± Clone!Mother barged from the crowd and cried. ¡°They don¡¯t understand--¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re their pathetic mother?¡± Captain Max scoffed and gave amand. Two more soldiers grabbed Clone!Mother and dragged her into the beatdown. ¡°Perhaps this wouldn¡¯t have happened if you were a better parent. Going against me is turning a weapon upon our glorious Lord Atrix. I¡¯m aware you know of the punishment.¡± Captain Max waved his hand and ordered everyone to watch while his men pummeled the ¡®cowards,¡¯ as he called them.


    It was inhumane¡­ Seeing grown men inflict this horrible abuse. It was made worse by the constant cries of Clone!Mother, who begged for her children to be let go.


    But no. Captain Max said all traitors deserved death¡­ He put the family to the sword with glee, horrifying the onlookers.


    My clones asked and begged for help before their lives were brutally ended. Captain Max ordered his men to impale the corpses on the nearby pikes to serve as warnings to remember their ce in life.


    There was a reason he did this here. The coward wouldn¡¯t dream of doing it near the city square or where the wealthy lived. He probably got his kicks on abusing his power, which told me exactly what I needed to expect. I didn¡¯t need Tris¡¯s processing abilities to deduce that.


    Clone!Bird took to the skies and darted across the city, screaming about the heinous event it witnessed. Captain Max didn¡¯t look bothered, though. He ordered someone to hunt it down and wring its neck.


    While returning to the hideout, Verdant questioned my strategy. Even though I told her my puppets were expendable, she couldn¡¯t watch children die. Yes, they were fake. She knew that, but seeing them shout for help¡­ Their mortal cries¡­ A mother screaming for her children¡­


    It hurt her. But she said she needed to throw away her weakness.


    <i>But she¡¯s fine with those deserters being put to death. No, I can¡¯t say anything. I was fine with it, too.</i>


    Margie questioned me about what we were going to do now.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I asked for firesalt this morning,¡± I told her, turning the corner to the road that held the hideout. Already, news of the hanging was spreading via my Clone!Bird. The outrage was insignificant-- mainly fed by fear, but it would soon turn to anger in theing days because the Clone!Bird yed a recreation of Clone!Family¡¯s final screams and heartfelt cries.


    ¡°I n to make bombs, ¡®instill¡¯ them with magic to increase their potency, and use them to burn away the evidence of those corpses being wooden puppets. Using illusion magic to make wood and sap appear as flesh and blood taxes me greatly.¡±


    ¡°How will you do that?¡± asked Margie when we sat at the table. It was nice to be here. It was strangely dark and dank¡ªjust the perfect environment for a woman trying to organize a revolution.


    ¡°Easy. It¡¯ll require a soldier and a victim. The soldier will throw the bomb and desecrate the bodies while ranting about how they don¡¯t deserve to be buried. The father will annoy him, and that¡¯ll cause an argument. It¡¯ll turn into a fight, which ends when they identally toss themselves into the fire. They¡¯ll burn away, and the evidence will be gone. It¡¯s brutal, but remember... They are puppets. They¡¯re made of mana. I can recreate them as many times as I want. But this will be the most I can do today. Things will ramp up tomorrow.¡±


    Tris would be off cooldown by then. The most intelligent and capable Fragment of Wisdom yearned to get to work.


    Kull, an orange Lizardfolk, made it back soon after. He had broken into a warehouse near the docks and returned with a steel box full of firesalts. The gunpowder-esque lookalikes were dangerous and prone to exploding. So, I didn¡¯t trust anyone but myself with making them, and an hourter, I had twenty bombs.


    ¡°That¡¯s...¡± Kull was at a loss for words. He looked at the mimicked copy of a random soldier I had seen. His most noteworthy feature was the dozen scars under his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s so life-like... How did you make the wood feel like flesh?¡±


    ¡°Consider it a High Elf secret. Here''s our victim,¡± I said, creating a man with orange hair after ying the flute. It took a moment to alter their physical properties. ¡°You have your orders,¡± I told them. ¡°Get it done.¡±


    The puppets nodded and left, and I remained at the hideout. Verdant asked if I was going to watch it, but I declined.


    ¡°I need to see this for myself.¡± Kull left, and I went to my room and drank two blue potions Verdant had given me earlier. The drain was unreal. I¡¯d never made and sustained this many clones before.


    Health potions didn''t work on me, but mana restoratives weren''t restricted.


    I thought about making a daughter for the victim, but I didn¡¯t want to overuse children. Besides, no man would allow their child to get anywhere near this-- not after hearing about what Captain Max did.


    <hr>


    Kull reported a sess when he returned to the hideout shortly after dinner. ¡°It really went like you said.¡± He went on to say that arge crowd gathered after the soldier threw the bomb. Kull didn¡¯t expect the explosion to be that loud. Nor that the mes would burn that hot.


    He said firesalts were scary to mess with, but that wasn¡¯t the entire truth. A firesalt-infused inferno couldn¡¯t burn away a corpse to mere ash, so I needed more. I had an insect clone inside the bomb. It used a me spell right as the soldier threw it. That was responsible for the increased destruction.


    But no one needed to know that.


    The Puppet!Victim berated the soldier with crying eyes, saying that they needed to perform the funeral rites for the souls of the fallen to find peace in the afterlife.


    Puppet!Soldier didn¡¯t like his tone and drew his sword. The fight happened as I choreographed it, but...


    ¡°It¡¯s difficult to watch,¡± said Kull, his gaze downcast. ¡°I know it¡¯s fake. It¡¯s not real, but the screams... The emotions... Those can¡¯t be faked. That man cried for those burning puppet children in a way I hadn¡¯t heard someone shed tears for their flesh and blood. If you wanted to make a statement...you did. Those two killed each other after tumbling into the fire. I¡¯ve¡­ Never seen such an emotional scene yed by puppets¡­ There wasn¡¯t a single pair of dry eyes¡­¡± Kull¡¯s expression of utter, abject terror said it all. ¡°People were talking. Murmurs grew, but they were silenced when a group of approaching guards told everyone to disperse as they tried to put out the mes.¡±


    ¡°Are you afraid of me? Your tone suggests you are.¡±


    ¡°I...¡± Kull looked at Verdant, then at Margie, then at the other spies. They hadn¡¯t done anything today because of my orders, but that¡¯d all change tomorrow. ¡°I am. I''ve never seen anyone with such excellent control over your puppets. They''re... Umm... Forgive me, Lor¡ªM, but... Are you...a chimera using the spell as¡ª¡±


    Margie mmed the table with her hands and stood up as nervous murmurs radiated from the other spies. ¡°What the hell is wrong with you?! You dare to use Lord Springfield of being one of those heinous monsters?! This is clearly [Wooden Puppetry] and [Illusion Magic]!¡±


    <i>It¡¯s nice to know your feelings about them, Margie. Kull¡¯s sharper than I thought, though. His dull facade must be for show to make others let down their guards.</i>


    ¡°I¡¯m not a chimera,¡± I said, lying. ¡°But even if I was a ¡®heinous monster,¡¯ would that be a problem?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Answer the question. Are you so high and mighty that you would refuse help from one? Would you rather fail at the mission to cause an insurrection because the one helping is considered a monster?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s--¡±


    ¡°Oh, but I think it is. Chimeras are dangerous. They¡¯re scum residing in the darkest, deepest retches of society¡ªmonsters only acting in their self-interest. However... I would believe that it¡¯s fair trade to unleash such an enemy upon your foes if it means your city-state survives. I know Atrix would do the same. They may already employ the use of one.¡±


    ¡°But... No, you¡¯re right. Please, I¡¯m sorry... I never meant to disrespect you.¡± Kull kneeled and lowered his head.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ept your forgiveness, but you must work hard. We will be busy tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°With what?¡± Margie asked, sitting down. She briefly looked at Kull with a disgusted grimace.


    ¡°No one is better than me at gathering information. I¡¯ve been preparing something to reveal what those inmand have hidden.¡±

 Intermission – Quella – Ominous Prelude – Part One (Illustrations!)

    Intermission ¨C Que ¨C Ominous Prelude ¨C Part One (Illustrations!)


    <i>The Spiderfolk vige was destroyed when we arrived. We searched, but there weren¡¯t any survivors. But our target, the sandstorm, was about forty miles to the east. Instead of pushing it into the mountains separating the desert from the ocean, I saw fit to cancel it out by force.</i>


    <i>Mary assisted me in calcting the rotational force, but we didn¡¯t have enough information or anything topare it to. Instead, we decided to overpower the sandstorm with overwhelming force. Or perhaps it was more apt to say that the n was to ¡®absorb¡¯ the sandstorm into something much fiercer, and then I could end the spell forcefully by cutting the flow of mana.</i>


    <i>[Soul Duplication], mytest ability, came in handy. It split my soul into ethereal copies that could fight with me. The four of us used Whirlwind Tome¡¯s ultimate spell to summon a hurricane that was the sandstorm¡¯s opposite. It was so powerful that tons of sand below us were sucked into the raging winds. </i>


    <i>Without [Temporary Flight] from the Wing Tome and a few barriers, we¡¯d have fallen into the abyss I created.</i>


    <i>But¡­</i>


    <i>The dark, deep crevice called for me, reminding me that I¡¯d forever be nothing but a ve to my summoner.</i>


    <i>But after I left the spell go, it rampaged across the horizon, covering the forty miles in seconds while leaving a gash in the desert that reminded me of Moses parting the Red Sea.</i>


    <i>It smashed into the target, causing an explosion that made a crater 10 miles deep. Sand blocked out the sky, making it seem like it was night.</i>


    <i>The mission wasplete, but Remy left us alone. We expected this, so we started to walk back after I ended [Soul Duplication] and [Hurricane].</i>


    <i>And now we¡¯re camping. It should take us four days to reach the mountains. Maybe we¡¯ll be lucky and run into the twins and Team Salim.</i>


    <i>Out of everyone, Lori, Ann, and Team Salim were the ones I harbored the least hatred for.</i>


    <i>And I don¡¯t hate themon folk. Like the people at the bar. Or the restaurants. Or the ones thate when Elly¡¯s doing an impromptu concert.</i>


    <i>But the others?</i>


    <i>Damon could die in a fire. I¡¯d never forgive him for Shuuta¡¯s treatment. I¡¯d hate him until the end. Although I didn¡¯t stand up to him on the ne. But I hated myself, so I was punishing myself.</i>


    <i>Carter was a voyeuristic bastard who deserved death. Who cares if he¡¯s Meruria¡¯s most aplished spy because he can summon a drone? He¡¯s a sick bastard.</i>


    <i>Tokko and Mia¡­ I hated their ¡®might makes right.¡¯ They see people as resources to be manipted. And Mia was downright nasty to Shuuta. I still don¡¯t know the ''use'' she had found for him. And I don¡¯t think I ever want to. I sense my heart wouldn¡¯t survive it.</i>


    <i>Charlie, Raylee, Hatay, Sera¡­ Those three sluts that hang around Damon... The other members of our ss that I couldn¡¯t give two ounces of thought to even try to remember them¡­</i>


    <i>If my life was a story, I probably wouldn¡¯t have given them more than a page before forgetting them.</i>


    <i>They were insignificant. They didn¡¯t matter. I didn¡¯t care about them. They were probably rotten, so I hated them. Until they did anything else, I¡¯d always hate them. No. I''ll always despise them. Nothing could change my mind. Nothing will change my mind.</i>


    <i>But Remy¡­ I hate her most of all. She¡¯s called me out to kill 77 times in the 157 days we¡¯ve been here. Thergest group numbered 44. The smallest 11. All in all, I¡¯ve ended over 2,000 lives.</i>


    <i>But some were innocent. They had to be unless Meruria imported criminals from other countries. Remy and Meruria couldn''t keep their word. You had to assume they spoke nothing but lies.</i>


    <i>And this was my sin to hold. My curse to bear. I¡­ wanted to die. If I wasn¡¯t so sure Meruria wouldn¡¯t find a way to bring me back alive to terrorize me after death, I probably would¡¯ve fallen down the massive abyss that opened below me after I used [Hurricane].</i>


    <i>But dying would mean leaving my friends alone. I love them. And they love me.</i>


    <i>But¡­</i>


    <i>It still feels like there¡¯s two people inside me. One believed defending Shuuta was the morally correct choice.</i>


    <i>The other hated everything she stood for. She hated Shuuta, despised her weakness, and knew everything that had befallen her only came around because she foolishly spoke against her summoner.</i>


    <i>She was filled with regret. And she wanted nothing more than to¡­just scream it at the top of her lungs. But this Que only emerged when it was time to kill.</i>


    <i>I¡¯m in a dark ce. I really am. I don¡¯t even know how I¡¯m surviving this long.</i>


    <i>Amon trope in my beloved books often had the protagoniste face to face with their darker, evil side to further grow. It was a requirement for character development¡ªto show that they were learning from their mistakes.</i>


    <i>But¡­</i>


    <i>I mean, I¡¯m not a protagonist. Yes, I¡¯m powerful. [Hurricane] took a mere 13% of my mana, but¡­</i>


    <i>I¡¯m¡­just so tired. So very, very tired. Elly¡¯s looking at me funny, so I¡¯ll end it here. I hope things get better, Diary. I really do¡­</i>


    <i>I hide it well. If I keep everything restricted to the other Que, this Que can harbor an innocent mind about not needing to call for a Rule 1 or use Rule 2.</i>


    <i>Yes, it¡¯s deceptive, but¡­</i>


    <i>What else can I do?</i>


    <i>Being with my friends¡­ It kept the other Que away. Yes, the smile I wear is fake. It would probably be false until the day I die... I¡¯d smile out of genuine happiness to rid myself of this awful world.</i>


    <i>I can¡¯t wait to die... I really can¡¯t... I hope it¡¯s soon. I don¡¯t even care how it happens... Just let me die.</i>


    I closed my diary and stretched, offering a ¡®friendly¡¯ smile to Elly, who sat back-to-back against Keeth. The campfire¡¯s mes were warm on this chilly evening.


    I should¡¯ve written in my diary the first night after leaving the desert, but I didn¡¯t find the inspiration.


    <i>A dayter is better than ignoring it...</i>


    ¡°Hey, Qutie, look at this!¡± Elly proudly held up a sketchbook she had been using, and she showed me... ¡°It¡¯s you! It¡¯s cool, isn¡¯t it? See the sandstorm?¡±


    Spoiler


    [copse]


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Hehe! No prob! Hey, I¡¯ll draw the rest of us next time.¡±


    But before I could say anything¡­


    Disaster struck in the form of a voice that spoke from the heavens.


    <i>A limit ced on the world has been broken. Repeat: a limit ced on the world has been broken. All those who have achieved an evolutionary level of Lord or higher now have ess to the power of [Conferment]. Repeat: all those who have achieved an evolutionary level of Lord or higher now have ess to the power of [Conferment].</i>


    <hr>


    The [Conferment] notice left us bewildered and unsure.


    We had no idea what was going on. For a moment, we thought we imagined it. A voice from the sky¡­ This world had things only found in fiction, but that was hard to believe.


    What if it...was the voice of a god? Or some other divine? Just what was happening?!


    Everyone stopped what they were doing and quickly packed up the camp after I gave the order. What we couldn¡¯t neatly stow away was thrown into Mary¡¯s storage monster.


    And then we waited for Remy.


    Logic dictated that Junsa¡¯s¡ªno, Cridia¡¯s citizens were panicking. There would probably be riots. Or maybe a neighboring country would panic and attack another country, believing them responsible. I wouldn''t even rule out a false g attack to take advantage of the chaos.


    Anything could happen.


    But Remy never came to pick us up. She was absent when morning arrived.


    With no other choice, we started running towards Junsa, traveling nonstop. The people we passed by were scared out of their minds during the first day, but the difort and nervousness vanished by the third. We asked why, and they said if the voice was preluding an invasion or something else, and nothing had happened, their lord must¡¯ve protected them.


    ¡°Can that be true?¡± Greggie asked, jogging beside me. He kept pace in his heavy armor, sword, and shield, only appearing partially out of breath. There was a thickyer of muscle beneath his fat. He was looking exceptionally well.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way to know. Just keep up the pace.¡± I wanted to use [Temporary Flight], but a few of us couldn¡¯t handle the wings. It¡¯d slow us down in the long run, so we needed to work on that.


    We had reached Junsa Forest and chose to run straight through it instead of following the windy path. It was paved and safer, but it snaked around the forest and would¡¯ve taken us longer.


    <hr>


    As we approached the town an hourter, the ramparts were filled with guards. The skies had knights riding hippogriffs. With their sharp eyes, they immediately had us surrounded.


    I told them my name, and they escorted us to Meruria¡¯s church, where we found her in the primary worship room.


    Of course, Remy was with her.


    ¡°You¡¯rete. I¡¯m very disappointed.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be pissed at Remy? She left us. We ran all the way back, you know. But I guess it was for nothing because the world¡¯s not ending. No one¡¯s attacking. I haven¡¯t seen any riots, smoke, or chaos.¡±


    ¡°You can thank my soldiers and your fellow Soul Warriors. Tokko and Mia handled it all without a problem. While I cannot say the same for our neighbors to the north and west, Cridia has not received a report of a single casualty resulting from the event. Aren¡¯t you proud?¡±


    ¡°I guess. Suppose we didn¡¯t need to rush.¡±


    ¡°Ah, but that¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong.¡± I raised my eyebrows. ¡°How much of a coincidence it is that I can use this moment to celebrate two momentous asions. Someone important and dear to me is returning to Junsa, and I will throw him the mostvish ball Cridia has ever seen. And it will celebrate our strength and unity¡ªfor emerging through this unheard-of event with strength and determination¡ªferocity and tenacity. I shall proim that I have mastered this new ability.¡±


    She went on to say that all Soul Warriors were required to attend. It was to be held in the church''srgest, most expensive ballroom. Its doors were only unlocked once or twice a year.


    <i>If all Soul Warriors areing back... That means Will¡­ He¡¯ll be here if he''s still alive. Are Greggie and Keeth ready to see him again? Am I?</i>


    Meruria said Elly and Melusine were going to be the entertainment. They were toe up with songs and dances that would dazzle everyone.


    Greggie would work with her head chefs to develop an exceptional menu that took inspiration from our world.


    ¡°I hope your hands are well-rested, my dear Keeth. It does not matter how abstract or oundish your clients¡¯ requests are. You will craft for them everything they wish. Return to your mansion and rest, for I promise you will have no other tasks until one week after the ball has been held.¡±


    That was probably a big lie. You couldn¡¯t trust that rotten bitch as far as you could throw her.


    ¡°Ah, but before you leave¡­¡± Meruria spoke in anguage we couldn¡¯t understand. But I understood a single word.


    [Conferment].


    She had used it. A strange, gray light flowed from her hands as she pointed to Mary. It swamped around her andunched into the sky, exploding into colorless particles that rained on her. She flinched when they danced across her skin, but Mary said it didn¡¯t hurt.


    Meruria told me we didn¡¯t deserve to know when I asked.


    "What about the rest of the world? How did they take it?" I was curious. I didn''t expect her to tell me, but she did. As soon as the voice appeared, Lord Enele rushed into action. Every lord held an emergencymunication crystal connected to the one Lord Enele harbored in his office in the Kingdom of Aquanis. It was severely limited because it was meant to be used in extreme emergencies, and this was one.


    He organized a telepathic group call between the Divine Countries and discussed what had happened. Meruria said things were...calming. People were rightly rmed-- she said so much herself-- but it became clear that this [Conferment] wasn''t an attack from the Spirit or Demon Realm, and it wasn''t an attack from any other Holy or Dark Lord. The lords unanimously decided not to push the Lord Conference forward. They wanted to reassure their citizens that things were fine, and hurrying and making amodations to travel to Aquanis would be antithetical to that desire.


    Although...


    They probably wanted to use and master whatever [Conferment] was before showing up-- if nothing else but to have an ''edge'' over their peers.


    I knew Meruria well enough to know that was her n.


    But...


    Meruria seemed to be someone who had to be in control...so why...was she so epting of [Conferment]? She must''ve panicked during the announcement, so why did she look so...calm?


    Unless that was¡­an act? I was so sure she was caught unaware of it¡ªlike we all were¡ª and that bitch was pretending to have it under control to secure the illusion she wished to impart.


    Right?


    My stomach churned as we left...


    I hated that feeling.


    I despised it.


    <hr>


    Four dayster...


    I sat in the mansion¡¯s living room, watching Elly and Melusine practice their routine.


    The past few days were¡­serene, quiet, and peaceful. Meruria hadn¡¯t done anything, and Remy, presumably, hadn¡¯t left her side since we returned.


    Mary said she felt fine. I used a few healing and cleansing spells, but Mary wasn¡¯t affected by anything.


    Why did Meruria do that? She never did anything for no reason. It all had a purpose.


    I still couldn¡¯t sleep. Anything more than thirty minutes forced me to power through nightmares.


    And they had gotten even worse, which probably reflected the growing struggle between the two Ques. I didn¡¯t say it out loud, but I had already written myself off. But¡­thest three days somehow¡­brought a faint smile to my lips.


    I found myself growing more involved with the routine. It was a delight to practice. I¡¯d once dabbled in lyric writing, but it was nothing to what Elly came up with. The idol was a musical genius¡ªa pure joy when doing what she loved.


    Greggie¡¯s cooking seemed more cheerful, too. The lengthy reset was doing us all some good. We even left the mansion and celebrated at our favorite bar.


    Themoners loved Elly. They celebrated her singing over her status as a Soul Warrior, which extended to us. Melusine was dazzling for a different reason. She was easy to talk to. Her endless stories and tales from a thousand years ago were regarded as fictional truths since no one believed her, but she found thatforting.


    To her, it didn¡¯t matter that they found it fake. If her stories were told, there was a chance Faedornia would be remembered until the end of time.


    It was a very royal-esque way of thinking about things.


    They chanted Elly¡¯s name every time and wanted an encore, and our beloved idol just had to give them one before we left.


    <hr>


    We were rxing in the living room shortly after dessert on the seventh night. It was getting chilly, so I tossed a fireball to the fire pit and did my best to pretend it was Christmas. Someone knocked on the door. Elly jumped out of the chair and danced to the entrance hall in her canine-themed pajamas Keeth had made her and Ami after overhearing the ones they used to have in our world.


    All my friends were in a good mood. So many days of uninterrupted peace¡­


    We didn¡¯t have to kill¡­


    We didn¡¯t have to perform¡­


    Sometimes, the best medicine was¡­nothing at all.


    ¡°Hey, guess who came to visit?¡± Elly asked as she bounced back into the living room. Lori and Ann walked behind her and wished us a good evening. ¡°Ta-da! It¡¯s twins!¡±


    ¡°Long time no see, Lorie, Annie!¡± Ami smiled and waved after pulling back the hood on her oversized dog-eared pajamas.


    ¡°Forgive us for the intrusion,¡± said Ann, waving.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to forgive,¡± Greggie replied. He asked if they wanted a slice of the coconut pie he had made, and the two thanked him. Mary and Melusine joined him and prepared some tea as we just talked.


    Ann had always only had eyes for her sister¡ªrumors around the academy suggested the two were conjoined twins who had been separated at birth, which exined their closeness.


    But I didn¡¯t buy that hearsay.


    We learned about their mission and what happened to Renata. Meruria and Remy didn¡¯t inform us about this, so we heard it for the first time.


    The poor girl was still asleep. Benedict was always at her side, and Shiku and his Dogfolk maids visited daily with Shiku.


    ¡°It¡¯s difficult to believe that our crude summoner has ceased giving any orders,¡± Ann said, crossing her legs. She was always so dignified in everything she did. ¡°I hope you¡¯ve been enjoying your peace and quiet.¡±


    ¡°We have, but Melly and I gottae up with the entertainment for the ball. I¡¯ve always been good at that, but it does feel weird to be given free rein. Everything I sent in has been approved. It¡¯s odd. They¡¯re like¡­ I dunno if they¡¯re even looking at it.¡±


    Greggie said he had worked with Meruria¡¯s chefs to develop an exceptional menu. ¡°It¡¯s the same with me,¡± he added. ¡°I suggested a basic taco, and the head chef nodded without even wanting to know what else he could add. Or even how it tasted. I don¡¯t want to say something¡¯s up, but¡­¡±


    ¡°There is no telling with that woman.¡± Lori sipped her drink. I sighed and wondered what was going through Meruria¡¯s ugly mind.


    If this ball was so important... Why was her directorial control so light? Shouldn¡¯t she have checked everything and ensured it fit her standards?


    Or was it a test?


    What if it wasn¡¯t good enough in her eyes, and she publicly med us for a disastrous turnout? That would reflect more on her than us, but it felt like something she¡¯d do to throw us under a metaphorical bus.


    I raised my concerns with my friends, and they mostly agreed.


    When it gotte, we asked them to stay the night, and the two epted after exchanging a look. Elly was happy to have a sleepover, and we probably didn''t return to her rooms until after midnight.


    I was about to write in my diary when two synchronized knocks rattled my door.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± I asked the twins after opening it. True to their visual styles, Ann¡¯s pajamas were like something a conservative grandmother would wear, yet her sister had shorts and a tank top with a loose robe that matched her colorful nails.


    ¡°You.¡±


    ¡°Me? Did I do something?¡± Ann nodded and asked to enter. I stepped away, and they walked to my bed.


    ¡°How long have you felt this way?


    I wasn¡¯t ready for this conversation, so I yed dumb, but the twins weren¡¯t fooled. ¡°We saw it in your eyes thest time we met. Truthfully? We hesitated abouting here but decided to approach. Your potential is vast. We don¡¯t want to see it squandered. Help is here if you need it.¡±


    The ufortable silence was nauseating. I couldn¡¯t take it.


    I told them what I couldn¡¯t tell my team¡ªabout what Remy forced me to do¡­ And about how I pushed everything to the Que that could harbor those regrets and hatred while absolving the real me from making a crucial mistake.


    ¡°Your intentions are noble,¡± Lori said after cursing Remy under her breath.


    ¡°But you know this isn¡¯t healthy. Secrets beget distrust. Is that what you need?¡± Ann finished her sister¡¯s sentences.


    ¡°No. Of course, it isn¡¯t. Team Que isn¡¯t built on them, but how can I ever reveal this? They¡¯d hate me for enduring it all. It goes against Rule 1 and Rule 2, but I¡¯m in too deep,¡± I admitted, groaning. ¡°But I¡¯m the leader. I must protect them because¡­ Because I¡­can¡¯t have them regret¡­ I¡¯m fine with being kicked down and spat on by Remy and Meruria. I¡¯m¡ª¡±


    ¡°This notion of self-sacrifice doesn¡¯t fit you.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    Ann crossed her legs. ¡°You aren¡¯t dumb. You¡¯re bright. You¡¯re smart. You¡¯re letting our summoner y you like a violin. Refusing to trust your team is the same as proving Remy correct. They have a hold on you, but it does not have to be permanent. Do what they think you¡¯re incapable of and remove the hand gripping your neck.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ But¡­¡±


    ¡°Do not hesitate, Que.¡± Lori narrowed her eyes. ¡°The final choice is up to you.¡±


    I asked what I would do if they hated me. It was one thing to reveal it all the way back then, but after betraying the two core ts that kept our group going?


    A new type of fear had taken over¡­


    It was probably what the twins had suggested. Remy and Meruria had organized everything to railroad me into feeling this way. And I couldn¡¯t see it¡­


    Lori and Annforted me. They said acknowledgment was the first step. It would be scary. The twins knew what I felt, but they said they would support me if I continued to foster the potential they saw in me.


    But the nightmares still arrived.


    I called for a Rule 1 after breakfast the next morning¡­and revealed what I should¡¯ve dered over 140 days ago.


    Elly was displeased. She called me a selfish brat before raising a hand, but she suddenly stopped herself after I flinched and instead threw her arms around me.


    ¡°I can''t believe you, you stupid, dumb head!¡± Elly''s voice broke through the moment, her frustration evident. "Keeping everything locked in like you''re the only one who can handle it. We''re a team, idiot!"


    Mary¡¯s face saddened because she didn¡¯t even realize I was holding so much in. But it wasn¡¯t her fault. It was mine. But they wouldn¡¯t hear any more of it. My friends swarmed around me.


    We hugged it out. We truly had a Rule 1 and let our deepest worries out.


    I¡­learned I wasn¡¯t the only one with potential regrets...


    Elly had them...


    They crept up in Mary¡¯s thoughts.


    Melusine even wished she could¡¯ve done something.


    Greggie and Keeth felt like failures at letting Shuuta die, but they were trying to remain strong.


    We...


    We...needed this.


    I needed this¡­


    I hated¡­fostering that other Que inside of me. Lori said she wouldn''t be destroyed. Now that I had given form to her, she¡¯d always be there, lurking in the darkness¡ªready to ept whatever negative emotions I would throw her way.


    She¡¯d devour them and grow stronger. The resentment would be nurtured like a babe feeding from its mother until it was in control.


    It was up to me to keep her at bay. I couldn¡¯t do it alone¡ªeven attempting that would¡¯ve been too much. That proved how stupid I used to be.


    I could me it on Meruria and Remy-- it was their fault, but I seriously should¡¯ve been better.


    I was tired of making mistakes and failing the ones I cared about.


    Just what did it say about me that it took the twins for me to see it?


    <i>No. That¡¯s¡­ Just please stop thinking like that, Que. It¡¯s not needed¡­ Not anymore¡­</i>


    I looked at Lori and her sister. They fondly smiled my way and mouthed their congrattions and onest piece of advice.


    <i>Be sure to remember the feeling</i>.


    <i>Etch it into your mind.</i>


    <i>And never forget it.</i>


    Those two...


    Without them, this would not have happened. I was so blind to everything that I couldn¡¯t see the forest for the trees. Just...a headstrong brat so determined to make it all about her. A desirable emotion to let the shit continue to pile upon her shoulders until she far exceeded her breaking point.


    <hr>


    By the twelfth day, I was feeling substantially better. Ami and Elly didn¡¯t want me alone after dark, so they developed a n. I bunked with them one night and then with Mary and Melusine the next. I would then spend time with Keeth and Greggie throughout the day whenever they were avable.


    ¡°Everyone needs a little Qutie in their life,¡± Elly had said at breakfast when she told us about it. The bubbly idol was more perceptive to the heart and emotions than others realized. She may have looked like an airhead, but she was an intelligent, beautiful woman.


    Buttely, the guys had been leaving at dusk to handle the preparation for the uing ball-- on Meruria¡¯s orders, of course. The two rarely returned before morning. And they slept until noon to recover from burning the midnight oil.


    We asked, but they said everything was fine. Meruria wasn¡¯t being bitchy. She hardly showed up. It was just like overnight preparation work they would¡¯ve done in our world.


    Greggie said the normalcy was almost ufortable, and Keeth echoed it.


    But they still spent time with me. If their schedules had allowed it, I wanted to share their bed like I did the girls because I trusted the guys. We had fought and survived and created this unbreakable bond. And I regarded them as my brothers. And Mary and the others as my sisters.


    No¡ªmy family¡­ That was what they were.


    There was no one I trusted more than them.


    ¡°So¡­¡± Elly whispered, slipping into bed in her animal onesies, facing me. The moonlight faintly illuminated her soft blue hair. Ami was behind me, with her hands wrapped around my stomach¡ªElly said her cousin couldn¡¯t sleep without holding onto something. Her touch was weed. It was¡­more proof that I had valiantrades to count on. ¡°I was thinking¡­we can have a big sleepover once this ball¡¯s behind us.¡±


    ¡°With everyone?¡± I whispered back, trying not to wake Ami.


    ¡°Yeppers. Me, you, Mary, Melly, Keeth, Ami, and Greggie. We can push the beds together and have a mega sleepover. I mean, you¡¯re still having the nightmares, right?¡±


    I didn¡¯t answer. They knew about the night terrors, but I didn¡¯t know how to stop them. I felt like shit because they shouldn¡¯t be there¡ªit said a lot that I didn¡¯t want to recognize.


    Suddenly, Elly lightly popped me on the nose and said I couldn''t think like that anymore.


    ¡°I¡¯m still a little mad,¡± Elly whispered, my fingers gently betwixt her soft hands. ¡°But... I understand you. I know...you¡¯ve always had a lot on your shoulders, but know that I love you, Qutie. Ami does. Keeth does. We all do. We¡¯re all we have in this awful world, and...¡±


    Her words made the emotions blossoming in my chest tight. How could I not shed even more tears at hearing that? Elly almost regretted speaking, but she hugged me tightly.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re sorry. It¡¯s okay to be sorry. Remember what I said?¡± Her voice was like a guiding light in the darkness. I...was afraid that I¡¯d be forever lost if I stopped hearing it, so I even ceased breathing to ensure I understood every word. ¡°We all have those thoughts inside of us. Even me. And it hurts to acknowledge that part of you since you don¡¯t want it to be true. But it is true. We aren¡¯t perfect,¡± she continued. ¡°Sometimes... We regret what we shouldn¡¯t regret. Those thoughts cross our minds because we aren¡¯t meant to be perfect. Deluding ourselves to think we¡¯re better than we are... That road leads to agony.¡±


    ¡°But...¡±


    ¡°But nothing, Qutie. Stop trying to be perfect. Stop trying to be this superwoman. You¡¯re our leader, but you¡¯re still just a girl. The world¡¯s too heavy for your shoulders. And I know you know this. Melly and Mary talked to youst night. But you need to hear it because you are loved. You really are.¡±


    ¡°¡­ I love you, too. And Ami¡­¡± The tears wouldn¡¯t stop.


    I softly sobbed into Elly¡¯s chest as she rubbed my back.


    ¡°I wished I would¡¯ve done this earlier... I wished I wouldn¡¯t have waited so long...¡±


    ¡°I know you do. But hey, you¡¯re doing it now. It¡¯s betterte than never, so... Let it all out, Qutie. Just let it out. We¡¯ll get through this world together. We¡¯ll survive... We won¡¯t let this stop us, okay?¡±


    I didn¡¯t know when I fell asleep. Or even when I stopped crying.


    But I knew the nightmares continued. Elly¡¯s sweet words did little to kill them.


    <hr>


    Remy appeared before lunch the following morning and reminded us about the deadline. She also took our sizes for the dresses Meruria wanted us to wear for the uing ball three days from now. She didn¡¯t try to strip us naked and take the measurements by force.


    She didn¡¯t even try to spy on us. It was more than that-- Remy just left and didn''t return for the measurements untilter that night. ¡°Oh, yeah¡­ You probably spilled the beans, didn¡¯t you?¡± she asked, yawning. ¡°That¡¯s a damn shame, ya know? I liked having something to hold above that pretty head¡ªto keep you in line. Eh, it was fun while itsted. I hope you enjoyed being a murderer, Cutie Qutie. Bye bye!¡±


    I knew¡­that was a possibility. No. It was true. It was impossible for there to have not been innocents.


    And I ughtered them.


    But I wouldn¡¯t feed Fake Que if I could help it.


    If I were alone? Yes. I¡¯d give it to her.


    But I wasn¡¯t. I had my loved ones beside me.


    But they couldn¡¯t stop the nightmares that arrived that night.


    The other Que¡­ The Shadow Que...


    The dark desires that taunted me so much were even worse than before¡­ That bitch still showed up to torment me in the one ce where she reigned supreme. She had conjured the ones I had killed on Remy¡¯s order and sent them to kill me as I ran through that flesh-colored maze.


    I didn¡¯t keep it a secret. I told my friends what I saw when I closed my eyes, and they vowed to help me through it until that awful witch wouldn¡¯t show up.


    But she did the following night, and the night after.


    Greggie and Keeth were free the day before the ball, and the seven of us hung out at our favorite spots, ate our favorite food, and slept together after arranging the room and furniture. But even that...wasn¡¯t enough. I lost track of how many times I screamed myself awake, begging for forgiveness that would nevere my way. The dead couldn¡¯t absolve my sins.


    And I couldn¡¯t forgive myself...


    Just how could I?


    And the morning of the ball arrived, with it imparting an ugly, twisted churning that pressed against my stomach, creating knots instead of butterflies.


    I wasn¡¯t ready for whatever Meruria had nned.

 Intermission – Quella – Ominous Prelude – Part Two

    Intermission ¨C Que ¨C Ominous Prelude ¨C Part Two


    ¡°Qutie, I can¡¯t bnce on these thingies,¡± Ami wined, holding onto my arm. She hated heels, and it didn¡¯t help that Meruria had picked out a strapless ck dress that was too short on purpose.


    I didn¡¯t much care for the hip split on the crimson one she chose for me. Mary, though, wore hers without any reservations. It was an emerald-sped one-shoulder dress. It sparkled with the pearls she was ordered to wear around her neck.


    We had just walked into the grand ballroom after being escorted by Remy. The suit-wearing bitch said her goodbyes after catcalling us. Greggie, Keeth, Elly, and Melusine had left at noon because they had to prepare.


    The ballroom was packed with noblemen and women trying to coerce and sweet talk the others into backhanded deals.


    Meruria had arranged for a band to y, and melodies of a violin and piano filled the room. Some nobles were already dancing.


    We walked together as a group and did what was ordered of us-- make small talk and pleasant introductions.


    There was Lord Maximus Barkwood, a once dignified and respected Dogfolk known for his unwavering loyalty. One ear was yellow, and the other was orange, but he was finally granted a chance to atone for his family¡¯s past sins after his daughters were given to Shiku to serve as maids.


    Lady Gloria cier was also present. Her eldest son and husband had died. Shiku killed the former and Remy thetter after the son had pped Shiku¡¯s ass and made off-handed, lewdments. I knew Shiku disliked being called feminine, but his rage got the better of him. Then Meruria didn¡¯t think that was enough and had her husband killed.


    I saw it in her blue eyes... She was scorched with anger and resentment. Her expression said otherwise, but I knew her deep feelings. It probably killed her to be present. Meruria once ordered Elly to sing at her ce for a week straight.


    Count Oliver Ravenshaw, a Ravenfolk with a penchant for diplomacy, waved us over. We had once met him before leaving for the Cridian Desert for his child¡¯s birthday party. His son had heard of a Crystal Fairy and desperately wished to see one. He was four years old, so even without an order from Meruria, Melusine said she would¡¯ve still attended to grant the child¡¯s wish ¡°Ah, Lady Que, Lady Ami, and Lady Mary. Your otherworldly beauty is as charming as it always is.¡±


    ¡°Your words are too kind,¡± I said. ¡°I see your feathers are looking as wondrous as always. Has the advice I imparted from my world worked?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it most definitely has, mydy. My wife can¡¯t keep her hands off them anymore. Hahaha!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful, Count Ravenshaw. If I recall, you were attempting to try for a second child? I¡¯ll pray for your sess.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re much too kind, mydy. Ah, allow me to thank you for taking care of the sandstorm. Lord Meruria has gushed about your aplishments every time you and your team return from a mission. Truly, Cridia is made safer with Soul Warriors such as yourself, Lord Tokko, and Lady Mia. Ah, I see Marquess Thornehill has just entered. Please excuse me.¡± Ravenshaw nodded and walked over to speak with a man with a mole-like face.


    I was about to head that way, but then...he walked in.


    It was someone I hadn¡¯t seen in almost six months...


    Will Penmark.


    Ist saw him at the dinner held less than 20 hours after Shuuta was sacrificed. Back then, a stick had more definition than him.


    But he was muscr. He was taller, and Will looked defined and regal, like a proper count or marquis. Even the suit was made from something more expensive than ourvish dresses, yet he wasn¡¯t alone.


    A woman with obsidian-ck skin followed behind him. The demon wore a risqu¨¦ dress with a plunging neckline, nearly allowing her breasts to flop out. Two brown-haired women held his arms and escorted him. Will looked my way and smiled, sending shivers down my spine.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this a nice surprise? Que? Ms. Mary? Ami? It¡¯s been far too long,¡± he said when he walked over.


    ¡°A surprise? I suppose it is. You¡¯ve been doing well for yourself.¡±


    ¡°More than well.¡±


    ¡°Will, who are these women? When did you be a demon summoner?¡± Mary asked.


    Will exined [Mathematical Deduction], [Arithmetic Incantation], and [Summoning Magic: Demonic Calculus], skills he had acquired while working for Lord Meruria. They enabled him to use math to solve the secrets of this world¡ªalmost akin to reverse engineering. He had to solve equations to cast magic, and Will eventually worked out the mechanics behind summoning magic. Two weekster, he conjured Lilith, his first demon. But she wasn¡¯t his only one. The others were back home--in his estate located in his duchy.


    ¡°Wait, your duchy? I¡¯m confused.¡±


    ¡°This ball was thrown in my honor, after all. Lord Meruria trusted me with important tasks, and now that they areplete, I¡¯ve been weed as Duke Will Penmark Fairchild, overseer of the Fairchild Duchy to the west. The woman to my left is my wife, ra, and this is my daughter, Lana.¡±


    ¡°Daughter?!¡± I blurted.


    ¡°By marriage, of course.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet you,dies.¡± ra bowed and offered a smile. Her daughter did the same.


    ¡°Lilith.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lord Fairchild?¡± The demon spoke with honor. Her ck heels cked against the floor as she walked around him.


    ¡°Could you get us some drinks? Why don¡¯t we talk at the table? There''s one over there.¡±


    The demon walked away, and we followed Will, although it wasn¡¯t by choice.


    If I had to guess, he was drunk off power. Maybe Meruria said or did something that...made him yearn for it even more. That was amon trope in my fantasy books, so...


    Yeah, that was probably it.


    He had all the telltale signs.


    ¡°So, why don¡¯t you catch me up?¡± he asked after sitting.


    He was probably one of Meruria¡¯s favorites. Knowing her, having him be the one that betrayed Shuuta and turned sides probably did it. Or maybe he calcted a risk and wondered if a rotten woman like her would like a decision like that?


    It didn¡¯t matter, I suppose.


    I acted amicably to keep the peace. It would be a mistake to cause a scene.


    Will silently listened while Lilith returned. She sat the tray of drinks on the table and stood behind her summoner.


    ¡°I¡¯m seriously impressed, Que. Stopping a sandstorm with brute force is no easy feat. I don¡¯t think I could¡¯ve done anything about it,¡± said Will.


    ¡°Don¡¯t sell yourself short, father. You¡¯re powerful! I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t have had any trouble.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s correct, my dear. You¡¯re a wonderful Soul Warrior... And I know our...child will be blessed by it.¡± ra touched her stomach.


    ¡°You¡¯re pregnant?!¡± My eyes went wide with surprise.


    ¡°Yes, Lady Que. I am. I cannot wait to share the good news with everyone else.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m scared of being a father. It fills me with fear I cannot describe, but my father-inw says every man feels the same. It¡¯s a rite of passage I must conquer.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m...happy for you. I really am.¡± I forced the words through my teeth.


    I¡¯d never feel happy for this piece of shit.


    ¡°A baby?¡± Ami had remained quiet until this point. Her confusion was stered on her face like neon lights in the darkness.


    ¡°Anypanion of my husband is wee to visit anytime they like. Isn¡¯t that right, dear?¡±


    ¡°It is.¡± Suddenly, I changed the topic to Shuuta, and... This bastard started to shed a tear, but only after asking his family to give us a moment alone. ¡°I wondered when you¡¯d bring him up. I think about him often. I dream about him sometimes. I won¡¯t lie¡­ I¡­ wasn¡¯t happy in the world we came from. And I used to have these grand delusions that I was somehow meant to rule. I was a pathetic shell of a man. And¡­ I wanted to impress Lord Meruria so much that I falsely believed I wanted Shuuta to die. When the bell didn¡¯t ring for me, I knew it was fake. But I had to keep the acting going... That was a mistake¡­¡±


    Will took a handkerchief and wiped his watery eyes. ¡°I love my wife. And I love my daughter. They¡¯ve helped me realize the errors of my way. It''s through them I found the strength to apologize to everyone I had wronged since we were summoned. I¡¯m not proud of what I¡¯ve done. I¡¯ve abused my power and status a dozen times in the first month alone. People...have killed themselves because of what I did... And I don¡¯t expect anyone to forgive me for my actions. I don¡¯t expect you to believe me, but I swear I¡¯m not the same Will Penmark. I¡­ want to¡­solve the secrets of the void. I want to bring him back. It may not be possible, but I need to try. If anyone can do it, it¡¯s a Soul Warrior.¡±


    Will dropped a bombshell. He said his skills allowed him to solve mysteries behind the world and its concepts because everything could be broken down into mathematical forms.


    That was how he cracked the demon summoning system.


    But the void? He was deeply fearful of what secrets itid. However, he didn¡¯t have a way to ess it. Only Meruria could.


    ¡°I¡­¡± I was speechless. I had this hatred for months¡­ We all held it¡ªmore so for Greggie and Keeth. ¡°You can¡¯t drop something on us like that. You just can¡¯t-- We hated you¡ªI hated you! For months, no less! And I¡¯ll still hate you! I...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Que. The most I can do is look ahead¡­ I must be the best man I can be. And if I have a son, I¡¯d want to name him Shuuta. I¡¯ve¡­thought about killing myself a few times. When the regret was the deepest¡­ When I was tearing myself apart¡­ When I stood at the crossroads, looking at the shitty, selfish, sex-obsessed brat I used to be and the man I wanted to be¡­ I don¡¯t believe redemption is even possible for me. Oh? There¡¯s someone I need to greet.¡±


    Will stood and pushed in his chair. ¡°I¡¯ll ask Lord Meruria to give you and your team another break soon. And I¡¯d like it if you¡¯d visited my duchy. I can tell you haven¡¯t been sleeping well, and I hope our little slice of naturalistic paradise can remedy that. Please excuse me.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    We were utterly speechless as Will walked away to speak with a lion-headed noble with a gray mane.


    We got up, walked to the side, and chatted about Will.


    I was more confused than ever.


    But I was cynical as hell. This world had twisted me so much I couldn¡¯t recognize myself in the mirror. I couldn¡¯t help but feel that Will was speaking a giant load of shit. His acting like that pissed me off more than Remy.


    I just hated it.


    I just hated him...so very much...


    Ami and Mary held my hands and supported me¡ªthey knew what I felt. Their presence helped me handle my emotions and dissolved them¡ªunderstood ¨C more like it, rather than pushing themoff to the Shadow Que that now loved to torment my dreams.


    She didn¡¯t need any more ammunition.


    ¡°I¡­don¡¯t know what to think,¡± Mary said. She slowly closed her eyes and softly shook her head.


    ¡°Qutie, is Will a good guy? He was bad, but¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know either,¡± I said. I watched Will closely, analyzing his bodynguage and mannerisms. Comparing his actions during the trial and at the dinner that night¡­


    I was too pissed off to even think that straight about it.


    Did I even want him to have a change of heart?


    The thought of him improving himself and understanding how wrong he was just¡­


    He didn¡¯t deserve it! It wasn¡¯t fair!


    It was total bullshit!


    You couldn¡¯t just say, ¡®Oh, I feel bad about it. Please forgive me. I didn¡¯t mean for Shuuta to die. Or I didn¡¯t mean for him to be sacrificed to the void.¡¯


    Forgiveness didn¡¯t exist for that piece of shit!


    It didn¡¯t!


    Redemption didn¡¯t either!


    Although, I wondered if that said more about me than him¡­


    <i>I knew the night would be ruined, but I didn¡¯t think it¡¯d be like this... I can¡¯t wait for this shitty evening to be over... I need another Rule 1...</i>


    Ami grabbed my hand and turned me away from Will. Mary told me that my feelings were valid. She felt angry herself and felt like crying.


    Team Salim soon arrived, with Shiku sporting a fancy suit. Laika and Leika¡ªhis maids¡ªwere attending the ball as his dates, and they wore dresses matching their ear color. Benedict was there¡ªalone, looking upset while rubbing his cufflinks.


    <i>Renata¡¯s probably asleep still. I hope she wakes up soon.</i>


    We approached and chatted with them. Salim lookedhandsome in his suit and tie and meticulously groomed beard. I hadn¡¯t spent much time with him, but I knew he was popr with thedies. But he had a family he had left behind when he was summoned, and his heart forever remained with them.


    Salim was the sole survivor from two generations ago, summoned 120 years before us.


    There were four members left of thest generation.


    And we hadn¡¯t met them, but we knew they were working with our weaker ssmates. Meruria didn¡¯t let us do much since we were always working. They''d probably show up. We were all ordered to attend.


    The twins attracted the gazes of men and women when they strolled into the ballroom. Ann wore a perfectly tailored suit, and Lori rocked a shy, revealing dress. They held hands and immediately walked towards us.


    ¡°It appears Lord Meruria spared no expense, sister,¡± said Lori.


    ¡°It does not. I am happy to be here as your date,¡± replied Ann. ¡°Let us enjoy the amenities provided and make this night one to remember, sister.¡±


    ¡°Mmm¡­ Let us do just that, sister. Shiku, yourpanion. How is Renata?¡± Lori asked. He said she still wasn¡¯t awake. Ann turned to me and inquired about my status, and I just had to thank her and her sister again for helping me.


    ¡°Qutie, do you think Nelly¡¯s going to show up?¡± asked Ami.


    ¡°I hope,¡± I replied, changing the subject to Lord Enele. ¡°It feels like it¡¯s been ages since we¡¯vest seen him.¡±


    ¡°And I miss¡ª¡± Suddenly, there was a murmur happening near the dance floor. It interrupted Ami, so we investigated it.


    A dazzling light was collecting itself in the middle of the dance floor. When it exploded with bright, colorful particles, music began to y. The room darkened as Elly and Melusine took the stage, dressed in idol outfits that shed intensely with the color of wind and ice. They danced their hearts out, singing a chosen song representing the struggle Soul Warriors endured whening from another world. It was filled with twists and turns that supposedly mimicked our problems, though over 80% of it was manufactured bullshit.


    Or bullshit organized by the bitch who summoned us.


    When the song ended, the ballroom graciously apuded, but it wasn¡¯t the kind Elly enjoyed.


    More light filled the room, and Meruria descended like an angel.


    Shended softly, spread her arms wide,and weed everyone to the most exciting ball of the year. She spoke about bullshit I knew she didn¡¯t care about, but Meruria ended it by introducing Will, a Soul Warrior she said was near and dear to her heart, as the new Duke of Fairchild.


    There was apuse when he walked to join Meruria. She hyped him up. Tokko and Mia were here. They were in the corner, observing things¡ªdressed in a ck suit with a red flower and a white dress with sparkling heels. Damon was also present. I had just seen him enter with three women hanging off his arms out of the corner of my eye. Those three were the same ones I¡¯d seen hug him when we were summoned.


    I was surprised Meruria hadn¡¯t sent him to bug us at the mansion. Maybe that was a silver lining in all of this.


    Carter was probably using his drones from another room or something.


    But the other members of our ss were also present. I barely recognized them. They were like extras an author had ns for, but the almighty writer forgot about them because they weren¡¯t vital to the plot. How ironic they were reduced to mere mentions in this world when they had stood at the top in our reality? I wondered if it was the same for our predecessors? If those four were here, they didn¡¯t stand out. So, Meruria would have the trash train the trash.


    Maybe they¡¯ll all die soon?


    Would I get that lucky?


    <i>I still can¡¯t stop thinking about murder and death. I need another Rule 1 to help me get away from this mindset.</i> I sighed. <i>This night can¡¯t end quickly enough. Just how long is this going tost?</i>


    I saw movement in the back and realized it was Greggie and the other chefs when Meruria¡¯s speech was nearing its end. They were pushing carts of hors d''oeuvres full of food I wouldn¡¯t exactly call ¡®proper¡¯ for a ball like this, but they were, admittedly, exotic to those who didn¡¯t know about them. They¡¯d probably set them next to the drinks before returning to the kitchen to finish the main dishes.


    Keeth appeared a few secondster and set up a workshop in the room¡¯s corner. The table was lined with baskets of sapphires, rubies, and other expensive jewels. His hands would probably be pressed to the limit tonight. I hoped we still had that lotion Elly used on him thest time.


    But then¡­


    There¡­


    I felt a distinctive buzzing. My nerves sounded rm bells. Using [Mana Perception], I saw an unholy glob of pure magical energy concentrating at Meruria¡¯s feet.


    And when I switched the skill off¡­


    It was entirely visible to the naked eye.


    Instinctually, I knew it was a bomb¡­


    The old me¡­ The one who didn¡¯t talk to Lori and Ann would¡¯ve hesitated.


    That Que¡­ That faker I harbored within... The one I threw my wayward emotions towards because I didn¡¯t want to feel them...


    What if she had <i>only</i> had enough soul energy to save her friends and not herself?


    The power coalescing would be enough to kill her outright, and she¡¯d be gone from this world.


    That¡­Que would¡¯ve been fine with meeting her end here.


    And she probably would¡¯ve¡­just done nothing after ensuring her friends would survive. She¡¯d selfishly leave them behind to deal with the aftermath. She¡¯d be smiling because she wouldn¡¯t have to live in this cruel world.


    But that Que wasn¡¯t here!


    And I would never let her return!


    [SOUL BARRIER]!¡± I screamed, summoning my soul weapon. The protective shield powered by my soul energy swarmed around my friends and me as I targeted us¡­before the mana at Meruria¡¯s feet exploded skyward.

 Intermission – Consequences of Chaos

    Intermission ¨C Consequences of Chaos


    Holy Lord Meruria''s serene church was oncea towering symbol of faith with magnificent spires, but it nowy shattered against the smoky sky. Its grandeur reduced to a haunting silhouette, the ancient stones crumbled, their intricate carvings distorted and lost in the chaos. Instead of tranquility, an eerie stillness hung heavy in the air like an encroaching wave of darkness.


    As the cataclysm unfolded, the spell''s raw power surged through the church''s walls, cracking them with a thunderous force. Unrestrained magical energy consumed surrounding structures with a gluttonous appetite. Sturdy homes quivered under the weight of this destructive surge, and their foundations weakened as thepacted manawas skyward bound.


    The spell reached its zenith in a blinding sh, culminating in a cataclysmic explosion tearing through the city''s fabric¡ªmaking the dead of night appear as it was high noon. The shockwave reverberated, smashing windows and leaving cracks in the remaining structures, marking the essence of the city''s shattered soul.


    Rain of crystallized mana descended like ethereal wrath, each fragment a deadly meteorite colliding with the ground. Buildings crumbled under the assault; their proud facades were reduced to debris. Streets, once vibrant,y deste, strewn with remnants of lost lives.


    Twisted metal and rubble littered the thoroughfares, a macabre dance of destruction frozen in time. Broken ss and stone reflected the eerie glow of residual magic, casting shadows that whispered secrets of lost enchantments. A surreal haze mingled with cries of panic and despair, embracing the city in haunting sorrow.


    Fires, ignited by the vtile mix of magical energies and earthly materials, spread like insatiable beasts. mes danced hungrily, reducing once-majestic buildings to skeletal remains. Pirs of dark smoke rose, obscuring the sun''s futile attempt to pierce the devastation. The cityscape became abyrinth of ash and soot, carried by deste winds, where lost lives lingered.


    <hr>


    A young boy struggled to rise to his feet in a district to the north. His weakened body trembled with eachbored breath, his lungs filling with dust, smoke, the scent of the dead, and despair. He tried to use an arm that wasn¡¯t there, a cruel reminder of what had just urred upon the city.


    Yet he was an innocent bystander¡ªsomeone who was in the wrong ce at the wrong time.


    With great struggle, the mortally wounded boy fought against the pain and stood, unaware that he had less than ten minutes left to live. Yet...


    He still pushed on. With difort, he limped out of the ruined structure that threatened to be his tome, seeing first-hand the destruction.


    He stumbled through the debris, doing his best to step over those lucky enough to die from the initial impact. The smell and scent of death hunt thickly, making it more difficult to breathe. Every corner he took revealed more devastation and chaos. Buildings were reduced to mere skeletons of their former selves, and those halfway standing were haunted by screams of the damned. Mothers cried for their sons, fathers for their daughters, and this little boy...who found the strength fading from his tired, achy legs...


    ¡°Mommy...¡± His voice was less of a whisper than a dying cat¡¯s meow. Even the sharpest elf wouldn¡¯t have heard his teary voice.


    ¡°Mommy... Where are you...?¡±


    The boy doubled over and vomited blood. An iron taste stained his lips, although his liquid crimson quenched his parched throat...


    ¡°Mommy... I¡¯m scared...¡±


    The boy rubbed his eyes. For a quick moment, he...thought he saw her. The corpse-filled streets looked like normal. He saw his friend, Jasmine, waving while waiting. She always dressed like a boy and loved to y rough. And over there was the shop that sold his favorite bread. Tommy¡¯s father owned it. He gave the boy stale bread for free, and the boy always rushed home to give it to his mother, who cared for his younger sister.


    That was right... The boy had a sister... She was just born a few days ago. The boy and his mother were lucky enough to see a beautiful blue-haired girl sing in the middle of the street a week before that miracle. Her voice was enchanting and lovely, and her name...


    Elly...


    His mother repeated it twice as they walked home, hand in hand, hearing her happy, impressionable son sing the happy-sounding lyrics. She thought that was a pretty name. Perhaps the Soul Warrior they looked up to wouldn¡¯t mind if she used it to name her daughter after her?


    The boy was too young to understand an expression that was all toomon in Elly¡¯s world¡ªthat life shed before your eyes when you were dying. Those saying was the cornerstone of the song Elly had sung.


    But he...didn¡¯t understand it. He¡¯d never understand it.


    But... When he blinked once more, he was home. The one-room house didn¡¯t have a kitchen. The stains stering the floors and walls smelled when it was too humid, but it had his mother, whom he loved dearly. She held his baby sister in her arms. Jasmine was near her, smiling brightly at her future sister-inw.


    ¡°Mommy!!¡± The boy¡¯s voice grew four times louder. He ran and ran and ran, yet no matter how much he pushed his legs...


    What he saw wasn¡¯t real.


    The boy...was on the brink of death.


    Everything he thought he had experienced since standing up...didn¡¯t y out. It had all been in his mind. The boy spent hisst moments inside Jasmine¡¯s house, unable¡ªperhaps unwilling to notice that the bisected corpse next to him belonged to his closest friend when he copsed after his legs buckled on him.


    Perhaps it was a stroke of luck¡ªmaybe you could call it mercy-- but the boy¡¯s body persevered just long enough for the imaginary happiness he found in his mind to ovee the indomitable gap and jump into his mother¡¯s arms before...his life came to a tragic end.


    Yet it was but one tale¡­ Many more heartbroken stories were being written throughout the city, which resembled an aged battlefield rather than a capital city home to one of the most hated Holy Lords.


    <hr>


    In the southern district, a lone dog, covered from head to tail in darkened soot while nursing intense burns, used the veryst embers of its life trying to push a copsed building off a cer door. His owner was inside. She had always told him that he was a good boy¡ªthe best friend someone could ask for. And what kind of best friend would the dog be if he couldn¡¯t be there to save the one he cherished most?


    ¡°JUST GO AWAY! ROCKY, SAVE YOURSELF!¡±


    Rocky heard themand. But its loyalty outweighed everything else. The dog had been found abused and broken¡ªbattered and injured, and the dog didn¡¯t have the strength to survive, but his master... His beloved savior worked for weeks to nurse him back to health.


    And now it was his turn.


    ¡°BARK! Bark! Bark!! Awooooo!!!!!¡±


    ¡°YOU DON¡¯T NEED TO DIE HERE! PLEASE, GO AWAY!!!¡±


    Rocky howled once more and put far more effort into his futile struggle, yet even when his hind legs snapped like twigs, the hound refused to let his owner know. Rocky pushed until his bones had pierced his skin, but...


    The encroaching mes were too close. They were less than ten feet away, and already... Rocky felt his fur being singed.


    ¡°I LOVE YOU, ROCKY!!!! I¡¯M SORRY!!! I¡¯M SO SORRY!!!!!¡±


    ¡°AWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!¡±


    Rocky knew he should¡¯ve died years ago. Everything past that was heaven. He was a lucky dog who received scritches at all hours of the day, a thick bone once a week, and a dashing bath every month. He was the most loved dog on this side of town, and even the nobles¡¯ treatment of their darling pets couldn¡¯te close to how much Rocky had meant for his owner.


    Rocky had regrets, though. But it was just the one.


    If there was a next life...he wanted to be reborn as someone stronger¡ªmaybe a wolf. Or perhaps a man. His owner never had any luck when it came to love. She always cried into his fur after a failed date.


    Rocky continued to howl until hisst breath...to tell his owner that...she wouldn''t die alone.


    <i>Please... If there¡¯s a next life... Let me be there to protect her...as she protected me...</i>


    <hr>


    The western district... That was where the damage had been the most severe. A woman and a man walked amongst the debris. They called out for their children, but they couldn''t hear anything specific over the screaming.


    The two had been fighting about overdue taxes they couldn¡¯t pay. The amount went up yearly, and the money he earned as a smith¡¯s apprentice declined monthly.


    They were at risk of losing their house. And due to the unimaginable stress, the father often returned home angry and drunk.


    But it had never been as bad as it had this evening.


    Their argument was loud enough to get the guards¡¯ attention, and they sped shackles around the two and took them to the prison to cool off, leaving their young children behind.


    They were only 5 years old¡ªtwin boys.


    But after the climactic event urred... They had been lucky enough that a meteorite had destroyed the jail. They escaped with the rest and ran home, praying, hoping, and begging their children were safe.


    They should be. They were with their grandmother, who lived with them.


    But the anger kept getting the better of the two. It always started with petty insults.


    ¡°It¡¯s your fault! You need to control your drinking!¡±


    ¡°If you got off your fat ass and got a job, we wouldn''t be poor! Why do you always push it onto me? I¡¯m trying my hardest!¡±


    ¡°If you were skilled enough, you wouldn¡¯t be an apprentice. Ysolo¡¯s husband opened his shop yesterday--¡±


    ¡°I TOLD YOU TO STOP COMPARING ME TO HIM!¡± He struck his wife across the face, and she charged with a punch. Their anger had grown so much that their children left their minds.


    However... If they had held control of their emotions, they would¡¯ve heard a small, passionate cry for help emanating just fifteen feet away. The two idiots were close to their home, yet...


    Because of their inaction, they¡¯d eventually find their twin boys hugging their grandmother, who had perished in the first few minutes of the chaos.


    However, the two would¡¯ve been toote, as the blood in their bodies had started to boil, ripping through the skin.


    The spell that brought Cridia to ruin?


    It was more than a spell meant for destruction. It was focused on brutality. For some, it made its victims burn. Others? They were frozen. The effects varied, but all focused on dealing as much damage as possible.


    So, perhaps it was a blessing that the parents arrived after they had passed away? Yet it wasn¡¯t, because the moment the mother screamed until blood dripped down her throat¡­


    She had lost the spark to live. And she used the sharp rock resting at her feet to end her life. And her husband soon followed her to the grave. There, he hoped to experience just onest hug. And maybe he¡¯d have the chance to tell his darling mother how sorry he was that he turned out to be just like his father.


    <hr>


    In the grand forests to the west, near the entrance to the Fairchild Duchy, a pair of disguised warriors used scrying magic to perceive what was happening inside the ball Lord Meruria had advertised for weeks.


    The two hadmands from their Holy Lord to set off a spell he had devised. It was filled to the brim with a sickening poison from the Spirit Realm¡ªthe very kind the Holy Lord had lost multiple organs from.


    But those dangerous times had hardened his will, and the Holy Lord mastered the deadly corrosive miasma.


    And when the time was right¡­


    When Lord Meruria descended from the stage...


    They pulled the ¡®trigger¡¯ and set off the magic circle they had spent so long preparing¡­


    But¡­


    There wasn¡¯t supposed to be an explosion.


    The pir of mana that rose into the sky and fired offrge meteorites of crystalized mana¡­


    That wasn¡¯t the n.


    A sea of hazy miasma was to spread from the epicenter and kill everyone within the ballroom because that was where the poison would be concentrated the most.


    But none of that happened.


    The destruction wasn¡¯t supposed to be that widespread. The Soul Warriors gulped audibly and feared for the immediate future.


    Was the n changed without them knowing?


    Did they have a traitor in the midst?


    It was one thing to have a localized strike on their enemy, but to¡­inflict this carnage and chaos upon a city? They watched the smoke corrupt the starry skies before doubling their efforts to get away.


    Regardless of the truth¡­


    The Western Continent was about to be forever changed.

 Chapter Eighty-One: Priming The Rebellious Spirit – Part One

    Chapter Eighty-One: Priming The Rebellious Spirit ¨C Part One


    The Clone!Bird persistently conveyed its message throughout the night, an insistent reminder of the horrorsmitted. It sought to etch the dreadful deeds into memory, loudly and irritably, like a relentless itch. Yet, this was just the prologue.


    At 3:54 AM¡ªmerely six hours ago¡ªTris came off cooldown, marking the true beginning of my n. She used a dozen clones and efficiently indexed the entire city in an hour. It was rough on me¡ªI teetered at the brink of biomass and mana exhaustion. My body was seriously a few short minutes away from consuming itself, and it would have had I not had a few clones dedicated to eating fish in the port.


    But the struggle was over. This whole city¡­was now my yground.


    And it was all thanks to Tris. She utilized rats, birds, bugs, and dogs to infiltrate every nook and cranny of the city, including Gregory¡¯s mansion.


    But there was something else. Before evolving, Tris was limited. A book or document had to be in our storage to analyze and learn its contents.


    Now?


    Merely targeting anything written with [Deduction] downloaded<i>everything</i><i>it contained</i>to her databanks. After evolving, analyzing information was faster than ever.


    A 1,000-page tome took two seconds to devour.


    And if something was inside a lockbox or behind a series of seals designed to prevent scrying magic? Or if a book was protected by powerful magic that prevented someone from grabbing it?


    So what. [Skyview] couldn¡¯t be stopped by that sort of child¡¯s y.


    [SkyView] had a passive ¡®scanning¡¯ range of about 10-15 feet, so<i>everything</i>within was automatically indexed. And that truly meant everything. That safe hidden inside a concrete block behind a painting in Gregory¡¯s mansion? Tris merely targeted the diary it held and learned his deepest, darkest secrets without needing to drill or melt into it.


    Even if that was required, it wouldn¡¯t have been a problem.


    "What?! Gregory Atrix has a son?!" eximed Verdant at the breakfast table as I casually revealed the first shard of information.


    "That¡¯s correct," I responded, sipping my coffee. "His name is Ayroix, but he doesn¡¯t know that. He thinks of himself as an orphan. Gregory believes that Ayroix is dead. Years ago, he sent an assassin to kill him and his adoptive father upon learning about him, but only thetter died. I don''t know how it happened, but Ayroix survived without his father knowing.


    Verdant, bewildered, questioned how I discovered this. "I told you. I excel in information gathering. No one can hide from me. And I mean no one,¡± I replied, stressing thest two words. ¡°Consider the city an open book that only I can ess. I¡¯ve confirmed Ayroix¡¯s existence with my wooden puppets. And to make it easier¡­ Here.¡±


    A dozen folders manifested from seemingly nowhere after I waved my hand across the table. ¡°Don¡¯t be shy.¡± I chuckled. ¡°Go on. They won¡¯t bite. Look at them.¡± I waited for Verdant and the others to grab them before continuing. Kull was hesitant. That fear in his eyes¡­


    He feared me. He tried to hide it, but he knew I perceived it. Why else would he nce away shamefully?


    ¡°These hold the next month¡¯s guard patrols, shipments, meetings, deliveries, and more. Everything you need to strike is held within them, including summarizations of Gregory¡¯s journals. You¡¯ll also find an organized list of Atrix¡¯s military forces, including a rather extensive rundown of their levels. Oh, and a rough measurement of their strengths and weaknesses and battle ns they¡¯ve used in the past ten years.¡±


    The others were silent as they looked through them.


    ¡°Oh, and this is for your affirmation¡­¡± I yed my flute as Tris made a [Skyview] window for the others. It showed a clone¡ªa wooden puppet¡ªinside Gregory¡¯s bedroom, sitting at his office table, flipping through his diary. ¡°Notice the words. And the handwriting. See? There. It mentions his son and how he was told by Ayroix¡¯s mother that she wasn¡¯t pregnant. In his own words, and I quote, ¡®the life of a whore matters less than the worth of a stray dog. Now? I must extinguish the life out of that bastard kid.¡¯ I don¡¯t know who or what he used, but I don¡¯t think it matters much since that entry was written years ago.¡±


    Their jaws dropped more until Kull mentioned what everyone else was thinking, his voice quivering and cracking. ¡°M, if you¡¯re capable of this, why not kill Lord Atrix? You could end¡ª¡±


    ¡°it won¡¯t be enough,¡± I replied. ¡°Think of the power vacuum Gregory''s death would cause if he suddenly dies. The sole way to solve the issue would be for the people to revolt and fight for themselves. We must merely lend a guiding hand from the shadows. ¡° All lies, of course. I could easily take Lord Atrix¡¯s ce and broker a peace deal. I could¡¯ve solved this in an hour.


    But I couldn¡¯t do that.


    The rebellion needed to happen.


    I needed the life force.


    Kull shook his shocked face away after I asked about elections. ¡°By tradition, a child inherits rulership from their parents. The leader of a city-state is akin to a king. Their word isw.¡± I asked what would happen if, for example, everyone with Gregory¡¯s blood was assassinated. ¡°A Heptarchis would be called in Orchta. The Wisefolk would convene and perform a ritual to grant a chosen sessor blood of Atrix¡¯s Vestige. It¡¯s the same with the other city-states.¡±


    Okay, that was interesting.


    ¡°Is there a way to prove Ayroix is Gregory¡¯s son?¡± I asked. ¡°Undeniable proof that cannot be ignored? The journal is one thing, but it may not be enough.¡±


    A Mousefolk with orange whiskers answered. ¡°The Wisefolk have a ritual,¡± they said. ¡°It can detect if a person has the blood of a Vestige in their body.¡±


    It felt like this whole country was a giant, seven-section cult. But whatever. It didn¡¯t really bother me.


    We just needed to make Ayroix the cornerstone of the revolution. He worked as an apprentice at a cksmithing shop located near the harbor. As of now, the orange-eyed teenager with orange sses worked over an anvil, hammering away at a sword he needed to make for a customer. He was none-the-wiser about his true heritage.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be a delicate bnce,¡± I said. ¡°I cannot do everything, but I¡¯ll do what I can. It¡¯s up to you to convince Ayroix of his birth and understand that he can lead the rebellion, and I¡¯ll continue to my instigation. General ckthorn and Guildmaster Thornbrook hate each other.¡± I threw two journals on the table. ¡°They each have a specific section of the military loyal to them. The general obviously has more, but Guildmaster Thornbrook has a detachment loyal to her via money.¡±


    I told them the rest of the n. With the information I¡¯d brought back, Verdant¡¯s spies were responsible for sneaking into the military offices, registration buildings, warehouses, and the docks to cause damage. I gave them ten boxes filled with firesalt bombs. And these had a metal pin to have them act like grenades. I showed them what to do with a dummy Tris had made for this very moment.


    ¡°It¡¯s a strange device. I never knew safety features could be instilled into these things.¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s difficult to do,¡± I told Kull. I saw him shake one up and down, causing Margie to smack him silly. I told her these wouldn''t explode unless the pin was pulled. And then, you¡¯d have 5 seconds to throw them.


    Perhaps they thought it was the end of the meeting since everyone started to move. ¡°But there is one more thing.¡± My words made the spies sit down. ¡°During my investigation, I found mention of a group that, ording to General ckthorn, and I quote¡ª¡®A unit of protective savants only loyal to the ground enshrining the city-state of Atrix.¡¯ Do you know anything? I didn¡¯t find anything in Gregory¡¯s notes.¡±


    It was like I spoke anothernguage. Margie and the others shared confused nces. ¡°That¡¯s¡­the first we¡¯ve heard of it.¡±


    ¡°Is there any secret group I should know about? Rumors? Whispers? I must know even the smallest crumble."


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s the Citrine Reapers.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡±


    Margie finished Kull¡¯s statement. ¡°They¡¯re rumors. Ghosts-- a group of mad soldiers who don¡¯t exist. We¡¯ve tried and failed to get proof of their existence, but we only have musings in the dirt and whispers in the shadows.¡±


    ¡°Such as?¡± I listened as the dwarf exined that the Citrine Reapers were only loyal to one man.


    Gregory Atrix.


    ¡°They say the final test is to kill your family. But there¡¯s a mysterious glyph etched into their bodies that the others can feel.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Kull added. ¡°It¡¯s supposed to be of a scythe or something? Does that help? Like we said, we aren¡¯t sure if they¡¯re real. Or if they¡¯re rumors spread by Lord Atrix to keep his men in line. Like¡ª¡®Follow my orders, or the Citrine Reapers will have your head!¡¯ kinda deal. Hmm? M?¡±


    I ignored Kull and let Tris focus. Her sweet voice echoed around my mind after forty-five seconds of silence.


    <i>That is what I needed, my lord. I have searched for those above Lv. 50 with etchings or tattoos masked by magic, then further deduced that list by seeing if they have any living rtives within the city.</i>


    <i>Like¡­ A DNA test?</i>


    <i>Indeed!</i>Tris was probably pridefully puffing out her chest and said a person¡¯s mana signature was unique, but family members shared a core aspect. Irisa, Mom, and Dad¡¯s mana emerged from the same ¡®root,¡¯ so to speak, which was another way of ¡®fingerprinting¡¯ someone since everyone¡¯s mana was unique to themselves. Those simrities were engrained in Erin¡¯s, Irisa¡¯s, and Dad¡¯s mana.


    But this meant Tris had yet another excellent ability that worked with my ability to see mana¡ªtracking someone by their magic¡¯s key signature.


    Which would be helpful if I didn¡¯t have [Skyview]. It didn¡¯t seem like anyone or anything could stop it¡ªbut it was nice to have backup options in my back pocket.


    ¡°Hello¡­? Uhh¡­ I think we lost her? Or is¡ª¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ The Citrine Reapers aren¡¯t so hidden anymore.¡± I grinned and grabbed my flute. ¡°I don¡¯t know how many members there are, but fifteen are within the city. The weakest us Lv. 34, and the strongest¡ªthemander¡ªis Lv. 57.¡±


    <i>I''ll consider them Atrix¡¯s version of the United States''s Secret Service.</i>


    ¡°What?! But¡ªHow¡ªI don¡¯t¡ª¡± the Mousefolk eximed, stuttering like a chugging train. I yed my flute to mask Tris disying a map window of a group of twelve soldiers standing outside Gregory¡¯s office¡ªthree were inside with the man himself¡ªalthough they weren¡¯t speaking--merely watching while he wrote a letter.


    These fifteen mysterious¡ªwell, not so much as mysterious as previously unknown and unremarkable¡ªweren¡¯t present earlier when Tris was snooping around Gregory¡¯s estate. They were otherwise unremarkable in almost every way, which exined why Tris¡¯s initial search skipped them over.


    ¡°These are the Citrine Reapers,¡± I said. ¡°Notice the glowing symbol on their cheeks. It¡¯s a magical epitaph merely shaped to look like a scythe. It reads, ''In the shadow of the reaper''s de, eternal allegiance to thend of Atrix, the undying beacon of our loyalty.'' I¡¯m merely using illusion magic to show you what my wooden puppet sees. You see¡­ I have one pretending to be a tile of the ceiling. That pesky magic dding the vow of loyalty from being seen? It¡¯s merely child¡¯s y and nothing I can¡¯t remove.¡±


    <i>I¡¯ve done another search for just that epitaph, and yes, I can confirm that there are fifteen members. Altering the query for additional variations yields no other results, and I¡¯ve tried 442.</i>


    ¡°Wow¡­ Just¡­¡± Margie and the other spies were¡­speechless.


    ¡°Oh, but there¡¯s more. I¡¯ve analyzed the Citrine Reapers¡¯ mana signatures and preliminarily searched throughout the town for any simrities. Guess what I found.¡±


    ¡°I¡­feel like there¡¯s no right answer, M.¡±


    I sighed. ¡°The least you can do is y along, Kull. But I discovered rtives. Specifically¡ªmothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. Do you know what this means?¡±


    ¡°That the rumors are bullshit?¡± Kull answered correctly.


    ¡°Indeed. A hundred points for you.¡± Additional investigation with [Skyview] and [Deduction] on certain houses and buildings led Tris to one conclusion. ¡°The Citrine Reapers are a legitimate force. They¡¯re weak in my eyes, but they¡¯re powerful and worth their salt if you remove me from the equation. But they aren¡¯t a group that must kill their family to proim their undying loyalty. They must instead die.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ Ah, I see. The group faked their deaths?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The Citrine Reapers let their loved ones believe they¡¯ve passed onto the afterlife to dedicate their entire being to protecting Atrix. But their loyalty isn¡¯t with Little Gregory. No. It¡¯s to defend thend. It¡¯s to ensure Atrix¡ªthe city-state, not the person¡ªwill continue to thrive."


    ¡°Is there¡­nothing you don¡¯t know?¡± asked an orange Hedgehogfolk. She rarely spoke and preferred to be quiet.


    ¡°Many things. I merely have a talent for information gathering. Nothing is more powerful in war than the flow of knowledge. What use is grand, overwhelming power if your opponents know your every little move? The tortoise can beat the hare if it is sufficiently prepared. But heed my words. Little Gregory made his life''s biggest mistake when he aimed his foolish ambitions at Plymoise. The ones I love are there, and he put them in harm¡¯s way. And he must pay for that. But it will be the people who take his head. Our goal is to guide them in the right direction. Is that understood?¡±


    Everyone nodded.


    ¡°Good. Now, you know what you must do. See to it.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± I didn¡¯t envy the ones needing to convince Ayroix, but it was whatever. The n didn¡¯t solely rely on him-- he was more of a bonus. If he refused or chickened out, Tris had alternatives.


    But I needed him to grow a pair. The best-case scenario relied on it.


    ¡°Umm¡­ But what about you?¡± Kull asked, pushing in his chair. His innocent question froze everyone else.


    ¡°What I do best, Kull. What I do best¡­¡± I grinned. ¡°Leave the Citrine Reapers to me. Don¡¯t even worry about them. Focus on achieving your tasks and practice caution. I''ll be sad if you die on me."


    ¡°Y¡ªYes, ma¡¯am! I won¡¯t die!¡± Kull scampered away, leaving me alone.


    <i>I think that was too much, my lord. You¡¯ve frightened them.</i>


    <i>They can just deal with it. Do you have something for me?</i>


    <i>Yes! I do! After analyzing the Citrine Reapers¡¯ skills, levels, titles, andbat capabilities, I¡¯ve deduced that Surtr is enough to wipe them out. They will not pose a threat even if they all attack simultaneously. However, I believe the n can be improved¡­</i>


    <i>And¡­</i>


    <i>It depends on what the Citrine Reapers think about Gregory. I believe not all of them approve of his recent actions. If their love lies in the city and office and not the one who holds it, then perhaps we can persuade them to our side.</i>


    Tris continued, citing that Gregory was a coward. One of histest journal entries had him jot down a rather vivid nightmare about being chased by a ¡®demonic lion born from hell mes.¡¯ Yet anything even remotely rted to the Citrine Reapers was absent. Perhaps that was a rule? Or maybe a tradition? Oral record keeping had many ws, but it defeated our current information-gathering techniques.


    <i>But I need to lure them away from the city. Why not handle that tonight? Surtr?</i>


    <i>Yes, Lord Springfield? Do you need me?</i>


    <i>Possibly. It¡¯ll beter tonight, so be ready.</i>


    I just knew my lion was snarling. Surtr said he would be awaiting the order.


    As for how I¡¯d get him to me?


    [Conferment] of course. I could open a link between his location and mine using my bracelet as a travel path, reducing the life force needed to merely a fraction of what it would require. And at full speed, Surtr could make the trip from Atrix to Plymoise in a few hours.


    <i>But let us go, Tris. It¡¯s time to do what we do best.</i>


    <i>I¡¯m right here with you, my lord!</i>


    Oh, I just loved hearing her cheery voice!


    <hr>


    For the next 16 hours, I did what I did best.


    Only a chimera such as myself could orchestrate an overwhelming abuse of power. And I had thought about killing more clone children, but I refrained from it.


    Not that it wouldn¡¯t work. I knew it would, but because the initial hesitation had already spread. I could still involve Clone!Kids, but it felt like repeatedly having children die would lessen the impact I wanted to make.


    Tris agreed with me, so we decided to go with something else.


    Earlier this morning, Captain Max met with General ckthorn about his hasty behavior in sentencing children to death. General ckthorn wanted to get rid of Max, who was loyal to money. But he was popr amongst the nobles. And Guildmaster Thornbrook, the one he answered to, was the reason why.


    So¡­


    I had found and downloaded the visual data of a corporal in the good captain¡¯s unit and had him terrorize people at random. He¡¯d throw water in faces and smash rocks through ss windows¡ªsomething difficult, expensive, and strenuous to make. This puppet soldier would steal out in the open and openly wee anyone to fight him.


    But he wouldn¡¯t do any permanent harm to anyone¡¯s livelihood. Verdant¡¯s spies were given money to pay for any repair¡ªof course, the silver and gold woulde out of the ¡®rebellion¡¯ fund Ayroix didn¡¯t know he had.


    The worst part was when he stripped a woman¡ªalso a puppet¡ªand molested her in front of everyone.


    A Clone!Bird continued to scream tales of the injustice throughout the city of what this puppet soldier was up to. A legitimate backup unit arrived ten minutester, just in time to see the puppet soldier receive a rock to the back of the head.


    It wasn¡¯t thrown by a puppet.


    And then someone else threw a rock.


    And another.


    And another. It was only ten people.


    But it was a start.


    I made my puppet soldier die from a lucky strike to the head, which promoted the backup unit to draw their weapons. But the crowd didn¡¯t back down. No. They were angry. An elderly Scalefolk grabbed the puppet woman and ced a cloth around her bare chest while the menfolk picked up anything they could find.


    But I had one more puppet. Cid¡ªan old fellow with little hair, a hand with four fingers, and a missing eye.


    Tris had made him a backstory of how he used to be a mercenary. He was vital to Ayroix because the man who used to look after him¡­looked the exact same. His name had been Dryke, and Gregory Atrix had the man killed 7 years ago.


    I still didn¡¯t know why Ayroix was spared. He thought the death was due to a smithing ident, but Cid here was going to correct a few things and clear the air while pretending to be his twin brother.


    The n was for Cid to make himself known by taking out the unit of soldiers, which he did via firesalt bombs to blow them to smithereens. Tris had correctly predicted the onlookers would gasp in horror and scream. But she was urate in that after Cid gave a heroic speech about how the threat of tyranny couldn¡¯t be handled by passiveness, rebellious murmurs would, once again, flow through the crowd.


    It had gone all ording to n. The people were talking even more than yesterday. Some had said they were fed up with the violence and harsh taxes to fuel the military. And many started crying over the puppet victims that had died the day before.


    When it came to children¡­ People acted. Maybe not a lot. But some. And you needed a little push to get the ball rolling. And you couldn¡¯t overdo it. It was like a super move, and I knew that made me sound evil. But the deaths of puppet children had to be used when it would benefit me the most.


    While that was happening, two of Verdant¡¯s spies spoke with Ayroix at his job and told him about Dryke. He didn¡¯t believe them, but his tune changed after they dropped details only those who knew the man would¡¯ve known.


    He looked at his hands and wondered if he was Lord Atrix¡¯s son. After he read a copy of Gregory¡¯s journal, he still had trouble believing it.


    But that was where Cid helped the most. The puppet¡¯s arrival alone sent the bastard son into shock, gasping as if he had seen a ghost.


    Cid spent the next six hours handling that and convincing Ayroix to be the vanquisher of evil and the rebellion¡¯smander when it had formed, and I turned my attention to the noble quarters.


    The people here foolishly believed they had nothing to worry about. They scoffed andughed at those peasants who were so uneducated that they let their children die.


    These scum truly believed they were safe¡ªthat they knew the Atrix would emerge victorious in the war-- that their contributions to the war fund would be returned with interest.


    Oh¡­


    How wrong they were.


    Chief Justice Darkfeather was popr here. He had taken a thousand bribes and forged evidence to out his contributors'' enemies in prison. It was an open secret. The man¡¯s diary had said so. But he had confidential information to ckmail anyone who tried to expose him.


    And I knew those secrets. And I had that ckmail. A clone had used [Ichor Maniption] to burn a hole through a solid steel safe with their superheated blood to retrieve the incriminating documents.


    But before distributing them and announcing everyone¡¯s secrets, I needed to make everyone infuriated at Little Gregory.


    To do so, I decided to target the barracks and military warehouses. The noble quarters had a personal section of the army exclusive to them. They answered to no one except Baron Haywood Haitian, a Crabfolk with pincers for hands. He was given control by Lord Atrix after he paid a timely bribe. He also paid Chief Justice Darkfeather to forge a crime to put his biggest threat away for a decade. This family was new to the city. They had moved from Terokai, another City-State, just a few years before it happened. But Baron Haitian believed him to be a traitor.


    The chief justice knew that wasn¡¯t the case. But the bastard ruined a family. That man¡¯s daughters were given to a pervert who helped the baron. Last I read, he had sold them to a band of vers for pocket change because he was bored of them.


    They weren''t in Atrix¡ªnot anymore. They weren¡¯t dead, though. Tris didn¡¯t find any graves with their names.


    God.


    This ce was fucked up.


    Power struggles were everywhere. It was no small wonder this city-state hadn¡¯t copsed from corruption.


    This whole system needed to go. I knew democracy wasn¡¯t the best. No system of government was perfect. Everything had downsides because man was wed. Everyone could be bribed and tempted to bend the rules.


    But there wasn¡¯t any system of checks and bnces in Atrix. I doubt any existed in Parthina.


    Maybe that was something I needed to ¡®instill¡¯ into Ayroix¡¯s mind?


    You couldn¡¯t be incorruptible, but you could take precautions.


    Perhaps, but that could wait.


    I made a few clones and bombed the warehouses and barracks.


    They were put to death instantly, of course, but one of them exploded a firesalt bomb as he died, killing more of the soldiers.


    These bastards weren¡¯t innocent. Tris had found personnel files, analyzed them, and knew exactly how awful these jackasses were.


    Assimting then¡­ That couldn¡¯t happen, but Tris had convinced Lady Plymoise to dig a mass grave¡ªwith Surtr¡¯s help¡ªto dump the fallen Atrixian soldiers. They were waiting for me to slurp up.


    The dead soldiers from Plymoise were different. They had individual graves, but Tris said it would take me about 3 hours to hit up the gravesites. It wasn¡¯t anything I couldn¡¯t handle on a still, quiet night.


    So, I had way more life force and SP waiting for me back in the city. I had 12k SP left, and I stood to gain much more from here.


    It was almost too much. But I could dish out that SP to Niva and Tilde. And Sekh, too, when she returned. Now that I could manually learn skills, spells, and techniques, SP<i>wasn¡¯t</i>that vital, but it still deserved some importance.


    Life force, though¡ªthat was another story. I needed so goddamn much of it that it wasn¡¯t even funny.


    As all this happened in the noble district, I was in my room at the hideout, watching the chaos unfold as Tris beautifully manipted everything with my clones.


    But my hands wouldn''t remain clean.


    The madness in the noble quarters was just a prelude¡­to what we had nned for Gregory Atrix¡¯s downfall.


    When it was midnight, I slipped away from the hideout and transfigured into a bird. I flew around the city under darkness''s cover. Cid the Clone was still speaking with Ayroix at his house. But they were also surrounded by a group of passionate rebels tired of this city. However, no one but Cid knew Ayroix was Lord Atrix¡¯s son.


    The torch needed to be lit before it could be passed, however. Cid and Verdant¡¯s spies followed Tris'' precise instructions to nurse the rebellious me in his heart. You couldn¡¯t rush it.


    When it came to this, you needed to make your target believe in himself¡ªthat this was what he was made to do¡ªthat this was his destiny.


    I looked over at the harbors and saw mes spreading amongst the docks. Those guard patrol schedules came in handy for Kull and his team to do more damage. We didn¡¯t need to kill. We only needed to instill fear.


    But it didn¡¯t matter if a few Atrixian soldiers died.


    Where were the elusive Citrine Reapers while this chaos was happening, someone might ask?


    Why, they were standing guard outside Little Gregory¡¯s office because, throughout the day, threatening missives had somehow ¡­spontaneously appeared on his desk.


    Just how in the world did that happen? He certainly didn¡¯t know.


    The threats detailed a lion surrounded by demonic hell mes woulde for the city.


    The leader of the Citrine Reapers¡ªa wrinkled, middle-aged man with long orange hair that flowed like watery amber¡ªhad nearly begged Gregory for permission to leave. He passionately proimed his vow to protect the city, but it merely earned him a punch across the cheek that, admittedly, hurt Gregory more than the unit¡¯s leader.


    The coward valued his life more than the lives of others. Additional arguments broke out, and it ended with the unit¡¯s leader being threatened with execution for treason.


    Either way, it didn¡¯t matter much since Verdant and her spies were ending the operation for the night. The fires would be extinguished within the next thirty minutes, and things would ¡®rtivity¡¯ calm down.


    <i>Tris, keep them upied. Two or three more letters should work. Once I¡¯m finished here, we can move on to the next stage.</i>


    <i>Understood, my lord. Shall I have Surtr prepare himself?</i>


    <i>Yes.</i>


    After changing course, I took a path over the noble quarters. Each mansion had a unit of guards standing outside. The heads of each important family were having a meeting. Insults and threats about the day¡¯s events were thrown at each other. It never came close to violence, but most were pissed off at the chief justice for allowing this to happen¡­


    And what about General ckthorn and Guildmaster Thornbrook?


    I was about to handle that. Tris and I knew it was too soon for there to be a war between the two, but I could always stroke the fire and stress the already tight tension they shared.


    Soaring high above Guildmaster Thornbrook''s estate, I beheld the imposing walls adorned with intricate ironwork, mirroring the twisted nature of its resident. The gilded thorns of the ornate gates weed those brave enough to enter. The cobblestone path led to the weathered main entrance, guarded by sinuously shaped hedges. The opulent mansion''s polished sandstone walls reflected sunlight while grotesque gargoyles silently warned of the darkness within. I explored the grand foyer through its spotless windows, marveling at the moonlight''s dance on the marble floor. In the backyard, a meticulously manicured garden maze of trimmed hedges and towering trees concealed hints of decadence¡ªa seductive facade hiding darker intentions belonging to its owner.


    <i>My lord, I see that you¡¯ve arrived. Don''t worry. Everything else is going ording to our n.</i>


    <i>That¡¯s good to hear.</i>


    I switched from being a small bird to assuming the form of a guard loyal to Guildmaster Thornbrook. They were identified by a particr symbol that otherwise looked very ordinary. The armor was created by transfiguring slime.


    I stood and stretched my legs because this body was different. My biomass and mana were draining at a slightly elerated rate, but it wasn¡¯t anything to worry about. I just had to kill someone and wear their armor.


    <i>Can you summon my Soul Weapon?</i>


    <i>I can. I¡¯m forbidden from dealing damage, but I can fire it. Why do you ask?</i>


    I nned to transfigure the snake boss¡¯s fangs from the Hershire Valley dungeon onto the barrel of Tilde¡¯s revolver and use it as a melee weapon to earn Soul Weapon EXP.


    <i>Tilde is still awake, so I¡¯ve exined it to her. She wishes you a careful journey, my lord. But could you retrieve Reina¡¯s pistol for a moment?</i>


    I did as she asked, and¡­


    <b><i>New Skill: [Soul Weapon Copy]</i></b>


    <b><i>The Beretta 92FS is now avable to use.</i></b>


    A basic version of Reina¡¯s Scorpion¡¯s Bite appeared floating.


    I held the Beretta 92FS, a ssic semi-automatic handgun with a sleek design. Its full-sized frame made of sturdy steel gave it a reassuring weight. The front and rear serrations on the slide added a touch of style to its appearance. Its double-action/single-action trigger system offered rapid follow-up bullets and precise initial shots. And it held a modest 15 rounds of 9mm ammo.


    The fixed sights provided a clear view, but some models had adjustable rails for improved uracy. It didn¡¯t have any crimson cherry wood grip like Reina''s gun. Nor was it polished to an unhealthy degree.


    It was so beautiful¡­


    <i>If you acquire a weapon of the same type as your Soul Weapon, it bes unlocked in the Soul Weapon Evolution System. I didn¡¯t know that until Tilde told me. </i>


    <i>I¡¯d never have even thought about it.</i>


    <i>Tilde sends her love, my lord. </i>


    <i>Tell I love her too. And you, Tris.</i>


    <i>My heart bes warm at your words, my lord. I shall be watching you.</i>


    I stashed Reina¡¯s gun in my mana and attached the snake boss¡¯s fangs to my 92FS.


    ¡°You¡¯re a sharp little thing, aren¡¯t you?¡± I quietly asked, piercing my finger. Since a Soul Was an extension of my soul, it only made sense it acted as a part of my body.


    The grass beneath my false dark boots crumbled as I walked around the maze.


    It felt weird.


    I made my way to the start of the maze and saw a man flipping a coin between his fingers. My map obviously had everyone appearing as a red blip. By a rough ount, the ce had 144 people. Approximately 44 were soldiers. The rest were butlers or maids. Seemed odd, but maybe Guildmaster Thornbrook was so sure of herself.


    ¡°Huh? Taking a piss? There¡¯s something about doing it outside, right?¡± The man yawned. ¡°What''s wrong? Tired? Got the shits?¡±


    I killed him in the blink of an eye.


    I didn¡¯t feel bad, though. The men here were enemies. And I was protecting my family. They could curse Gregory, Guildmaster Thornbrook, General ckthorn, and the others in hell.


    After assimting the corpse, I transfigured into him and wore his armor before walking through the unlocked doors. The guildmaster¡¯s room was on the top floor.


    I didn¡¯te here to kill her. I worked through thevish mansion, grossed out by what she would spend her wealth on. The guards in my way died. I often snuck behind and slit their throats, flooded their mouths with my slime while freezing it to subzero temperatures, or broke their necks.


    I unlocked a new skill called [Workshop] on my 16th kill. Invoking it showed me my list of guns and attachments I could add to them. But my firearms needed to be used to unlock the add-ons.


    Any progress was retroactive, though, so I slotted a 2x scope on my rifle. Revolvers didn¡¯t usually have silencers, but my 92FS did. I selected it. It shed brightly, and there it was¡­


    I quickly tested it by barging into a room and sending a Clone!Bird far away. It transfigured into me, summoned the gun, and fired six shots¡­


    And it was totally silent. My clone¡¯s sharp ears couldn¡¯t hear a damn thing. The bullet seemed to lose all potential after forty feet, but it was perfect for sneaking missions.


    Canceling the clone, I had an easier time ascending the next two floors, where I killed six more with shots to the head. The drain on my soul energy wasn¡¯t minuscule, but Tris worked hard to make me ammo.


    <i>It¡¯s a good thing Gretchen made good on her promise and delivered the first batch of those supplies yesterday morning.</i>


    <i>The first 15 bullets are in [Void Storage].</i>


    I ejected the mag, loaded it, slid it in, and readied a round. In just that short time, Tris had more ammo ready. She worked on crafting additional magazines.


    I still didn¡¯t want to rely on soul energy because it was limited. I¡¯d needed to grow it much more before I wasfortable with it.


    After continuing my subtle, murderous ascent¡­


    I was at the door.

 Chapter Eighty-One: Priming The Rebellious Spirit – Part Two

    Chapter Eighty-One: Priming The Rebellious Spirit ¨C Part Two


    <em>Knock! Knock! Knock!</em>


    ¡°What is it? I am not to be disturbed!¡±


    ¡°It concerns the attack on the noble quarters, mydy! New information hase to light!¡± I hated how my disguised voice sounded. M¡¯s was royal and queenly, and this was raspy and coarse, like broken ss.


    ¡°And?! What is it?!¡± The door flew open to reveal a woman dressed in a nightgown. Guildmaster Thornbrook''s optical tentacles stretched wide, although she had regr orange eyes. She looked like a middle-aged woman¡ªexcept fluid leaked from her liver-spotted pores, making her appear slimy and wet.


    <em>The Slugfolks in Aetos Vige had the lower body of a slug. She''s different from them, so I wonder if she¡¯s a halfbreed?</em>


    I forced my way in and filled her mouth with my gun.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to shut up and listen to what I have to say. I¡¯m a friend. I¡¯m here to help you. Don¡¯t trust General ckthorn. The bastard is in cahoots with the chief justice. The general delivered the firesalt bombs personally.¡± Yes, the general and the chief justice had a meeting today. I¡¯d watched it myself, but it was just about business. But Guildmaster Thornbrook didn¡¯t know what they were talking about. Her mind thought it was rted to the attack on the noble quarters since it happened simultaneously.


    ¡°The general wishes to me the failures of his army on someone else. That''s why they want to pin it on you. You hold a monopoly over the mines that supply the general with ore he uses to make his weapons and ships. He¡¯s going to use that to defraud you. In other words, he wants you out of the picture. But I don¡¯t. I need you to remain in control.¡±


    I didn¡¯t. That was all a lie. But I fleshed out the narrative more by saying information only would know. For example, a journal Tris had copied said the guildmaster was having trouble closing a deal with Terokai for establishing a series of checkpoints between them. On a base level, Tris couldn''tpare to the guildmaster in debating economy. But what about after she digested a dozen books hidden within the guildmaster''s library? Our wealth of tactics and knowledge expanded tenfold, and she crunched the numbers and solved the logistic issue using the noted supplies penned in the journal''s corner.


    ¡°Do you understand?¡±


    The merchant nodded.


    ¡°Good. The powers that I serve are out of your breadth. Ie from a ce where there is much money to be made¡ªmoney only made possible by you. And I know you want it. And I know you desire it. Follow my orders, and you¡¯ll have more wealth than you know what to do with. Trust me. Your life is at stake. We wouldn''t be talking if I desired your death. You need me if you wish to survive before the end of the month, and I don''t wish to kill you.¡±


    That was how you did it. You needed fast persuasion to get the correct response out of someone. You needed to make the target feel important. Guildmaster Thornbrook valued her life more than anyone.


    She nodded again. I smiled and removed the gun. If she screamed? That was fine.


    But no.


    She remained quiet. The Slugfolk looked at me with four eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯ll return within the week. Until then, do not trust General ckthorn or the chief justice. Pretend, then turn your back on them. Of course, you¡¯re free to do the opposite if you wish. If that happens, you''re going to die. Ignore this conversation if that''s what you want. And not a word of this to Lord Atrix. His¡­unit must remain secretive. I assumed you understand?¡±


    She nodded slowly, her eyes bing wider by the moment.


    ¡°Good. You¡¯re a smart one, so keep at it. And we¡¯ll be watching¡­every little thing you do. Go against these orders, and I¡¯ll use your corpse as an explicit warning. The future of Atrix is at stake, and we shall stop at nothing to see it thrive for many centuries left toe.¡±


    I left before she had a chance to reply. I ran down the hall and jumped through the window, transforming into a bird while flying away. Tris said our first target had dropped to her knees and soiled herself from fright.


    <em>I¡¯ll continue to watch her, my lord.</em>


    <em>Okay.</em>


    The first part was done, and it was time to pay the general a visit.


    I flew to his estate and did what I had done before at Guildmaster Thornbrook¡¯s mansion, only I took the form of a random soldier in the military.


    The general was more reserved. He was on guard from the moment I entered. And he was ''strong'' at Lv. 64. I could win, but using force wasn¡¯t the y, so I did something else while he held a sword to my neck, letting it taste my lifeblood.


    ¡°Your eyes are tired, general. I imagine you haven''t rested more than two hours in the past week.¡±


    ¡°Surely you didn¡¯t break into my home to state the obvious. How do I know you¡¯re not here to kill my family? Why should I allow you to breathe?¡± We stood in the hallway. Luckily, there were no soldiers on this floor.


    ¡°Not at all, general. I¡¯m a friend. An ally. I don¡¯t wish you to travel down this path.¡± I felt his sword dig deeper. General ckthorn narrowed his eyes. His hands were wrinkled, yet he was still robust. He was once an aplished fighter and mercenary.


    "You see, General ckthorn, not long ago, Lord Atrix praised your meticulous nning for the lightning-quick assault on Plymoise. You had it all worked out, every detail scrutinized by the sharpest minds to ensure no ws were left unchecked. Contracts were awarded, orders dispatched, and conspiracies woven. But s..."


    General ckthorn slightly shifted. And I continued.


    "The ploy to eliminate Captain Caulk from the equation failed mysteriously. I cannot say if it''s rted to the strange urrences within Ria, but the pirates that were to lure the Hawkfolk¡­ They seized the opportunity amidst the chaos and fulfilled their role. However, their survival was never part of the n. Once the assassination waspleted, the stolen ne from Lady Plymoise would have sealed their fate."


    ¡°How do you know that?¡±


    ¡°I know it because I know it. Shall I continue? I¡¯m afraid killing me will mean killing yourself.¡±


    General ckthorn nodded.


    ¡°I know you harbored a dislike for the invasion. Something deep down told you that it wasn¡¯t going to work out once your attempt to eliminate Captain Caulk was met with failure. You¡¯re a smart man. You knew this was a turning point for the inevitable war. You knew the correct choice was to reconsider the invasion ns, but no. Bribes were exchanged, secret deals were made, and even the impossible was achieved: Orchta and Wisefolk were swayed to Atrix¡¯s side. You¡¯re still bewildered at how that happened, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    That was a big deal, honestly. Orchta was where the Wisefolk lived. They were supposed to be incorruptible. I didn¡¯t tell or show the proof to anyone else because I wanted to simmer on this information for a while.


    ¡°I know you suffered cold sweats the night before the mimic was to take Lady Plymoise¡¯s life. And then¡­ It happened. Your ruler ignored your orders andunched the army and navy. But it wasn¡¯t that easy. Reports of the ming lion emerged from the survivors. None could fathom the sheer power disyed by that creature. How could it single-handedly decimate five drakes and three hippogriffs without faltering? And the High Elf rumored to be its summoner...You were afraid, general. Everyone saw it. You had an uncanny feeling, but everyone brushed you off. They always do that when they want to ignorantly believe their whimsical fantasies rather than embrace the cold, hard truth.¡±


    I took a moment to look deep into his eyes. facies


    "But it''s not defeat itself that poses the greatest threat. It''s the aftermath we must reckon with. Even the most mediocre theorists could foresee the pushback from our citizens after such an egregious failure. Initially, a few protests could be handled with severed heads, instilling fear to maintain control. However... A new force has emerged¡ªpeople unafraid, undeterred by our previous tactics. Captain Max has killed children. He ended their lives¡ªcut off their dreams at the source when letting them swing from the gallows. He even ordered his men to ce corpses on pikes to serve as warnings. But that didn¡¯t stop them, did they?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Face it, general. The people are fed up. They¡¯re tired. And they aren¡¯t scared. Fear cannot quell their passion. The horrible loss still stings their minds. The mothers who lost their sons still cry. If it happened to them¡­ Well, people realize it could happen to them. You have tired, afraid, and traumatized soldiers sitting outside the city walls. What would happen if they were to turn¡­towards someone else? Someone who wishes to change things? That man isn¡¯t you. It¡¯s someone else, but you could be the man to help bring forth a change. I¡¯m sure you heard about the terrorist attack in the noble quarters. It was orchestrated by the chief justice. He yearns to work for Guildmaster Thornbrook to take control. Everything she had done that was contrary was on purpose. It served to throw others off her scent. But you¡¯re smarter than that. You know the people will need a new leader if Atrix is to continue. You love the city. You love it more than your wife. I can see it in your deep, orange eyes. The one I serve cannot bear to see the city erupt in undeserving mes.¡±


    The moment the general lowered his sword and whispered the ¡®name¡¯ of the group he believed I belonged to?


    The rebellion was in the bag.


    ess to a journal with a man''s innermost thoughts enabled you to do amazing things. Better yet, the Citrine Reapers-- at least a few-- truly loved the city more than the man holding the office. It was¡­some intense nationalism that I didn¡¯t understand¡ªmainly because I didn¡¯t have a home.


    I had people.


    I had my family and loved ones¡ªbut nothing definitive to call my one and only home. But I was sure I¡¯d act the same way if I did. I¡¯d be pissed off at the dumbass in charge going against the best advice in the world to wage some bullshit war.


    So, I understood the Citrine Reapers. Even if they kept their discussion to quiet murmurs, Tris had closely examined their bodynguage and mannerisms to deduce their uneasiness.


    The unit¡¯smander, for example, had hundreds of titles rted to farming, hunting, and, in general, living off thend, including a few that suggested he held a heartfelt fondness for nature eclipsing even that of an elf.


    Then again¡­


    I imagined quite a few were the opposite¡ªthey loved the man more than thend. But that shouldn¡¯t be that big of a problem to ovee if the majority thought simrly to theirmander.


    I had ideas and backup ns to ensure this rebellion went off without a hitch.


    The general finally sheathed his sword, grabbed a bottle of smoky liquor off the shelf, and then poured two shots.


    ¡°Then what shall I do?¡± he asked, giving me a ss.


    ¡°Merely listen. What has been put into motion shall not be stopped. You can still alter the forting rebellion to further suit your advantage.¡±


    ¡°Rebellion?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct. You can fight what your heart believes in¡ªor you can fight for evil and die with your body tossed in a ditch. I will remain in touch, friend. There are people out there who do not wish to see you dead. The organization I serve¡­is one of them.¡± I downed the drink, then bid my goodbye. He merely watched as I left. After closing the door behind me, I dashed through the nearby widow and changed into a bird. I talked to Tris while soaring above the city.


    <em>Cid is still with Ayroix, my lord. He¡¯s filling his head with tales that we havee up with.</em>


    <em>Good. When the fighting starts, it needs to be chaos. We must convince enough soldiers who returned from their failed invasion to fight for Ayroix. Can you develop a suitable n?</em>


    <em>It¡¯s processing as we speak. Ah, about the other thing¡­ Are you sure you don¡¯t wish to make your presence known?</em>


    <em>Is it a good idea to be known as the orchestrator behind this rebellion?</em>


    <em>I believe it is. The High Elf of Liberation¡ªa woman instrumental in toppling the militaristic regimen of Atrix while defending Plymoise from defeat... The moniker will be beneficial. The benefits may not appear immediately, but they will in due time. </em>


    <em>What about Vredi? Do I leave it out of it?</em>


    <em>Yes.. But if your full name has leaked, those with sharp minds will realize the High Elf of Liberation''s identity. But it is worth it, I think.</em>


    <em>I''ll trust your judgement. Find a way to organically spread those rumors.</em>


    I had one more stop before moving on to the night''s final act. Tris opened a [Skyview] window and showed me a ruined office. Little Gregory had lost it. Bottles, books, chairs, and anything else that wasn¡¯t nailed down had been violently tossed and ravaged, broken by a man teetering with conspiratorial madness.


    The letters Tris had delivered kept getting more specific¡ªto the point that they intimately detailed what he had done in the past twenty to thirty minutes. He was being watched, but he didn¡¯t know where. And that infuriated him so much.


    Chief Justice Darkfeather¡¯s estate¡ªmy second-tost destination¡ª was located some distance away. Atrix was deceptively big. The city was probably 4x bigger than Plymoise, and it held more people.


    But my overall n was to pit the three against each other. And when the rebellion started, General ckthorn would naturally ally himself with Ayroix¡¯s rebellion since ckthorn loved the city. That much was evident in his heartfelt journal. And I¡¯ve seen the way he treated his wife and child. He truly loved them, which was more than what I could say for any of the other two jackasses.


    But the chief justice had no spine. Darkfeather had made so many backhanded deals that he believed I wasing to make one-- earlier, Tris had sent a little letter via a clone foreshadowing my arrival-- the coward pissed and shit himself in his robe while anxiously awaiting me. If someone could slip a letter in his locked room without alerting his guards...


    Then, it was probably a good idea to listen to the threatening words demanding him not to make a scene and to patiently wait for the letter''s author to arrive. Then again, it had only arrived five short minutes before I ominously knocked at his door. I swore I heard his heart skip a dozen beats.


    He probably had the ''scariest'' force out of all of them. The people stationed in the noble quarters were loyal to him because of his ckmail, and they were only challenging because he had their wealth at his disposal. Darkfeather believed the note hade from a noble''s assassin since he had ''failed'' to protect them from the earlier attack on the noble barracks. They were, after all, under his ''protection,'' but that didn''t amount to shit. I used that fear and made Darkfeather fearful of the guildmaster and general. A coward like him was so easy to mold to your whims...


    I even told him I would solve the terrorist attack on the noble quarters for him, which I did via a clone that had broken off. It was easy to convince a room full of snobbish nobles. They were so used to being pampered that it took a few well-cedpliments to make them believe the Guildmaster Thornbrook and General ckthorn were responsible. But retaliation wouldn''t happen-- not so soon, after all. The clone convinced them that a retaliatory strike would happen once the circumstances were just right.


    Before I departed the chief justice¡¯s estate, I told him what I had mentioned to the other two¡ªthat the ¡®group¡¯ I represented desired to see the city thrive. And it needed an iron talon of justice to see it through.


    You know¡ªto stroke his shitty ego for a little bit and gently ease him into what I needed him to be.


    I closed the door and left through the window, soaring high in the dark skies as an eagle with orange feathers.


    But the night wasn¡¯t yet over. It had been enduring. It felt like an impossible puzzle with four conflicting genres, but Tris poured through the data and couldn¡¯t find anything egregiously wrong.


    Of course, there were improvements to be made. The script wasn¡¯t perfect. And some things with Ayroix could¡¯ve been altered to convince him more easily.


    Now, the potential problem¡­


    The missing soldiers at the estates I visited.


    Well, that was on purpose. I didn¡¯t want to leave any bodies, but missing people? That was enough to further add truth to my words.


    Seriously, having the powers of a chimera was frightening. Their potential was infinite. But Tris helped a ton.


    But it wasn¡¯t time to rest yet.


    We still had to rake the coals and burn them blisteringly hot.


    And for that to happen¡­


    I needed to y a few more tricks¡­


    Only then would this inexhaustible night end, but that did not mean the end of this grand n.


    It needed many days to fully mature, and we were still in the beginning.

 Chapter Eighty-One: Priming The Rebellious Spirit – Part Three

    Chapter Eighty-One: Priming The Rebellious Spirit ¨C Part Three


    I arrived at the chosen location fifteen minutes after leaving the chief justice¡¯s estate.


    The grassy in was open, and there weren¡¯t that many trees. Even better, a crystal known as a coordinate sapphire was hidden underneath the ground. One of Gregory¡¯s precious Citrine Reapers was a mage who could warp himself and his allies to these beacons. Tris had found ten of them ced around the city and its immediate surroundings, but there were at least twenty more spread across the city-state.


    But how did I find them if I didn¡¯t have this spot indexed?


    Observing the ebb and flow of mana.


    These coordinate sapphires emitted magical energy unique to the mage they were assigned to. You couldn¡¯t see these mana waves unless your [Mana Perception] was a high enough level. You also had to attune your magical abilities to the crystals. So, they were like a relic or artifact vital to the Citrine¡¯s Reapers¡¯ navigational prowess¡ªthe one way they could get around a city-state in the blink of an eye.


    But Tris ignored those limitations. She had first used [Deduction] on the mage, then analyzed his unique mana signature, discovered the waves being emitted, and then tracked them as I soared high above the city as an eagle. She cross-referenced the wispy mana trails with a few maps she had found, then suggested this spot as tonight¡¯s finale.


    I didn¡¯t have the surrounding countryside indexed, but the maps helped. The inurate data would be reced when I traveled the rest of the city-state.


    But the n was set¡ªI still had a clone bug within Gregory¡¯s office, which I used to drop those threatening letters he¡¯d been getting all day. And it seemed like it was about to get a very...lion-like promotion.


    All I had to do was allow my Fragment of Wisdom to take the reins. For the first part, at least. If it worked the way we nned, I¡¯d be the supporting star of the second half, with a lion ying the role of the leading man before giving the role back to me.


    <i>Please... Sit back, rx, and enjoy the show, my lord!</i>


    Tris opened a [Skyview] window, revealing Gregory''s office. It was in disarray, with broken chairs and shattered desks scattered across the floor. Gregory, leaning against the wall, had bloodshot eyes, and nervous sweat soaked his brow, entuating the chaotic scene around him. He looked like a total mess amidst the wreckage of his own tantrum.


    The room outside held the fifteen members of the Citrine Reapers. One of them, Lysander¡ªthe leader¡ªand the one Gregory had punched, looked outside the window with clenched fists and gritted teeth.


    If there was...anyone I could get through... It would probably be him. The idea, and most promising path, was to convince the group that Gregory wasn¡¯t worth it. But if they weren¡¯t going to listen to my reason, I had no qualms about killing and recing them. Surtr alone was more than enough to take them out simultaneously.


    ¡°This¡­¡± Lysander sighed and ran his hands through his long, flowing orange hair before stressfully rubbing his wrinkled forehead. The harbor wasn¡¯t on fire anymore. It hadn¡¯t been for about forty-five minutes, but I wondered if he thought he could¡¯ve fixed the issue sooner if Gregory had given the order to sortie.


    I had backup ns if that happened. Verdant and the others would¡¯ve received orders via my ¡®light show illumination magic¡¯ if something unexpected had arisen.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you like this before,mander,¡± said a bald mage. He wore a loose robe with orange crystals embedded in the sleeves. ¡°How¡¯s your face? Are you hurt?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. Lord Atrix can¡¯t hurt me. Not physically, mind¡ª¡±


    ¡°AAAHHHHHHHH!!!!¡± A horrendous scream suddenly erupted as a crashing noise originated from Gregory¡¯s office. Lysander charged and kicked down the door, drawing his sword and shield.


    And there¡­ Hovering just outside the wall that had melted... Staring at a man with soiled britches, with eyes fiercer than the most violent volcano¡­


    ¡°The demonic lion?! Here?!¡± Lysander roared. He jumped in front of Gregory and raised his shield. The mage waved his robes, and the jewels shed a bright orange as a dozen watery greatswords appeared near him. Theyunched like rockets, flying blisteringly fast, yet it amounted to a paltry amount of steam.


    The aquatic projectiles didn¡¯te close to hitting Clone!Surtr.


    And the other four magic-wielders began chanting support magic as the rest readied their arrows. The archers'' quivers were enveloped in ice and earth¡ªenchantment magic. A heartbeatter, they drew and fired a quick barrage using [Rapid Shoot] and [Projectile Multiplication], but the pathetic attempt utterly failed. The


    The clone ¡®pulsed¡¯ its mes, and everyone recoiled.


    Well, everyone except Lysander, who held resolutely. He kept his shield raised. The grit in his eyes could rival sandpaper.


    <i>I¡¯m using our waypoints to ¡®paint¡¯ the scene. Anyone from a distance would see the side of the estate and nothing else, my lord.</i>


    ¡°What¡¯s...with this heat?! It¡¯s...¡± The bald mage grunted through the difort and waved his sleeves again, recanting the chant for [Water Barrier]. It wasn¡¯t strong enough, but the clone lowered its calefaction simultaneously to make it seem convincing.


    ¡°Is this too much for you?¡± A deep voice growled from the clone as it bared its fangs. ¡°Gregory Atrix, architect of failed invasions, your ambitions have crumbled like the ruins of ancient empires. Plymoise remains unyielding, a fortress against your futile designs. Your drakes fell victim to my fangs. Your hippogriffs trembled before my mighty mes! And your soldiers... Your...weak, pathetic, meager soldiers that you sent on a death mission... Their deaths are on your hands, little one.¡±


    Gregory couldn¡¯t move. He was too stunned to even breathe.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you regretting your choice? Do you wish you could go back in time and prevent the invasion? How naive are you, Little Gregory? You remain here in your estate like the coward you are. Your legacy will be nothing. You will be nothing. There is but one fate befitting you. Death, Little Gregory¡ªa man who does not deserve to rule over and as beautiful as this. That is where your journey will end. Oh, but it won¡¯t be now. It won¡¯t be tomorrow. I will strike you down at a time of my choosing, and you will forever live in constant fear until that day arrives. Oh?¡±


    The clone turned its head towards my direction in the far distance.


    ¡°It seems I¡¯m not the only one toe for your head. It seems, Little Gregory, that you have more enemies than I initially assumed. But they won¡¯t take your life. They won¡¯t burn your soul within these hell mes. That honor belongs to me, but I will not fight your battle. Look out towards the moon¡¯s ascent and gaze upon the beam of crystalline light.¡±


    The clone snarled and bared its fangs once more,


    ¡°Or is this a trap I¡¯ve devised to deny you your precious Citrine Reapers... What will it be, Little Gregory, who hides behind his people like a spineless whelp. What will you do? You have received threatening letters throughout the day, have you not?¡± It threw back its head and menacinglyughed as it vanished in a ming show of nocturnal fire, leaving the rest stunned and perplexed. Gregory needed more than a few seconds to find his voice.


    Lysander cautiously lowered his shield. He grabbed his arm and kept it still when he realized he shook with rmed trepidation.


    ¡°That¡¯s the power¡­ The one who wiped our drakes and hippogriffs? Who destroyed hundreds of men? The rumors¡­ They¡¯re¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t give a damn about the rumors!¡± Gregory spat, interrupting the mage. He trembled like a babbling baby and stumbled thrice when fear empowered his unsteady feet. ¡°If that lion¡¯s master¡ª That¡¯s more reason to do your goddamn jobs! Go on! Hurry up! Get out there! Kill whatever¡¯s at that pir and bring me their heads! You swore to defend me with your lives, did you not? Fucking defend me already!¡±


    Little Gregory was losing it. He rambled like a madman for three more minutes¡ªmaybe hearing himself articte was how he knew he was alive? He kept stuttering and speaking so fast that he fumbled his words and created sentences that didn¡¯t make sense.


    ¡°What¡¯s the n?¡± asked one of his archers.


    ¡°We can¡¯t let this stand. That light is near a coordinate sapphire, and we mustn¡¯t lose it,¡± said the mage. ¡°We cannot allow a foreign agent to attune themselves to it and sabotage ourwork. It would take years to harvest new crystals! And longer to rece them!¡±


    ¡°But this must be a trap. The lion believes us to be fools,¡± added another¡ªarge, burly man with orange tattoos down his arms. He gripped a heavy axe that shimmered orange. ¡°Are we going to blindly walk into it?¡±


    ¡°But what if it¡¯s not lying?¡± Lysander finally spoke. ¡°Our enemies are more numerous than most. Many desire to take Lord Atrix¡¯s head, and we cannot downy any threat. It¡­ It must be investigated. Trap or not, we must go. We cannot allow the citizens to witness it and add more fuel to¡ª"


    ¡°Then go! Stop¡ªstop chattering and act!¡± Goddamn! Gregory was so pathetic I wanted to w my eyes out. ¡°Hurry up and bring me their heads!¡± he repeated, his desperation highly evident as he interrupted Lysander again. ¡°I can¡¯t die! I have too much to live for! My legacy needs to be engrained within history¡¯s tapestry!¡±


    Those who were prepared to kill should be ready to die in turn. This little bitch wanted to have his cake and eat it too¡ªto sit back and reap all the rewards without putting himself in danger.


    How ironic that I could literally...


    Just end his life without a moment¡¯s notice...


    The dumb bastard didn¡¯t know how close he lived on Death¡¯s edge.


    Lysander and the others discussed the n. Five minutes of deliberationter, he and nine others would be teleported by the mage after receiving his buffs and enchantments. The mage¡ªMikel¡ªwould tag along after convincing Little Gregory that he would be needed. The other five desired the same¡ªbut the cowardly ruler refused and cited that he needed people there to protect him in case someone else wanted to attack.


    ¡°And I guess that means it¡¯s almost time,¡± I said as my clothes and appearance changed. I didn¡¯t want to be an orange-haired High Elf, so I used my slime to create a suit of onyx-like armor that covered me from head to toe. To be safe, I temporarily transfigured into some random guy I had seen in town.


    <i>I hope you¡¯re ready, Surtr. It¡¯s almost show time.</i>


    <i>I am! I have been awaiting this moment!</i>


    <i>Good. Just be patient a little bit longer.</i>


    With everything set up and organized, I just had to wait for my ¡®guests¡¯ to arrive.


    <hr>


    Ten arcane symbols manifested with ethereal brilliance, carving themselves onto the verdant canvas of the grass. In the blink of an eye, Lysander and his soldiers materialized, poised for the imminent fight.


    But I only ¡®saw¡¯ nine.


    The tenth was under the effects of [Shadowmerge], an invisibility skill that merged the user into shadow. It worked effectively at night, and even the shadow of a mere de of grass was enough for the lv. 53 orange-freckled gnome to vanish immediately upon arriving.


    They didn¡¯t think I saw her because she was at the far back, but I did. My eyes pierced her skill¡¯s effect, and Tris marked her with a waypoint.


    But I was going to y along with it¡ªpretend their little scheme was working¡ªas I looked at the group and crossed my arms. Seeing them in person wasn¡¯t any more impressive. Their buffs and enchantments wouldn¡¯t ovee the power difference between us.


    ¡°Are you the one who desires my lord¡¯s head?!¡± demanded Lysander. He slowly approached while not lowering his shield. Its glimmering citrine surface reflected moonlight like a sparkling jewel.


    Clearly, their equipment wasn¡¯t something Little Gregory had skimped on. Of course, a coward like him would use money to give his warriors the best equipment. In this case, it was an Exalted Armament. They required specific titles like [Hero] or [Dark Champion], and the Citrine Bulwark¡ªLysander¡¯s shield¡ªrequired [Guardian of the Atrixian me]. Only one could hold the title. It was passed frommander tomander of the Citrine Reapers upon epting the role.


    That only reinforced their status as the guardians of thend, but what was this me? Was it literal? Or perhaps more metaphorical? Atrix¡¯s color was orange, yet bountiful nature surrounded it. Likewise, Plymoise was green but dusty and rocky, like a mixture between great arid ins and a desert. Really, it seemed like the colors should¡¯ve been swapped.


    Exalted Armaments ranked below Lord Armaments. Divine Armaments, like Sekh¡¯s mace and [Tyranny Control], reigned at the top.


    Royal Armaments required titles like [King] or [Queen] but shared the same category as Exalted Armaments.


    In either case, those armaments were rare. And possibly for a good reason. You could think of them as national treasures or priceless heirlooms. And while you could regain a lost physical armament, the same couldn¡¯t be said for a skill. You¡¯d need a specialized Skill Orb¡ªalso rare-- to store it if you wanted to pass it on to the next generation.


    Losing one wasn¡¯t good¡ªespecially with how powerful skills and spells could be.


    ¡°And what if I am?¡± My voice was denser than solid steel and gritty like sandpaper.


    ¡°Are you with that demonic lion?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I am.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Too stunned? I would say you¡¯ve fallen right into my trap, and you have, but it¡¯s not what you think, my dear Lysander.¡±


    My words caught him off guard. Two of his soldiers looked at each other as if they weren¡¯t expecting this.


    ¡°I have a proposal, you see, and I would appreciate it if you allowed me to share it with you. It concerns the future of this beautifulnd.¡±


    ¡°Like hell we¡¯d talk with a monster like you!¡± Someone else found their voice and retorted. ¡°You¡¯re just going to burn the city to ash!¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re not wrong. That¡¯s an option. And it¡¯s one I should really consider since your shitty lord tried and failed to conquer Plymoise. How was it? When you saw the survivors return with their tails stuck between their legs like abused dogs? When you learned that the paltry naval fleet your lord sent out would not be returning. By my count, there were 750 lives on those seven ships. No one escaped. There were no survivors. Well, you won¡¯t need to know how I know that. Just know that this isn¡¯t a fight you can win.¡±


    ¡°What is it that you truly want? Are you the one behind the letters? Is the chaos in the city your doing?¡± demanded Lysander.


    ¡°Chaos is but a mere stepping stone to what I desire. Atrix is and with befitting beauty I hadn¡¯t seen in years. Decades, even,¡± I said,ying it thick with flowerynguage. ¡°The forests are rich and gorgeous, and the babbling brooks hold water reminiscent of flowing sapphires. The fertile farmingnd eclipsed what I¡¯m familiar with. And¡­it is a shame Little Gregory wishes to put it at risk for the pathetic reason that is wanting to be embroidered in history¡¯s tapestry.¡±


    ¡°History¡¯s¡­ Were you watching?!¡±


    ¡°That I was. My eyes are special, you see. They see the unseeable. And¡­¡± I raised a hand and summoned a pistol, aiming it at the sneaky little invisible pest. ¡°Ry... Hmm... Let me see... A gnome with [Shadowmerge]? From your titles¡­ I¡¯d say you¡¯re the one Little Gregory uses for assassinations. You have ten seconds to make yourself visible before I shoot.¡±


    Suddenly, a dozen watery greatswords manifested over Mikel¡¯s bald head when I purposely averted my eyes. Theyunched as Lysander rushed forward with his shield raised. Four archers aimed at my feet and unleashed arrows enchanted with [Vinebind]. [Projectile Multiplication] transformed four arrows into forty.


    Citrine Bulwark¡¯s unique ability was [Arcane Counterflux], which fit its name. Iunched a few fireballs from my other hand at the shield, knowing they would effortlessly bounce away when he deflected them.


    <i>I can probably burn it to cinders. I won¡¯t, though.</i>


    Transparent tendrils shot from the shield and attached to my spells,unching them towards me at twice the speed. I dashed back and jumped to the left, avoiding the trajectory Tris had predicted they¡¯d take. But the weakened mes I used couldn¡¯t hurt me.


    The arrows rained around me, funneling me into a spot closer to the gnome. Each birthed a vine that anchored into the ground before squirming through the grass like snakes. In two seconds, they had encircled my legs and violently stretched to pin my arms to my body.


    The dozen watery greatswords suddenly became engrossed in electricity, and the barrageunched like homing projectiles.


    ¡°Your teamwork is impressive,¡± A quick use of [Ira Ignis] scorched the vines and broke me free. I took aim and quickly shot down the iing aquatic projectiles. ¡°Really. Be proud of yourself. Oh, and didn¡¯t I tell you toe out? It¡¯s already been ten seconds.¡±


    <i>Bang! Bang!</i>


    I turned around and shot the invisible gnome¡¯s kneecaps¡ªshe was just a foot away from slitting my throat. It shattered the illusion, and her cries pierced my ears as that jagged dagger dropped to the thin grass. Lysander shouted her name as I grabbed her by the cor. ¡°So light¡­ So weak¡­¡±


    I threw her at Lysander, who caught her gently before setting her down. He rummaged through a pouch for a potion as the mage stepped forward. But Lysander¡¯s face¡­ He narrowed his eyes while looking at the gnome¡¯s bloody kneecaps and realized¡­


    The wounds had healed¡­because I had subtly used healing magic after picking her up.


    ¡°Shall we try this again? Do you want to hear my proposal?¡± I asked, looking past the mage. I stared deep into Lysander¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Just for you to kill us in the end?! You may be strong, but your mana isn¡¯t infinite. That demon of yours must take up a substantial portion!¡± argued Mikel. ¡°And your powerful spells can¡¯t be cheap!¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong, Little Mage. Wrong¡­ Wrong¡­ Wrong¡­ Always and forever wrong¡­ I didn¡¯t want to do this, but perhaps I should approach another way?"


    One by one, the color faded from their faces as I spoke the names of their loved ones¡ªof the ones who thought them dead because they were chosen to join this elusive unit.


    ¡°You would even dare to threaten our children?! Does your depravity know no goddamn bounds?!¡± One of the archers was pissed. Those orange eyes wished to gaze upon my mangled and mutted corpse. He readied another arrow and aimed it at my head.


    ¡°Threaten? Where did I say that? I merely named names¡ªnothing else. Your mind assumed something else, so that says more about you than me.¡±


    ¡°What?! But¡ªCommander, we need¡ª¡±


    ¡°To kill me?¡± I pointed at the gnome nursing her knees. ¡°Haven¡¯t you realized it by now? I¡¯m merely ying with you. This isn¡¯t even a challenge! We could fight a thousand days and nights, and I would forever be the victor. I didn¡¯t <i>need</i> to heal her. But I did. Because I don¡¯t want to kill you. I will, but my n involves you being alive.¡±


    ¡°Heal¡­? Commander¡ª¡± The mage turned around, and Lysander stood. He lowered the archer¡¯s bow.


    ¡°Our enemy speaks the truth. They didn¡¯t have a reason to heal Ry.¡± Lysander drew his sword, stabbed it into the ground, and sat.


    ¡°What¡ªwhat the hell are you doing?! You can¡¯t be seriously considering¡ª¡±


    ¡°Look around you, Mikel.¡± Lysander shut the mage up. ¡°We are outssed. Our enemy has been toying with us.¡±


    ¡°But if we attack together and regroup¡ª The fifteen¡ª¡±


    ¡°Listen to him. Yourmander¡¯s wise. He knows further conflict will end in preventable deaths. But¡­ If you wish to press this further¡­ You won¡¯t be fighting me.¡± I gathered a spec of me around my fist and carelessly threw it into the air. It exploded into a zing inferno that shot towards the heavens.


    At that moment, the air trembled with an ominous energy, and a thunderous roar echoed through the surroundings.


    But then¡­from the heart of the searing congration came the manifestation of the Dark Lord of Tyranny''s excessive mana given physical form. Surtr¡¯s towering figure alone caused the surrounding air to catch me. He threw back his head and roared, entrapping us in a vortex of imprable ck fire. His eyes glowed an intense, piercing crimson as he jumped from nothing,nding beside me as if he didn¡¯t weigh a pound. But the ground quivered beneath his arrival, and his presence emitted an aura of fearful paralysis.


    The Citrine Reapers had never encountered anything like my lion. It took all they had to stand back-to-back¡ªhowever useless such behavior would be.


    They couldn¡¯t dare extinguish his harsh mes.


    ¡°The lion you saw at Little Gregory''s estate was a puppet made from my mana. How does it feel to see the genuine thing?¡± I rubbed Surtr¡¯s chin and ran my fingers through his fur. ¡°Still wish to fight? You should really listen to what I say if you value your lives. And know that it is child¡¯s y to summon him whenever I want. I don¡¯t need to prepare any rituals. Nor do I need to waste time chanting like other mages. My grand lion can show up anywhere¡­anytime¡­without a hint of ominous foreboding.¡±


    ¡°Stand down! That¡¯s an order from yourmander!¡± Lysander shouted.


    ¡°Butmander! Listening¡ª¡±


    ¡°Do not make me repeat myself, Mikel.¡± Lysander¡¯s voice was cold. The bald mage bit his lips and turned away.


    ¡°Good. That¡¯s what I want to hear. Now, do you mind?¡±


    Surtr roared and eliminated the vortex threatening to swallow us. I approached Lysander and sat, but Surtr remained standing. He stood behind me and stared unblinkingly at his potential dinner.


    ¡°Now, was this so difficult? Oh, feel free to speak frankly. Unnecessary pleasantries aren¡¯t required.¡±


    ¡°Can you me us?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ I suppose I can¡¯t. Part of the fault lies in me for creating a hostile environment, so allow me to offer my forgiveness, Lysander.¡±


    ¡°Since you know my name, can I know yours? It¡¯s only fair, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Rio,¡± I answered, giving him a fake name. ¡°And yes. Today¡¯s chaos unfolded as per my explicit orders. The events in the noble district? The firebombing at the ports?¡±


    ¡°What about the family? The children who perished? And the bird that flew throughout the night¡ªthe one repeating those grave sins on repeat.¡±


    ¡°Yes. That was me. But before you give me a disgusted look, know that I possess a skill to craft puppets from mes.¡± I gathered some fire in my palm and threw it beside me. It immediately transformed into some random Atrixian citizen¡ªit was like my technique with wooden puppets, except I used fire at the base.


    The same concept, really¡ªjust a different manner of executing it.


    ¡°And illusion magic makes them look real. So, the children that have died thus far have never existed. But I cannot say the same for the soldiers who perished. Their lost lives were genuine. And dare I say that a few in the noble district deserved to burn. They weren¡¯t saints. They weren¡¯t reputable warriors that deserved to die with honor.¡±


    ¡°How dare¡ª¡± A man near the gnome found some courage, but¡­


    ¡°SILENCE!¡± Surtr roared and red his mes, instilling another wave of suffocating pressure across thend. His deep voice rumbled throughout their hearts as he showed his fangs.


    ¡°Be more mindful of any interruptions, okay?¡±


    ¡°What is it¡­that you truly want?¡±


    ¡°I desire revolution. I want the people to rebel against Little Gregory''s madness before his thirst for war leads to the country¡¯s undoing. Look around.¡± I gestured to the left and right. ¡°Ignoring the obvious scorch marks from my lion¡¯s mes, this city-state''s beauty is iparable. It¡¯s lush, green, vibrant, and beautiful, and I cannot risk it bing a bed of ash and death.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Lysander remained quiet for a moment.


    ¡°To answer your unasked question¡­ Yes. I can kill Gregory. I had hundreds of opportunities, but I will not create a power vacuum. ns are already in motion to instill a new ruler¡ªthe <i>rightful</i> heir.¡±


    ¡°Then he still lives? That¡¯s refreshing.¡± Lysander¡¯s soldiers shared shocked expressions as they looked at each other with widened eyes that exposed their confusion.


    ¡°You¡¯re relieved, but you¡¯re not surprised. Exin.¡±


    ¡°It happened the day I becamemander. Lord Atrix told me of a threat to his life. I swore to protect thisnd and¡­I¡¯m not proud of what I¡¯ve done. It was¡­murder, and I didn¡¯t know it until after I had Dryke¡¯s blood on my hands. The n was to throw firesalts in the furnace and blow up his shop, but something felt strange. I couldn¡¯t find the weapons that were said to be there. I searched and discovered a young boy sleeping in his bed, hugging a doll. And I couldn¡¯t finish it. I couldn¡¯t kill a child, so I lied. I framed it as a smithing ident and dug up a burnt corpse from the graveyard. Lord Atrix was drunk when I returned, and he revealed everything in an intoxicated stupor.¡±


    ¡°Yet you still remain loyal to a man who would lie to kill his son?¡±


    ¡°Escaping isn¡¯t easy. I have no wife. I have no children. I have nothing that binds me to this world except my soul, so the oath was painless. But my allies are different. My leaving would transfer any punishment to them. And I couldn¡¯t let them suffer because the sins weighing on my heart were too heavy. I did the deed, and I must live with my actions until the day I draw myst breath fighting for this beautifulnd.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Interesting¡­ What do you know about Ayroix''s mother?¡±


    ¡°Only that Lord Atrix took her life out of rage when she refused to give up Ayroix¡¯s location. The reapers weren¡¯t involved, and I wasn¡¯t aware of that incident until his drunken rambling.¡±


    ¡°Who else knows?¡±


    ¡°Only me. Lord Atrix doesn¡¯t remember most of that night. Word of it has refrained from escaping my lips until this moment. I¡¯m unsure how you discovered him, but you¡¯re clearly working with information we can¡¯t ess.¡±


    ¡°Well, Lysander¡­¡± I stared him down. ¡°Isn¡¯t this the opportunity you¡¯ve been waiting for? Obey my instructions, and revolution will happen. The people will rise against Gregory¡¯s oppressive ways through their own hands¡ªafter finding their own strength¡ªafter realizing that they can make a better future for themselves, their children, and their children¡¯s children. Atrix doesn¡¯t need to keep its war-mongering reputation. It does not have to be defined by sins of the past.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re suggesting Atrix¡¯s atonement is only possible if it follows you?¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily. Maybe there¡¯s a silver lining in this... Perhaps it¡¯ll happen with or without me, but I am the closest thing you have for this to be achievable in your lifetime. Oh?¡± I looked past Lysander and onto his soldiers¡¯ faces. ¡°I sense some difort. Please, let your worries be known far and wide. I¡¯ll allow you to speak.¡± I stood and stretched. ¡°A decision like this cannot be made lightly. But know this. You ¡®died¡¯ and left your previous lives behind to serve a man who would throw you to the wayside to save his own skin. Don¡¯t try to deny it. I¡¯ve had eyes on Little Gregory for longer than you think, and I know how he treats you like disposable pawns.¡±

 Chapter Eighty-One: Priming The Rebellious Spirit – Part Four (Illustrations!)

    Chapter Eighty-One: Priming The Rebellious Spirit ¨C Part Four (Illustrations!)


    ¡°Commander...¡± The mage¡¯s voice quivered like ss under pressure, barely containing his rage. ¡°Surely... You¡¯re not thinking of going against our creed...¡± An archer and another soldier echoed simr statements as Lysander stood. He turned around and approached.


    I merely sat back and watched the deliberation unfold. Loyalty to Atrix shed with the unsettling truth¡ªthat Little Gregory would throw them away the moment it meant he¡¯d survive a second longer.


    "Commander, we pledged our lives to defend Atrix, not to entertain the whims of a supposed savior," asserted the mage with a touch of defiance.


    An archer chimed in, her voice carrying the weight of allegiance, "This man speaks of revolution, but how can we be sure he won''t lead us into chaos? We need stability, not reckless change."


    The soldiers exchanged uneasy nces, torn between the ingrained creed they swore to uphold and the tantalizing promise of a better future.


    <i>Nationalism has really been instilled within them, huh? It¡¯s totally cultish. I wonder if Verdant would give up her life for Gretchen if she was a ruthless tyrant?</i>


    I leaned forward, meeting Lysander''s gaze with unwavering intensity. "The choice is yours. The shackles of blind loyalty or the path to genuine change for a better tomorrow. Atrix can rise above its tarnished history, but only if its defenders recognize the need for a new era forged by the people."


    Lysander''s eyes flickered with uncertainty as the weight of responsibility pressed upon him. The murmurs among his soldiers intensified, reflecting the internal struggle within each Reaper. Tradition shed with the promise of a better tomorrow.


    I stood, addressing them with a calmed authority. "Your loyalty to Atrix ismendable, but blind devotion can be a chain that stifles progress. Consider the fate of those who fought his dangerous war only to be discarded by the man they swore to protect. Need I remind you of Atrix¡¯s method of dealing with failure?¡± I recalled what Verdant had told me¡ªhow soldiers returning from a failed conquest ages ago were killed and hanged for losing. ¡°When you have someone like Captain Max running around¡­ Well, that madman will be the first to carve whoever his ¡®owner¡¯ wants him to.¡±


    A hushed tension filled the air, and Lysander spoke softly, breaking it. He turned around and defiantly stared at my eyes, never breaking contact.


    ¡°¡¯In the shadow of the reaper¡¯s de, eternal allegiance to thend of Atrix, the undying beacon of our loyalty.¡¯ That is our creed. Our organization was created to safeguard this beautifulnd from all threats, yet our true purpose has been lost throughout the years. We weren¡¯t meant to bodyguard our lord¡ªwe were meant to die to ensure the prosperity of ournd, even if the two paths crossover.¡±


    ¡°So, I was right. It¡¯s less about loyalty to the man and more about the office and city-state. The differences can be minor, but they are there,¡± I replied. ¡°A sane man would have allowed at least half of you to help the city instead of keeping you locked in his neighboring room to serve as meat shields.¡±


    ¡°That they are, Rio.¡± Lysander turned around and addressed his soldiers. ¡°This is our chance to regain our reason for existence. Throughout the years, Lord Atrix and his family... His ancestors twisted the meaning of our organization to suit their selfish needs."


    Mikel dropped to his knees. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­ Commander! Don¡¯t tell me that¡­you¡¯re going¡­¡±


    ¡°My true loyalty has always been with thend. If I thought serving Lord Atrix was the best way to ensure my dream came true... I would refuse. I would fight Rio to the bitter end and face my death, dying as a Son of Atrix¡ªas the wielder of [Guardian of the Atrixian me]. But my trust in our lord has always been fickle.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a traitor,mander¡­ A dirty, rotten traitor¡­¡± Mikel gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. He stood as hatred shed across his strikingly orange eyes.


    ¡°I won¡¯t deny it. But¡­ Thisnd has given me so much¡ªmore than you could imagine.¡± There was a story behind his words. Lysander was aplicated man underneath that wrinkled, middle-aged shell.


    ¡°And just who do you think gave you thisnd?! We¡¯d have nothing if not for Lord Atrix and his ancestors! We all love this city-state,mander! And we would all die for our mothend to blossom for centuries still yet toe! Yes, things are dire, but is it not the Atrixian way to forever rise from the ashes ande back stronger?!¡± Mikel argued. He pushed Lysander, who didn¡¯t move an inch. Scoffing, the unhappy mage spat his distaste and threw his arms up in resentment.


    ¡°Plymoise will fall! The rebels will be killed. Lord Atrix¡¯s bastard son will face his rightful end! We swore oaths,mander! Oaths we cannot break!¡± An archer growled, stomping the ground twice as he continued to pour into hismander.


    ¡°Ah, allow me to say this. Whatever happens... I¡¯ll protect your families. I won¡¯t allow them to die. And really, I don¡¯t want you to die. I¡¯m not saying that loss is inevitable¡ªit is. I predict the rebellion to be a hard-fought one¡ªbut your loved ones will note to harm. Perhaps things will look dire, but that¡¯s merely the nature of the beast. But again, I shall safeguard their lives.¡±


    ¡°Shut the hell up!¡± The archer readied his bow and raised it at me. ¡°You can¡¯t be trusted. Nothing you say can ever be worth an ounce of what you want it to be! You¡¯re just a viin! You¡¯re probably from Terokai or Indiko! What guarantee do we have that you won¡¯t turn your armies upon Atrix the moment this ¡®supposed¡¯ revolution has finished.¡±


    ¡°What else can I say other than I have no contact with them?¡±


    ¡°I know your kind...¡± Lightning shed around Mikel¡¯s arms and gathered at his palms. He had been quietly chanting. ¡°You take, and take, and take. There is always something more... People like you are never satisfied with what you have. You see our lives as ythings¡ªto manipte as you see fit. You don¡¯t care. You never did. I know you don¡¯t give two shits about ournd. You desire the sick thrill of manipting behind the scenes.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°End your spell, Mikel. That¡¯s an order.¡± Lysander raised his shield. ¡°Don¡¯t do something you¡¯ll regret.¡±


    ¡°Regret?! Commander... You¡¯re thest one who should say that! You took the creed! You bear our most valuable title! No one except you should ever be the [Guardian of the Atrixian me]! And now you wish to extinguish the love and pride Atrix has instilled within you?!¡±


    ¡°Are you really going to fight? Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s...kinda foolish?¡± I asked. ¡°You won¡¯t win. You¡¯re throwing away your lives for nothing. Allow me to rify myself. The rebellion will happen. I shall not let it be stopped. Forces beyond your keen are working around the clock to erase any potential problems that may arise.¡±


    ¡°I...¡± Suddenly, the gnome spoke. Ry gathered her courage and stood, and she looked at her allies. The swirling lightning descending Mikel¡¯s arms never stopped. ¡°I don¡¯t want to die... I don¡¯t want to kill for Lord Atrix anymore. He¡¯s made me...do his dirty work a hundred times. It¡¯s just like what happened to you,mander. Lord Atrix lied to me about a threat and sent me to handle it with my [Shadowmerge]. But there was no threat... Just...innocent people trying to live their lives. But it kept happening...and happening...and happening... When he scouted me, he never told me I¡¯d be forced to do this. And I can¡¯t stop because I know he¡¯ll hurt my family. It...¡± The gnome dropped to her knees and cried. ¡°I wished I¡¯d never join... I hate... I hate Lord Atrix so much! But the thought of going against him... It scares me... I feel my bones quiver, and my throat tightens up...¡±


    ¡°Then join me, Ry. You will never have to assassinate another soul. You love gardening, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°What? How did...¡±


    ¡°Your sister keeps a diary hidden under her bed. Her favorite memory is when you two started a little flower garden in the backyard on the veranda on her 7th birthday. Even now, she tends to it every day without fail. She wants to be a florist, you know. Her room¡¯s decorated with pressed flowers arranged the way you taught her. And you, Mikel. Your son uses your old stave. He¡¯s delving deep into your tomes and has sessfully learned to cast [Lightning Spark]. The spell¡¯s weak. But it¡¯s a head start. You were known far and wide as the Thunderlord Avenger before your ¡®death.¡¯ Be happy. He wants to follow in your footsteps.¡±


    I expected Mikel to sh with anger. [Thunderlord¡¯s Wrath] was an install-type skill to coat the user¡¯s body in lightning, granting them various buffs, including short-range teleportation and other lightning-rted abilities. It was mana intensive and very draining, so most couldn¡¯t use it for longer than a few minutes.


    But no. Mikel canceled his spell. And one by one, I continued, speaking more about the family the Citrine Reapers left behind after being coerced with false words spoken by a man who didn¡¯t deserve the loyalty he received.


    ¡°Think of the ones you left behind. This is the only way a reunion is possible. Regrets? I know you harbor them. I¡¯ve lost count of how many times I¡¯ve repeated myself, but this is your chance to make amends. It¡¯s to fix a mistake that isn¡¯t your fault. How were you to react when Gregory approached you, using his twisted words to reveal the existence of the Citrine Reapers, and in that same breath, lied to get your loyalty. He¡¯s a crook. He¡¯s someone deserving of death. But it must be symbolic. For this city to thrive in the future, it must be properly reined in by the only man who can do it. Ayroix Atrix must be the savior this city needs. He must be the cornerstone of the rebellion. And once that is done, you can leave this lie. Or you can reforge the Citrine Reapers into what they were meant to be and reim their original purpose.¡±


    The group now had new emotions swirling around them. Seeing Mikel sheath his magic went a long way to getting my point across, and the group began conversing amongst themselves for a second time. I leaned against Surtr and watched until Lysander broke rank and approached.


    ¡°You¡¯re the most mysterious of them all,¡± I said as he crossed his arms and stood beside me.


    Spoiler


    [copse]


    ¡°Really? From my eyes, you¡¯re the unknown one.¡±


    ¡°True, but I mean about you as a person. I have a strong grasp of Mikel and the others from observing their former lives, family, titles, and abilities, but you... Information on themander of the Citrine Reapers is impossible even for me to find.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re aware of my farming and hunting-rted titles?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°And from that, I can assume you love nature. Perhaps even more than an elf, but that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Are you curious, Rio?¡±


    ¡°No. Not particrly. But I want to know why written records of you don''t exist. People don¡¯t realize how much information there is to glean from unrted sources. A tidbit of knowledge hidden in someone¡¯s journal could be amended to what you discover on the other side of town. If you think of it like a puzzle and find all the pieces, you can work backward to put everything into ce.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s...¡±


    ¡°Information, Lysander... Information reigns supreme in almost all aspects of life. It cannot be underestimated, but there is nothing about you.¡±


    ¡°So, it seems. But I don¡¯t exist. I belonged to a family that always hid in the shadows. It matters little if I tell you since the Veilrider family was nothing but a murmur before it was extinguished for good.¡±


    ¡°But you would tell me? Even after knowing how I use even the smallest truth to uncover thergest secret? Whatever you say will be used in my information-gatheringwork.¡±


    Lysanderughed. ¡°I don¡¯t see why not. It¡¯s not like you can ckmail me with it. My loved ones have already returned to the earth, Rio. My only friends are the fourteen other members of the Citrine Reapers. I have no acquaintances other than them.¡±


    ¡°Too much baggage?¡±


    ¡°No. I wouldn¡¯t say that.¡± Lysander turned to the sky and reached a hand at the moon. ¡°I¡¯m...not exactly what one would call normal. Crafting friendships? It¡¯s difficult for me due to how my mother raised me.¡±


    And so...


    Lysander told me his story.


    He was born to a noblewoman who had thrown away a life of luxury to chase her freedom. Lysander didn¡¯t learn the truth until after her death, but the man she was married to was a pig. He preferred thepany of whores, and Lysander¡¯s mother didn¡¯t want to be the wife of a man who didn¡¯t respect the ¡®sanctity of marriage.¡¯


    Lysander didn¡¯t say it, but I read between the lines.


    ¡°My mother said she felt like a rented womb. No one cared about her. She was just there to give birth to that man¡¯s heir. He had promised her food and warmth, but it was a lie that he told anyone else he fancied,¡± said Lysander, his voice solemn. His tone was t.


    ¡°My mother didn¡¯t want to be rescinded to the gilded cage, so she eventually ran away in the middle of night to live her destiny. Eventually? My mother found a nice, quaint little vige on the border and happily integrated herself into their life. Once I was born, she departed for the nearby forest and built a lovely little log cabin. It¡¯s still there, you know. I visit it yearly after telling Lord Atrix I¡¯m going on an extended patrol.¡±


    Lysander told me she passed away on his eleventh birthday. His mother had spent the previous years teaching him how to live off thend-- farming, hunting, and giving thanks to the bountiful nature that provided them with everything they needed. In time, she acquired the freedom she desired, and Lysander''s mother wished to impart those skills to him so he wouldn¡¯t ever be forced to ept a cruel offer to live.


    She would¡¯ve died hungry, cold, and alone hadn¡¯t she refrained from taking that awful man¡¯s offer, and she wanted her son to be more prepared.


    ¡°I still remember her final words to me... ¡®This isn¡¯t the end, my son. It is but a new beginning, for I will return to the earth to be without ancestors. Be proud of who you are, my little Lysander, and forever remember the freedom sowed in your heart. We will meet again, but do not hasten that process. Enjoy your time before ournd warms your body.¡¯¡±


    <i>She went a little overboard with the freedom thing, but I can¡¯t fault her.</i>


    Lysander said he buried her under the Atrixian lilies she loved so much. ¡°I told her I loved her, and then I was...off. I was but a child, yet I wasn¡¯t afraid. And as I looked around, I knew I wanted to do what I could to protect this beautifulnd. It was all I had ever known, so my life course was clear. Do you remember that vige? The one that took my mother in?¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°I told her what had happened, and she offered to look after the cabin and grave.¡± From there, Lysander was off on a journey. ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy, but I knew it wouldn¡¯t. And I couldn¡¯t skip a dozen steps, so I began small and joined the adventurer¡¯s guild.¡± Small tasks here and there built up his wallet, and he saved more money than most since he knew how to survive off thend.


    ¡°I was there for a few months, and word spread of some, and these aren¡¯t my words, of a ¡®miraculous boy with knowledge of the earth andnd far beyond his age.¡¯ Soon, a certain noble arrived at the vige disguised as a hunter. Lord Veilrider... He¡¯s the man I truly consider my father.¡±


    He added that Lord Veilrider didn¡¯t have a wife or children. They developed a fast friendship on a hunting trip, and adoption was eventually brought up.


    ¡°He said my path was noble. Protecting thisnd was a just cause, but I couldn¡¯t do it alone. He liked the spark in my eyes and wished to see it foster. The world¡¯s kind, gentle, harsh, and that''s why it''s so beautiful. And Lord Veilrider had said we were a dying breed. He feared that one day, man would forget to look around. He would look at the wondrous sights and abandon them for material greed."


    ¡°So... He offered to train you?¡±


    ¡°More or less. I needed to better myself. A few dayster, I arrived at the capital city. My life changed, and the next twenty years saw me experiencing... Everything, really. The unique smells gallivanting together in the market? Or the blisteringly loud forges that roared alive in the early morning? I¡¯ve never seen so many people packed into one area. It was a drastic departure from what I knew.¡±


    Under Lord Veilrider''s patient tutge, Lysander blossomed, mastering not onlybat but also etiquette and the intricacies of politics. Despite his rise in the guild and military, he remained grounded in his humble beginnings, making annual pilgrimages to his mother¡¯s grave. The passing of his adoptive grandmother marked another poignant chapter¡ªsomething he discovered when he stopped by the vige¡ª affirmed by a heartfelt note expressing pride in his growth¡ªwhich he handed me.


    <i>You¡¯ve truly be the man she wished you to be. Take pride in that, Little Lysander, and know your dear mother is smiling upon you.</i>


    ¡°She¡¯s waiting for me, too,¡± Lysander said after I returned it.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you marry before knowing about the reapers? You¡¯re not a bad looker."


    ¡°Because¡­ It¡¯s difficult to exin, but carnalpanionship does nothing for me. I don¡¯t feel what a man should feel when he looks at a woman. But I¡¯m d I don¡¯t have children. If I did, I don¡¯t think I could¡¯ve ¡®died¡¯ for them.¡±


    ¡°What about your father? Find anything out about him?¡±


    ¡°I did, but it was after he returned to the earth. His name matters little, and his victims are at peace. His former estate was sold by Lord Atrix¡¯s parents, and the money was given to the ones he tormented.¡±


    ¡°Then I won¡¯t pry any further.¡±


    ¡°But Lord Veilrider made that sacrifice.¡±


    ¡°The sacrifice? So...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. He was themander before me. His wife and children didn¡¯t take his ¡®passing¡¯ well and moved away from the capital. He never did follow or send scouts after them. Lord Veilrider was in his thirties when it happened, and he died when he was 82.¡±


    <i>Tris, is there anything you can do about Veilrider¡¯s children?</i>


    <i>I found his grave in the city. It¡¯s near a church in the noble district. And his mana signature has already been memorized¡ªbut it is faint and damaged. I¡¯ll deduce its roots and begin a passive scan. But the chances of finding his descendants aren''t high, my lord. I do not think this endeavor will bear fruit. </i>


    <i>Neither do I. Don¡¯t devote too many resources, but keep it in the background.</i>


    <i>As you wish, my lord.</i>


    Lysander continued. "Poor diet, alcohol, and tobo never made for a healthybination,¡± he said. ¡°But a better lifestyle wouldn¡¯t have added more than a month or two. Lord Veilrider had reached his end, and our mothend was calling him back. I remember it so clearly. The winds were howling like the wolves we idolized, and the air was deathly still with a tinge of patience. With his final breath, he told me about a secret unit that, to my knowledge, was a bogeyman designed to keep the unruly in line. One weekter, Lord Atrix scouted me, and Lord Veilrider¡¯s glowing rmendation gave me an instant promotion tomander, and I¡¯ve held that title for eleven long years.¡±


    ¡°And he lured you in with false promises?¡±


    ¡°Like a moth to a hungry me.¡±


    ¡°Why would Lord Veilrider do this? I¡¯m confused.¡±


    ¡°I believe...he did it because nothing is tying me down. I have no mother or father. I don¡¯t have a wife or children. I don¡¯t have any aunts, uncles, cousins, or other living rtives. I¡¯m thest of my name, and my lineage will end with me once I give myst breath for Atrix. This greatnd is what I want to leave behind for the next generation. Perhaps he thought I would be the one to reim our original purpose.¡±


    ¡°And you will. Once this perilous time is behind you, reim the Citrine Reapers¡¯ original motivation. Be a force for thend you all love and emerge from behind the dagger¡¯s shadow as the Citrine Rangers. The name can change. It doesn¡¯t have to be that.¡±


    Lysander went quiet for a moment. He looked up at the moon and sighed softly. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t our new lord require bodyguards? People to die for him?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, but does that have to be you? Or your team? Why not allow the military to handle it?¡±


    ¡°I take it the General ckthorn is in on it?¡±


    ¡°Take it as you will.¡±


    ¡°ying coy, huh?¡±


    ¡°A few secrets here and there are good for a friendship.¡±


    ¡°That must go both ways. You know everything about me, and I¡¯m not na?ve enough to take your name at face value.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Rio is an alter ego I sometimes use," I replied. ¡°But I don¡¯t know everything. I don¡¯t know your mother¡¯s name. Nor do I know that vige¡¯s name. And your childhood cabin¡¯s location is a mystery. There¡¯s knowledge that even I don¡¯t possess.¡±


    ¡°I wonder if that¡¯s true.¡±


    "It could be. But I didn''t think you''d be this open about everything."


    "I''m surprised myself," admitted Lysander. "Once I started speaking... I found it hard to stop. I''m not sure why I kept going."


    "That''s a mystery only can solve, but I enjoyed our conversation." I cracked a grin under my helmet. ¡°Oh? It seems like the rest are finished with their deliberation.


    ¡°We¡¯ve talked it over,¡± said Mikel. ¡°And we want to put our trust in you.¡± Ry wiped her teary eyes. I didn¡¯t know what she endured to learn a powerful ability like [Shadowmerge], but she didn¡¯t want to use it for nefarious purposes.


    ¡°And you will not regret it.¡±


    ¡°But what do we do now? What¡¯s the n?¡±


    ¡°Well, you can¡¯t return to Little Gregory empty-handed. Why not assuage his fears?¡± I tossed a stray fireball to the ground and produced a mimicked copy of my current appearance¡¯s head.


    ¡°I have a feeling that¡¯s not your true identity,¡± said themander.


    ¡°Maybe it is. Maybe it isn¡¯t. But take it back and proim it belongs to the lion¡¯s summoner.¡±


    Mikel grabbed the severed head and posed another question about the ones who remained behind. ¡°Convincing them is your task,¡± I said. ¡°Consider that your homework. Oh, and while we have this agreement, do not go behind me and try something cute.¡± I tossed fifteen ming spheres to mask Tris crafting fifteen [Skyview] windows that showed the town. ¡°This city is under the mes of my all-knowing eye. I can see everything and follow everyone and everywhere at any time. And yes, that includes you.¡± The [Skyview] windows¡¯ targets changed to the Citrine Reapers. An archer slowly raised an arm, observing himself from a top-down perspective.


    A round of nervous gulpster, I shattered the tension with a joke about not being a perverted voyeur. ¡°And should I need to contact you, you shall see this.¡±


    Tris wrote fifteen sentences behind me in waypoints masked, altered, and colored to look like mes were leaking from an invisible wound. ¡°You¡¯re all reading something different. This me-elemental illusion spell can be configured to only be visible to a specific individual or a group of people. We shall not meet again until the chosen day, so please do not panic if you see the skies bleed molten magma.¡±


    ¡°You¡­can really kill us, can¡¯t you?¡± gulped someone who hadn¡¯t spoken. The woman''s voice was soft like sand.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It won¡¯t be hard. My lion often fights for me since my true strength is enough to set ame to the entire city if I¡¯m not careful. But we¡¯ve been over this. I don¡¯t want to kill you. This revolution will leave bodies on the streets. It will not be bloodless.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± The soft-spoken girl gulped again and tried to be brave, but those trembling eyes and clenched fists revealed the truth.


    ¡°And with that¡­ I think we¡¯re finished.¡± I canceled the crystalline waypoint. ¡°Little Gregory should stop soiling his breeches, so don¡¯t keep him in suspense for too long.¡±


    ¡°We understand. Stay safe, Rio. I¡¯ll be awaiting further information. Mikel.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± The bald mage met my eyes for a moment before he grimaced away. He still felt ufortable with me, but that was fine. The others gathered around, and I asked Ry if she felt any pain as arcane circles etched themselves below their feet. She shook her head and tried to smile, but it was forced.


    Honestly?


    Tris and I didn¡¯t think all fifteen would reciprocate the idea.


    A few would be backstabbers.


    It just seemed inevitable.


    And perhaps I was the viin in this situation. I couldn¡¯t deny how antagonistic I must¡¯ve looked. But that was a problem for the future, and it was time to put this night behind me.


    ¡°Well,¡± I said, holding a hand to Surtr¡¯s chin. ¡°You didn¡¯t get to fight. Sorry about that.¡±


    ¡°It is no problem.¡± Surtr bared his fangs and sat before licking his massive paws. ¡°Showcasing my power and instilling fear was enough, Lord Springfield. Shall I return to Plymoise?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Want me to send you there with [Conferment]?¡±


    ¡°That is not needed.¡± Surtr stretched and stood. ¡°I can make it to the city before dawn. As always, call upon me whenever you need.¡±


    ¡°Got it. Thanks again, big guy.¡± I rubbed his head and watched ck mes ignite his feet. Surtr took a running start and leapt high on his powerful legs before galloping across the skies. Sshen snowkes dropped behind him. Tris marked the inn and shared the waypoint with Surtr. He wouldn¡¯t need it, but Tris enjoyed using her abilities.


    I transformed into a bird and took flight, arriving at the hideout before long. Little Gregory was popping open bottles of his most expensive win and celebrating alone¡ªin private¡ªas the Citrine Reapers returned to their hidden homes and secluded jobs that kept them away from their family.


    They kept looking up, though. And most seemed hesitant to do anything. I mean, I did invade their privacy. The world¡¯s best security system and information analyst always had her eyes on them.


    Maybe I could apologize? When this was all said and done? I¡¯d have to reveal myself as Lyudm Vredi Springfield eventually.


    Verdant and a few others were up when I entered the hideout.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say it,¡± I said, raising a hand. ¡°I know everything went off without a hitch. Kull and the others are asleep?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Today was perhaps our most exhausting day. What about you, M? We sensed movement from Lord Atrix¡¯s estate. And we¡¯ve heard murmurs of dead and missing soldiers at the guildmaster¡¯s and general¡¯s mansions.¡±


    ¡°The whisperings are true. I did what I must, and the n is in motion.¡±


    ¡°And the Citrine Reapers?¡±


    ¡°Better than you think,¡± I said, pulling up a chair. I told the spies about our new co-conspirators as Tris readied a detailed report. I¡¯d hand it in tomorrow once we were at the breakfast table.

 Chapter Eighty-One: Priming The Rebellious Spirit – Part Five

    Chapter Eighty-One: Priming The Rebellious Spirit ¨C Part Five


    Over the next month¡­


    Shit hit the fan. But in a good way.


    Attacks on the harbors, ships, government offices, and other military locations happened daily, but it wasn¡¯t thanks to the guard patrols Tris had acquired. The fools in charge were sharp enough to notice that someone must¡¯ve gotten ahold of the documents, so they implemented a new system.


    Orders concerning the day would be given to the fieldmanders and unit leaders at midnight via sealed letters in front of their respective captains, and then the notes would be burned in front of them after they weremitted to memory.


    But that didn¡¯t do much to stop us because I had a Fragment of Wisdom.


    It did change things, though. When it was time for Verdant¡¯s spies to act, I created five wooden puppet birds and had them sit on their shoulders. The n was for me to use [Skyview], and the birds would ry specific orders to the spies to warn them of any enemies or other concerns.


    That was an impossible task. Tris was on standby to take over for me, but I wanted to do this because I needed to get better. She said I could always and forever rely on her, but I didn¡¯t want to be a burden without having the independence to handle this much.


    The mana and biomass drain were another concern. Before implementing this tactic, we collected and stole as many mana potions as possible from the city¡¯s guard while obtaining a couple dozen from Lysander¡¯s and Mikel¡¯s personal stash. This problem was solved after I found a horde of potions hidden in a noble¡¯s basement. I needed food to sustain the added biomass drain of disguising them as wooden puppets. Luckily, there was enough suitable for a High Elf to eat, so that was settled.


    But I couldn¡¯t handle it. Tris took over for me before the day was even halfway through. She reassured meter that night and admitted she was nearly maxing out her processing abilities to handle the flow of information.


    Keeping track of five different [Skyview] windows, analyzing the data, predicting patrol paths viaparing them to the orders we had stolen to see if anything had changed, and speaking via five clones, in addition to receiving queries from the spies and outputting an answer, put pressure on her.


    And that was on top of keeping a strict eye on Guildmaster Thornbrook, General ckthorn, Chief Justice Darkfeather, Little Gregory, the Citrine Reapers, and their families. I was true to my word¡ªI wouldn¡¯t let a damn feather harm their heads.


    Tris couldn¡¯t even move when she did this. But she didn¡¯t want to enter her maxed-out mode and go on cooldown, so she endured it¡ªgoing so far as to remain in a stasis-like sleep. She didn¡¯t even budge a single inch. Irisa and the others were worried even after Tilde exined it. But Tris was back to normal when night fell since there was less to keep track of, so she enjoyed dinner with the family, chatted with Erin and Niva, and helped keep a smile on Irisa¡¯s sweet face.


    So, if she¡ªthe woman behind [Hermes Trismegistus]-- had trouble, it put things into perspective.


    Our group got results, though.


    The night and morning skies were filled with smoke and ash. Soldiers were killed throughout the month from our various attacks. Reinforcements from the punished outside the city walls had to ount for the losses.


    Likewise, men and women from the rebellion were caught and killed in failed ambushes and amateurishly pathetic schemes when they tried to branch off and do their own thing. Splinter groups always broke off after arguments, and we didn¡¯t need anyone who didn¡¯t want to listen to orders.


    Captain Max totally lost his mind. He went on a dangerous tirade of violence, executing 30 people because his paranoia made him see and hear things that weren¡¯t there. Neither Tris nor I knew because we were preupied with the spies¡¯ sabotage. Her processing was stretched thin, and I was busy setting up schemes.


    The loss of life could¡¯ve been prevented, but it worked wonders in firing up the people''s hearts. Even the men loyal to Captain Max questioned his orders the following day. He had lined up 30 more people and wanted his guards to choke a crying infant, but they refused. A fight broke out, and the watching crowd picked up rocks and joined the brawl.


    Ironically, it ended with Captain Max being suffocated by the father of the infant he wanted to kill. A clone of mine swooped in and stored the body, andter that night, I left a stark warning in Guildmaster Thornbrook¡¯s room when she returned from a bath. She favored Captain Max. The two even had a sexual rtionship I unfortunately saw in happenstance. But his death was what she needed.


    The dumb bitch had truly trusted me when I told her General ckthorn was responsible for filling the crowd with people loyal to him.


    Likewise, I told General ckthorn that this was a present when I showed him the corpse a few hours before I visited the Slugfolk.


    I had the two on my side more than ever. General ckthorn agreed to keep Lord Atrix away from wanting to investigate the rebellion¡ªthe general knew about it¡ªand at this point, rumors were spreading.


    Thanks to me.


    Likewise, Guildmaster Thornbrook agreed to fund the rebellion because she wanted to see General ckthorn suffer for killing her lover. I manipted her with sweet words and carefully navigated the shaky moment as a friend. Her anger was ¡®justified.¡¯ She¡¯d be ¡®wrong¡¯ to not feel that upset...


    It was easy to manipte others into doing what you wanted when you told them what they wanted to hear.


    The guildmaster leaked info and arranged for supplies to be delivered. The specific locations were shared via dead drops.


    The only outlier was Chief Justice Darkfeather. But the man was a coward. He knew the ckmail he had collected was stolen, so he wouldn¡¯t act without my permission.


    As the days passed, a few merchants who agreed with Ayroix¡¯s growing influence stopped selling to soldiers. Fights broke out between those excluded, but by now, roving bands of defenders were patrolling the southern part of town.


    It didn¡¯t take long for General ckthorn to order a retreat, and the southern side basically becamewless. But there was order. Cid, Verdant, and the other spies worked hard to groom Ayroix into a just leader. His influence spread fast and far.


    The city had different factions. You had the nobles, the farmers, the dockworkers, the merchants, the crafters¡­


    And the ves¡­


    Yes, Atrix had a thriving ve market. It was popr. The women and prettier males were forced to work in the shady brothels.


    Unfortunately, only Sekh could break their seals with [Tyranny Control]. [Conferment] was an option, but I didn¡¯t want to waste that resource when there was a better way.


    So, I used clones and transfiguration to kill the most powerful ve master in Atrix during her sleep, assimting her afterward.


    I spent the following two weeks destroying the market. I ruined the ve master''s connections, implemented new rules that only served to piss off the customers, and spread false lies about the health and cleanliness of the prostitutes at the remaining brothels.


    Bleeding, disgusting pores, deadly boils, and a few false cases of leprosy, courtesy of transfiguration and disguised waypoints, elegantly destroyed another source of money for Atrix.


    In return, they were granted asylum in Plymoise. Gretchen immediately agreed with my n and worked with Tris to handle the logistical problems of weing a few hundred sex workers. Food was a problem, but Atrix specialized in farming. They had dozens of grain storages scattered around the countryside.


    I had filled my storage with the well-needed food until it was at its capacity, and Tris opened a ¡®wormhole,¡¯ as she described it, and poured the grain into Plymoise¡¯s sheds, thereby mitigating the food issues. A little bit, at least.


    Seriously, Atrix was wealthy. It had its poor sections¡ªmuch like any other country¡ªbut it was overall more affluent than Plymoise. I wasn¡¯t sure how it had so much money other than the guildmaster being very, very good at her job.


    Plymoise¡¯s supply problems were solved, but I didn¡¯t leave the Atrixian citizens out to dry. Thest thing we needed was for the residents to use their hungry bellies as fuel to turn against Ayroix once hemanded the city.


    Soon enough, every ve owner was dead¡­ It was a valiant, monumental effort requiring expert nning, but my darling Fragment of Wisdom masterfully orchestrated it. It was a wild night-- it took over twelve hours and a ton of support from Verdant and her spies.


    Things had gone wrong, of course. Nothing was perfect. But nothing catastrophic happened. And Verdant¡¯s spies were there to escort the freed ves to safety, where they exined the n. A quarter joined Ayroix¡¯s rebellion, but the rest wanted to leave.


    Several ves were branded for a reason. Some were despicable people with truly violent crimes on their hands¡­ It wasn¡¯t even their criminal-rted titles that tipped me off, but their actions and rage-inducing nature to merely kill in cold blood when they didn¡¯t think anyone was watching.


    So, there was yet again another faction to worry about, but they somehow encountered a violent, giant snake that ripped them to shreds¡­


    Without any brothels to serve as an outlet for the soldiers to vent their stress, the only avable avenue were the bars in the noble districts. They refused to serve the military rabble until they were forced open by Chief Justice Darkfeather and Guildmaster Thornbrook after I ¡®strongly¡¯ encouraged it.


    They tried to stage a protest, but it ended in failure.


    The amount of control I had over the city was...merely astonishing...


    But I was using this to my advantage.


    I was there¡ªsubtly poisoning their drinks while me and my clones masqueraded as bartenders in the various establishments. For the most part, I just wanted to weaken them and spread rumors about the poor-quality alcohol, but a few drunken soldiers at the one I was at turned violent. Four soldiers grabbed all the women and threw them to the table, ripping off their clothing. Before I acted, the rest of their unit restrained the horny bastards while the girls ran to the backroom.


    My sweet words convinced them that Atrix was nearing its end. Change wasing, and it was approaching faster than ever, carrying a whirlwind of revenge. The barmaids left through the backdoor, along with the cooks, and I emerged alone to face the soldiers.


    Ten secondster...


    They were slumped over dead after I used [Lavender Kiss] and [Wilted Rose] to fill the bar with deadly poison.


    The chaos this caused couldn¡¯t be understated. Forty men died on noble grounds. General ckthorn, Chief Justice Darkfeather, and Guildmaster Thornbrook acted as I needed. Their squabbles happened the following morning during an emergency session, and the day ended with all bars being closed for good.


    And that only added to the drama.


    But what about Little Gregory?


    For him¡­


    The best option was appeasement. We had to make the cowardly bastard think his precious reapers were aplishing something by giving them ¡®proof¡¯ to return with. And to my surprise, all fifteen were on board. I hadn¡¯t met them since our first encounter, but I often spoke to Lysander via waypoint writing when he was alone.


    Whenever our group got too active or rowdy, I¡¯d make a few clones and have them purposely get caught by the guards and executed. Or I¡¯d have Lysander or Ry ¡®meet¡¯ with their ¡®informant¡¯ on the inside and return with the time and date of a ¡®deal.¡¯


    Gregory, high on his sess, would send a squadron to crash the weapon swap, and the forting ¡®sesses¡¯ relieved his worries and made it seem like he stood a fighting chance. He gave these grand speeches¡ªwhile being ¡®protected¡¯ by Mikel¡¯s magic and Citrine Reapers in disguise¡ªabout how the ¡®gutter trash¡¯ infecting his beautiful, strong, and valiant city-state was meeting its end soon.


    Little Gregory was given false information about the status of Plymoise to make it appear as if he was destroying it from the inside. Tris assisted in rounding up Atrixian spies trying to start something and watched them hang. That clean-up operation had urred under the cover of night with Captain Caulk leading the charge.


    But Little Gregory... He only heard what he wanted to hear. The man refused to believe the obvious was fast approaching like a speeding bullet. He could see the chaos with his eyes¡ªhe saw the smoke! He saw how the city teetered on the edge! He heard the regr explosions that went off like clockwork. Specifically, houses filled with my puppets were being blown up. The allegiance of those inside differed depending on whatever message would benefit us the most.


    One day, we needed to appease that slimy bastard, so Lysander informed him of a meeting in the noble district. The next? To infuse courage and a sense of loss within the rebellion, making them vow to fight harder.


    I had to y both sides, influencing the two to act the way Tris and I needed for the rebellion to be the most sessful it could possibly be. Losses were inevitable, but I tried to keep the innocents alive. Likewise, we attempted to make our forces lose as few as possible, but it wasn¡¯t always possible.


    People always wanted to be the hero. They would refuse orders to retreat and go out in a ze of glory, but I didn¡¯t let their bodies go to waste. I always had a stray slime or two near any battle to slurp up the dead, and the corpses¡¯ disappearances woulde into yter when it was time to reveal something during the climatic finale.


    And those standing outside the city gates?


    They couldn¡¯t do anything. Half were loyal to the general. The other half to the guildmaster. They each didn¡¯t want to make the first move. My orders, of course. They hadmands to stand outside the city and merely remain on standby. Those still within Tiran¡¯s Crest were simrly divided into opposing forces. The two sides had orders to start the fighting when they saw signals from the general and guildmaster.


    Little by little, Lysander, the guildmaster, and the general slowly removed the mask covering their reports and forced Little Gregory to see the truth for what it was three days before everything was set to happen. After that, he returned to his room, locked the door, and forced the Citrine Reapers to stand guard at all hours of the day. He used them as servants, cooks, and errand runners and quickly delved into insanity and depravity. That madness I saw when Clone!Surtr showed up returned, and it didn¡¯t leave. The only cure, in his mind, was alcohol and drugs. He¡¯d be trapped within a false reality than see the world for what it was.


    All ording to n...


    But I had done a lot of assimtion during this month. Tris believed I was very close to the life force needed to remove the curse inside Sekh¡¯s body. Erasing it from her soul was another thing, but it was baby steps.


    It was one foot in front of the other.


    It was progress.


    Two days before it was all going to go down¡­


    I made my move. General ckthorn, Guildmaster Thornbrook, and Chief Justice Darkfeather were told what they wanted to hear. That the fateful moment was going to happen within 48 hours. They all believed they had the support of the rebellion and woulde out on top.


    But only General ckthorn had it.


    Cid had shared a few revtions with Ayroix throughout the month. He disclosed the existence of a mastermind-- one orchestrating the unity of people and rectifying the situation for him. This individual was also the source of Cid''s knowledge about Ayroix. Cid was why the High Elf of Liberation began circting as an ethereal whisper days after he met Ayroix.


    And the news swiftly caught on...


    And I didn¡¯t have to do anything. It naturally spread like a leaf dancing in the violent winds of a hurricane, and you couldn¡¯t go two feet without hearing spection as to who or what the High Elf of Liberation was.


    Tris even told me that word had reached Plymoise. It must¡¯ve been one of the prostitutes or ves that did it. And that was fine for me. Tris, Tilde, Surtr, and I had discussed what this added fame would bring me. Those sharp enough could link the High Elf of Liberation to Lyudm Vredi Springfield, but only if my full name had leaked.


    If it had? That would be fine because the world must ept me as Lyudm Vredi Springfield.


    If it hadn¡¯t? That was also fine.


    But Little Gregory had a different nightmare. He no longer feared the demonic lion with raging mes since Lysander had brought him the lion¡¯s ¡®head.¡¯ No. It was the High Elf of Liberation. In his rare moments of sobriety, he feared every sound and shouted at the shadows for the High Elf of Liberation to show themselves. His mindless ramblings became more and moremonce. But there was more I could do, but the returns were diminishing. He was already a broken, shattered piece of shit, so I left him alone.


    Ironically, that probably inflicted more mental damage than me doing anything.


    But¡­


    It was almost time¡­


    The n so carefully, meticulously guided by a Fragment of Wisdom''s guiding touch, was in the final stages.


    And it would be worth it.


    The SP¡­ The life force. The strength. The dexterity. The stamina. The mana. Everything¡­


    It was about to be mine.

 Intermission – Ann – The Cridia-Uquenian War – Part One

    Intermission ¨C Ann ¨C The Cridia-Uquenian War ¨C Part One


    ¡°The spell is prepared, Lord Meruria. Give the word, and I can turn back time on the destruction that wrought our beautiful city,¡± said a 6-Star Soul Warrior. ¡°The damage can be healed.¡± Mia held a jeweled-encrusted staff that had miniatures orbiting the top. It shimmered brightly, like a sr system or gxy, and it was packed to the brim with so much mana. The mystic she had channeled took eight hours alone. She wore a shimmering robe made of light and jewels that enhanced her mana regeneration, a hairpin that did the same, and ten rings that lowered her mana consumption by 5 percent, and even that was just barely enough to create it.


    Ten hours had passed since the event. All surviving Soul Warriors were standing in the most extravagant ballroom in the country. Lord Meruria''s strongest mage had used a variation of [Material Rejuvenation] to repair the church after the chaos had dispersed.


    ¡°Do it, Mia,¡±manded Lord Meruria. Her face... I¡¯d never seen her so full of dread before. Her robe was dyed ck with soot, leaving very little of its original color. Her skin was stained with dirt, but she was otherwise uninjured.


    ¡°At once.¡± Mia held her staff, but her other Soul Weapon¡ªa bow¡ªshed into existence, looking as extravagant as its alternate form.


    The two existed as one, proof of her adept mastery over the legendary items. My sister and I had yet to master using two forms, although we were close.


    <i>From staff to bow, the power shall flow, As I shrink the conduit, the spell shall grow. In my grasp, a vessel, condensed and tight, Containing the magic, radiant and bright.</i>


    <i>Staff, now diminished, to its essence confined, The power it holds, in the tip enshrined. Transformed into a bow, elegant and true, A conduit for my will, through which it shall imbue.</i>


    <i>Nocked arrow quivers, drawn with resolve, A sacred quest, my purpose to absolve. In this fateful moment, skyward it flies, Unleashing the spell, reaching celestial skies.</i>


    <i>[Vortex of Temporal Reversal], heed my call, Epass the city, restore what did befall. As the arrow soars, piercing the celestial dome, Unleash the power, let the reversale.</i>


    <i>Shooting high, with precision and grace, The arrow traverses time and space. Through heavens it ascends, with purpose sublime, Igniting the barrier, reversing the ravages of time.</i>


    <i>The bowstring sings, a melody of fate, As the arrow soars, sealing the city''s fate. [Vortex of Temporal Reversal], woven in the celestial art, Reverse the destruction, heal every broken part.</i>


    <i>Arise, O city, from ashes and plight, Embrace the past, bathed in radiant light. Time rewinds, as the arrow takes flight, Rebuilding the city, in the reverse of night.</i>


    <i>Shrunk staff, now a bow, and arrow set free, I am the caster, the one who shall decree. [Vortex of Temporal Reversal], your power unleashed, Bring forth restoration, the city''s pain appeased.</i>


    <i>With each shot released, with purpose imbued, I reim the past, the memories pursued. [Vortex of Temporal Reversal], let the reversal begin, Bring back the beauty, let the restoration within.</i>


    Mia knocked the arrow during the chant, kneeled, and aimed straight up. She let it go, and it soared like a pir of light, flying high into the sky, destroying the ceiling again.


    It flew until we couldn¡¯t see it, then it exploded. The mystical energy became a city-wide barrier epassing all Junsa, and time began to flow in reverse, but only for things that weren¡¯t alive.


    The process would take four hours to fullyplete. Lord Meruria had sent her army into the city to spread her word and keep order, although...


    Junsa would never be the same.


    ¡°Give me your reports.¡±


    One by one, we told Lord Meruria what we had learned in the ten hours that followed the chaos.


    Over 90% of Cridia¡¯s nobles in Junsa at the time of the incident had died¡ªeither from the initial explosion or the destruction in the city that followed.


    Will Penmark Fairchild¡ªthe Fairchild¡¯s Duchy new duke, had lost his wife, unborn child, and stepdaughter. He only survived because his demon, Lilith, nearly extinguished her life to save him. She needed to tap into his mana supply to keep the barrier up, but after he passed out, she soon befell a simr fate.


    They were currently resting in the church¡¯s infirmary.


    Team Que survived because its leader used [Soul Barrier] to defend her allies. However, it nearly killed her, and she fell to her knees immediately after. Rest served her well, but she said she still had trouble standing on her feet without help from Elly and Ami.


    My sister and I endured it without much trouble. It barely left a mark on our clothes.


    Team Salim survived the same way, although Sir Salim couldn¡¯t save Laika¡¯s and Leika¡¯s father. Sir Salim said those two were still asleep in the infirmary, but their lives weren¡¯t in danger. However, the Barkwoods were...killed. A meteoritended on their estate, killing everyone inside.


    Laika and Leika were thest ones alive to bear their name. I didn¡¯t envy Sir Salim or Shiku because they had to break the bad news to the Dogfolk maids whenever they awoke from their fear-induceda. And Renata survived it because she was within range of Sir Salim¡¯s barrier.


    When it came those that were summoned before us... I had seen the look on their faces the sheer instant the explosion urred. I knew they held enough power still to save their lives and our ssmates, who they were training, but they stopped at thest possible second and allowed death to take them. For some, living in this world was a curse. Lord Meruria wouldn¡¯t permit suicide if they had use. Returning the dead to life was incredibly hard, if not impossible, but with what we knew about [Conferment], instilling a rule to reverse death was possible if you devoted your entire being to it.


    But with how powerful Mia was? Perhaps developing a spell to raise the dead wasn¡¯t so farfetched...


    Although my sister and I didn¡¯t subscribe to that ideology. We believed the dead should stay dead. If you perished, you would have reached the end of your potential. But my sister was my potential. And I was hers. We decided that once either of us had met our end... The other would end their life. We¡¯d be together in death¡ªjust as we were in life.


    I loved her so much.


    Tokko and Mia didn¡¯t require anything to endure the attack. At their core, they always had a barrier surrounding them, preventing them from sumbing to harm.


    Damon... He survived, but he didn¡¯t deserve it. Yasmin, Isobel, and Alika¡ªhis harem¡ª threw themselves as a shield upon hismand and used their lives to protect him. He acted like this didn¡¯t bother him and groaned more about the ¡®loss of pussy¡¯ than thanking those that allowed him to live even a moment longer.


    His potential... There was none. His soul was dark and depraved. If I had the chance, I¡¯d end him here and now.


    Carter Armlet summoned a horde of drones to take the brunt of the destruction. He lost an arm and a leg, but regeneration magic could heal that. He was scheduled to be back on his feet within the week.


    ¡°And there¡¯s more. Charlie, Raylee, Hatay, Sera, Crast, Gerrald, and Harmond didn¡¯t make it.¡±


    ¡°Then they were weak and undeserving. I don¡¯t even remember who they are.¡± Lord Meruria¡¯s words were shocking, although we were used to them. Que nervously swallowed and continued, citing that Junsa had lost an estimated 15,000people after the meteorites stopped and an additional 4-6,000from the riots before they were subdued.


    There would¡¯ve been more, but Elly had rushed out into the city, wielding wings granted to her from a spell cast by Que. The idol sang [Healing Melody] for four hours straight. Her voice acted as a beacon of hope to all who were lost. Her song reached even the darkest pits of Junsa. Meanwhile, my sister and I, the rest of Team Que, and Team Salim were out there with the recovery efforts. Tokko remained to protect Lord Meruria, and Mia was busy preparing the spell.


    Damon... He just went to bed without a care. He was always selfish, and Shiku argued about needing his strength to find survivors. That almost turned into a fight, but Shiku stomped away and used wings provided to him by Que to soar into the city.


    Lord Meruria... She was a woman who thought a thousand steps in advance. She preferred to be in control. It was faint, but I knew she had lived her life with a dozen alternate ns for every situation.


    And that was why I knew that dread on her face was manufactured.


    It was just for show.


    ¡°I¡¯ve deduced the spell¡¯s origin,¡¯ said Mia. ¡°It originates from mana previously identified from the Holy Lord of Miasma, Geron, leader of the Kingdom of Uquenia, our western neighbor.¡±


    ¡°They tried to assassinate us?¡± Que asked.


    "It seems to me that war is the only response, Lord Meruria,¡± said Tokko. ¡°They may think they¡¯ve dealt a mortal blow, but they¡¯re severely mistaken. To do anything else but reply in kind would show our weakness.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re correct¡­ My faithful Soul Warriors¡­ Listen to your Holy Lord as she speaks¡­¡±


    <hr>


    The disaster that attempted to cripple Junsa urred one month ago. In that time, Lord Meruria rallied her country and dispatched messengers to recruit able men and women from her towns, cities, and viges to fight for her.


    I stood on the cliff''s edge, my eyes fixed on the sprawling battlefield at the Cridia-Uquenia mountain path. Sheer brutality unfolded before me, a maelstrom of violence and chaos. The sh of weapons reverberated through the air, apanied by the agonized cries of warriors locked in mortalbat.


    Crimson stters painted the ground, mixing with the churned earth. The metallic scent of blood mingled with the acrid stench of burnt flesh, a reminder of the ruthlessness of war. Warriors from both sides fought with unyielding ferocity, their faces etched with grim determination.


    Sword met sword, releasing sparks of defiance. Arrows soared through the air, piercing flesh and bone. Shields shattered under the relentless onught, leaving warriors exposed to the merciless blows of their adversaries. The ground trembled beneath the weight of armored boots and the impact of bodies hitting the earth as magic reigned supreme, burning corpses and creating unwavering barriers of mes, ice, poison, and mist that slowly shrunk to devour the prisoners they held.


    Siege weapons unleashed their devastating power, tearing through fortifications and scattering defenders while targeting the wyvern riders and hippogriff knights. The crackling sound of fire consumed wooden structures, casting an eerie glow upon the battlefield. Shouts ofmands mingled with screams of pain. That echoed through the tumultuousndscape.


    Amid this chaos, I observed the relentless onught, a strategist analyzing the ebb and flow of battle. It was an intense theater of war, a dance of death and destruction.


    But their farmingnds were more fertile than Cridia¡¯s. Their metal-rich mines were the cornerstone of their economy. They were the Western Continent¡¯s primary supplier of iron, steel, bronze, and brass since their dungeons practically oozed ore like blood from a cut.


    They held a monopoly on the market.


    And Lord Meruria wanted everything they had as rpense for attacking her capital city. She desirednd, people, and resources to expend what had been lost. She wanted to grow her army ever more since approximately half of her soldiers stationed in Junsa were killed. A small detachment was standing near the north, on the verge of the former Apival Duchy. They were to deter our northern neighbor from being cute.


    And Holy Lord Geron had always been a thorn in her side. She hated him¡ªprobably for petty reasons. Lord Meruria¡¯s spies had told her that he had summoned between 4 and 6 Soul Warriors, yet they couldn¡¯t get their Star Soul Levels. But nothing Carter had found on them had proved they were anything to be worried about.


    Once conquered, Cridia¡¯snd would more than double. Lord Meruria would have more nobles to suck dry¡ªmore men to throw into her army.


    She wasn¡¯t sad about her losses. She didn''t care for the Soul Warriors that died because they had outlived their usefulness. I was sure she could¡¯ve saved everyone because she had to have known about the explosion before it went off. Even if it was just a breath of forewarning, she¡¯d need but a wave of her staff to protect us with a barrier. And the same went for Lord Barkwood and the other nobles. Lord Meruria had drained them of their usefulness during the past few decades.


    If anything, this was a blessing in disguise for her. Once the war ended in her favor, she¡¯d have a new country to y with¡ªnew nobles to tempt¡ªand more power and influence.


    To everyone else, she was the victim. It was undeniable that something drastic had happened to her city. To further y it up, she had Mia reverse her spell and return the rubble and damage to how it had been before the 6-Star intervened.


    In her eyes, it was mere proof of the horrors and atrocities Uquenia hadmitted against the innocent Cridia.


    It was like that shrewd woman to alter a horrific event into something advantageous for her.


    I was chosen tomand Cridia¡¯s armies in this war, and my sister led the fight on the front lines. Tokko and Mia were standing a few dozen miles away, and Que stood in one of the medical tents. Team Salim, Elly, and the other members of Que¡¯s team were in Junsa with Damon. Will had woken shortly after the incident, but his mind was shattered. He couldn''t fight, so Lord Meruria ordered him to his estate in the Fairchild Duchy. Yes, it was close to the border¡ªmaybe 8 days away by horse, so he had explicit orders to use his demons if this assault turned into a retreat.


    But it wouldn¡¯t.


    Soul Warriors were like nuclear bombs. They were held in reserve as a show of force and only unleashed when there was no other choice because using them always raised the stakes to the highest. To remedy that, we were disguised as men after Lord Meruria used her illusion magic. No one knew the truth except our summoner, who told themanders and generals to follow ourmands above all else.


    I didn¡¯t want to do this, but Lord Meruria didn¡¯t give us a choice. It was either this or death, and we weren¡¯t willing to take our chances against Lord Meruria.


    Someday, though. We would test the mettle of Lord Meruria''s resolve against our spear and katana. If that ended in our deaths, then so be it. It would be the end of our potential.


    But that day wouldn¡¯te any time soon.


    The quickest way to end a battle was to destroy the enemy¡¯smander. Leaderless, their armies would fall like a stack of ying cards. However, Lord Meruria ordered us to not show our powers first. We were only to respond in term.


    So, I decided to employ a blitzkrieg. However, under normal circumstances, the Cridia-Uquenia mountain path took weeks of travel from Junsa, but Holy Lord Meruria was a master of portals and teleportation. Before giving the raised army her blessing, she had Remy scout the ins near the border to y teleportation beacons our summoner had made, then used a mass teleportation skill to send us right to the front lines.


    In the blink of an eye, we were here, willing to battle. And the Uquenian capital city was a mere stone¡¯s throw away from the border.


    But Uquenia¡¯s army had been waiting. Only a fool wouldn¡¯t make reservations in advance after they hadunched the first strike. Lord Geron must¡¯ve known about Lord Meruria¡¯s mastery over portals and teleportations.


    It had been going on for about six hours. My sister was only using her iron spear¡ªthe most basic form of her Soul Weapon¡ªwithout using any abilities. She was like a whirlwind of beauty and blood, carving through the enemies without allowing them to get close. Que acted as a mere healer and nursed wounded soldiers back to health.


    Spells and skills galore trembled before my sister¡¯s mighty strength. Carter sat beside me, his hands over the translucent controls used to manipte his drones. He was ordered to deliver my orders to thepany and squadmanders, and he did so with little issue.


    But I didn¡¯t care much for him.


    He was a nasty man who spied on men and women using his ability. I¡¯d have chosen Shuuta over him.


    The battle raged, although we clearly had the upper hand. The tactics my father forced me to learn were a dozen times more advanced than anything Uquenia¡¯smander had thrown at me. Even if we had half the soldiers, it was trivial to get the upper hand.


    Inch by inch, meter by meter, foot by foot... We managed to pass the border.


    And when we did...


    Lightning flooded the skies as a towering, thick bolt of surging power struck a wyvern knight, turning the two into bloody chunks. The raining crimson was electrified, and when theynded, they spread like wildfire, paralyzing everyone the shocks touched while outright killing the weaker ones.


    One of Uquenia¡¯s Soul Warriors had emerged, and it was time to move to the second phase.


    <hr>


    ¡°Is this what you wanted, Geron? Is this the future you desired for your country when you summoned us?¡± Mark Leafwing, a 4-Star Soul Warrior, stood in defiance of Holy Lord Geron, whose body oozed miasma instead of sweat. ¡°You forced this upon yourself when you filled our bodies with your cursed poison.¡±


    The brave warrior stood tall and resolute, adorned in gleaming golden armor that radiated with an otherworldly brilliance. The polished surface of his breastte reflected the surrounding light, creating an aura of regality and power. The intricate engravings etched across the armor depicted scenes of soaring flight-capable steeds, their wings outstretched and majestic, evoking a sense of awe-inspiring grace and freedom.


    As the man moved forward to lessen the distance between him and his lord, his every step seemed to carry the weight of the mythical creature itself. The armor hugged his form, entuating his muscr physique and conveying an undeniable sense of strength and valor. From the grand helmet atop his head, golden plumes cascaded down, resembling the flowing mane of a winged-horse caught in a gust of wind.


    The gauntlets on his hands were adorned with ornate wing-shaped tes, the intricate details capturing the essence of the majestic creatures that inspired them.


    His greaves and boots were precisely crafted, their golden sheen matching the splendor of the rest of the armor. Etched onto the greaves were delicate motifs of wings, mirroring the winged steeds that soared through the realms of legend.


    Of course, the armor wasn¡¯t ¡®real¡¯. It was an ability called [Essence of Pegasus]. Once canceled, he¡¯d be back in his tunic.


    This state could rival Vincent Monopoly, an aged wizard from thest batch 60 years ago-- Geron¡¯sst remaining Soul Warrior from his era¡ªand the tutor for the new blood.


    Mark wasn¡¯t alone. His fellow Soul Warriors stood behind him, although he was the only summon from his world. Hemented his loneliness. No one else who had attended the Tulmonia Adventuring Academy was summoned. No one even knew who Ulkimia was¡ªeveryone from his world prayed to their Almighty every morning and night.


    That didn¡¯t happen here, but he continued the tradition.


    They were in the throne room, looking at the smoke and mes from the eastern window. The Cridia-Uquenia mountain path, the border that separated the two countries, was the purest definition of chaos.


    ¡°Your soldiers are getting ughtered. We told you this wasn¡¯t a good idea, but you threatened us with death! Why?!¡± demanded a woman with ck stars tattooed on her cheeks. As a 3-Star, she was weaker than their leader, Mark. She was also an assassin¡ªeverything from the daggers to the ck color scheme of her bodice, cloak, tasteful sex appeal, and heels foreshadowed her profession before being summoned.


    It continued in this world.


    ¡°Metica is right,¡± said Hugo, a dragon knight from another world who happened to be missing the vital element. He had the spear, though. It never left his person. ¡°We did what youmanded. We snuck into the city and nted your magic circle using the camouge you provided. We did it all. And as cowardly as it was, you¡¯re our summoner. We trusted you, yet I see now that it was a mistake. Perhaps we should¡¯ve risked death to kill you¡­¡±


    ¡°You can still try it, but I¡¯ll activate the miasma if you raise your de against me¡­¡± Lord Geron finally spoke. His freckled face was so angry that miasma flowed from his pores and filled the room. This type was inert and harmless¡ªnot unlike the crude poison waiting in his Soul Warriors¡¯ stomachs.


    Lulu, a witch, whined and hugged her broomstick. Mark reached a hand to her head and rubbed it. She looked up and tried to be brave, but it was hard.


    The ¡®n¡¯ didn¡¯t make sense.


    Nothing about it was tactical.


    Lord Geron was entric¡ªodd and strange¡ªand full of vtile emotion. He was also prone to bouts of fits. Almost like the dancing gue that happened in Mark¡¯s vige two years before he was summoned. That was before he was epted into the Tulmonia Adventuring Academy and learned to care for magic beasts.


    Everyone argued vehemently when Lord Geron brought up the n. How would they sneak into their eastern neighbor and nt a spell inside Lord Meruria¡¯s church? Better yet, if the rumors were true, she was more powerful than Lord Geron. And her quality of Soul Warriors even more so. Mark had four other allies. Even the least trustworthy rumors hinted at their potential enemy having more than triple the otherworlders.


    ¡°Lulu. It¡¯s time for your act. Do what we had talked about. Let your mighty powers of lightning bring our enemies to their knees.¡±


    ¡°Brother¡­?¡± Lulu looked at Mark. Her stereotypical pointy hat¡ªproof of witches in this world, his world, and the one she came from¡ªseemingly frowned. He wasn¡¯t her brother, but she was summoned from her tight-knit covenant from a reality that despised witches. In her vige, everyone was family. Here? Mark was her elder brother, Metica, her aunt, and Hugo, her uncle. The duty-driven dragon knight acted like he didn¡¯t care, but he did¡ªMetica teased him about it, much to his chagrin.


    But Hugo loved that, too.


    Really, after what Lord Geron did¡ªholding their lives in his hands¡ªwhat other choice did they have? Either be alone and lose yourself, or further your rtionship with your allies and endure it together.


    Lulu knew it was make-believe. But the young witch didn¡¯t care. Mark was the same because his best friend enrolled in the Tulmonia Adventuring Academy to better herself as a witch.


    But she didn¡¯t make the trip. Whatever powers at be didn¡¯t see fit to pick her. Perhaps Mark saw a little of her in this strange, hyper young girl? He certainly wanted to keep her safe.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do this, Lord Geron! Please! This¡¯ll only end¡ª Uuugh!!!!¡± Mark clutched his chest and vomited a nasty mixture of dark miasma and bile.


    ¡°Brother!¡±


    ¡°Mark!¡±


    ¡°This is madness, Lord Geron!¡± Hugo reflexively raised his spear. Oh, how he longed to have his dragon. Hugo was four days away from receiving an egg to care for in his world.


    Vincent Monopoly remained quiet. He rarely spoke. But he knew how his lord used to be. Sixty years ago, he was summoned. He was already middle-aged, and his 3-Star Soul didn¡¯t slow his aging as much as he¡¯d like.


    But Lord Geron¡­


    He never used to act like this. Something happened a few years ago. Perhaps it was when he lost his closest aid? The death of someone close often had drastic consequences on someone¡¯s sanity.


    ¡°No! Lulu!¡± Mark reached for the witch, but she knew what to do. She ran towards the window, holding onto her hat, and jumped on her broomstick. She flew through it, shattering the ss into a thousand fragments.


    Mark rushed to the window and shouted her name. Metica approached and rubbed his back. He looked at her and saw someone forced to serve the underbelly of the world she came from. While Lord Geron didn¡¯t force her to continue, she couldn¡¯t help herself. She had once said that once she was marked by sin, she''d never break free from its grasp, so it was more out of an obligation to punish herself rather than doing it to quench her lust.


    After cursing to himself, Mark pulled a spyss from his pouch and looked at the window once more. He saw his Lulu as little more than a spec.


    But¡­ As soon as Lulu disyed her power for the enemy, the gates of hell would open. Cridia¡¯s Soul Warriors wouldn¡¯t have a reason to hold back. Lord Meruria would be foolish to keep them in reserve. Sure, they could win. It wasn¡¯t out of the question, but¡­


    Mark¡¯s negative thoughts burrowed into the front of his mind. Even if it caused his death¡­could he kill their lord before he activated the miasma lying in wait within their bodies?


    If he disyed Lord Geron¡¯s corpse, would Lord Meruria forgive Uquenia?


    But Mark could¡­also run away.


    He¡¯d always been good at that.


    Truthfully, he had always been a selfish brat. It was a mystery why the magic beasts he loved to take care of enjoyed him so much. They were sensitive to emotion and sensed dishonestly, yet they radiated to him like moths to a me.


    Even if he was a coward who ran away.


    Even if he used to steal and cheat to survive.


    Even if he wasn¡¯t the best of friends to someone who loved him¡­


    Unicorns and other magic beasts kepting to him whenever he walked in the fairy forest near his vige.


    And he didn¡¯t know why.


    And sinceing to this new world, he had resolved to change himself. He¡¯d be the best man for his best friend, whom he loved dearly.


    So he¡¯d be someone worthy of the magic beasts that trusted him.


    <i>You gotta fake it until you make it, Mark¡­ Do it for her¡­</i>


    He couldn¡¯t leave and abandon his allies.


    Not if he wanted to be someone she could be proud of. She would be the greatest witch in thend, and he¡¯d be her loyal protector and guardian as they etched their name into the Stone of Reverie.


    That was all Mark wanted after he arrived in this world. He knew it would be a terribly long wait before he could return to her. Lord Geron had promised him that. He¡¯d made simr vows to Hugo and the others.


    It would take Lulu a few hours to reach the battlefield. Perhaps an hour if she pushed her broomstick to the limit.


    Lord Geron told everyone to prepare themselves for battle. And they didn''t have a choice. Mark and his allies were forced to defend their miserable, violent, horrible lord¡¯s capital city to the death.


    There was just no other choice but to pray for a miracle.


    Mark knew miracles didn¡¯t exist here. If they did, someone would¡¯ve killed their lord or protected them from his miasma.

 Intermission – Ann – The Cridia-Uquenian War – Part Two

    Intermission ¨C Ann ¨C The Cridia-Uquenian War ¨C Part Two


    Lord Meruria had predicted Lord Geron¡¯s witch would be the first to enter the battlefield. She was a master of lightning, and she urately called the attack that she would use to announce her entrance.


    And yes, it was powerful.


    But Que was the superior mage. The entire sky turned dark as night with thunderclouds, and it became filled with lightning bolts twice the size of what the witch had used to destroy that wyvern knight. And yet, she had enough control to shock the very particles in the air. She smashed the clouds, and those tiny, atom-like chunks dispersed over the battlefield like a horde of fireflies.


    And as they descended upon foe and ally alike, only our enemies became paralyzed.


    Paralyzed.


    Not killed.


    This was an order from Meruria herself¡ªshe knew there would be deaths, but she wanted to use Que¡¯s incredible control to end the fight as soon as possible.


    Why?


    I didn¡¯t know, but perhaps it involved showing leniency to your enemies to more easily take over the country. Prisoners could be returned to friends and family and still be alive to break bread.


    Corpses couldn¡¯t do that.


    But Que¡¯s role was finished. The storm would continue to spread towards the target. And everything in its path would lose control of their limbs for six hours.


    Only those strong enough to endure would retain some motion in a finger or toe.


    I used Carter¡¯s drones to regroup the army. That took an hour, but not everyone would march on the city. Not even Lord Meruria could teleport us that far into Uquenia from Junsa, so we had to march the rest of the way. It was me, my sister, and 4,000 men, who had been resting for this moment. Half of us had horses. The others ran, and we sped down the road, stepping over paralyzed soldiers. Those with steeds focused on reaching the capital city. Those without mounts were collecting the fallen guards and imprisoning them.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re so beautiful, sister! The way your hair bounces behind you¡­ Your regal look! You were always cut out to be the head!¡± My sister piled on thepliments. Her eyes sparkled like gemstones when she looked at me.


    ¡°It¡¯s time for you to shine, my sister... Let the world see your beauty... Let them gaze in awe upon your righteous strength...¡±


    ¡°I shall shine bright enough to dull the sun if it¡¯s for you!¡±


    <hr>


    We ran our horses fast and hard and reached the city five hourster. By then, the particles from Que¡¯s spell had ceased, and the paralyzed entities along the route were waking up.


    There was chaos in the city amongst the battalions stationed to defend it. It was understandable. Their limbs had been locked away for almost a quarter of the day. And they had to see the ominous thunderclouds approach.


    It was a force they hadn¡¯t seen before. It was so overwhelming that people lost their minds. We arrived at the wide bridge leading to the gates, left our horses, and proceeded on foot, leaving behind 70% of our men to safeguard the rear. We marched across the bridge and waited for an aerial unit to take flight. They soared to the ramparts, fightingtheir way to the gate controls. It took a handful of minutes for the chains to cry out, opening the path forward.


    But it wasn¡¯t empty.


    We were met with soldiers drunk onst-minute bravery¡ªa desire to be echoed throughout time as proud heroes who protected their city, but they were slow. Dull, even. My sister moved like water, flowing like silk as she ducked and dodged, escorting our attackers to a quick death even after they refused to surrender.


    They could''ve surrendered after my sister showcased her power, but they never threw down their arms.


    Compressed nationalism could be either the most beautiful thing or the most foolish feeling in the world...


    ¡°Let us continue, Sister.¡± Lori flourished her spear and pointed with her weapon¡¯s tip. I joined her, and the others followed usdown the city¡¯s central path. It would lead to the square, and Lord Geron¡¯s castle would be to the left¡ªhalfway between the eastern wall and the city square.


    ¡°There they are! Fire! Attack!!!¡± Someone from the nearby roof shouted, and forty archers popped up and began a barrage of arrows and magic, but Lori and I swung our weapons and created a powerful wave of pressurized air, preventing the projectiles froming close to tasting our blood.


    ¡°Surrender now! You won¡¯t get another opportunity!¡± I shouted, swapping to Shocking ke. I illuminated the skies in a vivid, rampaging storm of lightning that brought everyone to their knees. The powerful disy sapped any bravery, and I was sure the same happened over town.


    ¡°We¡­can¡¯t¡­ You¡¯re monsters¡­ You¡¯re monsters!!!¡±This time? They heeded our words and prevented unnecessary deaths.


    ¡°Are we monsters?¡± I asked my sister.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be one if it¡¯s what you desire, sister.¡±


    I looked behind and saw our allies shaking in their boots.


    A re from me, and they remembered how to move their legs. They were to spread out and control the vital areas, restrain the surrendering soldiers, and keep the peace while my sister and I proceeded to the castle.


    ¡°May the blessing of Lord Meruria be with you both! Men! Move out!¡± The leader of the aerial squad squawked and pped his wings, taking flight to the rooftops with ropes and chains.


    My sister and I ran through the city, and after arriving at the city square...with the castle in our sights...


    ¡°I won¡¯t allow you to progress anymore! [Judgement Pir]!¡± A beam of holy magic smashed into the pavement. My sister and I jumped back and readied our weapons.


    ¡°Above?¡± I saw a shimmering outline of a man riding a pegasus¡ªa winged-horse horse from our world¡¯s mythology. His armor was golden and shiny. His helmet was fully closed. I didn¡¯t know what he looked like.


    Four others were floating behind him. One was a knight wearing armor with a dragon motif who wielded a spear. One was a witch on a broomstick. It glowed a soft silver¡ªthe same hue around their bodies. The other female was a woman who looked like a prostitute-turned-assassin, and thest was a man with a beard as long as his arms hanging from his chin. His robes were frayed and tattered¡ªlooking just as worn as the splintering staff he held.


    But appearances couldn¡¯t be trusted. Those items were undoubtedly made just for that mage.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see your lord. Where is he?¡±


    ¡°He has no need toe and face you,¡± said the pegasus knight. His horse neighed and pped its wings.


    ¡°The town has been taken. You cannot hope to defeat us. Protect your potential, knight, and surrender.¡±


    ¡°Potential?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Your deaths will be futile. They won¡¯t amount to anything. Bend the knee to our lord, drop your weapons, and you will keep your head.¡±


    ¡°They are not the type to listen, sister,¡± said Lori. She readied her spear and transformed it into ck Viper. The sinister fangs leaked venom.


    ¡°Your sister is right! We fight to defend Uquenia!¡±


    ¡°And what do you think we¡¯re doing? Shall I remind you of the state of Junsa?"


    ¡°IT WASN¡¯T SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE THAT!¡± shouted the witch. She groaned and gripped her head.


    <i>Infighting?</i>


    ¡°It does not matter. Since you don¡¯t intend to bend the knee¡­¡±


    Lori stabbed ck Viper into the ground, causing snakes to burrow from the pavement. They spat darkness at our enemies, who easily dodged them. The pegasus knight flew around the skies, summoning ance of gold. The tip glowed, then released elerated beams, which I deflected away with a mere parry.


    He kept the assault while the witch used more lightning, but Shocking ke acted like a lightning rod. I held the katana up and focused, using the umted energy to charge it. Before I let it go, the dragonncer dropped from the sky, his spear aimed towards my head.


    I dashed back and readied a counter, meeting the surprised knight with something he didn¡¯t expect. He leapt back, then the assassin appeared from a cloud of dust behind my sister. She sensed the strike and ducked, then grabbed her spear and went for the kill.


    ¡°Not so fast!¡± I looked up and saw the aged wizard chanting. The assassin appeared beside him, a look of abject horror on her face. She touched her stomach and vomited from uncertainty.


    She was mere hair lengths away from death.


    ¡°End the farce.¡±


    The pegasus knight replied with more beams. I sighed and deflected them towards his allies. The wizard used a shield, but I used the energy I had umted tounch the same strike I used to destroy the demon-filled temple¡¯s entrance.


    They couldn¡¯t block it. No, the wizard had no choice but to teleport them away mere moments before they were reduced to dust.


    But Lori was there. She used Earth Spike to create rocky pirs, and I sliced them with Wind Speed, then used them as projectiles to keep the pressure up. They teleported a dozen times before he groaned from exhaustion. They started to fall, but the witch grabbed the assassin and wizard. The pegasus knight and dragon knightnded. They faced us down.


    And the fight began in earnest.


    It was a whirling sh of des. Lori met her opponent every step of the way, meeting him thrust for thrust. Sparks from their strikes dazzled her face.


    ¡°Focus on the fight!¡± The pegasus knight charged with thence. I met it head on and pushed his weapon away. Wind Speed engulfed my body, making me faster than his projectiles. I danced around his horse faster than he could turn, and my strikes wore away at the armor protecting its hide. He shouted with each blow dealt, cursing me.


    My senses tingled.


    I jumped into the sky and switched to Shocking ke, using its icy abilities to coat the de in pure snow. I let it go, shooting a beam of frost towards the square, engulfing half the town in ayer of cold.


    And right there, standing where I had just been¡­


    The assassin''s daggers were readying to take my neck, but I saw through it.


    ¡°Metica!¡± cried the pegasus knight. I looked at Lori and saw her on the advance. Her flurry was too fast. The dragon knight needed everything he had to remain standing.


    ¡°Don¡¯t turn your eyes from the fight.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    ¡°[Install: Thundersh].¡±


    I became the embodiment of lightning and descended just as fast.


    My target?


    The horse.


    I cleaved through its head, mming into the ground hard enough to radiate a shockwave that damaged the entire city. The unsteady forcebined with the frost and scattered kes into the sky, where they joined together in Shocking ke¡¯s solebination ability.


    ¡°[Thunderfrost Annihtion].¡± I raised my sword and summoned a bolt of lightning, which spread amongst the kes, creating a tremendouslyrge electric field that dropped the surrounding temperature to below freezing.


    ¡°AAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!¡±


    The pegasus knight and his allies screamed in pain.


    The steed he was on vanished, so it wasn¡¯t physical. The knight, however, remained steady. But the armor became slightly transparent as the conflicting nature of electricity and ice engulfed him alive.


    The witch and assassin had dropped their knees and coughed blood. The wizard had long since bowed out of the fight since he ran out of mana. It took all he had to keep his eyes open.


    Their skin was turning blue-gray. Frostbite was settling in.


    And the dragon knight?


    He had determination. He endured my sister¡¯s attacks, not allowing his knee to touch the ground.


    ¡°I¡­¡± I looked at the golden knight. ¡°I won¡¯t let you do this!!!!¡± He grew wings and took flight, flying high into the air. He ascended with so much force that he scattered my attack to the far reaches of the city, diluting it to the point where it canceled itself.


    I looked at my sister and saw her wield a spear that wasn¡¯t there.


    It was called Phantom Pain. Only she could see it. Whatever it ¡®cut,¡¯ ¡®thrust,¡¯ or ¡®pierced¡¯ wouldn¡¯t die. But they would feel the agony it would¡¯ve caused. It was the perfect torture weapon.


    Or one to use when training. Or when you needed to defeat your enemy and didn¡¯t want to kill them. But the pain wasn¡¯t real. It was fake. Anyone with a strong will could shrug off that which wasn¡¯t there.


    But she had it plunged into the dragon knight''s heart, and his heartfelt cries nearly drowned her voice.


    He wasn¡¯t strong enough. It sounded like he was screaming beside my ear through that enclosed helmet.


    ¡°STOP HURTING HIM!!!!¡± Suddenly, I heard the golden knight''s voice. I looked up and blinked. He was there, flying towards me with hisnce held down. It shimmered brighter than I had ever seen it.


    ¡°Hmph.¡± I sheathed my katana and focused¡­ Sight wasn¡¯t necessary¡­ All I required was my senses¡­ I waited¡­ Reading the flow of the wind¡­ Harnessing the noise¡­


    My breathing had all but stopped¡­


    <i>There...</i>


    I drew a de only I could see, ¡®severing¡¯ my opponent¡¯s head with one sword while simultaneously using Shocking ke to stop his downward thrust.


    Two forms at once.


    I had achieved it.


    ¡°GGGAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!¡± The knight screamed with the invisible de lodged deep inside his head. I sent him away into the sky, expending most of Shocking ke¡¯s remaining energy to send him higher and higher as the ground cratered beneath my feet, shattering in a spiral, web-like pattern. Lori kicked the dragoon to the ground and left him there, then switched to Earth Spike. She used thest remains of her soul energy to create four pirs as high as I had sent my opponent.


    <span ss="TextRun SCXW6162554 BCX0"ng="en-us" xmlng="en-us"><span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW6162554 BCX0">Wing Travel, another of my katana¡¯s forms that had little wings etched on the de and handle, appeared. I threw it at the ascending pir, got it stuck, and then used its ability to teleport to it. I repeated that until I got to the top. The knight was still soaring, and I dashed from pir to pir, using Phantom Pain to force him to experience phantom death. <span ss="EOP SCXW6162554 BCX0">


    ¡°No¡­ I can¡¯t¡­ Not here¡­ I can¡¯t die!!! I CAN¡¯T DIE!!! I¡­ CAN¡¯T GIVE UP!!!¡± A golden light encased my opponent. It morphed around him like a ball, and when it broke, he was back on his winged-horse.


    ¡°A second wind? It does not matter how many times you try. You will never win. Let us fight, pegasus knight.¡±


    We dueled as we fell to the ground. My opponent wielded twonces, and the horse shot light beams from its mouth.


    It was a spectacle. A pure volley. We shed every second as I kicked off the pirs, breaking them. I had no choice but to use Wing Travel to teleport between the raining debris.


    But he nevernded a hit.


    I always deflected or avoided them.


    His anger got the better of him. His wrath dulled his instinct.


    He was a toy, and I was the maker.


    But¡­


    He never gave up.


    He always attempted to take my life.


    If it didn¡¯t work, he¡¯d try it again.


    And if that failed, I knew I could count on him to give it another go.


    You learned a lot from swapping blows. It was the fastest way to know someone.


    And this knight¡­ He wasn¡¯t true to himself. He held hesitation in his heart. He wanted¡ªyearned to be something he wasn¡¯t. But why?


    ¡°MARK!!!!! GET AWAY FROM MY BROTHER!!!¡± The witch flew in. A trident of lightningid at the front of her broomstick. I kicked off Mark, the knight, and used Wing Travel to pierce the witch through the thigh. I grabbed her boom after warping to her, shattered it upon her head, stabbed the lightning-tipped trident portion through Mark¡¯s legs, and kicked off her neck, elerating her towards the rapidly approaching ground.


    ¡°LULU!!!!!!¡± screamed Mark.


    The wizard managed to conjure a barrier at thest second. It shattered in her ce, preventing her life froming to a short and abrupt end.


    But I couldn¡¯t say the same for Mark. After kicking him off his pegasus, I used Shocking ke to taste his stomach¡¯s blood, then filled his insides with lightning. We smashed into the city square, creating an evenrger crater. I held a copy of Shocking ke to the sky and used its lightning rod to attract all the leftover lightning particles for onest attack.


    The sky darkened.


    The very ground shuddered.


    A thousandrge cracks webbed out from the epicenter, spreading all over town. I heard copsing buildings nearby. And the castle? It was in ruins. It must¡¯ve happened during the fight, but I didn¡¯t know when.


    And the armor¡­


    It finally shattered¡­


    And the man inside?


    He was but a boy¡ªprobably around 13 or 14, with blond hair and a mole on his chin.


    ¡°Consider me impressed, Mark. I don¡¯t know how you¡¯re still alive. Shall I correct it?¡± I jumped back, leaving my sword in his stomach. It took but a mere thought to recall it to my hand.


    Mark clenched his teeth so hard he chipped them.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡± His words were filled with pain. Blood flowed like a waterfall from his stomach wound. ¡°I¡¯m not done.. I¡­ I can¡¯t¡­.. I can¡¯t stop. It¡¯s not over¡­ [Essence of Pegasus]!¡± More golden mana coalesced around his outstretched hand. His armored gloves appeared half-heartedly.


    He couldn¡¯t sustain it.


    ¡°JUST STOP IT, BROTHER!¡± Lulu dragged herself over. Her eyes were teary--her hat ruined. She looked at his leg and saw the wound I had inflicted on him. The aged wizard was kneeling with his head lowered. The assassin wasn¡¯t moving. Neither was the dragoon, but both were alive. If only barely.


    ¡°Bend the knee. ept defeat. Surrender. Or you will die. And that would be a shame.¡±


    ¡°Shame?¡± Mark scoffed, then vomited blood over his clothes.


    ¡°Your potential shines bright. Death will be but a naught waste for someone like you. I cannot guarantee your survival, but I do not wish to take your head. Make your decision quickly, Mark. Your friends do not have much time left before the reaperes to im their lives.¡±


    Lori joined me, dragging the dragoon behind her. ¡°He is inexperienced. His ability reminds me of us as children. But there is growth. I sense untapped potential.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. The city has fallen. Your army is in disrepair. Who can save you? Your Holy Lord? I do not sense him.¡±


    ¡°Fine¡­ We¡­surrender¡­ Your power¡­ It¡¯s so overwhelming¡­ There¡¯s no way we can win¡­ We¡¯re going to die anyways¡­ Lulu¡­ Forgive me¡­ Metica¡­ Hugo¡­ Vincent¡­ I¡¯m¡­sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± I said, retrieving potions from a pouch I held around my hips. They were just potent enough to stabilize my opponents.


    ¡°It¡¯s Geron. He can kill us at any moment with his miasma. He holds the axe above our necks¡­dangling it¡­ It doesn¡¯t matter if you kill us. If Lord Meruria spares us, we can still die if Geron chooses to end our lives.¡±


    ¡°Sister, I think Lord Geron¡­¡±


    ¡°I concur. Lord Geron''s Soul Warriors were under duress from the moment of summoning. How awful. Until we know more, we cany the me solely on him¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Mark drank the potion and coughed because it went down the wrong pipe. ¡°But we¡­¡±


    ¡°Brother¡­¡± After Lulu downed her potion, she poured it down the assassin''s mouth before removing the dragon knight¡¯s helmet, revealing a man with blond hair and ck tusks sprouting from his mouth. He didn¡¯t look like an orc, so he was probably a species exclusive to the world he was summoned from.


    ¡°Save your breath and strength for our summoner. I cannot promise your lord won¡¯t appear, but he shall die by my hands if he shows himself.¡±


    And with that¡­


    The battle was over¡­


    The war between Cridia and Uquenia was short, and it came to a quick resolution.


    But¡­


    These Soul Warriors¡­ They didn¡¯t seem like they could create the bomb that blew up in Lord Meruria''s church. I knew Lori thought the same. Lord Geron was a master of miasma. I doubt he would¡¯ve used something other than his specialization if he wanted to cripple Cridia.


    What need was there to use his poison to hold his warriors hostage?


    Something didn¡¯t make sense.


    ¡°Carter,¡± I turned around and looked up at a drone. ¡°Report to Lord Meruria our sess. The battle is won. The war is over.¡±

 Chapter Eighty-Two – High Elf of Liberation

    Chapter Eighty-Two ¨C High Elf of Liberation


    It was the morning of the eventful day, and I sat at the kitchen table in the hideout, reading a report Verdant had put together. ¡°The final shipment of weapons, armor, scrolls, and supplies from Guildmaster Thornbrook arrived this morning, M. They¡¯re being handed out to everyone as we speak. At dusk, they¡¯ll move to position and await the signal.¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t even know she¡¯s arming her own death,¡± I quipped, smiling at how easy it was to organize by telling people what they wanted to hear.


    I felt like a puppet master¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­really happening, isn¡¯t it?¡± Kull audibly gulped.


    ¡°What of it? Are you still scared of me? Still believe me to be one of those feared chimera?¡±


    ¡°More like in awe¡­ The High Elf of Liberation¡­ Wherever her beauty goes, freedom is assured to follow¡­ That¡¯s what they¡¯re saying about you, you know. They haven¡¯t even met you, but they¡¯re convinced you¡¯re some kind of¡­ I don¡¯t even know what to call it, but some goddess whomands a divine lion made of mes. You should hear the stories they¡¯re saying about you.¡±


    <i>Goddess? Ugh...</i>


    ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± Verdant said. ¡°I have no idea how you had the foresight to orchestrate this¡­ You hold special eyes, but I wonder if they can perceive the future?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, but don¡¯t mistake this for kindness. I¡¯ve told you, but Plymoise is where my mother was born. It¡¯s out of partial obligation to save her birth city-state from being destroyed. If she had been born in Atrix? Or Terokai? Or even another country?¡±


    ¡°We get that,¡± said a spy I hadn¡¯t spent much time with.


    ¡°But don¡¯t sell yourself short. I merely told you what to do. You had to fulfill the orders. You had tounch the raids on the government office, poisoned their water, bombed their ships, and set traps. Even with Cid, Ayroix needed your close care to mold him into what we need him to be. You were all there to showpassion and convince him not to give up. I couldn¡¯t have done that. I am a woman who works best from the shadows, but that will change.¡±


    ¡°The bar, right?¡± asked Kull. ¡°The southern one?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯llunch the beginning attack after speaking with Ayroix. Oh, but we won¡¯t be arriving alone.¡±


    ¡°The reapers?¡± asked Kull.


    ¡°Yes. I figure it¡¯s time for Ayroix to meet the wielder of [Guardian of the Atrixian me]. And that¡¯s when I¡¯ll show my true appearance. Verdant, has Ayroix told his men to expect someone with Lysander¡¯s appearance?¡±


    ¡°Yes, M. He has. There won¡¯t be any trouble.¡±


    ¡°Rio¡¯s going to die, then?¡±


    ¡°Aww, don¡¯t look so sad, Kull. You can mourn him if you¡¯d like. We could even have a feast to celebrate Rio¡¯s short-lived, but very experienced life. Only he could meet the reapers. M couldn¡¯t have done it.¡±


    He nervouslyughed and rubbed his head. ¡°It¡¯s...not so much ufortable as it is...odd to joke around like this when the powder keg is... shit, I don¡¯t even know what to call it at this point. The tension is so thick. It¡¯s like our guys are looking for an excuse to let loose. And the soldiers outside the city? Fights have broken out almost daily for the past two weeks. The squadron leaders are finding it hard to keep their men in line.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s either us or them.¡±


    ¡°Margie¡¯s right. Think of it like this. Plymoise stands to gain a valuable ally once our work is over,¡± I said.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t a treaty like that be seen as an act of war? It¡¯s one thing to have a trading agreement, but another thing entirely for a city-state to pledge military might to defend another city-state. It¡¯s outright unheard of.¡±


    ¡°And maybe that¡¯s what Parthina needs. You can¡¯t be afraid of trying new things. The Heptarchis will be called once our work is over, but that¡¯s where the true battle begins,¡± I said. ¡°Verdant, ensure the others are ready. I want them in position. And verify that they understand my precise ns and havemitted the strategy to memory. There will be chaos. There will be havoc. But they must follow it.¡± I rubbed my shoulder, and Kull was concerned. "I''ve never manifested a puppet this long before," I said, reaching for the mana potion on the table. After tonight, I could take a long rest. I wasn¡¯t tired. Or exhausted. I hadn¡¯t slept for two weeks. But I wasn¡¯t used to the constant drain on my biomass and mana.


    <hr>


    Under the cover of night, Verdant and I left the hideout and ventured to the southern side of town while the other spies went to their assigned locations.


    This area was effectively the most ¡®dangerous¡¯ ce in Atrix for people loyal to anything other than the rebellion. It almost should¡¯ve beenwless, but proper security was the first thing I had Cid drill into Ayroix¡¯s head.


    You couldn''t use tyranny to keep order if you fought to rid yournd of a tyrant.


    That was the quickest way for a rebellion to break apart.


    As we walked, I had a [Skyview] window open and observed a particr scene ying out at our destination.


    Ayroix sat across from Cid in the dimlyntern-lit backroom of the bar, his nerves shot and his hands trembling because the fated day was so close. The weight of leading the rebellion felt like a mountain pressing down on his shoulders.


    Cid looked at Ayroix with concern in his eyes. "Take a deep breath," he said gently. "You can do this. I believe in you."


    Ayroix tried to inhale deeply, but his breaths were shaky and uneven. "Cid, I don''t know if I can," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "The pressure... the responsibility... it''s too much. It¡¯s only just now hit me. In two hours, I¡­¡±


    Cid reached across the table and ced a steadying hand on Ayroix''s. "You''ve been preparing for this moment," he said firmly. "You''ve trained, studied, and shown incredible strength and leadership. You''re ready, Ayroix. Trust in yourself. Your father¡ªyour true father¡ªwould be so proud.¡±


    But the self-doubt was consuming Ayroix like a relentless fire.


    Cid''s gaze softened, filled withpassion and understanding. "Fear is natural, Ayroix," he said, his voice soothing. "But don''t let it cripple you. Embrace your nerves and turn them into determination. Remember why you''re doing this ¨C for the people who suffer under Atrix''s rule, for the hope of a better future. Gregory Atrix is a tyrant. And he must be stopped. I¡¯ve taught you what I knew. Dryke made you into a good man before his untimely death. You must use that knowledge to lead Atrix to a brighter future as its rightful ruler. Look at your support. Look at the men and women your words have drawn to your side.¡±


    Ayroix wiped away the tears, trying to regain hisposure. "I don''t want to let anyone down," he admitted, his voice cracking. ¡°Especially you, Cid.¡± Ayroix looked at his scarred hands.


    Cid smiled warmly. "You won''t. And even if things don''t go perfectly, remember that you have allies by your side. We''re in this together, Ayroix. You''re not alone."


    The support from Cid wasforting, but Ayroix''s heart still raced with uncertainty. "I''m afraid I''ll disappoint the High Elf of Liberation," he confessed, his vulnerability bare.


    Cid''s eyes sparkled with confidence. "She chose you for a reason," he said firmly. "Believe in her faith in you, just as I do. You can lead this rebellion to victory. If she had any doubts, she would¡¯ve let us know. But she hasn¡¯t. And you can take that to mean you have her respect.¡±


    As Ayroix struggled to control his breathing, he nodded, trying to absorb Cid''s words. "I''ll try," he said, his voice still shaky butced with determination. "I''ll do my best."


    Cid squeezed Ayroix''s hand reassuringly. "That''s all anyone can ask for," he said. "Believe in yourself, Ayroix. You''ve got this."


    His unwavering support gave Ayroix a glimmer of hope amidst the storm of self-doubt.


    I closed the [Skyview] window and prepared for my grand entrance as the High Elf of Victory as we drew nearer. We were stopped a few times by revolutionaries wearing the equipment freshly delivered by Thornbrook. But they knew Verdant. And once they saw my ears¡­


    They knew who I was.


    It was¡­unique, I suppose, seeing grown men drop to their knees in reverence after realizing the rumors were true.


    But I despised that treatment and promptly told them to stand. I wasn¡¯t somegoddess. I didn¡¯t want to be worshipped.


    ¡°Be on the lookout for a man with long flowing orange hair and a shield that sparkles,¡± I told everyone. ¡°Send him my way.¡±


    Eventually, we made it to the bar.


    It was full of Ayroix¡¯s closest allies, and they were talking. The star wore a suit of armor and carried an axe on his back. The equipment was enchanted with defensive effects¡ªI had stolen the gear and other vital, powerful weapons and armor from under General ckthorn¡¯s nose. Those orange sses looked off. He didn¡¯t quite so much look like a nerd as something else I couldn¡¯t put my finger on.


    Verdant opened the door, I walked in, and the ce became as silent as a ghost town. All eyes were on me and the firearms I had holstered. The only sound was my heeled boots echoing off the wooden floor, followed by the cries of the chair at Ayroix¡¯s table I pulled out.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Ayroix and Cid remained silent when I sat. I crossed my arms and legs. Verdant stood beside me, her eyes slightly filled with nervousness.


    <i>Guess this silence isn¡¯t unexpected.</i>


    The eerie silence was eventually killed by a dwarf offering a pint of mead. ¡°Aye, the quickest way to break the tension is to share a drink. It¡¯s the weakest we carry, bute, Long Ear. Let us drink!¡±


    ¡°Drove!¡± Ayroix eximed. ¡°Ms. High Elf, please¡ª¡±


    I took the pint and raised it up. ¡°To Lord Ayroix Atrix! The true, rightful ruler of Atrix! Let us drink to our victory! Let us drink to our liberation from the corrupt and repulsive Lord Atrix!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about,ssie! Let the booze flow as free as your beauty!¡± Drove bonked his cup against mine, and we downed our alcohol.


    Only then did the tension lower.


    In ten minutes, the bar was livelier than ever. It was nice seeing Ayroix calmer, too. Verdant joined the fun and allowed herself a shot or two.


    But she and Cid gave an explicit warning not to go overboard because the fight of their lives was about to start.


    ¡°Ms¡ª¡±


    ¡°You can call me M, Ayroix,¡± I said. I ferried another cup to my lips and chugged it, receiving the admiration of the other dwarves present. This was my 8th cup, and I was the same as ever.


    [Ichor Maniption] destroyed the alcohol. I could drink as much as I wanted, and I¡¯d never feel an ounce drunk unless I wanted to because my body¡¯s internal heat incinerated the liquor.


    ¡°Is that fine? You¡¯re¡ªNo, if you say it is, then it is. M, I¡­cannot thank you enough. I just¡­ I don¡¯t even know where to start.¡±


    ¡°Then do not force the words. Let them flow when they¡¯re ready. But to answer your question, you¡¯re more important than you realize. We High Elves see decades and centuries in advance. And I desire peace toe to Plymoise. You were the perfect option. I know of your hardships and struggles.¡±


    ¡°I still don¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Doubts? Even after the High Elf of Liberation has given you her acknowledgment?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Ayroix raised his hands and shook his head. ¡°Please, it¡¯s¡ª¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡± Iughed and further broke the tension. ¡°Tis just a joke, boy. But you¡¯re important to the peace I wish to keep in Plymoise.¡± Really, I was only doing this for Mom and Sekh. I¡­ honestly didn¡¯t care about anything else. I didn¡¯t have space in my heart because I had more important things.


    But these people looked to me for guidance. I saw their faith from a mere gaze. Verdant and her spies saluted me every morning. To them, I was something else.


    I wasn¡¯t just the High Elf of Liberation. I was a symbol of hope and peace¡ªof a woman with powerful enough magic to grasp the city-state of Atrix in my hands and mold it to my whims.


    Ayroix didn¡¯t know he was artificially turned into a freedom fighter. He was a tool in my workbench. That was all. Everything about his ascent to the revolution¡¯s leader was expertly plotted by hands that he didn¡¯t even know existed.


    In short...


    He was a pawn.


    Everyone here was one...


    ...


    ¡°Plymoise, huh? Not Parthina?¡±


    "Perhaps," I replied, my gaze sweeping across those assembled. "But let us focus on the night. You will not be fighting alone, my friends!" I raised my voice and stood, feeling the weight of their hopeful eyes upon me. ¡°In the face of tyranny, we stand united. With Ayroix as our beacon and our cause as our fuel, victory is not just a possibility! It is our destiny. Atrix shall be liberated from its tyrannical chains, and its people shall breathe the air of freedom once more without being duty-bound to keep up Gregory¡¯s militaristic conquest of failures that threaten to destroy your home! Side by side, we shall prevail, and the future will remember this day as the turning point that ignited the mes of change!"


    ¡°To Lord Ayroix Atrix! To the High Elf of Liberation!¡± The entire bar cheered, and then...


    He arrived.


    I turned to the door and watched, and everyone followed my gaze to stare at a man with armor meticulously shined to a polished sheen. The Citrine Bulwark was disyed so prominently on his back.


    My little speech had been calcted to end right when this man showed up. I grabbed a mug and approached. ¡°Don¡¯t be rmed. This is Lysander. You may not know him, but you¡¯ve heard the whispers about his organization. The Citrine Reapers aren¡¯t a myth. They exist. But they¡¯re not the horrible nightmares you think them to be. Like everyone, they¡¯re victims of Little Gregory after being swayed by false words and empty promises. Their families are held hostage by the very man we will oust from his throne of power!¡±


    ¡°Gregory won¡¯t live to see the morning sun!!!¡± shouted someone. Others cheered and raised their mugs, and I offered one to Lysander.


    ¡°Rio, I presume?¡± he asked, taking it.


    ¡°Yes, and no. Rio¡¯s a fake name I sometimes use. And you¡¯ve seen my prowess. Altering my body and voice with illusion magic is but child¡¯s y. My name is Lyudm, the High Elf of Liberation. This is our second in-person meeting, but it is nice to make your acquaintance, my friend.¡± I held out a hand, and he hesitated a heartbeat before shaking it. "And please, call me M."


    We returned to the table with Ayroix, and he introduced himself to Lysander. I honestly didn¡¯t know what to expect. Would Lysander admit the truth about how he killed Dryke? Ayroix knew his father was behind that murder, but he didn¡¯t know who carried it out.


    ¡°I sense the making of a great man within you,¡± Lysander finally said after Ayroix asked if something was wrong. Themander wasn¡¯t aware of Cid¡¯s identity as my clone or wooden puppet, but it must¡¯ve been a shock to see the face of a man he had once killed in cold blood. But Lysander never raised a word about that sinful night. He promised that the reapers would support their new lord. ¡°The others wanted me to thank you for them. And to apologize.¡±


    ¡°About their families?¡±


    ¡°Yes. That feeble lord was too drunk to notice the others slipping away. They never once thought reuniting with their loved ones would be possible in this life.¡±


    ¡°And now they¡¯re safe outside of town?¡±


    ¡°Why are you asking as if you didn¡¯t watch it? I know you did. You said nothing escaped your watchful gaze.¡±


    Iughed. ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s all-knowing and all-seeing. Nothing happens without me being aware of it. But that¡¯s good. I¡¯m happy. And once tonight is over... Families will finally be reunited.¡±


    ¡°Yes... They¡¯re prepared, M.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I like to hear. With that said... Let¡¯s get serious.¡± I hopped on a table, faced the crowd, and told them to get ready because it was time to delve into thest-minute specifics of the n. ¡°Now is the time to ask any pressing questions. Your lives may depend on it!¡±


    Verdant''s messengers had confirmed that everyone had memorized what I¡ªCid¡ªAyroix¡ªwanted them to do, but you couldn¡¯t go wrong with double or triple-checking, especially if it was something this important.


    But as we chatted, I eventually acquired four titles for my work in orchestrating the revolution. They were impressive and imparted desired beneficial effects.


    [Rebel Champion] amplified mybat prowess and increased my strength and agility during battle.


    [Liberation Vanguard] bolstered my leadership and enhanced my charisma and presence, granting a passive aura that boosted morale and myrades¡¯ performance amid conflict.


    [Voice of the Oppressed] was gained via my clones, but it only now showed up because the people I had ¡®listened¡¯ to approached and thanked me for truly hearing them out. I didn¡¯t remember doing that, so it must''ve been Tris when she controlled Cid or another clone.


    [Protector of the Revolution] fortified my defensive capabilities, increasing my resilience and durability against physical and magical attacks.


    For the moment, I equipped [Liberation Vanguard] and [Protector of the Revolution]. They were the most useful, and I confirmed the bonuses via [Deduction] on Ayroix, Verdant, and the others after their activity log alerted them.


    The atmosphere around me turned deadly serious when there were five minutes to go. The dwarf Drove silently wiped his mouth and held a hand to his hammer. Verdant gripped her daggers, and Cid and Ayroix looked at each other and hugged as Lysander tenderly brushed his hand against his shield. At first, the others didn¡¯t know how to react. No one believed the Citrine Reapers existed, but the ever-friendly Drove made the first move and casually chatted up Lysander, significantly lowering the tension.


    I merely sat in silence, staring at my rifle. That hade up a lot. A High Elf using weapons most associated with Dark Elves was rare. You¡¯d be more likely to find an albino crow in the middle of a dark, dank forest that never experienced sunlight.


    ¡°How I wish you were here. Sekh¡­¡±


    ¡°Sekh?¡± I looked up and saw Verdant sitting on the table. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard you say that name before,¡± she said, crossing her legs. Ayroix and the others were still doing the final pre-fight check of their equipment.


    ¡°She¡¯s someone important. You could call her Surtr¡¯s original summoner. She¡¯s the reason why I¡¯m even here. This rebellion wouldn¡¯t be possible without her.¡±


    ¡°Where is she?¡±


    My words stubbornly clung to my throat. ¡°Sekh''s taking a break. I wish to return to her soon, but I don¡¯t know when that day wille.¡±


    Verdant smiled. ¡°Then I shall pray for it to arrive soon.¡±


    There was just something about her expression that made me reconsider a bunch of things-- not about using the rebellion as an excuse to grow in power. I was fine and had made my peace with it.


    But it was about a few other things I may have been narrow-minded about.


    This feeling in my heart¡­I didn¡¯t hate it, but it was unnatural. I wasn¡¯t sure how to receive or resolve it...


    ¡­but there wasn¡¯t time to dwell on it.


    It was time to act. We left and lined up in front of the bar. I stood at the front and told any mages present to use me barrier magic. Four nodded, chanted, and enveloped the group in a translucent crimson light.


    ¡°Stand behind me, Lysander. Raise your shield and help.¡± The long orange-haired man nodded and did what I asked, and a hundred gasps emerged behind me when I used [Ira Ignis]. The familiar wrath flowed through my veins. The dripping mes from my ethereal dragon horns danced when they hit the ground. But the crimson glow was perhaps the most dazzling sight...until the pressure descended around us.


    Lysander grunted. His shield¡¯s unique ability activated and redirected the magical heat back to me. ¡°You...weren¡¯t lying about your true strength being enough...to burn the city.¡±


    The difort wasn¡¯t neutralized.


    ¡°I was not, Lysander. Now, observe and watch... And please try to hold on. I¡¯m using the minimum to achieve our initial goals, so this overwhelming pressure won¡¯tst much longer.¡±


    Slowly, I raised my rifle and watched it transform into the living spectrum of fire. [Fire Rain] flowed through it. And an orb of deadly, damaging fire amassed itself at the barrel''s end.


    It grew until the mana I packed had nowhere else to go. The writhing orb nearly lost its shape. That was to be expected since it was the size of arge sedan.


    [Fire Rain] had never been this heavily packed before. This proved how strong I¡¯d gotten since the battle to protect Plymoise from those seven ships.


    Wayward assimtion here and there added up...especially when a clone found time to hang out at the graveyard. That strength, no matter how small, ultimately added up. I couldn¡¯t refrain from even the smallest meal if I wanted to amass more power.


    I confirmed my targets using [Skyview]¡¯s linked targeting array. Tris helped me with the fine-tuning until the chances of missing were 0.


    <i>Are you ready, Tris?</i>


    <i>I am, my lord.</i>


    <i>I¡¯m sorry.</i>


    <i>Why the apology?</i>


    <i>It feels like I¡¯ve been asking the impossible of youtely. I promise things will calm down soon. And when they do, let me take care of you. I¡¯ll do anything you want. You deserve it. </i>


    <i>Your kind offer warms my heart, my lord. I wish to remain by your side until the end of time¡­but I know that answer will not satisfy you. Umm... May I have time to think about what I want?</i>


    <i>Of course.</i>


    <i>Thank you. The precise adjustments are finished. Feel free to begin whenever you wish. Let your roar echo throughout the city. </i>


    Finally¡­


    I released the trigger.


    The thick, fat orb shot high into the sky¡ªascending past the very clouds, at which it exploded like a bomb, brightening the night sky. It cast a light over half of Atrix¡­but the spewing mes that poured like ming rain targeted the barracks¡­


    This was the signal.

 Chapter Eighty-Three: Ayroix’s Rebellion (Illustrations!)

    Chapter Eighty-Three: Ayroix¡¯s Rebellion (Illustrations!)


    It was¡­ pandemonium.


    General ckthorn, Guildmaster Thornbrook, and Chief Justice Darkfeather were told different things to expect when the rebellion started.


    But this ensured a three-way brawl. Fights broke out all over the city. The men outside the city gates instantly started killing each other in brutalbat. Honestly, they were yearning for an excuse to shed blood. Tension and stress were at an all-time high.


    That would be a lot of corpses.


    However, it could¡¯ve been much worse¡ªfor them, not me. I desired to use my waypoints to cause confusion and keep friendly fire to a minimum. For example, those with General ckthorn would see green waypoints above themselves and the rebellion¡¯s army. Those with Thornbrook and Darkfeather would have orange waypoints, which denoted enemies. But Tris could alter a waypoint¡¯s color so it appeared green to person A and orange to person B, which would¡¯ve been used to cause mayhem. Tris estimated there would be about 30,000 individual waypoints with about 40,000 separate permissions. It was just too much for her-- even if she entered her maxed-out processing mode, the ability to handle that much data wasn¡¯t there yet.


    Even if it was, she warned me that her cooldown had the potential to be about six months. And there was a risk of losing her physical body and returning to my mind, where she¡¯d be in some stasis. I couldn¡¯t be without Tris¡¯s skills, voice, or presence for that long, so we altered the n so that only I had the waypoints. Doing it for me lessened the stress she felt, and it was nice to have an icon denoting who I needed to kill without spending more than a second or two verifying my target¡¯s allegiance. To have some semnce of control, we developed codewords and gave them to General ckthorn¡¯s men, the rebellion, and the Citrine Reapers. It wasn¡¯t the best, but it would work well enough.


    But there was one element I hadn¡¯t told the others about, although there were whisperings in the darkness a few days ago about corpses going missing and graves being...mysteriously opened.


    There was a chimera on the loose, and he was my clone. Tris knew Little Gregory''s handwriting. She had studied his writing for weeks and crafted the perfect forgery of a pair of mercenary contracts for the chimera''s services. But it was valid to anyone who looked at it since it had his seal, signature, and blood. I didn''t know if I would use this, but it was nice to have. Tris and Tilde said I couldn''t go wrong with having more options. And it was better to have them and not need them than need them and not have them.


    But organizing a massive multi-faction brawl was for this moment. Clone!Chimera had four orders. He wasn¡¯t to attack any innocents or people trying to hide, couldn¡¯t kill or harm any members of the rebellion, had to kill Cid to give Ayroix the final boost of strength and determination he needed to see this through, and he had to die to the future ruler of Atrix.


    Everything else was free game. If my clone came across corpses? He had orders to assimte them, regardless of whether they were friend or foe.


    Tris kept a watchful eye over the battlefield but focused on the key yers.


    I saw my clone wreak absolute havoc in the [Skyview] window. Bellerophon wasn''t present inside Atrix or Plymoise, so the poison was a non-concern. A dozen vines wrapped in mes birthed from his monstrous form, stabbing into the group trying to kill him with spear and sword.


    In seconds, those impaled were sucked dry with [Drain]. Bestial mouths opened on the sharp appendages to eat their targets alive.


    The fear factor was there. Seeing a transforming monster take forms only belonging to your worst nightmare could kill anyone¡¯s drive. Better yet, since Cid and this chimera were my only clones, I had Clone!Chimera branch off into multiple others to further spread mayhem, although their orders were to go around and assimte the dead.


    And thus, my primary goal was over. Victory was absolutely assured.


    But I didn¡¯t be a spectator. While eyeing a few things, I actively joined the fight, focusing on where the rebellion was currently the weakest while leaving Lysander to be near Ayroix. Most of the time, my presence alone was the morale boost the freedom fighters needed, but I always helped even the odds. [Liberation Vanguard] assisted quite a bit, granting the tired and exhausted a second wind.


    ¡°The High Elf of Liberation is real!¡±


    ¡°She does exist!¡±


    ¡°Come, brothers! We can fight! We cannot give up! We hold the upper hand!¡±


    ¡°Atrix will be ours! We shall free it from its cruel ruler! Death to Gregory Atrix! Death to Gregory Atrix!¡±


    General ckthorn had specific ns to fight through the soldiers guarding Merchant Guildmaster Thornbrook and Chief Justice Darkfeather, but he wasn¡¯t alone. He had two of Verdant¡¯s spies and his personal guard following him. The rest were behind at his estate to safeguard his family. I had tried to get them to safety, but the general said they¡¯d be safer in the emergency bunker he had built in his basement.


    It wasn¡¯t so safe if I, as a slime, could drip through the cracks and enter, but whatever. It was what it was.


    The general hated the guildmaster and chief justice with passion. Once things were under control, I used the cover of darkness to transform into the form I used when I spoke with him. I ran like the devil throughout the still-crowded streets, shooting my silenced 92FS, scoring a kill with every shot. Bodies dropped, but thebatants didn¡¯t know why because the silencer eliminated all sound. From their perspective, people merely dropped dead after blood sttered from their heads.


    It took thirty minutes to reach the general, but I had unlocked [Active Reload], [Automatic Reload] a M1911, a Beretta M9, and a snub-nosed Taurus 856.


    With [Active Reload], I regained a portion of soul energy spent in thest five seconds by reloading my weapon. The skill granted me a phantom magazine, phantom clip, or phantom shells, and if I dropped it or took too long? It would vanish, and I wouldn¡¯t get anything. The cooldown was proportional to the recovered amount.


    The second took ammo from my person¡ªor [Void Storage], after Tris altered it-- and automatically reloaded any magazines or clips. The other three were obviously pistols, but I didn¡¯t want to use them yet.


    The general believed me to be an enemy when I jumped near him. He faced me and attempted to end my life with his excellent swordsmanship as that gleaming de reflected my eyes in the crystal moonlight.


    ¡°The rose blooms in silence!¡± I eximed. At thest second, his sword froze, the edge tasting my skin, not blood.


    ¡°And whispers carry on the wind,¡± he replied. ¡°Forgive me, but I¡¯d advise you not to jump out in front of a warrior next time.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t hold it against you,¡± I said, retrieving a random spear I had stolen. I didn¡¯t want to use any more guns or Kronto. ¡°There¡¯s no time. Come! We must kill Guildmaster Thornbrook and Chief Justice Darkfeather.¡±


    ¡°Lead the way!¡±


    <i>Approximately 2,648 individuals have perished, my lord.</i>


    Tris gave me a brief rundown while we ran.


    <hr>


    ¡°HOW COULD YOU DO THIS¡ª¡± General ckthorn refused to share words with the woman he hated the most and stabbed his weapon through her chest, cutting off her annoying voice.


    We entered her estate about ten minutes ago, but the guards cowardly ran away when the fighting started.


    They didn¡¯t survive, though. My chimera and its clones saw that. My biomass and mana were constantly refilled from the non-stop assimtion so I could have them out for the entire night.


    ¡°¡­¡± ckthorn merely watched. Thornbrook heaved heavily and tried to remove the foreign object, but she was weak. Mercantile knowledge was her strength, not brawn and muscle.


    Long ago, she had screwed over ckthorn and withheld vital supplies, causing his unit''s destruction. The scheme was part of a kickback with a fellow city-state¡ªessentially, Atrix had secretly sold the lives of his soldiers for money to a city-state who wished to test a spell they had made. ckthorn knew Thornbrook had done it.


    She had gotten drunk and told him herself days after it happened.


    Getting drunk and spilling secrets... Seemed like the city was cursed by irresponsible drinkers who never had to face the consequences of their actions.


    But Lord Atrix gaslit ckthorn into dropping it¡ªinto making himself seek that he was the cause of his soldiers'' deaths.


    On the surface, he yed along with it. He even endured the ridicule from the other nobles and taunting towards his family. He didn¡¯t have that much respect anymore. The army was splintered towards being loyal to him or Thornbrook.


    And he never forgot. Thornbrook was the one person he needed to kill. And it was that grudge and irrefutable proof that made him too easy to sway to my side with sweet words and cheap promises.


    But this wasn¡¯t a movie. ckthorn didn¡¯t utter any epic speeches, monologues about justice, or pretentious bullshit. He merely ended the life of a despicable woman who helped sell her countrymen and left her to die alone.


    The general was getting up there in age. It wouldn¡¯t be long before lifting a sword was an improbability. But ckthorn loved his city-state. He wanted to leave it in good hands. Even if I hadn¡¯t shown up and arranged this, I knew the general had nned to stage a coup once he had a way to get his family out of the city-state.


    Guess I beat him to the punch, but he¡¯d have lost his life in that failed rebellion.


    After leaving, we ran to the other side of town, bypassing scores of armored corpses littered in the streets like trash. Blood marred the cobbled pathways, contrasting the once-vibrant market stalls, now tarnished with ash and debris. The coup''s proof was clear to all, but I was thankful that most of the participants were actual soldiers or fool-hardy idiots who wished to fight for a man who would throw them away at the drop of a hat. The citizens, at least, had enough sense to stay in their homes.


    <hr>


    The chief justice''s house was up in mes¡ªsomething difficult to notice from a distance because of the hazy smoke suffocating the skies. mes raged across Atrix, from the waters in the harbor to even the walls themselves.


    It really seemed like the city was on itsst legs.


    ¡°Your task is almost over,¡± I told ckthorn. He holstered his weapon and turned around. ¡°But there is much to do. A city cannot endure without any guidance. And you shall assist the new ruler with a fair and just hand. But a town requires people. You cannot rule over nothing and expect to thrive.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± he said, turning to his soldiers. ¡°Return to my estate and send messengers. Tell our men to focus on regrouping, protecting, and securing our citizens. We¡¯ll leave the bulk of the fighting to Ayroix and his rebellion.¡±


    ¡°Sir!¡± The soldiers nodded and ran toplete their task. Meanwhile, ckthorn made his way to Ayroix. The spies went their way, and I returned to the road filled with corpses.


    I¡¯d never miss this opportunity. After Tris ensured no one was watching, I used ayer of thick slime to assimte the bodies.


    But I wasn¡¯t done. There were hundreds left. And by the time the night ended, it would be in the thousands. And that wasn¡¯t counting the soldiers killing each other in Tiran¡¯s Crest. The mystical fog that hid it so well vanished after the coup began. And once they saw the smoke, they followed the orders I had given them via Thornbrook and ckthorn.


    <hr>


    Another three hours had passed since ckthorn went to join Ayroix and Cid. They fought Lord Atrix¡¯s mercenaries to reach his estate under the morning sun. The thick, ck smoke obscuring the sky made it seem as if it was dusk, though.


    I watched them advance through the courtyard, dispatching the soldiers who had chosen to defend their lord with their dying breaths. They had most likely immediately headed here after my initial attack. They weren¡¯t the strongest. The most powerful was only Lv. 44, but the strength I had gained tonight pushed Cid over the edge.


    He was a whirlwind of death, using [Fire Whip], [me Defense], and [me Root] to attack, defend, and entrap as they progressed, and his swordy was like a lioness toying with her cub.


    But then my chimera showed up on winds made from bone and sinew. It made one hell of an entrance and immediately started the brawl. Its fear alone froze the remaining soldiers to their core, and they soon died a violent, bloody death.


    It was a back-and-forth affair. Verdant and three of her spies showed up, as scheduled, and obeyed Ayroix when he told them to secure their target. The Forest Elf raced towards the vi with her daggers and allies at the ready, and I continued watching from the city''s ramparts. During the night, my eyes had unlocked another level of magnification, granting me a 4x zoom. Whenbined with my rifle, it was 8x.


    <i>Over ten thousand have died since your opening strike. Most casualties belong to our enemies.</i>


    <i>That¡¯s good to know.</i>


    <i>ckthorn¡¯s men have approximately 47% of the city under their control. The progression should elerate.</i>


    <i>Okay.</i>


    As the mes danced and devoured the city below, casting an eerie glow upon the chaos, I lifted her flute to my lips and watched Cid die after taking a mortal blow meant for Ayroix.


    Seconds ago, Lysander had been tossed aside like trash, and he cried out while recovering to his feet. He rushed past Ayroix and hefted his shield, joining ckthorn in fending off the chimera from turning its sight on the young leader.


    My delicate fingers gracefully danced along the instrument, summoning a haunting melody that seemed to resonate with the very essence of the revolution¡ªit synced perfectly with Ayroix¡¯s horrified cries.


    The notes carried a bittersweet longing, blending with the crackling of fires burning the courtyard and the distant sounds of turmoil from a harsh fight inside the vi. It was a melody of defiance, courage, and a fervent desire for change. The music soared through the smoky air, weaving its way into the hearts of those who heard it, igniting a flicker of hope amidst the darkness and igniting the spirit of revolution in their souls.


    Suddenly, Ayroix turned his head. There was no way he could see me. But I knew he had heard my ying. His face¡­ He was crying. But he was determined to see this through to the end.


    He wouldn¡¯t dare let the death of his father¡¯s brother extinguish his spirit. Especially not if the High Elf of Liberation had her gaze on him.


    He was far too close to his goal.


    He knew he needed to push harder¡ªburn that rebellious me even brighter.


    With a mighty yell, he ran to ckthorn and Lysander and helped him push away the chimera-- it looked like a bipedal bear with twelverge, thick paws covered in ice.


    It had used [Furia cies] for no reason other than to make itself more imposing.


    The three fought in tandem, covering for each other while pushing back my clone. Axe met flesh and tasted blood while sword cleaved bone and fur¡ªtheir war cries reached an apex, yet their determined shouts soared even higher. Magic welled up from within the aged general as he unleashed a wave of lightning towards Lysander¡¯s shield. He used its innate ability and reflected it at the chimera, electrocuting the monstrous bear-like monstrosity before the general kneeled and vomited blood.


    Ayroix took advantage of the opening and jumped in the air, bringing his axe down upon my chimera with tear-filled eyes-- apanied by a final yell.


    It lodged deep in the faux monster''s brain, and I ordered it to writhe in agony. Ayroix never wasted a second. He grabbed his axe and hacked away, continuing for five solid minutes until the clone was a puddle of watery blood.


    After one final breath, my clone ceased to exist.


    And Ayroix had earned the [Chimera yer] title because, for all intents and purposes, my clone was a monster hated by the known world. [Status Cloak] had registered it as such so that [Detect Chimerism] would impart a positive response if it had been used.


    <i>Gregory Atrix chose to hide in his basement¡¯s panic room, but Verdant has him in chains as of twenty seconds ago. My lord, our n was a resounding sess. Everything you wish to aplish has been achieved. Once you assimte the corpses at Tiran¡¯s Crest, you¡¯ll have enough life force to cleanse Lady Sekh¡¯s curse. Breaking it is not yet possible.</i>


    <i>She¡¯s finally within my grasp, huh? That¡¯s amazing. Tris, can you prepare a report for Gretchen and the others?</i>


    <i>I¡¯ll work on it at once, my lord! I cannot wait to wee you back! However.. Your tone concerns me. Why do you still look sad? Please, tell me what¡¯s wrong.</i>


    I sighed and looked at the stars¡­


    ¡°When I look at people, I don¡¯t categorize them into allies or enemies¡­ I only see substance to make me stronger. I¡¯ve slit throats, I¡¯m assassinated, I¡¯ve poisoned¡­ I¡¯ve killed¡­so, so many. And all I think about is¡­nothing. I¡¯m so numb to death. No¡ªif anything, I find my heart growing with potential eagerness because¡­ it¡¯s strength¡­ When I truly realized I had a chance to organize something like this... I figured it would happen sooner orter¡­but...


    ¡°I¡¯m already a monster at heart, huh? Drove died. I wanted to drink with him. But I don¡¯t feel anything. He was a pawn. He was someone that yed the role I had given him. That¡¯s it. That¡¯s the extent of his life from my point of view because¡­I didn¡¯t know more than his name. Ayroix¡­ His destiny was manufactured nonsense fit to serve a higher power¡­ He probably saw Cid as a father figure, but he was nothing but biomass¡ªa servant whose only role was to die to force Ayroix to grow as a person.¡±


    I found myself smiling.


    ¡°If I need to be a monster to achieve my ultimate goals, that¡¯s what I''ll be. Tris, I¡¯m sorry for worrying you. I promise I¡¯m fine. Just chalk it up to a weird period of emotional instability, I guess.¡±


    <i>I understand.</i>


    ¡°I need to find a suitable healer or powerful elixir to give Sekh when Surtr breaks her coffin. That shouldn¡¯t be that difficult.¡± Tris agreed with me and said I could leverage my Vredi name to solve the final issue preventing me from wrapping my arms around her.


    Verdant emerged into the courtyard, and she dragged Gregory Atrix by the shackles sped around his wrists and legs. She tossed him to the ground near Ayroix, who held the lifeless Cid¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Was it worth it?¡± he asked. Gregory remained quiet. No, he couldn¡¯t speak. His jaw was fractured and misaligned. Opening his mouth would probably inflict a non-trivial amount of pain for someone who had never received such brutality.


    I thought about flying in but decided against it.


    This wasn¡¯t my show. I directed and produced it, but Ayroix was the star. The spotlight was his. Lysander knew that and remained silent and stood behind the young lord.


    ¡°You caused this. This was your fault. Why couldn¡¯t you have been a better man? Why did you have to hide me away? Why did you kill my real¡ªmy true father? The one who cared so much about me? You even resorted to hiring a sphemous chimera to assist you in regaining control over the city. But what did that bring you, Gregory? Look around. The city is in ruins. Smoke fills the skies. I don¡¯t know how many perished because you couldn¡¯t have been the father you needed to be. But I won¡¯t be like you. Cid... Verdant... The High Elf of Liberation... Lysander... The Citrine Reapers... Drove... Bart... Bertold... Beatrice... You surrounded yourself with enemies, but I have allies. I have friends. General ckthorn is a good man. He loves this city. You should¡¯ve listened to him, not Thornbrook or Darkfeather.¡±


    <i>Beatrice?</i>


    <i>She is a woman who shares a sense of affection towards Ayroix that goes back four years. They shared a bed for the first time two nights ago. Bart and Bertold are her younger brothers. They look up to Ayroix as a role model and wish him to be their brother-inw.</i>


    <i>Did they survive?</i>


    <i>Yes, but not unharmed. The worst injury is a sprained ankle from tripping in the safe room.</i>


    <i>I Guess Ayroix had a life before I intervened. Everyone did, right? And I uprooted it all.</i>


    Little Gregory reacted when he heard about the chimera but couldn''t refute Ayroix''s ims. Even if he did... Would Ayroix believe his father?


    I didn''t think so.


    ¡°The Vestige? You can keep it. You can destroy it. I don¡¯t care about that shit. I never did, either. I want peace. Is that so hard to ask for? But I won¡¯t be like you. I¡¯ll never be like you. I¡¯ll be someone honorable... I¡¯ll embody the sentiments Cid imparted within me. And I¡¯ll be a better father. I¡¯ll be everything you weren¡¯t. I¡¯ll do what you couldn¡¯t.¡±


    Ayroix kicked Gregory to the ground. The fear in the fool¡¯s eyes was palpable when that blood-stained axe was raised.


    He brought it down, severing Gregory¡¯s head...


    It marked the end of this fight.


    <b><i>New Title: [Liberator¡¯s Legacy]</i></b>


    My newest title¡¯s description stated that those who obtained it were acknowledged for their pivotal role in shaping a new era and ensuring thesting impact of the revolution. It signified their contribution to creating a better future, standing as a testament to their courage and determination.


    But...


    Was it really that?


    Did that definition really define me?


    <hr>


    After Gregory perished, I flew to Tiran¡¯s crest in record time to find it teeming with corpses. Tris had marked the few survivors fighting to the bitter end. Luckily, they were mostly grouped up near the recon camp located in the middle, so I didn¡¯t have to traverse the 200-mile stretch.


    My new 1911 got some use here. And it was only now I realized that I could¡¯ve unlocked it when I acquired the Beretta 92FS because I still had a few in my storage. Glog, Metalborn Prince of Goblins-- the boss of the mines near Ria, dropped the gun as its rare drop. That little fact skipped Tris¡¯s mind, but we were focused on the rebellion, first and foremost. It fit perfectly in my hand. [Active Reload] was extremely useful. I put four shots center mass to a Lizardfolk wielding a rapier and a shield, used the skill, grabbed the phantom magazine, and reloaded, thereby regaining 30% of the soul energy I spent, which allowed me to finish off the foe he fought.


    The bullets we had made were still stronger, shot for shot.


    The overwhelming euphoria that came with assimting so much at once couldn¡¯t be described. It felt like I was melting from an overindulgence of warmth that radiated from my stomach. In total, my SP now numbered in the hundreds of thousands-- a gross amount, really-- and I achieved Lv. 81 since arriving in Atrix. The SP could be saved, though. Better to have it for a rainy day or when I was in a tough bind. I really didn''t need to spend any right now since I wanted to get the hang of acquiring skills manually.


    The SP was a back-up, and it was one I wasn''t shying away from.


    <i>And I''ve confirmed it! My lord, it is now possible to cast out the curse currently inhabiting Lady Sekh''s soul! The first step isplete!</i>


    <i>It''s been a long timeing.</i>


    <i>Yes, it has, my lord. I cannot wait to properly greet her! Ah, I must prepare. I must rehearse! I only get one chance to make a proper introduction!</i>


    It was cute hearing my Fragment of Wisdom act so excited and happy.


    And my primary goal was achieved. I just needed to find a healer for Sekh. That would be easier than acquiring the necessary life force, but by no means would it be a walk in the park. Her wounds were egregious. Anything less than the best wouldn''t work, so as much as I wanted to rush...


    I couldn''t.


    Instead of setting off for Plymoise, I returned to Atrix. The rest of the day was spent calcting damages and determining how many had died. After that, General ckthorn, Ayroix, Lysander, Mikel, and Verdant discussed how to proceed. I sat with them at the dining table in Gregory¡¯s mansion to offer my input here and there, but my work was over.


    Tris identified a few stragglers scheming in secret to assassinate Ayroix¡ªa rebellion would always have sinister backstabbers at the 11th hour, but a clone dispatched them without Ayroix being aware.


    At its core, Atrix was a beautiful city-state. Its fields were lush and green, and the farmingnd was almost second to none. When it came to food, they were set. Supplies, on the other hand, were a different story. The precious metal resources in the mine-like dungeons settled throughout the city were almost exclusively used for the Atrixian military. It would take time for the dungeon to respawn the ore, but guess what?


    Plymoise had many mines, although they were difficult for the average adventurer and hard to get to. Perhaps if Plymoise had time to recover from suddenly losing theirrgest trading partner, they could eventually be self-sufficient, but they didn¡¯t have that luxury until now.


    Therefore, it was only logical for Atrix and Plymoise to unite in unity and peace and trade food and raw resources. Through Tris, I dictated the basic terms of the agreement after she requested an emergency audience with Gretchen and her advisors to hash out the initial details. It was enough for her to send Captain Morgan, a unit of soldiers, wagons filled with supplies, and craftsmen to help repair the city.


    I didn¡¯t want to let everyone know I spoke via Tris, so I just told Verdant and the rest that I telepathicallymunicated with Surtr, who ryed what I said to Gretchen and the others.


    I was annoyed at how slow these talks were going, so I asked Tris to develop a suitable n Ayroix could build from. She considered everyone¡¯s strengths and weaknesses, looked at how many were alive, the overall levels of injuries, the first draft of the agreement with Plymoise, and spent twenty minutes producing the outline needed.


    Four copiester, I handed out the folders.


    ¡°This is...incredible... It¡¯s so specific...down to what even the women and children should do...¡± Ayroix was in disbelief.


    ¡°I said I wasn¡¯t going to help, but I can¡¯t help myself,¡± I said, partly lying. ¡°Peace is what I desire, and I won¡¯t force you to use those ns. You¡¯re the new leader of Atrix, not me. However, if you follow it, use it as a basis to build from.¡±


    ¡°R--Right!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m more and more astounded, M,¡± said ckthorn. He found it difficult to look at my face because my face and voice had been disguised every time I had met him. He couldn¡¯t imagine a High Elf was behind it all.


    Ayroix, ckthorn, and Verdant left the mansion to follow Tris¡¯s meticulous instructions. It detailed sleeping and work schedules, the optimal meal ns, the best way to reintroduce the nobility into the city, and a budget. Ayroix had money saved away. It wasn¡¯t enough to handle everything at once, but there was enough tost the city-state for a few months. By then, hopefully, they¡¯d be self-sufficient. If not, Plymoise promised to help until they were on their feet.


    But it wasn¡¯t a charity case. Plymoise had demands. They desired a unity of friendship¡ªa hard-coded defensive agreement and a trade pact to ensure prosperity.


    Lysander and Mikel discussed how the Citrine Reapers would evolve from here. I told them they could take time. The city needed toe first, and Mikel should¡¯ve spent more time with his son. At least a few weeks to make up for the lost opportunity.


    Ry was. Her sister hadn¡¯t left her arms since she returned.


    The reunions were...pleasant to watch. They made my heart feel fuzzy and warm... But also jealous...because I was missing Sekh more than ever...


    But the day I¡¯d hold her in my arms again...


    That day was fast approaching. It wouldn''t be here today, tomorrow, or even by the end of next week, but soon...


    Soon...


    Soon...


    <hr>


    The following night...


    A celebration was thrown at the bar where I had met Ayroix. The leading man himself, ckthorn, Lysander, Verdant, her spies, Beatrice, her brothers, and a few other vital rebellion members were present. The other reapers focused on making up for lost time with their family and couldn¡¯te.


    Family came first. If they showed up, I¡¯d be liable to smack knock some sense into them.


    The booze came from Gregory¡¯s personal collection.


    I offered the music via my flute.


    Beatrice was a woman with orange eyes and a thick ponytail. She had a ¡®girl next door¡¯ vibe, and her brothers were a few years younger than Erin. ckthorn¡¯s family was at their estate. No doubt they would be traumatized for a while even though they were totally safe.


    Perhaps I should¡¯ve offered them asylum in Plymoise, but ckthorn wouldn¡¯t have gone for it.


    He was a thoughtful, deep guy when you took a chance to share a drink with him. He had wisdom in spades and often spoke of the past with mncholy eyes.


    He didn¡¯t want to retire. He wanted to continue fighting for Atrix until his dying breath. But he also wanted to spend time with his family. He didn¡¯t have much left other than them. That incident in the past removed any chances of him having genuine friendships with anyone because he was always looked down upon.


    But he wasn¡¯t horrible.


    He had honor.


    I did hope happiness was in his future.


    At some point, someone brought up how many drinks I had before the rebellion started, which was a big deal because High Elves were considered lightweights. Most only needed a sip of alcohol before they were three sheets to the wind, dead drunk.


    But not me.


    I felt confident and dared anyone to outdrink me.


    And boy, did they try.


    The alcohol we drank wasn¡¯t weak. It was strong. It left a fire in your throat when you swallowed. But to me?


    It was like water. I burned my blood hot and scorched the alcoholic contents a second after I swallowed. Really, it was like nothing reached my stomach because even the steam vaporized a millisecondter.


    One by one, the dwarves who lined up were defeated. Next came a troll. His orange tusks brightly blushed when I chugged a new bottle, but he lost the battle and passed out.


    ckthorn tried his hand, but he bowed out after four shots.


    ¡°Come on! Is there anyone who can take me on?! The High Elf of Liberation?! I do not only assist those in freeing themselves from tyranny,¡± I proimed, my voice ringing out amidst the raucous cheers of the tavern. ¡°Even the alluring kiss of alcohol cannot keep me down!¡±


    I grabbed a pint of mead and raised it high, receiving a chorus of cheers. People had watched my drinking matches intently and were taking bets on the side.


    It really was nice to see the people having fun. Every seat was filled. And at this rate, Gregory¡¯s stockpile of booze would probably run out before the night was over.


    At some point, people began singing. We sat and listened to the tales of the heroic adventure of a ruler named Ayroix...


    But I never expected...


    ¡°HERE HERE, LADS! LET¡¯S SING IT FOR OUR HERO!!!!¡± A drunken dwarf with an orange beard raised his tankard, spitting and slurring his words.


    <i>In thend of Atrix, a story we''ll share,</i>


    <i>Of a High Elf named Lyudm, with valor rare. </i>


    <i>With her fiery spirit and heart full of grace,</i>


    <i>She led the revolution, in this perilous ce.</i>


    <i></i>


    <i>Oh, Lyudm, a warrior so bold, </i>


    <i>With her de and her magic, she fought for our stronghold.</i>


    <i>She rallied the people, against the tyrant''s might,</i>


    <i>A beacon of hope, shining in darkest night.</i>


    <i></i>


    <i>Through battles she strode, with courage so true,</i>


    <i>Lyudm inspired us, in all that she''d do. </i>


    <i>Her name will be honored, throughout thend,</i>


    <i>A symbol of bravery, forever at hand.</i>


    <i></i>


    <i>Oh, Lyudm, a warrior so bold, </i>


    <i>With her weapon and her magic, she fought for our stronghold. </i>


    <i>She rallied the people, against the tyrant''s might,</i>


    <i>A beacon of hope, shining in darkest night.</i>


    <i></i>


    <i>So let''s raise our voices, in a toast of cheer,</i>


    <i>To Lyudm''s bravery, that we hold dear. </i>


    <i>In songs and in tales, her legend shall remain,</i>


    <i>Lyudm, a hero without refrain.</i>


    ¡°CHEERS!!!¡±


    Tris knew this would happen and remained silent. Atrix didn¡¯t have much to give me. Ayroix and the others even less.


    But this...


    I wondered why they were so insistent on returning to the bar.


    I...


    I couldn¡¯t help but be shocked. The people considered me a hero. To them, I was their savior¡ªthe link that prevented outright war from breaking out. Had I not been here, and the assault against Plymoise was carried out, the number of dead would¡¯ve been 4 or 5x higher.


    But...


    To me...


    I... I didn¡¯t...


    Verdant hugged me close and cried tears of happiness. Ayroix put his arm around my shoulder and raised another toast. ckthorn and Lysander raised their sses like gentlemen.


    One by one, the children approached and gave me handmade straw dolls of myself. Beatrice and her brothers gifted me a beautiful shell that had been in their family for a few years. They came from a poor background.


    For the first time, I felt like I had missed a lot. If I had shown myself earlier, I could¡¯ve learned more. My mind quickly processed a hypothetical future in which I was there¡ªin person¡ªevery step of the way. Maybe then... I wouldn¡¯t have thought of...everyone here as...


    But maybe not. Perhaps remaining distant was the better choice. Tris suggested developing a deepening friendship could¡¯ve altered my thoughts about the n. And should the worst ur?


    I wouldn¡¯t have the needed life force.


    Sekh was just so much more important than everyone here. If I kept that tidbit to myself, I didn¡¯t have to worry about hurting feelings.


    The rest of the evening yed out differently than what I had expected.


    And I didn¡¯t know what to feel.


    <hr>


    <i>I¡¯ming home, Tris. It should take me a few hours at full speed.</i>


    I stood atop the city walls the following dusk, looking over my shoulder at the reconstruction efforts that never stopped for longer than an hour for the shift change. I¡¯d wanted to leave earlier in the day, but the events ofst night...


    It made me want to spend a couple more hours here¡ªI wanted to ensure I¡¯d done all I could before leaving them alone. I knew Captain Morgan, the supplies, and the craftsmen were scheduled to arrive the following morning, so it would¡¯ve been fine if I left earlier.


    <i>I¡¯ll be awaiting your return, my lord. Everyone is excited to wee you back!</i>


    I yed a song to summon my wings, and I took to the skies, happy that my biomass was draining so slowly the yellow resource bar didn¡¯t look like it was decreasing. At some point? I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about it getting low at all.


    Surtr was right. A chimera¡¯s growth was slow at the beginning, but it rapidly snowballed. Soon? I¡¯d be a force to be reckoned with...

 Chapter Eighty-Four: I’m Finally Back (Illustrations!)

    Chapter Eighty-Four: I¡¯m Finally Back (Illustrations!)


    Plymoise came into view when the sun was on the cusp of setting. The horizon¡¯s crimson hue shed hard with this city-state''s green-centric color scheme, but it was still beautiful.


    I thought about stopping by the Ministry to get it out of the way, but Tris said she received a message from Gretchen. She figured I¡¯d been away from my family for too long, so she wanted me to catch up with them before heading to her.


    And I did just that.


    I spotted Irisa and the others standing in front of the inn. Everyone was there, and as I got closer, Kengu, Longtooth, Sirive, and Legate materialized and roared. Surtr joined them, ring his mes. He sent a beam high in the sky, parting the clouds and making it seem morning for a fraction of a second.


    <i>I told Lady Gretchen to expect something like this, my lord. She¡¯s already been given prior notice, and the citizens know not to panic. They know it¡¯s from Surtr.</i>


    The performance was certainly overkill, but it was the perfect disy of power for the king of the jungle.


    Misty-eyed gazes met mine as I touched down. My vision blurred with unshed tears, mirroring the emotions welling within me. The notes from my flute still lingered in the air as I dismissed my wings.


    ¡°Master!¡±


    ¡°My lord!¡±


    ¡°M!¡±


    "M!"


    ¡°Mistress!¡±


    ¡°Lord Springfield!¡±


    A chorus of affectionate cries met my ears. Tilde circled me in flight before embracing me from behind with her usual exuberance. Tris echoed her enthusiasm and joined her. Niva and Erin linked arms with me while Primrose''s hand found my shoulder. Herforting touch was weed. Irisa enveloped me in a tight, emotional embrace, holding my head against her chest.


    ¡°I missed you guys so much¡­¡± My quivering voice betrayed my true feelings. Irisa kissed my forehead, rubbed my hair, and gave me her brightest smile. Even with the blisters that still weren''t getting better, she was so beautiful¡­


    Irisa stepped back but held my hands as Mom and Dad weed me back.


    ¡°Mom... Dad...¡± I just felt so weak upon seeing them. It¡¯d been so long... Sure, I saw them with [Skyview], but that didn¡¯t count. Dad held out his arms, and I ran, jumping into them. Mom joined the hug and kissed my head so sweetly.


    ¡°Wee back,¡± dad whispered.


    ¡°I¡¯m back... I¡¯m finally back...¡±


    Dad let me go, and I looked at Chax and Ginnie, who didn¡¯t know what to do.


    But I did.


    I couldn¡¯t leave them out.


    Those two were my friends¡ªmy close allies. Ginnie slightly yelped when I gave her a hug. She went weak in the eyes and said she missed me. I even gave one to Chax, who weed me back while patting my shoulders.


    Before now, I never had anyone to wee me back.


    Sure, Mom, Dad, and Irisa were there to wee me back when we went to Aetos Vige for Niva.


    But that was different.


    This was different. This time... It was just so much more emotional...


    ¡°Come on, Master!¡± Tilde hovered over me and tapped my shoulders. ¡°Let¡¯s go inside already! We wanna hear about it!¡±


    ¡°Tris didn¡¯t tell you?¡±


    ¡°She did,¡± Erin said. ¡°But I wanna hear it from you!¡± My little sister¡¯s tail wagged so fast. Her eyes were sparkly jewels. I ruffled her hair and let them escort me into the inn, where Delouise and his staff awaited me with a hero¡¯s wee. He led us to the dining room, where a bountiful feast decorated the table. He then exined what he and his staff had readied.


    At the center was a roasted boar, its skin glistening with a golden-brown hue, a true centerpiece of the meal. Alongside it, the aroma of herb-marinated grilled chicken wafted through the air, making mouths water. A pot of spicedmb stew simmered, filled with root vegetables and fragrant herbs. Skewers of seasoned venison and smoked trout wereid out, tempting the pte.


    As for my needs, the table held roasted root vegetables with a drizzle of honey and herbs, aforting dish. Buttered peas and carrots provided a simple delight, while grilled mushrooms with garlic butter and a touch of allspice offered earthy vors. Stuffed cabbage rolls generously filled with grains and vegetables were served in a tomato sauce.


    An array of bread and sides ¨C from rustic baguettes to soft whole-grain loaves -pleted the spread. Cheesy mashed potatoes added a savory note, while a garden sdposed of crisp greens, peppered tomatoes, and crunchy radishes was dressed in a light, tangy dressing.


    But then a green-skinned elf rolled in a serving tray and lifted the lid after we were seated, revealing a honey-zed fruit tter, avender-infused custard, and an almond cake with raspberries, topped with a tart berry sauce.


    ¡°We spared no expense, Lord Springfield. You¡¯re a hero. Tales of the High Elf of Liberation has spread far and wide,¡± Delouise said, offering another bow. ¡°Please, this is the least we can do for Plymoise¡¯s savior.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s so kind of you.¡± It was hard to get the words out. I¡¯d never been treated like this. After taking a sip of my tea, a maid-in-waiting refilled my cup. She did the same when I took another sip. When the pot ran dry, she left to fetch another one and remained by my side.


    Well, I couldn¡¯t ever get thirsty, I suppose. I didn¡¯t mind this treatment, I guess. It was different, but it...felt...nice.


    For the next two hours, I talked about what happened in Atrix. The gorier details were kept hidden. I didn¡¯t want to ruin the mood with tales of puppets being ughtered and hung on pikes. And it wouldn¡¯t do right to detail that I could¡¯ve solved it in a day or two instead of stretching it out.


    Mom and Dad probably wouldn¡¯t have liked to know that, and I felt like shit keeping it from them.


    But I didn¡¯t want them to hate me. I didn¡¯t know what I would do if they said they were disappointed in me. Details about Verdant and her spies were probably a national secret that had to be kept hidden.


    I told them Ayroix was a good man. He wasn''t like Gregory. I likened ckthorn to a man who was dealt a crappy hand. He did the best he could. He wanted to prevent the invasion from going ahead, but he was overruled and was forced to keep it going. Lysander was a gentle soul who had a green thumb. He enjoyed all things nature, and we wondered about the Citrine Reapers¡¯ future.


    Niva congratted me when I announced [Eyes of the Huntress]bined with [Mana Perception] and evolved. She used her skill and said my vibrant, colorful eyes were pretty.


    I looked at Primrose, and her expression...


    It was one of fear...


    ...because she knew I saw it.


    The undeniable nature mana surrounding her body...


    It was flowing somewhere, and I knew exactly where it was going...


    <i>Why did I have to be right?</i>


    ¡°My lord, it¡¯s time to depart. We cannot keep Lady Gretchen and her advisors waiting for your report. I¡¯ve given it to them, but they still wish to hear it from you.¡±


    ¡°Huh? You¡¯re leaving?!¡± Erin whined.


    ¡°M, it¡¯s been a month since we¡¯ve seen you!¡± Irisa cried. She grabbed my arm.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I signed a contract with her. She¡¯s my boss, and I can¡¯t keep her waiting. But I won¡¯t be long, okay?¡± I fished around for Erin¡¯s and Irisa¡¯s hands. ¡°I promise I won''t go anywhere else for a while. Let¡¯s say Sekh is within reach.¡±


    ¡°Really?!¡± That got them smiling.


    ¡°Yep. I need a reputable healer or a powerful elixir. But that¡¯s the easy part. There are a thousand ways to handle that.¡± Right? There had to be. The lifeforce had to have been the challenge, so with that being done...


    Sekh... She was right there...


    Irisa gingerly let go of my arm and let me stand up. Primrose, again, was the only one who avoided meeting my gaze. My family and friends followed me to the lobby, and I promised them I wouldn¡¯t be gone long.


    Once outside, I hopped on Surtr, and we were off.


    ¡°Wee back, Lord Springfield!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kindate on that, big guy.¡±


    ¡°Forgive me. I wished to speak earlier, but I didn¡¯t want to ruin the moment.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say things like that. You wouldn¡¯t ruin anything. And I missed you, you know. Tris told me you helped patrol Plymoise. Thanks for that.¡±


    Surtr roared and said he only acted on my orders, but I showed appreciation with head scratches and chin rubs.


    <hr>


    The scent of coffee was incredibly overpowering inside the Ministry¡ªeven before I made it to the meeting room.


    Gretchen, Captain Caulk, and General Fruide were present. All turned my way when they heard the door open, and I gave my report.


    Vauche¡ªthe historian¡ªwasn¡¯t here. A search for his name revealed he was sleeping.


    I retrieved a copy of Tris¡¯s report and summarized what had happened.


    ¡°General ckthorn is a sworn ally. Tris concocted a basic reconstruction n,plete with suggested schedules concerning food and work, and my wooden puppets have sessfully groomed Ayroix to be what Plymoise needs the most. Unless something drastic urs, you won¡¯t have to worry about him being an enemy. Lysander and the Citrine Reapers were being ckmailed. The Citrine Reapers¡¯ true purpose was nothing like the sinister rumors you¡¯ve heard, and I believe they''ll rebrand and reaffirm their original task to further safeguard theirnd. On the return trip, I stopped and talked with Captain Morgan, and he reported no problems. I¡¯ve also briefed him about the update situation within Atrix and what he should expect to find, and Verdant and her spies were informed with the wooden puppets I sent back.¡±


    ¡°Incredible¡­ Absolutely incredible¡­¡± General Fruide leaned in his chair and smiled. ¡°The High Elf of Liberation... There is truly no better fitting name for you, Lord Springfield.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s more.¡± I retrieved a note from [Void Storage]. My Clone!Rats had found it when infiltrating Gregory¡¯s estate, and I kept it a secret from everyone. ¡°This is a letter written and signed by Little Gregory to the Council of Orchta¡ªpostmarked months before the invasion. It¡¯s proof Atrix was involved in preventing a Heptarchis from being called. You have leverage, Lady Plymoise, should you see fit to use it. No doubt you can force a Heptarchis and receive amplepensation for the corruption.¡±


    ¡°General?¡±


    ¡°The proof is undeniable. In all my years... I¡¯ve never heard of the council being bribed. Attempts? Yes. It¡¯s happened many times, but no one has seeded...¡±


    Captain Caulk stretched his healed wing and asked Gretchen for orders.


    ¡°General, send a messenger to the Orchta asking¡ªno, demanding a Heptarchis as soon as possible. Captain Caulk, prepare your fastest soldiers and set up camps between Plymoise and Atrix. I want to be in constantmunication with updates every 12 hours. While the threat of war is far behind us, there could still be remnants of the Atrixian army with unsavory intentions.¡±


    There was. A few stray camps were nning something, but my waypoints had told Lysander, who informed Ayroix and General ckthorn.


    It wouldn¡¯t take long for the problem to be solved. I couldn¡¯t always look after Ayroix. But I¡¯d throw him a dozen bones until I felt they were strong enough.


    Really...


    That was the least I could do, right?


    ¡°Of course, Lady Plymoise.¡±


    ¡°I also found proof of collusion between Gregory Atrix and the chimera I reported,¡± I said, handing over the contracts I¡¯d forged.


    A collective gasp erupted from the table. Gretchen grabbed the documents and hastily read them over. The color drained from her face when she realized how desperate Gregory had been. Knowingly¡ªeven unknowingly¡ªworking with a chimera meant death. Even if you were powerful, Gretchen said Bellerophon had no sympathy.


    I knew that from experience. Bellerophon would probably receive a report or hear rumors about the chimera. They¡¯d probably set up a base inside the city or around the surrounding farming viges.


    If so, and if I was still here, I¡¯d wipe them out.


    I despised Bellerophon. They deserved to die.


    ¡°And I believe that¡¯s all to my report. If you¡¯ll excuse me, I wish to return to the inn and spend time with my family.¡± I turned around, intending to leave¡­


    ¡°A bonus will be delivered tomorrow morning. But there¡¯s more.¡±


    ¡°And that is?¡± I turned to face Gretchen.


    ¡°Your assistance at the Heptarchis. When it¡¯s called, I request you, Tris, and Surtr to apany me as my guards.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be extra.¡±


    ¡°¡­We are prepared to pay that. Whatever reparation the Orchta gives us will be yours.¡±


    ¡°¡­And what if I said I desired Atrix¡¯s Vestige. Would you grant that to me?¡±


    I searched for it while I was there, but I couldn¡¯t get any hits. Even I couldn''t get anything from Gregory. I must be missing something, but what was it? Maybe it was something only those with the blood of a Vestige can see or perceive? Even Tilde didn¡¯t even know for sure.


    Suddenly, it was like the air had turned into a vacuum.


    ¡°That would not be within our power.¡±


    ¡°You are the victors, after all.¡±


    ¡°Conflict happens over them. If we take Atrix¡¯s Vestige, war would be called upon us in no less than a week¡¯s time. We would have a coalition army at our door. If we had lost the war and Atrix took our Vestige, the other city-states wouldn¡¯t sit idly by.¡±


    ¡°It seemed like that was their n,¡± I replied to Gretchen. ¡°It seemed like they believed themselves strong enough to pull it off. Especially if they had leverage over the Orchta. But I won¡¯t ask for anything impossible. You have my trust in that. If I decide the Orchta¡¯s reparation is enough, that¡¯ll be my price.¡± I politely bowed, wished them a good evening, and left with Surtr. Once outside, I hopped on his back while returning to the inn.


    We talked about the Vestiges. He didn¡¯t know that much. They were around in Sekh¡¯s time, but the world had more pressing problems than worry about meteorite shards.


    But that didn¡¯t stop some sleazy bastards from trying to pull one over. The greed caused Parthina¡¯s assistance to the war effort to dwindle because the country broke into a brawl. Seven armies fought against each other without glimpses of the most fragile alliances.


    What if the Vestiges just weren¡¯t here anymore?


    What if Atrix had waged war for absolutely nothing?


    What if the city-states'' leaders pretended to have the Vestiges to save face?


    How ironic would that be?


    I mean, if I couldn¡¯t find any traces of them...


    Were they even here?


    Nothing could hide from Tris. So, if they weren¡¯t here, they weren¡¯t here.


    So...


    Where were they?


    <hr>


    It was well past three in the morning when I finally returned to my room. I couldn¡¯t feel tiredness unless I exhausted my mana, biomass, or soul energy, but sleeping¡ªno, resting in afy bed?


    If only it was that simple¡­


    I blinked twice and turned to Tilde, who wore¡­ somethingpletely new. She was kneeling, looking up at me with a unique, submissive expression.


    Spoiler


    [copse]


    Suddenly, she stood, grabbed the helm of her skirt, and bowed. ¡°Wee home, Master! Your lovable maid missed you a buuuunch!!!¡± She winked and shed a bright smile.


    ¡°You¡¯re a maid now? What happened to my fairy? Don¡¯t tell me she¡¯s gone forever.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s still here, but I call this Maid Mode!¡± Tilde snapped, and she became nude. Another snap, and she was back in her maid outfit. She said she could manifest and vanish her wings¡ªmost fairies could do it.


    It seemed she unlocked a storage skill that only worked for clothing and armor. It wasn¡¯t as good as mine, though. But Tilde progressed much faster than I thought. She was practically an expert. I doubt anyone knew more than her about how this world worked.


    ¡°I requested it from the manager a few days ago to surprise you! Hey! Did ya know Tris can save different outfit configurations to her wardrobe? It extends to her hair and makeup, and it¡¯s different from stashing things inside [Void Storage] and putting them on that way. Tris, activate Maid Mode!¡± Tris¡¯s body glowed, and she showed off her matching attire.


    ¡°You look amazing, Tris. I like it.¡±


    ¡°Hehe¡­ My lord¡­ It does my heart well to see you like it!¡± Tris giggled and touched the tips of her fingers together, her fluffy ears twitching from happiness.


    Tilde grabbed my arm and took me to bed. ¡°I talked with Irisa. I just said enough to make her start thinking, but it¡¯s time for you to go and speak with her. It¡¯s not a good idea to push it off anymore. She knows you¡¯re leaving soon for the Heptarchis, and she didn¡¯t take it well.¡±


    ¡°Was it a mistake to dy it for this long?¡± I asked. Tris grabbed my hand and rubbed it against her cheeks before joyfully wagging her tail. I couldn¡¯t get enough of that beautiful smile.


    ¡°You had genuine excuses. It¡¯s hard to talk about this stuff when the threat of invasion was looming overhead. But you don¡¯t have that anymore. Part of being an adult is knowing that there are times when you must have a difficult conversation. But I don¡¯t think tonight¡¯s the night. She¡¯s too vulnerable. Go show our little oni your affection. It¡¯s what she needs.¡±


    ¡°What about you two?¡±


    ¡°What about us? I¡¯m your lovable fairy maid, and Tris is your dependable analytical engine. Your sess is our sess. We¡¯re with you for the long haul. Irisa? She has a kind heart. This type of fighting isn¡¯t for her. So, go on andfort her. Tris and I¡¯ll head to bed soon, so we¡¯ll see you in the morning. Focus on Irisa, okay? She really needs you right now. She''s nearly 90, but the weess still has room for growing and maturing.¡±


    ¡°I love you so much, Tilde.¡± I kissed her head and rubbed her arms. Her smile was eternally delightful and beautiful.


    ¡°Hey, did you know Tris wailed over her cute lord? Hehe, you should¡¯ve seen her sulk. It was totes adorbs."


    ¡°Tilde!!¡± It wasn¡¯t often Tris became embarrassed, but it was always so cute to see her blushing face. ¡°You said you wouldn¡¯t tell!!¡±


    ¡°Teehee!¡±


    Tris looked like she was about to cry. But I quickly embraced her and held her close to my chest. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you too. So much¡­ Hearing your voice is one thing, but it¡¯s something else to have you in my arms once again."


    She lifted her eyes and met mine. Her body softened when I kissed her. Tilde waved when Tris escorted me to Irisa¡¯s room, but it was just an excuse to hold her hand some more.


    I watched her return to my room before pressing an ear against Irisa¡¯s door.


    I heard her sobbing¡­


    God, it hurt my heart so much¡­

 Chapter Eighty-Five: Relationship Growths – Part One

    Chapter Eighty-Five: Rtionship Growths ¨C Part One


    ¡°Irisa? It¡¯s me¡­¡± I knocked on the door and peeked in. She was there, sitting in the bed with her lion curled in herp.


    ¡°Mi¡ªM! Umm¡ªIt¡¯s¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Irisa.¡± I closed the door and sat beside her. Her eyes were reddened from her rubbing, and her nose was runny.


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    Suddenly, I hugged her. And we fell to bed. She was like putty in my arms as a torrent of emotions unloaded over my chest.


    And the girl I loved¡­showed me her weakness.


    She confessed to me a bunch of things.


    How shecouldn¡¯t focus on her training with Dad because she was worried about me.


    How she couldn¡¯t finish her meals because her appetite was gone.


    How she dealt with the nightmares infecting her dreams that showed my death.


    How she still couldn¡¯t get over killing those pirates on the boat.


    How¡­ Howshewas so afraid¡­that my desire for revenge would drive us apart¡­


    How shewasn¡¯t confident she could keep up with me, Sekh, Surtr, Niva, and the others¡­


    Irisa was so tormented by a dozen different feelings she spiraled into a crippling depression every night, after dark, without fail.


    She kept her harrowing thoughts to herself and dealt with them without wanting to worry anyone.


    ¡°M¡­ I¡¯m so scared¡­¡± Irisa hugged me tighter. ¡°You¡¯re so strong. And I¡¯m not. You can fight. And I can¡¯t."


    ¡°What do you want me to do? Say it. Say anything, and I¡¯ll do it. I swear I''ll make you happy.¡±


    ¡°No¡­ You won¡¯t¡­ It¡¯s impossible for you¡­¡±


    ¡°Try me. I make the impossible possible. If I can¡¯t, then Tris''ll think of a way.¡±


    And then¡­


    Irisa asked me something¡­I couldn¡¯t hope to give her¡­


    ¡°After the Heptarchis¡­ After this is done¡­and we find Grandma and Grandpa¡­ And when Sekh is back¡­ Stay with us¡­ You¡¯re happy with us, right?With mom and dad? And Niva and Primrose? We can live as a family. We can be happy. Ignore Meruria and the others. Please, stay with us...¡±


    ¡°¡­You know I can¡¯t do that.¡± I swore I felt her heart shatter into a thousand pieces.


    ¡°But why?!¡± she cried.


    ¡°Lyudm Vredi Springfield only exists because I swore my revenge.¡± Without it, Sekh wouldn¡¯t have sensed my soul and summoned me. I wouldn¡¯t have met Mom, Dad, or Irisa, and Tilde would be elsewhere. Niva would probably be fed to a pack of wild animals because Noelia was a bitch. Primrose? Probably inside Aetos. Erin? My sweet little sister¡¯s life would be hell. Karen would probably die if I wasn¡¯t here, but Erin would have had to survive alone.


    Chax and Ginnie? Dead. Probably after birthing the next generation of goblins.


    ¡°I love you with all my heart. I love Mom and Dad. You know I do. But¡­I¡¯m sorry, Irisa¡­ I cannot forgo my revenge. If I do, it means forgetting myself. It means ignoring a vow to free Sekh from her curse.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ But¡­ M!!! What about me?! I can¡¯t follow you when you do that! I¡¯m not strong enough. I don¡¯t have the courage! I¡¯m just some weak oni¡­ I¡¯m only good at one thing¡­and that¡¯s not enough to help you¡­ Even if I was brave enough to follow you, what could I do? I can¡¯t¡­handle killing¡­ It scares me¡­ I know I¡¯m na?ve. I¡¯m being dumb¡­ An oni as old as me? Still feeling so afraid? I still act as if I''m a little girl! And I-- I..." Irisa cried and whimpered. She hugged me tighter. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to leave! I don¡¯t like that fate keeps dragging you away... Why do you have to go to the Heptarchis?! Why can¡¯t Lady Plymoise protect Plymoise herself? You said you wouldn¡¯t leave for a while, but you¡¯re about to... You¡¯re about to leave me again!¡±


    <i>Is it time? Should I bring it up? Her life should be hers, not mine.</i>


    ¡°Irisa¡­ You¡¯re beautiful. You¡¯re strong. You¡¯re important to me. I won¡¯t let you talk like that about yourself¡­ I just won¡¯t¡­ But I don¡¯t want your life to revolve around me. Are you training with Dad because you want to get stronger? Or is it because you want to help me? Is it for self-growth, or is it for me?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re your own person, Irisa.¡±


    ¡°But--¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re your own person,¡± I repeated it. My heart hurt. ¡°Just please, don¡¯t let your life revolve around me. I know...that might be hurtful.¡± Irisa tried to push me away, but she suddenly pulled me back.


    I wanted to say more, but maybe silence was the correct choice. I held Irisa closer to my chest and let her vent her heart. Eventually, she fell asleep. Irisa¡¯s lion jumped on the bed and curled next to us, and I remained awake to gently rub her back throughout the night.


    <hr>


    Morning eventually rolled around, but we did not move. We didn¡¯t get out of bed when Delouise knocked on the door, and we were still in bed when the lunch call happened. I told Tris to let everyone know I wasforting Irisa.


    I told Mom and Dad what Irisa confessed via waypoint messaging. We talked about that for a while. Dad confided and said Irisa didn''t have any heart in their training. She half-heartedly gave up. Him, Mom, and Erin were there for her. Irisa often hugged Mom and wandered to her room multiple times to hug her.


    ThenIspoke to Tilde via waypoint messaging. She was rxing in the bath in our room.


    ¡°You must decide what¡¯s important. Is it your revenge? Or is it your family? Depending on how the future unfolds, you might have a difficult choice ahead of you.¡±


    <i>You know I can¡¯t ignore my revenge. I told Irisast night. Why do I have to pick and choose? Why can¡¯t I have both? Revenge first, and then family? It¡¯s not that hard.</i>


    ¡°But it is, Master. Were it so easy, you wouldn¡¯t have stories or fables with the consequences of revenge as the primary lesson. However, if anyone can do it, it¡¯ll undoubtedly be you. Just know that I¡¯ll support you. I¡¯ll always be on your side.¡±


    I thanked Tilde and closed the map window. Instantly, my thoughts went to the woman in my arms¡­


    Irisa eventually woke hourster in a hazy daze of confusion.


    ¡°You feel better?¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh¡­ Did¡­ What time is it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been asleep the whole day.¡±


    ¡°The whole day?!¡± Her eyes went wide. I nodded. ¡°Were you here the whole time?!¡±


    ¡°Yep. I was. I couldn¡¯t forgive myself if I left you alone.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry aboutst night...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be. Hey, are you hungry? Tris saved us te.¡± Irisa nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s head down and eat.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± Irisa stumbled over her feet. I caught her in my arms and held her close until she was steady.


    She was built. Her toned abs and defined muscles¡­ I loved resting my head against her stomach, with her strong arms holding me close.


    But Irisa had a meek side. Physical brawn didn¡¯t corrte to mental fortitude.


    Her whole world was uprooted. That would affect anyone.


    In the dining room, I saw Erin and Ginnie in their pajamas. Longtooth was curled in my sister¡¯sp, and I heard her purr.


    ¡°Someone decided to get out of bed,¡± Ginnie joked.


    ¡°Irisa, I just used that oil. How do they look?¡± Erin seemed proud of her proof of lineage. Her horns were probably her favorite thing since it was a connection she shared with her family.


    ¡°They look good.¡± Irisa sat beside her half-sister and rubbed her head. Erin¡¯s tail thumped against the chair. I joined her, and we unwrapped our tes, chatting while we ate.


    Shortly after my departure, fear ran through the city. The people were obviously not ready for a full-blown war. Drafting soldiers from the surrounding viges always diminished morale.


    But then the people became confused. They were warned of war, but where was it? Gretchen had to announce something to ease the citizens. She merely said things were under control.


    The day Tris announced my sess was when she told the city. Almost everyone in town knew of the High Elf of Liberation.


    It would probably take a couple more days for a letter to arrive from Orchta. Until then, I had time on my hands¡ªtime I would spend with my loved ones.


    I hadn¡¯t spent much with them.


    I needed to fix that.


    And I needed to ensure that they weren¡¯t just living for me.


    After dinner, we chatted until yawns started going around the table, which signified it was time for bed.


    ¡°M?¡± Irisa waited until it was us and Kengu alone in the dining room. ¡°I¡­need to talk to Kengu. Can¡­you stay here? Please?¡±


    I nodded and watched the two walk away.


    <hr>


    I didn¡¯t know I held myself together.


    I really didn¡¯t.


    But whatever strength keeping me¡­going just fell as soon as I closed the door. The tears started, and they felt like they wouldn¡¯t ever stop as I sat on the bed.


    I looked at these hands of mine¡­and just¡­


    Maybe I was hysterical. I didn¡¯t want to face the truth because it would hurt. I¡¯d felt the pain of a failed rtionship many times, and it was shameful. A woman my age was supposed to have a spouse and children¡ªthey were supposed to be an adult. Life should''ve been figured out for them! And I felt like the furthest thing from one.


    But¡­


    Kengu hopped in myp and stared at my face. She stood on her back legs and hugged me. The little lion didn¡¯t let me go until I cried it all out.


    And I admitted my deepest worries to her even though she was probably already aware of them. ¡°Be honest, Kengu. I¡¯m¡­not ready for this, am I? I¡¯m too immature for a rtionship.¡± The words I never wanted to acknowledge left my quivering lips. My heart felt like someone had stopped it from beating.¡°I know M¡¯s using the Heptarchis to find a healer for Sekh. I know that... I swear I did... But...¡±


    Breathing was difficult. I never knew how watery my sight could get from tears or how much the saltiness hurt.Kengu remained quiet. I hugged her against my chest and copsed to the bed.


    ¡°We... M, Sekh, and I... We moved into a rtionship way too quickly. But I wasn¡¯t ready. I thought I was, but I wasn¡¯t. I¡¯m just not that confident in myself. I¡¯m still immature. I¡¯m almost 90. I¡¯d be around 45 if I were human, but¡­ I¡¯m still just a little girl.¡±


    <i>That¡¯s a mature perspective. I¡¯m proud of you.</i>


    ¡°Will M hate me? For...wanting to separate and take it slow?¡± I hugged her tighter.¡°And for...not considering Sekh¡¯s recovery? I know M¡¯s reason for attending the Heptarchis. I know... I just said I know that I knew...¡±


    It wasn¡¯t right of me to be selfish about that. I hated...that the most about myself...


    <i>Never.She¡¯llunderstand. Discussing it may be difficult, but the bond of trust you two share cannot be broken so easily.If anything, it¡¯ll be enhanced since you care this much about her. Love doesn¡¯t have to be intimate, Irisa. Ites in many forms, and the one you may need the most right now may be sisterly affection. That is fine. It is okay. Your happiness is vital. Look after yourself first and foremost. Lord Springfield would want that. She¡¯s also aware that you desire Lady Sekh¡¯s recovery.</i>


    I needed to hear Kengu¡¯s words.


    I really did.


    She held me while I cried and never judged me for it. But she was right. This... It didn¡¯t have to end ugly. It could be amicable, and my love for M, Tris, Tilde, and Sekh wouldn¡¯t ever change.


    I wasalwayparing myself to them. They were stronger than me.


    They weresmarterand¡­


    I was just me.


    My obsession with not wanting to be left behind manifested unhealthily.It wasn¡¯t right. I now knew that.


    ¡°Kengu?¡±


    <i>Yes?</i>


    ¡°I¡­want to improve myself for my sake. I... I need to go back to what makes Irisa¡­Irisa.¡± There was something I wanted to make. A secret project, of sorts, to really test my skill. It might have to wait until we found Grandma and Grandpa, but a new chapter of my life was about to begin.


    And honestly? I¡¯d have never realized it was waiting for me if acertainchimera hadn¡¯t run into our family¡¯s shop.


    I just wanted to be a better me and figure out my ce in the world...


    <hr>


    I had spent twenty minutes sitting alone at the table with nothing but my thoughts before Kengu strolled into the dining room.


    I followed her to Irisa¡¯s room. She met me at the door, took me by the hand, and escorted me to the bed.


    And we talked¡­


    For a long while. Aboutherfeelings¡­ And her emotions¡­ And how she wanted to progress from here.


    ¡°I¡¯m not ready,¡± she whispered, her eyes reddened from the crying. ¡°It¡¯s not fair to you or the others. I know how powerful you are. And I wanted to protect you. It¡­just manifested in a way that no one needed.¡±


    Irisa was a crafter. She had once told me she wanted to be the best cksmith in the world-- to makeamazingequipment that no one else could match. And I thought that was the perfect goal.


    ¡°I still love you, M. That will never change.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t,¡± I replied. ¡°We¡¯re sisters until the end. There¡¯s no other family I wish to be a part of.¡±


    Honestly? My heart felt relieved. I knew it wasn¡¯t easy. Irisa needed a lot of courage to say what she said, and I was proud of her.


    Our rtionship would turn us from lovers into sisters, but our affection didn¡¯t have to vanish.


    We''d always be family.


    We hugged it out. Afterwards, Irisa asked me to make a clone of Sekh. I did, and she just spoke to her-- about anything and everything, including wanting to be her sister, too. We probably spent about two hours just chatting, crying, and hugging.


    As sisters did.


    I felt even closer to her than I did before.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s not easy for you,¡± Irisa whispered, gently grasping Clone!Sekh¡¯s hand. ¡°You¡¯re probably scared and alone... And here I am, feeling so sorry and pathetic for myself... But I know what you¡¯d say. You¡¯re the Dark Lord of Tyranny...but you¡¯re so protective and caring. I wish... I wish you didn¡¯t have this curse. It¡¯s not right. It¡¯s not fair.You¡¯re struggling so hard...andyou¡¯reenduring so much that it¡¯s inspiring me to do my best.Sekh... I want you to be proud of me, so I¡¯ll try my hardest and be the best me I can be.¡±


    Clone!Sekh remained quiet, but Irisa¡¯s heartfelt words did not go unanswered. She touched her head to Irisa and closed her eyes, smiling like a weight had been lifted off her chest. Clone!Sekh expired and turned to slime, which returned to me.


    ¡°I still feel her hands. They¡¯re so warm. M... This is a new beginning for me¡ªfor us. I don¡¯t want to be who I used to be. That Irisa... I won¡¯t pretend she didn¡¯t exist. She¡¯s as much me as I want this new Irisa to be. Sekh probably won¡¯t have it, but I¡¯ll apologize when she returns.¡± Irisa yawned and rubbed her eyes. ¡°Why am I still tired? It feels like I¡¯ve been asleep for a week.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not tiredness.It¡¯srelief,¡± I answered. ¡°You found an answer to something that¡¯s been bothering you. You¡¯ve been so stressed...and now you can finally rx. You¡¯ll be sleeping good tonight.¡± Irisa slipped under the covers, and I ensured she was tucked into bed.


    ¡°And here I thought a big sister¡¯s supposed to do that for her younger sister,¡± she said as I rubbed her head.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m about a million years old if you count the void¡¯s time dtion,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Well, being spoiled has its benefits. I... I talked with Tris and Tilde through Kengu and Surtr.¡±


    ¡°You did?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Tilde¡¯s amazing. I thought I was ready, but she guided me through feelings I didn¡¯t know I had. You think she experienced something like this before?¡±


    ¡°Probably.¡±


    Irisa yawned again. The exhaustion just flooded her gentle, cute face. That soft expression suited her far more than tears and reluctance towards the future.


    ¡°Go on and get some rest, okay? I¡¯ll see you in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Okay... Good night, M.¡±


    ¡°Sweet dreams, sis.¡±


    I lovingly scratched Kengu under the chin before I morphed into slime and wiggled to my room.

 Chapter Eighty-Five: Relationship Growths – Part Two (R-18)

    Chapter Eighty-Five: Rtionship Growths ¨C Part Two (R-18)


    Tilde and Tris were sitting on the bed in their pajamas. ¡°I see that smile, Master. That tells me all I must know.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt. I feel at ease. She¡¯s finally looking after herself first.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s a sign you¡¯ve made the right choice. I bet you were worried about unnecessary drama, right?¡±


    ¡°Can you me me?¡±


    ¡°Nope. It¡¯s a natural fear. I¡¯d call you a liar if you said you said otherwise.¡±


    Tildeid her head in myp when I sat beside her. She searched for a hand and ced it on her head, and I gave her a few loving pats. Tris rested against my shoulder and hugged me.


    ¡°You did good,¡± whispered my fairy.


    ¡°Me? I should say the same for my favorite fairy in the whole wide world. I know you helped Irisa.¡±


    ¡°Well, when my Master¡¯s sister needs assistance, who am I to deny her? I am, after all, a master of linguistics. I could convince a dragon to give up its horde of gold to a bunch of beggars.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re that confident?¡±


    ¡°Yup. But if you wanna repay me, you know whatto do.¡±


    And I did.


    It was something¡­that was long, long overdue.


    But I was going to y hard to get.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I don¡¯t know,¡± I grinned. ¡°Maybe I need some more help.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m a woman. You¡¯re a woman. I¡¯m tall. You¡¯re taller. Anything ring a bell?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but¡­ Nah, I¡¯m drawing a nk. Mind making it open book?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ What about this?¡± She took the hand on her head and put it between her legs. I softly rubbed her lower lips and brushed her thighs. Her pajama bottoms were already soaked.


    ¡°Maybe¡­ I think I have an idea or two.¡±


    ¡°Then this might seal the deal. Master¡­ For tonight¡­ I want to be your woman. That¡¯s what I really want¡­¡±


    ¡°Then that¡¯s what you¡¯re going to get. I love you, Tilde.¡±


    ¡°I love you, Master¡­¡± She leaned up, I went down, and our lips touched. It felt like the world went still. A moment¡ªa brief, flickering momentsted what felt like a lifetime. She lifted her shaky hands to my cheeks when our lips separated. ¡°Why¡­are you crying?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t aware of the salty water dripping onto her cheeks. ¡°I¡­¡± My heart ached with so much overwhelming emotion¡­because it realized¡­truly, truly realized¡­


    ¡°I¡¯ve waited so long¡­to do this¡­¡± We had kissed before, but it had never felt like this.


    She gently touched my cheeks and used her thumb to wipe away the tears. ¡°Me too. I¡¯ve dreamt of this day¡­and¡­it¡¯s finally here.¡±


    We kissed again, again, and again, undressing a little more each time our lips connected.


    We were naked after the fourth one. Tilde said I was beautiful, a soft blush warming her cheeks.


    ¡°Hey, are you¡­thirsty?¡± I popped a nipple in her mouth and transfigured two more arms to rub her head and stomach. It didn¡¯t take long for that warm, hot feeling to return to my tits, and my sweet breast milk followed suit. Tilde spread her legs more. ¡°That¡¯s a good girl¡­ Drink up¡­ Drink all you want¡­ Let me make you feel good¡­¡±


    Tilde¡¯s drenched pussy let off a satisfying, erotic aroma. She was horny, and I was hungry.


    I swirled a finger or two around to tease her before putting one in. The other became a tongue and became acquainted with her clit. The licks were gentle, slow, and deep, and little, tiny micro tongues were transfigured on that, providing an almost overdose of stimtion that saw Tilde squirting like a fire hose. She tried to close her legs, but she didn¡¯t have the strength to do so.


    ¡°Kkkyaaa~~~¡± She climaxed and couldn¡¯t hold her voice. Leftover warm breast milk leaked out the corners of her mouth. She arched her back and eventually heaved heavily, drunk on my overactive touches.


    Before I knew it, I was stroking myself and getting off to her beautiful body. That mouth was so wet¡­ That tongue was so slick and hot¡­ Her lips were luscious, shiny, and full¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s not fair¡­for me to get it all. Lean back¡­¡± I did, and she adjusted her position slightly enough to rest her face beside my cock. After licking her lips, she ran them down the shaft and used her tongue.


    ¡°Tris¡­ Help me¡­help our Master,¡± Tilde whispered. She didn¡¯t want to remove her lips from my shaft. I felt her inhaling my meaty scent. I still had a hand rubbing her pussy, and her fingers joined me. ¡°I need you¡­to do this with me¡­ I want to share it with you.¡±


    ¡°My lord?¡± Tris looked at me as she scooted off the bed.


    ¡°I want you too, Tris. Please, let me show you how much I love you.¡±


    After I nodded, her clothes vanished as she crawled between my legs and ced the tip on her lips, kissing it gently before taking it in her warm, hot, pleasurable mouth.


    My lovers¡¯ tongues bathed my cock in their love. Tris used her hands to massage and caress my testicles, only removing the tip from her mouth to give them a few disys of affection.


    ¡°It feels so good¡­¡± I moaned and leaned back further. Tris looked at me with those expressive eyes. Her twitching, fluffy ears were so cute that I had to rub her head.


    A familiar pressure built in my balls, and I unleashed it in her mouth. She kept it in her mouth and immediately kissed Tilde, pushing my semen into her mouth. They made out around my penis, lewdly swapping spit.


    I immediately came again, covering their faces.


    Tilde¡¯s tongue was unintentionally lewd and passionate¡ªwet and exhratingly sexy as she licked my seed from Tris¡¯s face. The promiscuous fairy had a haughty smile and pushed her hair out of her eyes. ¡°That was step 1,364, you know. Oh? Tris, it seems we¡¯ve learned something about our Master.¡± Tilde poked my cheeks and smiled; a few strands of salvia still connected her to Tris¡¯s enticing lips.


    ¡°Do you like it when we kiss, my lord?¡±


    ¡°You could say that. I think it¡¯s beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Did ya hear that, Tris?¡±


    ¡°I did. It seems we¡¯ll have to keep that in mind.¡±


    ¡°You can cum again, can¡¯t you? You can keep going?¡± Tilde licked her lips. She gathered the semen sttering her face on her hands and groped herself while I nodded.


    Before I knew it, she sat up and pushed me to my back. ¡°Tris, let¡¯s make this night one our Master will remember. It¡¯s our first time with her, so let¡¯s make it special ¡­¡± It looked like she was about to kiss me¡­but a wave of vines emerged from my stomach, picked up Tilde, turned her around, and sat her on my face. My arms wrapped around her stomach, and I devoted everything to eating her out. My sight and nose were nothing but pussy. She gripped me with her thighs, but her actions¡­


    She rubbed her crotch on my face¡­


    She wanted this¡­


    I felt Tris wrap her boobs around my dick. That warm, hot sensation was probably Tilde putting the tip in her mouth.


    <i>God¡­ She¡­smells so good¡­ I can¡¯t get enough of her.. Her ass¡­ It looks so¡­ delicious¡­</i>


    ¡°Eehhh!!! That¡¯s my¡ªNo¡­ Wait, Master, I haven¡¯t¡ªprepared myself¡ªfor my butt¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true, Tilde. You thoroughly cleaned yourself in the bath earlier,¡± said Tris, who had my back. She squeezed her tits harder. ¡°Oh my¡­ You¡¯re spraying it everywhere¡­ What a magnificent ejaction, my lord. Tilde, it¡¯s all on your face. Allow me to clean you¡­¡±


    ¡°Mmmph¡ª¡± I climaxed quickly but remained hard. Two of my tongues were in her ass. The other transfigured three explored the depths of her vaginal canals, rubbing, licking, pressing, and pushing her delicious insides. She covered my face when she squirted. It was a sweet reward.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m going crazy!!¡± Tilde wiggled her ass and orgasmed right away. She rolled off to the left and heaved heavily. Leaning up, I saw Tris lick her mouth as she gave my cock one more kiss.


    ¡°I believe my work is done, my lord.¡± She looked at the exhausted fairy, whose eyes were zed by sexual pleasure.


    <i>Tilde has often dreamt of this moment while you were away.</i>


    <i>I¡¯ll make it everything she¡¯s ever dreamed of¡­and more.</i>


    After our telepathic conversation, Tris nodded and remained on her knees, hands folded across herp.


    Her eyes were closely monitoring every little thing I did.


    I crawled to Tilde and kissed her sweet lips, tasting the salty sweat dancing across them.


    I wasn¡¯t going to leave Tris alone, though. I would show her the depth of my love once I had drowned myself in Tilde.


    She loved to watch, though. That probably made her hornier than anything else.


    But our first time still needed to happen.


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­a bully, Master¡­ Making¡­ Making me feel that good¡­that quick¡­ How the hell did you be an expert?"


    ¡°Did you like it?¡±


    ¡°¡­uh-huh¡­ I¡­did¡­ Oh my gosh¡­¡± She embarrassedly covered her eyes when I spread her legs after getting her to her back. I crawled between her thighs andid my dick across her stomach. ¡°You¡­ You can see¡­ everything¡­¡±


    I put a finger to her chin and sensually rubbed her cheeks.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to put it in, okay?¡±


    ¡°O¡ªOkay¡­ Master¡­ Be¡­¡± She grabbed my hand and interlocked our fingers. ¡°This body¡­ It¡¯s never felt this¡­before¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you scared?¡±


    ¡°Nuh-uh. It¡¯s because it¡¯s you¡­ You wouldn¡¯t hurt me. Or scare me. Or frighten me¡­ I trust you¡­more than you could ever realize. And you see? Can you feel how special¡­it is? How your stomach must be filled with butterflies?¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°It¡¯s the same with me. I¡¯m just¡­so happy right now.¡±


    Tilde uncharacteristically bit her lip in nervousness. The incredibly lewd fairy¡ªthe one who had been overly sexual and crass to an almost sickening degree¡ªquivered in virginal anticipation. ¡°Master¡­¡± she whispered.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­putting it in¡­¡± I grabbed my dick and rubbed the tip against her dripping entrance. Tilde gripped the bed sheets with her toes.


    I fished around for Tilde''s other hand and gently rubbed her fingers while pressing my chest to hers. Slowly, her breath became caught in her lungs as I pushed further into her, parting her lower lips.


    ¡°Aaaahhhh~~~¡± It was a quiet gasp. She tensed up and grimaced, but Tilde had nothing to worry about. I touched my forehead to hers and stared into her lovely eyes. Her breath was hot and sexy on my lips. I tried to pull out a little, but her lips tightly gripped me¡­and drowned me in her inner warmth.


    She didn¡¯t want to let go, so I stopped. I¡¯d made myself tinier, and even though she was suitably wet and rxed, I waited until she was used to having me inside her.


    ¡°Do¡­I feel¡­good?¡± Tilde finally asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing¡­ It¡¯s so perfect.¡± I kissed her fears away with my lips. Stumbling over her words, she said I could move, and I did. In and out, I refrained from transfiguring anything and made love to her.


    We didn¡¯t fuck.


    We didn¡¯t bang.


    We didn¡¯t mate.


    It was sweet, sweet love-- made by two individuals who deeply cared for each other. ¡°You don¡¯t have to keep it in,¡± I whispered, licking her lips. ¡°Let it out¡­ It turns me on when I know you¡¯re feeling good¡­ It tells me I¡¯m doing something right.¡± Her nipples were stiff and pointy, and I rubbed mine against them. Even without using any biomass, I began toctate, dripping my milk all over her tasty, soft breasts that were as fluffy as marshmallows.


    I felt her yearn for me¡­


    I felt her desire for me¡­


    Her moans¡­ Tilde let them flutter in her sweetest, cutest voice. She gradually mped down.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ Maasterrrr~~~~ I¡¯m¡ªI¡¯m cumming!!!!¡± Tilde climaxed and wrapped her legs tightly around my waist, refusing to let me go. Her head rolled from left to right, her hair a sweaty mess, but she was so weak¡­ So cute and sexy¡­ She melted upon my lips when I kissed her at the apex of my orgasm.


    Her loving eyes rolled to the back of her head when I sucked on her tongue. When Tilde unwrapped her legs, I slowly removed my penis and watched the semen flow freely down her thighs.


    ¡°Huuuuh¡­ O¡­ Master¡­ That¡­¡± She couldn''t find the breath she desperately searched for. Heaving, she tried to grip the bed and sit up, but she didn¡¯t have the strength to even do that. Tilde¡¯s orgasmic smile leaked through. Suddenly, she turned to Tris and extended a shaking hand.


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°I get to be¡­selfish, okay? And¡­I want you too, Tris¡­ Please¡­ It isn¡¯t¡­the same¡­ You¡¯ve worked so hard¡­and so long¡­always waiting to be¡­called upon¡­¡±


    Tris nodded and got on the bed. Vines sprouted from my back and lifted Tilde just enough to set her down onto Tris¡¯s outstretched arms. They wereying stomach to stomach¡ªbreast to breasts, their silky, soft legs dancing with each other.


    Tris kissed Tilde so gently and thanked her. Her voice was a mouse''s squeak. I thought I was hearing things¡­


    ¡°You¡¯re a selfish woman, Tilde Springfield¡­¡± I crawled forward and rested against her back, my penis brushing against her hot, tasteful pussy. She looked back and smiled.


    ¡°Umm¡­ I¡­have a different hole, you know¡­ It¡¯s¡­clean¡­ So¡­ If you¡­ Eeehhh-- Al--Already?! Maas~~~~¡± After covering my penis in slime, I moved up a little and slowly entered her ass. It was so hot, pleasant, and inviting, and Tilde clenched her teeth out of pleasure, not pain. Her wings pped and folded to her back. She melted into Tris¡¯s arms, who locked her lips onto her breasts.


    We made sweet love throughout the night, ensuring Tilde remained the focal point. She was licked, touched, caressed, and kissed, from her pretty cheeks to her illustrious thighs. After I orgasmed, I turned Tris around on Tilde until they had their faces in each other crotches. Tris cleaned the leaking semen while I went to my knees.


    The fairy turned around and stared at me with hungry eyes. She crawled closer and straddled myp.


    ¡°Both¡­¡±


    ¡°Both?¡± I whispered. She embraced me and locked her legs around my waist.


    ¡°You can¡­use both¡­holes¡­at the same time...¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh¡­ And Tris¡­ I want you, too. To hold me¡­ I don¡¯t want this night to end, Master... This is a dreame true for me...¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    After growing a second penis, Tris helped put them in and rested her head on Tilde¡¯s shoulders. Her hands went to her hips and assisted in lowering her until she was stuffed.


    <span ss="TextRun SCXW204849355 BCX0"ng="en-us" xmlng="en-us"><span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW204849355 BCX0">Tilde bit my neck in pleasure when she gyrated her hips, but her precious lips were all mine after I kissed her. Ictated more and spilled milk over our breasts, and Tris reached around and molded Tilde¡¯s boobs in her hand, spreading the warm fluids even more.<span ss="EOP SCXW204849355 BCX0">


    Her hips moved faster once the apex of pleasure was at its cusp. Our tongues wildly danced when I filled her with semen, shooting thick, long ropes deep inside. Tilde''s grinding slowed, but we remained connected for a few more minutes, enjoying each other''s pleasure.


    In that moment... We were two womening together as one¡­


    We were dirty, and Tilde was soaked in sweat. But we didn¡¯t want to leave. Instead, I used slime to clean us, ensuring they focused extensively on her sensitive bits.


    Tilde¡¯s face was as red as a tomato, but she never once stopped smiling as the cool slide slithered and became drunk on our fluids.


    ¡°I can¡¯t get your moans out of my head. You were always beautiful, but tonight? I¡¯m d I got to see that side of you.¡± Before she said anything, I sealed her lips with mine. It was a deep kiss¡­between two women deeply in love.


    ¡°I felt your warmth... I can still feel it¡­even now,¡± she whispered. I felt her passion tickle my lips as she rubbed her stomach.


    ¡°And you can feel it for centuries toe, Tilde Springfield. I love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you, too...¡±


    I helped Tris rece the bedspread with clean covers, and we cuddled together under them¡ªforgoing the pajamas. It didn¡¯t take long for Tilde to suffer from her exhaustion. She threw one hand over my chest and nuzzled her head against my shoulder, a sweet smile across her pretty face.


    But before she drifted to sleep, my sharp ears heard a faint whisper of her love.<i></i>


    Tris took my right, doing much of the same, but she looked up at my face while I rubbed their backs. She said it looked like Tilde enjoyed it. ¡°She told me something, my lord¡­¡± said Tris. ¡°Step 47,729, ording to her, is for me to experience your love. Will you¡­let me be your partner?¡±


    ¡°I should be asking you that. Tris, I want to make love with you. I want to experience so many different firsts with you.¡±


    ¡°My lord...¡± Tris¡¯s lips called my name, and we shared a deep kiss. It was sensual and heavy, and her tongue made way for mine to investigate her mouth. She squirmed lightly and slightly quivered when her eyes widened for a moment.


    She had climaxed.


    It made her look more beautiful... Seeing that faint glow of pleasure dance across her face... Tris rubbed my stomach and cupped her palms around my very visible erection.


    ¡°Let us depart for the bath. Tilde needs her rest, and I wish to pamper you...¡± We got out of bed, and she grabbed my hand.


    Before I followed her, I apologized to Surtr, who had no choice but to listen to all we had done. But he told me he liked seeing me enjoy myself. And it didn¡¯t bother him. If it did, he¡¯d have returned to the bracelet or slept downstairs.

 Chapter Eighty-Five: Relationship Growths – Part Three (R-18)

    Chapter Eighty-Five: Rtionship Growths ¨C Part Three (R-18)


    ¡°This is supposed to smell like apricot. Let me know if it¡¯s to your liking,¡± Tris said,thering her sudsy hands. She walked away from the soap and oils and stepped into the bath. My eyes were locked on her shapely breasts and erotic stomach. And those thighs...


    Tris¡¯s touch was gentle, like a sudden breeze amid spring. She took great care when it came to my chest. She fondled my breasts and rubbed her thumbs over my nipples like Sekh used to.


    A small gasp escaped her mouth when the tip of my cock touched her stomach. She smiled. Tristhered her healthy breasts and washed me with them by rubbing against me. Her hands, meanwhile, investigated my penis and became acquainted with my shaft and balls.


    She always looked up at me, staring into my eyes like I was the only light in the sky. She rubbed her soapy hands over her ass and turned around, grinding into my crotch as my penis slipped between her cheeks.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for this moment, my lord... For so long... Ever since I was first invoked as my previous incarnation, I¡¯ve been wishing for this day...to love you as a woman.¡± I used my webs to yank the soap to me, and Ithered Tris¡¯s chest. My fingers effortlessly slid across her marshmallow-like breasts. I squeezed her nipples and cupped my hands around her boobs, giving her a pleasant massage¡ªjust like I gave Sekh shortly after we met. Her breathing quickened for a moment. Tris pushed further back into me, and I climaxed, spraying her ass with semen as she orgasmed. Her cute moans were exhratingly sexy.


    ¡°That¡¯s another magnificent¡­ ejaction¡­ I¡¯m¡ªmmph¡ª¡± Tris turned her head, but I was there to seal her lips. My hips kept thrusting my penis against her ass while I lowered my hands to her trembling crotch. Her moans ravaged my mouth when I stuck two fingers in. The other hand focused on her stomach and licked it after transfiguring into a tongue.


    Tris was putty in my hands. She squirted thrice, back-to-back, orgasming nearly every other minute.


    When I finally separated my lips from her¡­her back and ass had been painted in my thick white seed. She panted like a woman in heat and arched her back when I turned the fingers inside her into penises. They wriggled and pressed against her moistening, delicious inner fold.


    ¡°My lord¡­ Please¡­ I need you¡­ I cannot wait any more.¡± She wiggled her butt and spread her cheeks, her yful blond tail inviting me to step up.


    Her ass looked delicious¡­ I was erect-- more than ever because the finger penises¡¯ sensitivities were linked with mine.


    But I had something else in mind. A sharp smile formed on my lips as I removed them. Any transfigurations canceled themselves, and I made a clone of myself. It hugged Tris from behind while I walked to her front, and her cheeks went as red as a tomato.


    ¡°This is going to be special,¡± I whispered, hugging her tightly. My penis rubbed against her stomach. My clone licked her neck and put both hands under her thighs. I did the same, and we picked her up.


    Her face tingled with anticipatory excitement as she wrapped her arms around my neck.


    Slowly¡­I pressed my penis past Tris''s lower lips, and my clone entered her ass. We went slow, with little additional sensitive bits transfigured for good measure.


    ¡°Aaaahhhhh~~~~ My lord!!!!¡± Tris moaned, her whole body shivering slightly. ¡°My lord~~~ Faster... I can¡ªI can take it~~~¡±


    ¡°Your wish is mymand, my sweet fragment¡­¡± I kissed her lips and ravaged her¡ªjust like she wanted me. Each time I or the clone pulled out, Tris mped her holes around our cocks and cried out.


    And each time, my clone and I climaxed, continuing to pump Tris full of our love until the semen had no choice but to flood out.


    Her sweet, never-ending, passionate moans were so loud she consciously removed her power to speak. Instead, her voice resounded throughout my mind via our telepathic connection.


    She was all I needed to hear, and since she didn¡¯t need to be quiet to avoid waking others...


    Tris became loud¡­


    Hearing those noises¡­ Those utterly sensual cries of measure¡­Feeling Tris''s body tremble whenever my clone and I picked up the pace¡­ Feeling her mping down whenever she climaxed¡­


    <i>You¡¯re so slippery! My dick feels like it wants to melt! I love you!!!!!</i>


    Tris¡¯s expression was a lewd, lustful mess, her hair sticking to her face while her eyes zed with pleasure. I forced my lips to her,forting her tongue with mine as we passionately kissed.


    The climax was different this time. It was harder¡ªmore soul-shattering than before. I grunted hard, screaming my love for her in my mind. Long ropes of semen pumped into Tris, and I shot my entire load while she mped down tighter than ever. My clone did the same, vanishing without a trace once its job was done. But before it did, it cleaned the bath andour sexual fluids with slime. My penis still upied her pussy.


    ¡°Tris? Are you there?¡± I whispered, licking her lips. I still held her in my arms, so I walked to the edge and sat her down. I removed my penis and crouched, holding a hand to her cheek. A waterfall of semen slid down her thighs.


    Her face was filled with so much pleasure¡­it was like the sun had blossomed the world''s prettiest flower.


    ¡°My lord¡­ My lord¡­¡± she said twice, heaving for air. Her scious gaze eyed my penis. ¡°Ahh¡­ I must clean it.¡± Tris seductively crawled towards me, her breasts swaying erotically. The lion ears and tail I loved to fluff twitched happily with her lewd blush. She wordlessly took my cock in her mouth and rubbed her stomach. I had no choice but to tease her fluffy, cute ears.


    ¡°It¡¯s so delicious¡­¡± she said with it still wrapped around her lips.


    She swallowed everything that had coated my dick. But when I extended an arm to help her stand up... She immediately walked behind me and rubbed her boobs against my back.


    ¡°My studies are bearing fruit,¡± she whispered, already recovered. One hand went to my tits, and the other to my balls. Her testicr massage was¡­out of this world. She knew how I wanted my breasts to be groped. ¡°I¡¯ve learned so much¡­and I have a special interest in copting,¡± admitted Tris, speaking bashfully. ¡°When you let me spoil and pamper you¡­it makes my chest feel warm. That¡¯s why¡­¡± She cupped her hands around my tip and rubbed her soft palms against them. ¡°Please, let it out. Don¡¯t hold anything back.¡± I closed my eyes and moaned while she licked my ears, expunging a thick wad of semen. She caught it all, then continued to stroke me while squeezing out thest bit.


    She walked around in front of me and drank my ejaction, marveling about how thick and delicious it was even after I had climaxed so many times. ¡°Have I told you how much I love you?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Your love for me is like an endless fountain¡­ I know that it¡¯ll forever flow¡­ Even the passing of time cannot hope to drain its infinite bounty¡­ There aren¡¯t¡­enough words that I can even say to tell you¡­how I feel about you¡­¡± Tris picked up a soapy washcloth from nearby and massaged my body. ¡°So¡­ Let my actions speak for me.¡± She washed the top of my head to the bottom of my feet while she told me to rx.


    And I did.


    Tris had her own way of showing her love. And this was it. She found joy in taking care of me. She spent extra time around my erect penis, which hadn¡¯t goneid since we entered the bath. Her tail was even more reactive than Sekh¡¯s, and it happily wagged behind its owner.


    We sat to rinse off the soap, but she continued to rub my chest and stomach. Even my fingers weren¡¯t safe. If she could touch it, she did. Tris had a fondness for just holding my penis like she would my hand. She stared at the tip and gently brushed her thumb around it. Her eyes zed hungrily, and she licked her lips.


    ¡°Could we stand? I wish to do something.¡±


    ¡°Sure. I don¡¯t mind.¡±


    We helped each other up, and she retrieved that lipstick Sekh had put on when we had that sexathon in Susize¡¯s mansion. After applying it, she whisked it away to [Void Storage] and kissed me on her lips. Her sweet tongue traveled down my chin, neck, and stomach until she had to squat.


    Then she worked her tongue across the top of my shaft before bing very intimate with the tip. She kissed it like there was no tomorrow, even dragging her nose across it. She basked in the scent andshuddered, touching herself while getting off to my smell.


    I sat down on the side of the bath and spread my water-covered legs, only then noticing her lips had left proof of her love upon my penis.


    <i>That¡¯s why she applied the lipstick. She¡­knew I liked it when Sekh did it in Aetos Vige.</i>


    Tris went to her hands and knees and crawled, and my cock rested on her face. She looked at me with these big, beautiful eyes that made my heart skip a dozen beats. Opening her mouth, I put my hands on her head, rubbed her checks, and¡­


    I enjoyed the blowjob. And it wasn¡¯t just that. Tris took all of me in her throat.


    The more I rubbed her ears, the more I realized Tris was copying Sekh¡¯s technique. The way her tongue spiraled around the tip, the way she licked my balls, and the way she loved to take me deep into her throat before pulling her head away¡­


    Tris¡¯s sweet name moaned from my lips when I drowned her throat in my semen. My body convulsed¡ªpulsed like lightning. My lust felt like it would never end. And even when it did, Tris kept her mouth around the tip. I didn¡¯t know how much I had already flooded into her, but when she removed her lips from my cock a secondter, there was a sheenyer of thick glossiness covering my penis from where her mouth had been full.


    ¡°I hope it was enjoyable, my lord,¡± Tris moaned, running her tongue on the underside of my shaft while bncing it on her face.


    ¡°It was.¡± I smiled, feeling like the strain weighing down my mind was easing off me.


    ¡°Nothing makes me happier than hearing that. Please allow me to continue. Rx and enjoy my mouth.¡±


    ¡°Is this what you want?¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± she said, her voice muffled.


    ¡°Then... Let me do this,¡± I whispered, reaching for her ears. ¡°It¡¯s only right for me to pamper you in return.¡± Yep. Tris¡¯s weak spot was her fluffy ears. She moaned with my dick in her mouth after my heated hands massaged them. Her fingers danced along my thighs while she bobbed her head, thering the entire shaft. A secondter, she sandwiched my cock between her tits and continued to work her lips.


    ¡°That¡¯s it¡­ Keep going¡­ Tris, I¡¯m almost there¡­ Take it¡­ I¡¯m cumming!!!¡± I locked my legs around her back and reached for her head, pushing her deeper and deeper. This load was even thicker than thest, and I sweetly rubbed her blushing cheeks.


    Instead of swallowing, she kept my semen in her mouth, basking my penis in my emission. It was unique, but I grew hard, and she started to suck me off for the third time.


    After I climaxed again, she asked if I wanted to feel a woman''s pleasure. I was curious. Since it wouldn¡¯t cost anything, I used [Base Body] to change my body¡ªwith Murag¡¯s penis, testicles, and Susize¡¯s vulva. I honestly should¡¯ve done it a while ago.


    Sekh had licked and teased me like this before way back. It only happened a few times, but¡­


    Tris licked my thighs and fingered me, then gently stimted my clit until I felt a deep warmness in my stomach. I felt my insides mp around her fingers, and she took my penis in her mouth and pushed me over the edge, causing me to experience the pleasures simultaneously.


    ¡°Tris?¡± I managed to squeak her name after the sensations evaporated.


    ¡°Mmnn¡­ My lord?¡± She monopolized my shaft with her tongue and left a thousand marks of love upon it. There were so many her lipstick was fading.


    ¡°You¡¯re a source of my happiness, so let me wash you.¡±


    ¡°As you wish,¡± she happily said after a quick kiss to the tip. We both stood back up in the bath. She turned around, and I hugged her close to my stomach while using my webs to retrieve the bottle.


    With my hands very soapy and slick, I massaged her neck while she wiggled her ass deeper against my crotch. I rubbed her back and kissed her, moving mythered hands to her bountiful breasts and ying with them. I gave them the same care and affection she showed my penis.


    I folded and groped, squeezing and caressing, and the more I ran my hands around her tits and thumbed her nipples, the sexier I found her. I pinched her nipples and lightly pulled, and a beautiful sound escaped her lips.


    She was sensitive. And I liked that. And I loved how they felt in my hands.


    Cleaning her body brought me joy. When you did something for someone you loved so much¡­


    I couldn¡¯t describe the euphoria or calmness it brought me¡ªknowing that something as simple as washing could cause a beautiful smile to bloom on someone¡¯s face.


    ¡°Tris?¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord?¡± She turned around. I took her hands in mind¡­then I ced them on my cheeks. I leaned close, touching my head to hers.


    ¡°I love you¡­ So very much¡­¡±


    ¡°I love you too. We are linked by a bond that cannot be severed. Even if I were in the Demon Realm and you in the Spirit Realm, you¡¯d always, forever hear my voice.¡±


    ¡°I promise to do right by you. I might mess up and stumble, but... I swear I¡¯ll do all I can to make you happy.¡±


    ¡°But I am happy, my lord. I¡¯ve always been happy. I¡¯ve...never felt this many butterflies in my stomach before. But I wish to feel it...for the endless days toe... And as long as I¡¯m with you? I know the forting days will always be brighter...because you¡¯re my inspiration.¡±


    We kissed under the moonlight as two women deeply in love. The stars were witnesses, and I couldn¡¯t have asked for a better audience. We shared a few moments looking out at the ocean while rinsing ourselves.


    We stepped out of the bath and dried using my slime, which I sent into the hot spring to clean any remaining sexual fluids and impurities.


    Tilde was still asleep when we got back into bed. She immediately hugged my arm without waking up. Tris straddled myp. She pulled the covers tight against us and rubbed my penis against her lower lips.


    ¡°You still want more? Even after all we did?¡±


    ¡°Do you recall the moments Lady Slept slumbered with you inside her? From your memories, it was an expression of love that truly meant a lot to you both.¡±


    ¡°It did. And you want to experience for yourself?¡±


    ¡°I do. Is¡­that eptable, my lord?¡± Tris looked bashfully embarrassed.


    ¡°Of course, it is. Go on. Do it slow. Savor the feeling.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so d¡­ My lord¡­ It¡¯s¡­so amazing. I can feel it¡­everywhere..."


    I quietly moaned and felt that familiar warmth¡ªa sensation I wouldn¡¯t ever get tired of.


    When it was all the way in, Tris slightly shuddered and climaxed.


    She fell to my chest, where I immediately wrapped an arm around her.


    ¡°How does this feel?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s everything I ever dreamed of¡­ I wouldn¡¯t want¡­anything more¡­my lord¡­¡± She looked at my face, and I saw her blissful expression and glistening eyes. ¡°Your warmth¡­is filling me¡­and I love it.¡±


    We stayed like this, gazing deeply into each other¡¯s eyes. ¡°I know we don¡¯t require sleep, but¡­¡±


    I knew what she wanted. ¡°I think I might be able to doze off. But only if you hold me.¡±


    Tris did just that and wished me a sweet dream when my eyes closed. Her insides were just sofortable¡­ It was seriously inviting¡ªthe perfect pillow for my penis.


    Even better¡­ Tris wanted this more than me. And I liked satisfying her desires.


    If I was going to be her inspiration?


    I needed to fulfill my role without any errors or issues.


    Before I knew it¡­I was out like a light.


    <hr>


    Tilde awoke shortly before dawn. She yawned and stretched, then shed a lewd smile when she saw how I had fallen asleep. ¡°I see you¡¯ve kept Masterpany,¡± she haughtily whispered, snuggling my arm between her chest. I warmed my blood for her.


    ¡°It was a breathtaking experience,¡± said Tris, who smiled gently. She ran her fingers along my cheeks and kissed me cutely. ¡°I¡¯ve felt what Lady Sekh experienced, and I can truly say it¡¯s something to behold. I feel even closer to the one I love.¡±


    I told Tilde about what Tris and I did after she fell asleep. ¡°Wooow¡­ That¡¯s a lot. So, how was it? Give me all the deets,¡± she haughtily whispered with a ludicrously lewd grin.


    ¡°Marvelous¡­ An experience I¡¯ll never forget. It was less about lust and more of an expression of love and unity.¡± Tris urately recanted our lovemaking, and Tilde kept nodding, saying she was happy that Tris took her lessons to heart.


    ¡°Love this. Love that. There¡¯s a thing called sappiness, but it¡¯s fine to be clich¨¦. All that matters is that you two enjoyed it. It really warms my heart to see you genuinely smile like this. I can tell you¡¯re much more rxed, so why don¡¯t I¡­justdo this!¡± Tilde suddenly locked her lips against mine and stole an early morning kiss.


    I felt a familiar sense radiate from my groin.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you noticed her face, Master? Your little Fragment of Wisdom is feeling something stirring her insides. Something thick and hard¡­that made her lose her mindst night¡­ You know, if you hadn¡¯t pounded me so hard... I could¡¯ve watched it...¡±


    Tris slightly moaned and rocked her hips, making me more erect.


    ¡°And to tell you the truth¡­ Tris acquired her voyeuristic fetish from me. So go ahead, Master. Here¡­¡± Tilde took my hands and ced them on Tris¡¯s breasts. ¡°I wanna see you rock her world. Consider that step 7.¡±


    ¡°Allow me to tend to your morning urges¡­¡± Tris moaned and gently rode me. She expertly shifted her weight and tightened, wrapping my entire shaft in her delicate warmth. Tilde warmed my lips. She groped my breasts and filled her mouth with my milk, then sat up to kiss Tris, transferring it to her.


    My fairy returned to my shoulder and rubbed my stomach.


    ¡°You¡¯re about to cum, aren¡¯t you?¡± Tilde¡¯s voice was sultry. She licked my neck and felt me up all over. ¡°Then let it out¡­ Cum for me, Master¡­ Cum¡­ Cum¡­ Cum¡­¡±


    ¡°Mmph--!¡± A split second before I climaxed, Tilde forcefully kissed me. It was our strongest one yet, and her tongue dominated mine while I pumped my love into Tris.


    My Fragment of Wisdom arched her back and erotically shuddered.


    ¡°Wow¡­¡± Tilde said ten secondster. She licked her lips after stopping the kiss. ¡°You¡¯re still shooting it into her? How does it feel to cum inside the cutest Fragment of Wisdom when you¡¯re kissing the cutest fairy in the world?¡±


    Tris fell to my chest, and I hugged her so tightly. ¡°It¡¯s a feeling I can¡¯t even exin¡­¡± I moaned.


    Tilde squirmed a little before kicking off the covers. She got to her knees and turned around. She spread her lower lips and timidly rubbed her clit.


    She wanted me to watch her y with herself, and I did. But I helped her in the end. She lowered herself over my fingers and rode them, gyrating hips lewdly until she shuddered. Tilde copsed to my chest and shared the space with Tris.


    I rubbed their backs and held them close.


    ¡°You¡¯re a good girl, Tilde.¡±


    ¡°Hehe! I know I am!¡±


    "And you too, Tris.¡± She rubbed her cheeks against me and purred. She locked eyes with Tilde, and the two kissed. Tris moaned. She fell into Tilde¡¯s warm, gentle embrace as we climaxed again.


    ¡°Hey, why don¡¯t we continue this elsewhere, yeah? It wouldn¡¯t reflect well on me for my Master to smell like sex.¡± Tris agreed and stood. My semen lewdly dripped down her thighs as she smiled and said she loved how warm her stomach felt. My fairy dragged me to the bath, and Tris followed.


    It didn¡¯t take long...before it turned sexual...


    Tilde tried to embarrass me, but she found me resolute and panicked when I turned the teasing around on her.


    We wanted to do more, but I ended things because if I hadn¡¯t?


    We¡¯d probably be here all day¡ªcarving our desires onto each other¡¯s bodies.


    After getting out, I sat on a nearby chair, and Tilde stood in front of me, slightly leaning over to dry my hair with a towel. Her breasts swayed along with the cute tune she hummed. I turned my hands palm-side up and merely yed with her boobs, much to her delight.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy I¡¯m bustier,¡± she admitted. ¡°I like it when you fondle them, and I couldn¡¯t make them jiggle like this if I was still t.¡±


    ¡°Even if you weren¡¯t, I¡¯d still rub them because they¡¯re attached to you.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Really. You¡¯re the cutest fairy in the world, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Hehe! Yep! I guess I am!¡± Tilde crouched, gave me a quick kiss, then resumed drying me off, happier than ever. ¡°Just so you know, that¡¯s step 76,629. We¡¯re making super-fast progress.¡±


    We returned to the room, got dressed, and I had to give Tris onestforting and rxing fluffy ear massage before we went downstairs for breakfast.

 Chapter Eighty-Five: Relationship Growths – Part Four

    Chapter Eighty-Five: Rtionship Growths ¨C Part Four


    It was nice to have breakfast together. We were all sitting at the table, and it¡­ It just felt like normal. Our conversations reminded me of when my family epted my chimerism. After filling our bellies, Irisa and I walked with Mom and Dad to the courtyard and told them aboutst night. They weren¡¯t disappointed or upset. Really, if you thought about it, our new rtionship just wasn¡¯t that different. The care we shared for each other was still there, which was the important thing. Mom and Dad hugged Irisa and said they were proud of her.


    ¡°Tris, can I get your help?¡± Irisa suddenly asked.


    ¡°Of course,¡± replied my Fragment of Wisdom. ¡°I am happy to provide assistance.¡±


    Irisa wanted to challenge herself. She wanted to do something to prove her skills¡ªto test her prowess and reinforce her desire to be the world¡¯s best crafter.


    After all, she had fallen in love with cksmithing at an early age. If there was anything that defined Irisa as a person? It would be that. I left them to their talks and returned to the dining room.


    Niva and Primrose quickly departed to their room with Lei to continue their training. That spirit refused to meet my eyes. But Niva¡¯s [Mana Perception] was advancing steadily. She could almost maneuver herself around the inn without assistance, but channeling the skill for lengthy periods stressed her body. Niva''s endurance needed work.


    Or did it? Perhaps there was something I could do about that...


    <i>I¡¯ll talk to Tris about itter.</i>


    It was time to hang out with my little sister since I had spent time with Irisa. Erin''s overall attitude had improved. She was much more confident and didn¡¯t even resemble the girl she used to be.


    ¡°But you get to have me to yourself,¡± I said, rubbing her head. ¡°Let¡¯s spend the day together.¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­ I¡­overheard what you said to Irisa.¡± Erin¡¯s voice quivered, but she quickly recovered.


    I told her I still loved her. Nothing would change. I wasn¡¯t leaving the family, and I¡¯d always be here. And that made her smile. ¡°Now, what do you want to do?


    ¡°I want you to join Pawsome Fables! Let¡¯s go on a quest!¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Ms. Ginnie, is that okay?¡±


    ¡°Of course, it is. I hope Chax and I don¡¯t embarrass ourselves.¡±


    ¡°I wanna show you how much better Longtooth and I have gotten! Stay right here, okay? I¡¯ll go get my armor.¡± Erin finished her drink and ran up the stairs, her lion trailing behind.


    ¡°She¡¯s improved a lot,¡± Chax said. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t think a month would be enough time, but it really is. I think you¡¯re going to be surprised.¡±


    ¡°What about you, Tilde? Getting better?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you know it, Master. I¡¯m excited to show you how urate I am. I might even be a better sharpshooter than you.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± I grinned and chuckled. ¡°Why don¡¯t we put it to the test? How about a wager?"


    "Deal! The winner gets to kiss the loser!" She swapped from Maid Mode to Adventurer Mode in a sh. It was instantaneous.


    ¡°Deal!¡±


    ¡°Hey, Ginnie, why don¡¯t we have one?¡±


    ¡°Let me guess. The winner kisses the loser?¡±


    ¡°Almost. How about the loser kisses the winner?¡±


    ¡°Then is that even a bet?¡± Ginnie giggled and kissed Chax. Tris told me that the two often walked while wrapping their tails around each other.


    It was cute as hell.


    ¡°What shall I do, Lord Springfield?¡±


    ¡°Whatever you want, Surtr. Rest and rx because we¡¯ll be put to work when it¡¯s time to depart.¡±


    ¡°I shall remain here. I am but a stray thought away if you need my power.¡± Surtr stretched and found a nice spot to curl up.


    Last night, Irisa had told me the lions were a huge hit. Since they weren¡¯t wild or dangerous, the inn¡¯s staff began to see them as cute mascots. They would always walk around. Irisa said she sometimes found Kengu being petted. And sometimes, she¡¯d see Surtr stretch before Delouise would scratch under his chin.


    The inn¡¯s manager was astounded by Surtr¡¯s breadth of knowledge, which probably made adjusting all the easier since he could easily match wits and impart valuable advice.


    When Erin returned, Pawsome Fables and I left the inn and walked to the guild. My sister''s daggers were showing signs of use. She held herself differently from thest time I saw her.


    All eyes were turned to me as we walked the city. I stuck out like a sore thumb as the only High Elf.


    People chatted in hushed whispers whenever I walked by. Maybe a kid would excitedly point and tell his mother he had seen the High Elf of Liberation. A little girl even wandered up and asked to hold my hand before her brother yanked her away and apologized.


    But that was fine. I gave the little child the handshake she wanted, which caused her to jump around in joy before dashing off.


    ¡°How does it feel being the popr girl, Master?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Ufortable?¡± We turned a corner, and I nodded. ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it. But remember, it¡¯s a good type of fame. You saved the city-state. It¡¯s only natural they¡¯d treat you like a hero.¡±


    At the guild, I walked with Ginnie and Chax to register as a member of Pawsome Fables while Erin and Tilde looked at the quests. It amused the receptionist to see that I was still the lowest rank. I probably couldn¡¯t reach the top, but I knew I could be promoted to at least Rank B. Maybe A. Then again, maybe higher if I used [Ira Ignis] and had Surtr.


    Erin decided on a quest to fetch some mana ore from a nearby dungeon to the south. The Crystal Veil Mines were aptly named since they spawned ore in the shape of crystals. The purer ore contained specs of light shimmering inside.


    ¡°They¡¯re hard to find and easy to miss, though,¡± said Ginnie. ¡°Chax and I took a quest to collect some and failed the mission.¡±


    ¡°But M¡¯s eyes are really good,¡± argued Erin.


    ¡°Agreed. There¡¯s no one out there with better sight than my Master,¡± added Tilde. Nothing could escape [Skyview] and its search function, but I wouldn''t use it today unless I had to.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If we fail the quest, I can have the fine waived.¡± I leaned close and whispered. ¡°Plymoise kinda owes me a little bit, so there¡¯s that.¡±


    ¡°Geez, Master. Never thought I¡¯d see the day when you throw your name and status around. I kinda like it.¡± Tilde grabbed my arm, and we left before it got toote.


    ¡°They say she killed twenty soldiers with that weird thing on her back.¡±


    ¡°Nah, I heard her lion ate a hundred drakes Atrix had hidden away.¡±


    ¡°You two idiots are both wrong. My brother says an elf like that is too pretty. She uses her charm to sway her enemies into turning against their allies.¡±


    ¡°Your brother¡¯s a known liar!¡±


    ¡°What you¡¯d say?! Say that to my face, bastard!¡±


    ¡°Hey, I wonder if that fairy helped. She¡¯s with the High Elf of Liberation, right? She¡¯s cute enough to liberate my heart any day of the week.¡±


    ¡°Uh, what a pig¡­¡± said the annoyed woman next to the previous speaker¡ªa Pigfolk with green dots on his cheeks.


    For what it was worth, it was amusing hearing the rumors.


    But Tilde was mine. I didn¡¯t like that Pigfolk talking about her like that. A stern look froze him when he realized I had heard him.


    My pointy ears weren¡¯t for show.


    <hr>


    ¡°This is the ce, huh?¡± I asked. The entrance was like the Mines of Gamor, but this ce was lit up. Light reflected and bounced from crystal orbs that differed from the ore we hunted. The lobby wasn¡¯t that packed, so we began our hunt, eventuallying to a split in the road. My map had changed into a 3-D model, but I stillcked a scanning feature to fill it out.


    The quickest way would be to split up, but Tilde wasn¡¯t connected to Tris¡¯s skill set. She also didn¡¯t have a lion, so I couldn¡¯t track her. We decided to continue as a team and went down the left path.


    Crystal lizards, crystal bats, and crystal kobolds-- short, stubby monsters with alligator-like heads-- shimmered vibrantly. They were around Lv. 8. Erin and Tilde were Lv. 13, so they were more than a match.


    I held my rifle in a low-ready position and watched Erin. She ran forward with Longtooth, who roared, sending a st of fire towards the charging enemies. The mes suddenly turned into a wall, and then a spark of the azure fire went to Erin and coated her in a barrier. Suddenly, the wall dropped, and I saw my little sister raise her daggers.


    ¡°[Backstab]!¡± Her weapons shed red, and then she thrust them into her enemies¡¯ backs. They didn¡¯t die, but the vines birthed from the knives entrapped them. Tilde pped her wings and took off flying.


    ¡°Master, watch me!¡± Tilde drew her revolver and sent three bullets through the kobolds¡¯ crystalline heads, ending their lives in a sh. Their corpses quivered and broke apart, shattering like ss while leaving their core behind.


    ¡°Good work, you two,¡± I said. Tilde gave me two thumbs up and a shy smile after pocketing the cores in her pouch.


    ¡°Your uracy¡¯s still impressive. And great job, Erin. It didn¡¯t ur to me to use Longtooth¡¯s mes as a barrier.¡±


    ¡°Hehe!¡± Erin sheathed her weapons and caught Longtooth when the lion jumped into her arms.


    ¡°See? Told you she¡¯s gotten better. They say some people are cut out for fighting, so I wonder if Erin¡¯s that type of girl.¡±


    ¡°Like a battle junkie?¡± asked Chax. Ginnie looked at him and shook her head. Her earmuffs almost fell off, causing her to tighten them with the strap.


    ¡°Not like that, but someone who¡­ Well, it¡¯s hard to exin. But some people are naturally gifted. Erin told me she recently awoken to her adult horns, so that battle confidence is probablying from her oni blood. But I bet it might also be that ¡®image training.''¡±


    ¡°Longtooth and I dream about fighting. We talk about our weaknesses. We discussed the proper ways to move and how to act in sync. For the first few days, I was still afraid¡­ But I¡¯m not scared anymore. I¡­like being an adventurer, M. I still like being a merchant. If we had a shop, I still wanna work there, but this is fun.¡± Erin said she didn¡¯t need ear protection. [Deduction] didn¡¯t pick up any signs of hearing damage. Still, I asked her to wear them after Ginnie showed off a spare.


    Tilde said she was fine, but she put on hers after I gave her a look.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re having a good time. I bet it won¡¯t be long before you save me.¡±


    ¡°Really? Me¡­saving you?¡± Erin looked dumbfounded as she put them on, but her purple eyes sparkled brightly. ¡°But you have Surtr. And you¡¯re already so strong.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t sell yourself short, Erin. Have some confidence. Have some pride.¡±


    ¡°Right! I¡¯ll do my best!¡±


    ¡°You too, Tilde. We still need to have a little contest.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re on, Master!¡±


    ¡°But let me make it more even. Here, this is a Taurus 856,¡± I said, exining that it used .38 Special. I also gave her some ammo and three speedloaders. Two were for this weapon, and the third was for her Colt SAA.


    ¡°A new gun? Sweet!¡±


    ¡°But note the design,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s better for close-up. And it¡¯s more difficult to properly use. But I know you can do it.¡±


    The firearm appeared on her opposite hip, and she drew both and took a pose before twirling them back into their leather holsters.


    ¡°Two guns? I can y that game too.¡± I vanished my rifle and retrieved my 1911 and 92FS. Ginnie found the ¡®weird pipe¡¯ unusual, and I showed her how the silencer worked. She was amazed that something so loud now produced no noise.


    ¡°Uhh¡­ How many of those things do you have?¡± Chax¡¯s jaw dropped when the rifle and shotgun appeared on my back. It opened further when I borrowed Tilde¡¯s revolvers and wore the Beretta M9 around my ankle.


    ¡°It¡¯s up to seven.¡± I gave Tilde her guns back. ¡°But give it a year. I¡¯ll have way more.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­kind of anxious to see that, actually.¡± Ginnie made a small joke about me being more firesalt than elf.


    We ventured deeper into the mines, and it felt weird to not rely on torches or illumination magic. Darkness was light. Nothing could hide in the shadows. Even if they did...


    My map constantly revealed everything.


    ¡°That¡¯s one,¡± I said, sending a bullet through a crystal lizard¡¯s eye. I used [Chimeric Armatization] with [Aerial Slice] to attack the monster with a dozen sharp des of wind, exploding it from the inside.


    ¡°What? How did you even see¡ª¡±


    <i>Bang!</i>


    ¡°That¡¯s two.¡± Another lizard perished. My activity log told me the cores and materials were stashed in my storage.


    ¡°Come on!¡±


    ¡°You gotta keep up.¡± I twirled my handguns and killed three more in three trigger pulls. The n was to get enough 1911 exp to acquire the silencer andser sight attachments.


    ¡°M, your eyes are¡­ How did you even see that?¡±


    ¡°[Arcane Sight: Veil of Mystical Vision]. Everything is monochrome except mana, which sticks out like white paint against a ck wall. That¡¯s going to help us find the ore.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ You know, seeing this¡­ It¡¯s almost gotten me fired up!¡± Ginnie pulled a pair of nunchucks from a pouch on her hips. They were enchanted, and Tilde told me she used the enchanting table I¡¯d gotten from Susize¡¯s mansion to upgrade Pawsome Fable¡¯s gear while I was gone.


    I was perfectly fine with that because enchanting wouldn¡¯t do much good for me. I was growing too powerful too quickly to effectively use it, and monster cores were more of a drag than anything else, so Pawsome Fables could have them. ¡°Chax?¡±


    The Catfolk drew his sword. It was in and unordinary, but it somehow fit him. Ginnie¡¯s weapons were rather unique. She showed me a brief performance of her skills, and her movements were clean. To me, they were slow, but she clearly practiced a lot. I didn¡¯t see that many wasted motions.


    We progressed further until we came to arge room with other adventurers. We passed by an invisible threshold, and the empty ceiling suddenly became full of crystals that held monsters. Someone called out that this was a monster-spawning trap room. The more people entered, the more monsters would emerge from the walls and roof.


    It was the perfect time to switch to Kronto.


    However, I let Chax and Ginnie handle most of the foesing our way. The Catfolk was quick as a feline, yet hecked the strength to puncture the crystalline bodies of our enemies. He¡¯d be better if we fought monsters of flesh and blood.


    Ginnie dodged and sidestepped the iing kobolds and thwacked their bodies, her green hair elegantly fluttering in the fight. She was agile on her feet and dodged a lizard¡¯s tackle from behind.


    She replied with a skill called [m Dunk]. She brought the nunchucks around her upper body and sent them down on the lizard¡¯s head, killing it instantly.


    It looked like they were having fun, so I ran in with my spear and helped kill the enemies.


    The sizzling crackle of lightning danced off Kronto when all was said and done, and I switched to my rifle and changed it for the Winchester Model 1887. A friendly adventurer said the caverns narrowed, so I wanted to use something with a little more firepower.


    <i>If I can get my hands on a double barrel? Hell, even the M1903 Springfield? I probably won¡¯t use any other weapon. But when am I going to get something automatic?</i>


    We continued delving deeper, sting monsters, smashing heads, and gathering cores for another two hours.


    Eventually¡­we found some ore. The hard-to-find annoyances were hanging out behind a monster called a crystal spider. It dangled from the ceiling on a shimmering web.


    Tilde fired four shots into its abdomen, and Longtooth prepared a me st. However, the spider had multiple spinnerets. It attached a web to the wall, pulled itself out of danger, then leapt towards us with its right legs ready. Chax rushed in, raising his sword. He smacked it with the t edge to send it away, and Erin, after being surrounded by a me barrier, used [Erase Presence], another skill she learned from her intense training.


    She took her role as a scout for the group seriously and learned some interesting abilities. If your determination burned bright enough, image training enabled you to acquire skills should the effort be enough.


    Longtooth spat little annoying fireballs to get the spider¡¯s attention. It charged the house cat-sized lion.


    ¡°Not on my watch!¡± Tilde took flight and shot six rounds into the monster¡¯s back before switching to her snub-nosed revolver. It turned around, but Ginnie jumped into the air and mmed her nunchucks, cracking the hardened shell. Chax was there to parry the leg thrusts, and Erin finally appeared. Her daggers jabbed into its back, and the vines constricted tightly around the squirming spider.


    The spinnerets continuously spun web as a defensive mechanism, but I merely walked up to it, held my shotgun against its face, and blew its head clean off. I cocked the gun and caught the ejected shell out of the air.


    ¡°That was some teamwork. I¡¯m seriously impressed I said, cracking a smile. Anything important the spider had was in my storage. Since I trusted Chax and Ginnie, I told them of [Auto Loot], and they said nothing would ever surprise them.


    <i>I doubt that¡­</i>


    ¡°By the way, that puts me ahead of you, Tilde. I win the challenge.¡±


    ¡°Eh? That¡¯s not fair. I totally had the spider! I¡­ I just¡­ Aww¡­ I hate losing¡­¡±


    I suppose your lips are going to be mine tonight.¡±


    ¡°Hhmph!¡± Tilde pretended to be angry and turned away, but she nced back with one eye open and smiled. ¡°I suppose... I¡¯ll just have to work that much harder in the future, Master.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you do. Let¡¯s get the ore and return to the inn. It¡¯ll be mid-day by the time we arrive.¡±


    After getting the required items, we left. But that spider was too interesting to leave behind...


    <i>A little bit of slime ought to do it.</i>


    Four minutester, I got the notification.


    <i>[Crystal Web]? Okay, it seems like my webs are crystallized. They¡¯re still immune to fire and ice, so what can I do with this? Hmm...</i>


    <hr>


    After getting our reward from the receptionist, I had satisfied Erin¡¯s request.


    But the day didn¡¯t have to end.


    After leaving the guild, I brought up the shopping trip I promised Tilde.


    ¡°And I¡¯ll buy anything you want, Erin. New clothes? Shoes? Weapons? Just pick em¡¯ out. And obviously, that offer extends to you two,¡± I said, pointing to Chax and his girlfriend.


    ¡°Us? But¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ah, Master¡¯s generosity sure has no limit. Hey, Ginnie¡­¡± Tilde grabbed the girl by the hand and walked away. She retrieved a piece of paper and scribbled something on it. Whatever it was¡­ It made Ginnie blush. She marched back over, grabbed my hands, and asked me if I was serious.


    ¡°Ginnie, what are¡ª¡±


    ¡°Let it go, friend,¡± Tilde said. She patted Chax¡¯s back and gave him a wink. He was undoubtedly confused. And he wasn¡¯t the only one. Erin looked a little concerned. She wasn¡¯t as happy as I thought she¡¯d be.


    The reason was simple. Erin felt she hadn¡¯t paid me back for saving her from very or introducing her to her father. She admitted that to me in a small whisper when we walked to the shopping district, and I told her to immediately stop thinking like that.


    Our rtionship... It wasn¡¯t...normal? I killed her mother. I couldn¡¯t deny that. She was an awful woman, but her sick mind would¡¯ve taken her life sooner orter.


    Slowly, Erin reached out to grab my hand. At thest second, she had conflicting thoughts, but I was faster. ¡°An older sister is supposed to look out for the younger sister, Erin. And¡­ I haven¡¯t been around,¡± I confessed. ¡°It''s not an excuse. I''ve been busy, but I¡¯m sorry. Today¡¯s your day, okay? I¡¯ll do whatever you want.¡± She knew about the uing Heptarchis.


    Whenever it was called, I would leave. It might even take a month to properly settle things with the Wisefolk, but I hoped it was quicker than that.


    ¡°M¡­ So¡­ It¡¯s okay if my heart¡­¡±


    ¡°Yep,¡± Tilde interjected. She hovered around Erin and flew backwards at the same pace we walked. ¡°Take it from me. What you¡¯re feeling is totally normal, okay? And I¡¯m sure you know why more than anyone. But if you have any doubts, ask your lion.¡±


    I told her Tilde was right. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid to talk to Surtr through Longtooth, okay? He¡¯s a sage.¡±


    ¡°Surtr is?¡± Ginnie asked. She held hands with Chax, who was a little bit embarrassed.


    ¡°He¡¯s smart. I almost did something stupid¡­ But he helped me out. And that goes for you two. If you¡¯re lost or in trouble, and Surtr or the other lions are around? You can talk to them.¡±


    ¡°Your offer¡¯s very sweet, M,¡± Ginnie said, smiling.


    I turned to Erin. She still seemed concerned and finally said a single name when I prodded for more info.


    ¡°Sekh¡­¡±


    ¡°What about her?¡±


    It was hard for her to talk about, but after she told Longtooth, who told Surtr, who told me, I learned Erin was partly afraid of Sekh. She hadn¡¯t spent much time with her, after all. And the stories of the Dark Lord of Tyranny no doubt scared her more than she wanted to admit.


    ¡°But¡­ I wanna see Sekh again, M. Do you think we can be friends? Will she be upset with me?¡±


    ¡°Friends? Definitely. Upset? Never. I¡¯m positive.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ It¡¯ll be okay to spend time with her?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯d like that very much.¡±


    ¡°And¡­ Can¡­we go on a pic? I also wanna thank her for Longtooth. Without her, I probably wouldn¡¯t have gotten the courage to change. I owe a lot to her.¡±


    ¡°Tell you what. When Sekh''s back with us, why don¡¯t we have a super awesome day, okay?¡±


    ¡°Really?!¡±


    My smile brought something beautiful to her face. Erin held my hand a little tighter. Tilde flew behind me and whispered I did good. She was proud of my growth, too, and she let me know that with a kiss on the cheek.


    <i>There¡¯s a lot of being proud going around. The world could use more of that.</i>


    For the next five hours, we walked around the various shops. The n was to buy some clothes.


    And we did that.


    But we didn¡¯t buy them. The shopkeepers said no true brother or sister of Plymoise would force the High Elf of Liberation to pay her bill. That didn¡¯t mean I went overboard. I was conservative in my purchases.


    Tilde picked out two sexy dresses and a pair of spicy underwear from a shop specializing in lingerie¡ªit was inside a gatedmunity near the western edge. She grabbed Ginnie¡¯s hand and pushed her into a changing room, so I figured I knew what my fairy had said to convince her.


    Chax audibly gulped. He looked at me. I looked at him¡­


    Oh, how fun it was to tease him.


    Erin hid her eyes behind her hands while blushing hard. It was too much for her, so she went outside and chatted with her lion. I shopped for Tris and Sekh.


    ¡°And¡­ This is going to work?¡± Ginnie whispered when we left.


    ¡°Definitely,¡± Tilde replied. She looked over her shoulder and grinned. ¡°The boy won¡¯t be able to keep his hands off you. I don¡¯t think you''re getting any sleep tonight, hahaha¡­¡± Ginnie¡¯s face became beet red, but it was more of an expectation of a rather¡­intense night she was about to have.


    From there, we went to another shop specializing in general clothes. Everyone was more confident here. Tilde picked out a conservative blue sundress, and Erin wanted a few outfits because she didn¡¯t have many. She was a fan of hairbands and ribbons, and I promised to help tie up her hair.


    <hr>


    Later that night, after dinner, I spent a few minutes with Erin after she changed into some pajamas I had bought her. We sat on her bed, and I dolled up her hair and added ribbons and bows.


    It felt nice to do sisterly things together. But I didn¡¯t know how to do this until Tris gave me the instructions. And afterwards, we talked about Sekh a little more. Erin shared a small dream. For those with them, tail-holding was seen as something special. Erin wanted to wrap hers around Karen¡¯s¡ªsomething she admitted in a lowly whisper¡ªbut she said she never had a chance.


    ¡°You must think I¡¯m being weird, right?¡± Erin looked up and petted Longtooth. ¡°Suddenly talking about Sekh like this? I¡¯m¡­regretting something¡­ I should¡¯ve spent more time with her¡ªwith everyone.¡±


    ¡°We all have regrets. I have plenty myself. But Sekh''sing back. Sooner than you think. So, think of anything fun you want to do with us, okay?¡± I rubbed her head and watched her tail wag.


    That gave me an idea¡­


    ¡°Eh? What¡¯s¡­ M¡­¡± She stared at my tail.


    Yep. I had transfigured one. It looked just like Sekh¡¯s.


    ¡°These things are¡­hard to move,¡± I focused and tried, but it was unruly. Erin offered to teach me, but that was easier said than done. Of course, controlling a tail came easier to those who had them. But she wrapped hers around mine and looked extremely happy. She was smiling ear to ear and gave me a big hug.


    ¡°But Erin?¡±


    ¡°Huh?


    ¡°Are you¡­ really okay with me? I¡­¡± The topic was difficult to approach. I killed her mother¡­ I destroyed that shop.


    ¡°I¡¯m not scared of you, M.¡± Suddenly, Longtooth made a noise, and Erin winced. ¡°No. I can¡¯t lie. It¡¯s not right. I was¡­scared. When my mom¡­did that¡­and when she sold me¡­ I had nothing. I had heard stories of what happens to girls who are put up for sale. I thought my life was over. I thought everything¡­was about to end. And I wanted to die.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± I kept silent. Talking about this required strength. And I didn¡¯t want Erin to waver in her resolve by interrupting her.


    ¡°My mother was an awful woman¡­ I know that now. She was sick and needed help, but no one but Dad extended a hand. And¡­we know how it turned out. Even if you never showed up... She would¡¯ve still found a reason to sell me. I¡¯m d you stole from the shop. I¡¯m d our wares helped you. And¡­ My mom¡¯s at peace. She¡¯s not suffering anymore. I¡¯ll never forgive her for what she made me do, but¡­¡± Erin¡¯s voice was weak. I barely heard her over the whimpers. She grew unsteady and fragile and cried.


    ¡°I¡¯m a rape baby. I wasn¡¯t conceived out of love. I¡­haven¡¯t fullye to terms with it. I sometimes feel ashamed. When I¡¯m alone? That¡¯s when it hurts the most.¡± Longtooth jumped on the bed and curled between us. Erin quietlyughed as she stroked her lion¡¯s soft fur. Thatforting presence calmed her more than she knew it.


    ¡°My mom destroyed a family. And she made me help. And¡­ This still feels like a dream. And I¡¯m scared, M. I don¡¯t wanna wake up. But things¡­aren¡¯t how they should be. Why does Ichiha love me? Why don¡¯t they hate me? I ruined their family. Irisa¡¯s grandma and grandpa hate Dad because I did what my mom told me to do.¡± She looked at me and grabbed those horns she was so proudoflike she wanted to rip them off. But I stopped that. I restrained her hands, transfigured two more arms, and hugged her close.


    Erin fought. She panicked. She cried and beat my chest before submitting to her overzealous emotions. The poor girl must¡¯ve been keeping this in¡­


    ¡°You didn¡¯t destroy anything,¡± I told her. ¡°Karen was your mother, but she wasn¡¯t your mom. Ichiha loves you. Kokan loves you. And Irisa loves you. You¡¯re family. You¡¯re important to them. And nothing will change that.¡±


    ¡°I wish I was Dad¡¯s real daughter! I hate Karen! I hate her so much! I¡¯m d she¡¯s dead! She ruined everything and hurt so many people!¡± Repressed anger erupted from the tortured girl¡¯s heart¡­until it exhausted her.


    Erin was troubled, but she wasn¡¯t alone. But I had to correct something because she was wrong.


    ¡°You are his real daughter. Look at me.¡± Erin lifted her head but turned away in shame as her eyes glistened with unshed tears. I saw the weight of her pain, the burden of her guilt, and the shattered fragments ofa bygoneinnocence. ¡°You carry his love in every beat of your heart,¡± I whispered, my voice unsteady. I wanted to cry. I empathized with Erin more than she ever knew. ¡°And that love surrounds you¡ªmore than you realized.¡±


    I gently cupped her face, urging her to meet my gaze. "You are not defined by her mistakes. You are defined by your strength,your resilience, and yourcapacity to love despite the darkness that has touched your life."


    Tears welled up in Erin''s eyes as she finally met my eyes, the weight of her emotions threatening to overwhelm her. "I wish... I wish I could believe that," she whispered, her voice choked with emotion.


    "You can," I insisted, my voice trembling with conviction. "You are worthy of love, Erin. You are worthy of forgiveness. And most importantly, you are worthy of happiness. And I¡¯ll protect your happiness. I won¡¯t let anyone take it away. This is your home. This is your family. Your ce is with us.¡±


    Truthfully?


    Erin wasn¡¯t the only one who felt like an outsider. At least she shared Dad¡¯s blood.


    Me?


    I was from another world.


    I wasa chimera.


    This body? It wasn¡¯t mine.


    Erin probably realized how I could¡¯ve inferred her words because she suddenly apologized and didn¡¯t want me to hate her. But I wasn¡¯t mad. This was a rough period of her life. It wouldn¡¯t be easy, but she wastougherthan she realized.


    ¡°M¡­¡± she whined my name, and we hugged for a few minutes until I heard a yawn. Four clones appeared, and they got the bed ready while I tucked her in. Longtooth hopped on her stomach andid down with her head under Erin¡¯s chin. I held her hand and brushed her hair.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard for you too. I know it is. I¡­want to protect your happiness¡­because we¡¯re sisters, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± I squeezed her hand and kissed her forehead. ¡°We have each other. And nothing will change that. Sleep well, okay? You¡¯ll feel better in the morning."


    ¡°Uh-huh. I will. I love you, M.¡±


    ¡°I love you too, sis.¡±


    I gently closed the door and popped in on Irisa, who had fallen asleep at her desk. Scattered journalsid before her as Kengu bit a green nket. She walked on ming tforms and carefully tucked it around her bracelet holder.


    ¡°Goodnight.¡± Kengu let loose an adorable roar and nodded, waving a paw in my direction. She jumped on the desk and nestled near Irisa¡¯s hands after gently putting the quill in its ink holder.


    Niva and Primrose were sound asleep, and I returned to my room.

 Chapter Eighty-Five: Relationship Growths – Part Five

    Chapter Eighty-Five: Rtionship Growths ¨C Part Five


    Tris and Tilde were in the bath, and my fairy asked me to wait on the bed.


    ¡°So, how¡¯d I do?¡± I asked Surtr, who walked over before plopping down near my leg.


    ¡°You¡¯ve assuaged Erin¡¯s worries, but they remain. But words that could¡¯ve helped have already been spoken. The onus is on her to love herself and cast away the doubts dding her heart.¡±


    ¡°Could I have done anything else?¡±


    ¡°That is neither here nor there, Lord Springfield,¡± said the wise lion. He licked his massive paws, and I knew what he was getting at. I said what I had to say. Maybe... My phrasing could¡¯ve been different, but my words weren¡¯t rehearsed. They came from the heart. And that mattered the most.


    ¡°Do not forget about the mass grave, Lord Springfield.¡± Surtr reminded me that Tris convinced Lady Gretchen to dump the Atrixian corpses into a single,rge grave. Surtr assisted in digging it.


    ¡°Shit, you¡¯re right.¡±


    <i>Tris, sorry to interrupt you, but can you ce a waypoint on that grave for me? The one with the Atrixian soldiers? I¡¯m sending a clone to assimte the bodies.</i>


    <i>As you wish! Shall I mark the graveyards that carry the deceased Plymoise soldiers? I estimate it will take three hours to assimte them, and the clone can aplish it without leaving proof of their visit.</i>


    <i>Yes, please. Thank you.</i>


    <i>Anytime, my lord!</i>


    <i></i>I expanded my map, saw the overload of waypoints only visible to me, and created a clone. It transformed into a bird and left through the nearest window, and I only had to sit back, wait, and reap the rewards. Just like that¡ªanother few thousand SP and much-needed life force would be mine¡­ I felt like a bank. I had so much SP, and what to spend it on? I didn¡¯t have to be conservative¡ªnot at this point. But I could also dish it out to Niva. And Tilde, too. And I couldn¡¯t forget about Sekh. Maybe Erin? She¡¯d have to pledge loyalty. That left a sour note in my mouth, andI hatedit. That requirement... Could I change it?


    But I could think about itter. Instead, I extended a hand to Surtr¡¯s soft fur and scratched his chin. He purred and ¡®pulsed¡¯ his mes before flopping over. Oh, he was just so goddamn cute! He loved the attention.


    <i>Umm¡­ Tilde requests that you close your eyes, my lord.</i>


    <i>Okay.</i>


    <i>And¡­ Forgive me, but may I block [Skyview]? For just the moment? She doesn¡¯t want you to peek.</i>


    <i>That¡¯s fine.</i>


    I closed my eyes, heard the door open, felt Surtr return to my bracelet, and¡­


    ¡°Come on, Master! Open them bad boys!¡±


    ¡°Wow¡­¡± I was stunned. My lovers wore the sexy underwear I¡¯d gotten them, and it¡­enhanced their beauty.


    Tris¡¯s was all red with pink highlights around her panties. The smoothce was thin and transparent in a few key areas, and those stockings ented her lovely thighs.


    And Tilde¡¯s was bold. The all-ck fit wonderfully with her hair and eyes. And that yful smile? She puffed out her chest to jiggle her womanly assets, then ran a slender finger along her garter belt before posing.


    They were jaw-droppingly gorgeous.


    ¡°Eh? You know, silence is the reaction a girl can get. It means her lovey-dovey Master is too star-struck by her beauty! Ah, make that two girls, yeah?¡± She skipped behind Tris and hugged her, sensually rubbing her stomach. ¡°And this brings me to something else. Master, we gotta have a little chat about something.¡±


    ¡°About what?¡± Tilde¡¯s voice shattered my daydream, but I wasn''t upset. I''d live that fantasy in a few minutes


    She escorted Tris to the bed. The two sat beside me and took my hands. ¡°About us. You love me, don¡¯t ya?¡±


    ¡°Yes? I thought that went without saying.¡±


    ¡°It does, but y along. It¡¯s important. And you love Tris¡­?¡± I nodded. Tris blushed and wagged her tail. ¡°That¡¯s good. I love you, and she loves you. So, we¡¯re good there. But Tris and I love each other, too.¡±


    ¡°I know that. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re getting at.¡±


    ¡°You, me, Little Miss AI¡­ Our rtionship is special. We¡¯re all about supporting each other, not just one person.¡±


    And then it hit me. And I smiled. ¡°And because of that, it¡¯s greater than the sum of its parts?¡±


    ¡°Hehe! I knew you''d catch on. Boundaries, rifications, andmunication? They''re like the cornerstones of keeping a rtionship strong and healthy. We¡¯re not just dating you. We¡¯re dating each other. And when Little Miss Tyranny is back?¡±


    ¡°Our love for each other will only grow.¡±


    ¡°Yeppers! Right on the money.¡± Tilde shed a cute smile. And she was right. They weren¡¯t solely devoted to me. This wasn¡¯t some harem.


    I would never, ever desire that.


    ¡°I believe the word is polycule, but I might be wrong. So, imma call it a throuple. The term¡¯s cuter. And when Sekh¡¯s back? Umm¡­ A quouple? Scratch that¡ªI¡¯ll workshop itter. Anyway, we love each other. We care about each other. That¡¯s the vital part.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I only care that I¡¯m with you two. And¡­ You know it might make me happy if you two go on cute dates.¡±


    ¡°Dates, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yep. A rtionship is more about sex. And I¡¯m not an expert. But dating is a part of that. I might be busy with something one day. Or I might be on an errand. Instead of waiting for me to return like some widow staring out at sea for her husband, love each other. Have some fun. And then?¡± I lowered my voice to a whisper for no other reason than unnecessary dramatic effect. ¡°You have to tell me all about it. Without leaving any details.¡±


    ¡°Wow¡­¡± Tilde grinned and gave me a quick kiss. ¡°Oh, my little ¡®mera grows up so fast¡­¡±


    ¡°Only because she had the world¡¯s cutest fairy to teach her how to be a worthy lover. I took your advice to heart. I¡¯ll never forget it. Not even for a moment.¡±


    ¡°I really mean that much to you?¡±


    ¡°More than you¡¯ll ever know. It¡¯s hard to believe that crude little fairy I killed is sitting here.¡±


    ¡°Eergh¡­ Don¡¯t¡­ Please don¡¯t remind me¡­ You don¡¯t know muchIcringe about the brat I used to be! Why did I ever think it was okay to act like that?! Seriously?! What was going through my mind¡­? Okay, I did it to lower the tension, but goddamn I was ticking myself off.¡± Tilde shook as if she had the shivers. ¡°You¡¯ve got a lot of patience.¡±


    ¡°Well, maybe I knew you were worth it. Good thingse to those who wait, right?¡±


    ¡°O¡ªOkay¡­ That was smooth¡­Likereally smooth¡­ Geez, my heart¡¯s about to fly outta my chest.¡± Tilde was flustered, and her pping wings reflected that.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure I can be a lot smoother. And you, Tris.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± She fluttered her pretty eyes and smiled. She was just so adorable. I felt blessed to feel her love. ¡°I¡¯m d you came into my life. I mean, I owe so much to you and your abilities. Over half the things I¡¯ve aplished? It¡¯s because I had your support. So thank you, Tris, for supporting me all this time.¡±


    ¡°My lord, I¡­¡± Tris was speechless, but she cried. The tears were elicited from happiness, not sadness, which made the difference. Those were okay to shed because it meant I was doing something right. A being who never knew love until they became a ¡®monster.¡¯


    Was it ironic?


    Did irony even matter?


    ¡°Aww¡­ Man, I wish I had a cellphone¡­ This would be perfect as a background photo.¡±


    ¡°What? Two almost naked girls crying?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t forget about their adorable Master! But geez, it¡¯s more about snapping the happy moments, you dope.¡± Tilde gently poked my nose beforeughing. ¡°Anyway¡­ It seems our sexy clothes are more effective than we thought. Don¡¯t think we haven¡¯t noticed your¡­generous friend wanting toe out. Ah, but the beast is trapped, and I believe it¡¯s up to Tris and me to free it from its confounding prison.¡±


    <i>And now she¡¯s ying it up? Eh, this is Tilde. She¡¯s probably rehearsed this or something.</i>


    ¡°You were backed up for a month, and I knowst night and this morning wasn¡¯t enough to properly relieve you.¡±


    She stood, grabbed Tris¡¯s hand, and skipped a foot away before turning and posing. Yep. This was pre-nned. ¡°It hasn¡¯t been a day, but I think you flipped a switch in Tris¡¯s mind. Her poor little databanks could not get your steamy moments out of her mind.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say Little Miss AI, instead of washing up, selfishly did something selfish while watching a waypoint animation of when you and she went at it in the bath.¡±


    ¡°Tilde! You said that would be our secret!¡±


    ¡°Teehee!¡± She stuck out her tongue and winked.


    ¡°Ohh...¡± Tris was on the verge of crying


    ¡°I think that¡¯s just adorable,¡± I said.


    ¡°My lord?¡± Tris looked at me with those bright, beautiful eyes as I approached and wiped her tears.


    ¡°I said what I said. Next time you do it¡­ I want to hear it, okay? Fill my mind with your voice.¡±


    ¡°O¡ªokay.¡±


    ¡°Good!¡± Tilde smooched Tris and apologized. ¡°With that settled, you ought to know that your favorite fairy took it upon herself to give Tris some schooling when we were in the bath. You¡¯ll be surprised by what the ole girl has learned.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait.¡±


    ¡°Mmm... That¡¯s the answer I was waiting for. Well, I guess Chax won¡¯t be the only one not sleeping...¡±


    ¡°I can say the same to you two.¡± I caressed their faces.


    ¡°That¡¯s what a girl likes to hear. Anyway¡­ It¡¯s time for the Tilde and Tris show to begin¡­¡± Tilde ¡®pushed¡¯ me to the bed, skipped back to Tris, and¡­


    Well, tonight¡­wasn¡¯t going to end anytime soon.


    <hr>


    There was amotion at breakfast. A Horsefolk messenger from the ministry showed up right as we sat down. He handed me a letter, bowed, and left.


    I scanned it over, then told my family Tris, Surtr, and myself were scheduled to depart in the morning. I asked Surtr if he could pull the carriage Gretchen was preparing for us, and he didn¡¯t mind. I was sure she would have a horse ready, but I trusted my lion more than some random animal.


    I told Irisa that this would be thest thing. Once I returned, we could find a healer for Sekh while searching for Grandma and Grandpa.


    The letter also stated they were working on our ship. While not regrly scheduled, ships had sailed from Plymoise to Atrix and back with supplies. And that was on top of the wagons Gretchen had sent.


    Dusk arrived, and we had a farewell dinner. Delouise had told the chefs to make a feast worthy of a hero, and there were around 18 serving carts. Eight were filled with meals befitting a High Elf¡¯s strict dietary restrictions. The others were filled with other equally sulent meals containing meat.


    Of the ones for me, my favorite was the herb-stuffed tomatoes. The ripened tomatoes were hollowed and filled with tasty herbs, breadcrumbs, and nuts, then basked in a wood fire oven. But the mushroom-roasted root vegetables were delicious. The shrooms were naturally sweet, whichplimented the vegetables nicely. But the vegetable skewers were marinated in a light herb dressing before being turned over a fire. The peppers were just the right amount of spiciness without overpowering the sauce.


    Surtr and the other lions were given steaks bigger than his head. Delouise said it wouldn¡¯t befit the inn¡¯s astounding reputation if the valiant lions weren¡¯t rewarded for their hard work.


    Surtr and the others gave the inn''s manager a mighty roar and tore into their bloody meals.


    All in all, it was an exciting night.


    But I didn¡¯t have a good time¡­ On the outside, I did, but on the inside?


    I was fuming. And my target was Primrose. I had given her the past few days toe clean with her secret.


    And she knew it.


    Why else would she avoid me at every turn? Or encourage Niva to return to their room to continue their training? It wasn¡¯t like I totally avoided Niva. We still talked. And I still helped her train throughout the day between spending time with Mom and Dad. But Primrose¡­ She always made up an excuse to have something else to do.


    I was going to change that.


    <hr>


    It was after dinner¡­ That was when I knew my death was approaching.


    On second thought, perhaps the realization came earlier.


    It wasn¡¯t when Lord Springfield entered the room and asked to speak with me.


    It was when she returned from Atrix and stared at me with those mystical, glowing eyes that saw what even my summoner couldn¡¯t perceive with [Mana Perception].


    My summoner seemed nervous. Niva was bright. Now that she could see, she intently focused on the small details other people would¡¯ve missed, but she believed in her lord more than anything else.


    She would never believe that her lord was about to kill me. And I tried my best to keep things amicable.


    But the stress? The guilt? The betrayal that had wracked my body since the day that eagle decided to use me as a spy?


    It took all I had to remainposed. Even then, I never once entered a restful slumber. The fear had only increased when Lord Springfield shared a desire to train [Mana Perception] with my summoner.


    The eagle was a Spirit Lord. His mana could only be seen by the sharpest of eyes. It was a fool¡¯s prayer to hope that Transcendent Dark Lord wouldn¡¯t have reached that level before I had a chance to exin.


    ¡­


    Lord Springfield and I left the inn under the cover of darkness. After summoning her wings, she grabbed my wrist and flew away. I hung like trash¡ªdangling from my wrist¡­


    We were in the middle of nowhere when Lord Springfieldnded. She tossed me away like garbage and summoned a firearm.


    ¡°Do you know why we¡¯re here?¡±


    Her voice echoed¡­ Her tone was dead¡ªdevoid of wrath, anger, excitement, or any other emotion.


    It was just¡­t.


    She must¡¯ve set her Wrath to 0.


    Since my death was imminent, did it matter if I spoke? If Lord Springfield didn¡¯t end my life, the kill trigger held by my original creator would¡¯ve done the job.


    Dead ends surrounded me from my inevitable fate. It didn¡¯t matter where I looked because I was destined to perish.


    My summoner¡­


    She¡¯d be sad¡­


    She¡¯d be upset¡­


    My death would destroy her if she knew Lord Springfield was responsible. But I had a n. The very same thread Lord Springfield wrapped around my core to protect me from fire and ice was etched with a letter detailing the false truth I wanted her to share with my summoner.


    Niva¡­


    My sweet, kind-hearted summoner¡­


    <i>Forgive me¡­</i>


    ¡°You cried in my arms, Prim. We shared a moment on the boat. It was a sensitive, touching scene¡­ Did it mean nothing to you? You still found it necessary to betray me? Why? Please, just tell me why¡­¡±


    Lord Springfield bared her feelings. Her pistol''s unsteady grip hinted at more than what she showed.


    ¡°I loved you, Primrose¡­ You should¡¯ve confided in me on the ship. Or after we arrived at the inn. Or you could¡¯ve told Tris when I was in Atrix. Or when I got back. Or any time at all. So why did you lie to me? Why did you choose to remain quiet? Why are you repaying my kindness with deception?¡±


    Again, a crossroad awaited me. Did it matter which path I took? Death awaited me at either end. Lord Springfield couldn''t do much about the remote detonation attached to my core. Even if¡­I begged for her to demand my loyalty, it¡­wasn¡¯t guaranteed I would live.


    Could [Status Cloak] break the link when something was already grasped?


    My death¡­


    It would be for the better¡­


    My summoner needed one final push. At this point, Niva was holding herself back. Her predetermined cognition surrounding her strength was thest hurdle she needed to clear.


    And my death would give her the encouragement. Niva would use the hatred of Aetos to further fulfill her desire to be the Transcendent Dark Lord¡¯s spirit summoner¡ªwielder of a draconic spirit. She wouldn¡¯t fall to hatred. I knew Lord Springfield and Tilde would see to it.


    So¡­


    It was handled.


    And Lord Springfield would assimte my corpse after she received the pleasure of killing me. With her being partially made of a spirit, a brand-new world of strength would be open.


    Yes.


    The gilded path was clear.


    My death was all that was necessary.


    ¡°Why won¡¯t you say anything? Speak. That¡¯s an order.¡±


    <i>I¡­ My lips are quivering too much¡­ It¡¯s¡­</i>


    <i>Bang!</i>


    A gunshot rang out, and I felt an intense heat in my shoulder. But I refused to cry from the pain. It was my just punishment.


    ¡°Nothing? Still? Answer me, Primrose.¡±


    <i>Bang!</i>


    ¡°Answer me.¡±


    <i>Bang!</i>


    ¡°Answer me.¡±


    <i>Bang!</i>


    Two to the knees. One to the shoulder. Yet I remained kneeling while my sap-like blood oozed from the wounds.


    I once believed dying would be scary.


    But I felt calm.


    I felt¡­at ease¡­knowing my life was about to end.


    I wouldn¡¯t be forced to be a spy anymore. The future heartache and disappointment I were sure to bring?


    It wouldn¡¯t happen¡­


    ¡°I guess¡­ Shit¡­ Niva probably knows, doesn¡¯t she? Why wouldn¡¯t she? She must¡¯ve seen it. She must¡¯ve known it linked you to Aetos¡­¡±


    My eyes went wide. I wanted to shout that my summoner was still too weak to see it. But would I get the words out before Aetos killed me?


    <i>No! I must send a message! Lord Springfield, please¡­ Understand what I¡¯m about to do¡­</i>


    I covered the bullet holes with bark and stood. Lord Springfield nced over with a dead look. And she shared the same disappointed expression when multiple vinesshed out from my back.


    ¡°You won¡¯t even tell me what I did wrong? I don¡¯t even get that much?¡± She sighed again. Her sharp eyes watched my vines meticulously, waiting for the moment they tried to pierce her heart.


    But then her eyes narrowed when I jabbed four forward. Lord Springfield swatted them away like nothing and fired a bullet, grazing my cheek.


    It was a back-and-forth brawl¡ªbut it had to look genuine. I had to fight as if I wanted to kill.


    That eagle would know the difference otherwise, but it didn¡¯t matter. I was far too weak to even inflict a ncing wound. My vines struck true and failed to prate her skin. [Razor Wind] harmlessly bounced off after being unable to draw blood.


    I threw everything I had at her¡­and it was nothing. Lord Springfield''s overwhelming might...it was spectacr.


    ¡°Just stop this. Tell me what I want to know.¡±


    My arms, legs, thighs, neck, and cheeks were wounded from her precise aim as Lord Springfield demanded an exnation of my actions. She didn¡¯t fight to kill. She merely wanted to disable me.


    But then¡­


    I saw it¡­


    Her waypoints, as she called them, and they spelled a singlemand.


    Only I could see.


    <hr>


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you my everything, Lord Springfield!¡±


    Primrose shouted that sentence when Tris and I figured out what was going on. The floating words only I could see with my enhanced eyes said Niva was too weak to see the connection between Prim and Aetos. And if she couldn¡¯t say it out loud¡­


    Aetos had to have had a tight grip on Primrose¡¯s life


    Immediately, the loyalty aspect was activated. Tris configured [Status Cloak] to end all connections Primrose had to that eagle.


    ¡°I hate Aetos! I hate him so much!¡± Primrose¡¯s words echoed with a mixture of anguish and rage, her voice trembling with the weight of her emotions as she dropped to her knees, ignoring the wounds I had given her. Each syble carried a deep-seated resentment, a burning hatred that consumed her from within. In her frustration, sheshed out, her fist colliding with an unforgiving rock, an act of defiance against her creator. The impact shattered her wood-like skin, but it was a physical manifestation of the inner turmoil that gued her.


    She felt trapped, a pawn in a game she never asked to be a part of. The realization gnawed at her soul. Aetos had crafted her with a predetermined destiny, stripping away her autonomy and free will. No matter how hard she fought against it, the strings of her existence remained tightly entwined, pulling her towards a path she despised.


    The relentless struggle against her predetermined role had left her weary. Countless attempts to break free had proven futile, leaving her with a bitter taste of defeat. Yet, amidst her desperation, a flicker of determination burned within her. She yearned to defy her purpose, to forge her own destiny, and to reim her agency. She admitted Aetos couldn¡¯t delve into her personal thoughts. It couldn¡¯t read the letter she had imprinted on the threads protecting her core.


    Primrose¡­ The game was rigged from the start. There was never any hope for her¡­ He didn¡¯t care about her¡­


    But she was willing to go against her creator¡ªto eveny down her life¡ªall for the sake of helping Niva and myself.


    There it was again... Living just for me... Just like Irisa had done...


    <i>Tris, your thoughts?</i>


    <i>It doesn¡¯t make sense. Aetos having a hold on Primrose¡¯s core and threatening to kill her would be antithesis to his goal, which I presume would be cleansing Lady Sekh of her curse. He must be aware of it since we''ve discussed it near her. He realizes you hold the best chance of ending the Dark Lord of Tyranny¡¯s eternal conquest for world destruction. The eagle wouldn¡¯t risk your anger.</i>


    <i>So¡­</i>


    <i>I believe that, at one point, Aetos did what Primrose thought he had done. But not any longer. I presume her mental instability made her assume a link was still active. Furthermore, when I confirmed the mana flow, it only traveled one way. And it had amassed itself at the Eagle Yew without any signs of being utilized.</i>


    <i>Aetos likely canceled the link from his side out of respect. Or maybe from a mutual understanding, but Prim believes the opposite? She¡¯s still sending, but he¡¯s not receiving? He could be trying to return it, but she¡¯s not epting?</i>


    <i>Yes. The one truth Primrose believes is false. Yet she cannot ept it.</i>


    <i>What a clusterfuck.</i>


    But what did that say about me? I trusted Prim. Ever since we shared that moment on the sinking pirate ship, she was someone I loved and cared for. Evidently, it wasn¡¯t a strong enough bond because I immediately believed she had betrayed us.


    ¡°Prim¡ª¡±


    ¡°Lord Springfield¡­¡±


    ¡°No. Let me talk.¡± I kneeled and held her hands. Tris purchased [Healing Magic] and bought and leveled [Spirit Heal] to Lv. 10. Immediately, the damage I had inflicted vanished at a whopping 2% of my mana. I told her¡­I was sorry. I should¡¯ve realized something was wrong. She had tried to inform me in her own way, but I was too inexperienced¡ªtoo immature to see the truth when I desired what I wanted.


    Perhaps I wanted to kill her? It could¡¯ve been an innate desire.


    But not anymore.


    Definitely¡­not anymore¡­ after what I¡¯d seen. Sure, it was fabricated by her mind, but even still, Prim was willing to die.


    I...didn¡¯t want her to die...for me. I wanted her to live. I wanted her to be happy.


    Primrose eventually fell asleep in my arms, and I held her gently as we flew back to the inn. She awoke right as wended.


    ¡°Tell Niva what you told me, okay? Don¡¯t hold anything back. She¡¯s your summoner. Trust her with your feelings and worries. It¡¯ll only make you two stronger in the long run.¡±


    ¡°I will, Lord Springfield.¡± Primrose offered a small smile. She rubbed her arms and looked¡­not so ufortable as probably confused. She never expected to be alive at this point. She nodded when I asked if she wanted to talk. ¡°But it¡¯s difficult to find the words. It¡¯s hard to think straight.¡±


    ¡°Take all the time you need, okay? When I return from the Heptarchis, we''ll talk then. Does that sound good?¡±


    ¡°It does¡­¡± Primrose partly flinched when I hugged her, but she didn¡¯t fight. She wrapped her arms tighter around my back and apologized in a weak, frail voice.


    She let go, and I watched her ascend the stairs, leaving me alone in the lobby with two maids who had silently watched.


    <i>Are youing to bed?</i>


    <i>I am. What¡¯s Aetos doing?</i>


    <i>I don¡¯t know. He has returned to the Eagle Yew, and I cannot see inside it. But since he has already canceled the link from his side, I predict he isn¡¯t aware of what happened.</i>


    <i>Maybe that¡¯s for the better. I¡¯ll be up in a sec, okay?</i>


    <i>I¡¯ll be awaiting you, my lord.</i>


    I couldn¡¯t deny my fuck up. If I were a better woman, I¡¯d have realized Primrose needed help long before this point. Any excuses I made were just that¡ªexcuses.


    I needed to be better.


    I had to be better.


    And I would be better.

 Chapter Eighty-Six: Heptarchis – Part One (Illustrations!)

    Chapter Eighty-Six: Heptarchis ¨C Part One (Illustrations!)


    The following morning featured an emotional parting.


    Mom and Dad knew I would be fine attending the Heptarchis in Orchta, but they still hugged me tightly and said they loved me.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­sorry I haven¡¯t spent much time with you. Dad, I still have so much left to learn. When I return, can you teach me? It doesn¡¯t matter what it¡¯s about. I want to learn from you.¡±


    ¡°Of course, sweetie.¡±


    ¡°And Mom. My cooking ware in [Artificer¡¯s Arsenal] has been upgraded. Maybe we can go to the market and get some stuff? I still wanna learn more of your recipes.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like fun to me. Take care, dear. We love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you, too.¡± Mom and Dad rubbed my back.


    <i>Those blisters aren¡¯t going away¡­ It¡¯s been so long¡­ It¡¯s making me uneasy¡­</i>


    ¡°Be safe, okay?¡± Irisa held my hands, and I told her I would.


    I ruffled Erin¡¯s hair, kissed her head, and did the same to my loyal fairy.


    It didn¡¯t look like Primrose had told Niva, but that would change soon. She probably wanted to wait for me to leave first so Niva would see me off with a smile.


    The two embraced me.


    Ginnie and Chax received hugs before I left with Tris and Surtr. We hopped on the lion¡¯s back, and he took us to the ministry. We found two carriages, and only one was pulled by four green stallions.


    ¡°Good morning, Lord Springfield.¡± Gretchen was just nowing out the door. Two handmaids were carrying her luggage to the carriage.


    ¡°Morning, Lady Plymoise.¡± I nodded and started attaching Surtr to the carriage¡¯s harness. I chatted with Gretchen for a bit. Orchta was in the heart of Parthina, so it would take a week or two to arrive. The n was for Ayroix to meet with us during the trip with two additional wagons full of supplies.


    <i>Yeah. He¡¯s Lord Atrix, now. Naturally, he¡¯d be invited to attend. It''d be a pain if he declined it.</i>


    ¡°The supplies leaving with us are scheduled to arrive within the hour. If I can be open with you, Lord Springfield, my heart feels fluttery.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t doubt it. With proof of Orchta¡¯s collusion and breaking their neutrality, you stand to gain. However, I cannot help you with your negotiations. You must use your words and ensure Plymoise emerges for the better.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right.¡± The portly woman covered in so much green smiled. Her eyes were obscured slightly by her oversized traveling hat. I told her she had my vow that I would protect her during this trip. Nothing woulde close to harming her. ¡°And you have my biggest thanks. I shudder to think what would have happened to my little city-state had you not been here. You are truly a blessing.¡±


    ¡°And I thank you for your kind words. However, if I see an opportunity to help, I may or may not have to lend a hand.¡± I gave her a wink, causing her tough like a stereotypical noble.


    The supply wagon arrived ahead of schedule, so it was time to depart, with it taking the lead. Ayroix and the other two were to meet us at nightfall.


    The driver of Gretchen¡¯s carriage whipped his reins, the horses moved, and they followed behind the supplies. Surtr pulled up the rear, remaining third in this convoy. Heughed and said the drakes were easier to kill than pulling this.


    ¡°Something¡¯s on your mind, my lord.¡± Tris sat beside me, and we were alone in the carriage. The windows were slightly tinted, and I looked out at them to observe the rolling, dry ins.


    <i>It¡¯s all brown. Nothing. But. Brown.</i>


    ¡°You could say that.¡±


    I looked from the window and saw Tris resting her head on myp. She took off her cowboy hat and put it on me. ¡°Is it of the future?¡± she asked, looking up at me.


    I rubbed her head and scratched her ears. ¡°Yeah. The situation with Prim is resolved, and Niva¡¯s about to kick her training into high gear. I want to spy on them, but I also want to be surprised at their growth. But¡­ I¡¯m thinking about my family¡­and how¡­ impossibly difficult it''ll be for us to remain together. My life of violence is not made for her. Tilde¡¯s warning is affecting me more and more. I feel like I¡¯m just rambling.¡±


    ¡°Ramble away, my lord. Keep talking¡±


    I didn¡¯t know for how long, but I just talked about my worries.


    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t know how to help you.¡±


    ¡°This is more than enough, Tris. Well, you have me to yourself on this trip, so what do you want me to do?¡±


    ¡°Can...you fluff my ears?¡±


    I fondly smiled. ¡°Of course. I won¡¯t stop. Not even for a minute.¡±


    ¡°Tilde told me that sometimes all it takes is being near someone,¡± purred Tris. She closed her eyes and showcased a beautiful expression. It made me want to love her more.


    ¡°She wasn¡¯t wrong,¡± I whispered. I thought she would¡¯ve suggested something lewd. Then again, the windows weren¡¯t that tinted. I didn¡¯t need the carriage to be rocking like crazy. Besides,st night... I probably had enough sex for two lifetimes, and Tris was still raring to go when the sun came up.


    When she was in the mood¡­


    She was¡­<i>insatiable.</i>


    Just like a lioness.


    <hr>


    We eventually stopped for the night when it was time to camp, but I remained awake atop our carriage. A handful of clone birds explored the surrounding area until they died, which helped me index more ofPlymoise¡¯snever-ending, desert-like brown ins.


    Twowagons and a carriage pulled up to our campfire after midnight, but Iwasn¡¯trmed.


    ¡°Lord Springfield!¡±Ayroix said, emerging from an orange-d carriage. He dressed to impress with an orange suit, a cloak, and an axe hanging off his hip. I jumped down and shook his hand.


    ¡°It¡¯sbeen too long,¡±I replied, watching ckthorn and Captain Morgan emerge next. Verdant and Lysandermust¡¯veremained behind to help handle things.¡°And you as well, friend.How¡¯syour family?¡±


    ¡°Better than ever, my lord.¡±ckthorn nodded. Hewasn¡¯tmuch to be overly formal.¡°By the by, might I ask about that woman?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯sTris. You can thank her for the reconstruction ns.¡±


    Ayroixcouldn¡¯tbelieve it, but ckthorn said nothing could surprise him. Captain Morgan lightly chuckled and remarked he was also stunned silence after witnessingTris¡¯sincredible intellect.


    ¡°It¡¯sa pleasure to meet you,¡±Tris said. Shedidn¡¯tbow or show any other kind of respect. Her voice was just kind. I doubtshe¡¯dever lower her head for someone thatwasn¡¯tme.¡°If you have any questions or concerns about the ns, ask, and I shall answer them.¡±


    ¡°And look behind you. Butdon¡¯tscream.You¡¯llsee my other partner.¡±


    ¡°What other¡ª¡±Ayroix turned around¡­and saw Surtr looking at him in the eye. To my surprise... He held himself steady anddidn¡¯tsoil his breeches.


    ¡°I¡¯ve¡­heard stories, but to see him this close¡­¡±ckthorn uncharacteristically flinched and gulped. But after they heard him speak, they calmed down once he shared a few conversations with them. Captain Morgancouldn¡¯thelp but chuckle once more. He said Lysander had told stories about Surtr after I had left, but they thought he was joking.


    ¡°Lysander¡¯stoo serious to embellish about that,¡±I said.


    After Ayroix, ckthorn, and Morgan constructed their tents, we sat around the campfire and spoke about Atrix. Verdant and Captain Morgan were instrumental. It took some convincing, but the people readily eptedPlymoise¡¯shelp after a rousing speech about the Spirit of Unity¡ªsomething Tris had prepared as a precaution.


    The city was still months from being repaired, but life was as itshould''vebeen. A few nobles were reluctant to help, but their assets were seized by Ayroix since they were partly responsible for the corruption that led to the rebellion. But Ayroix pointed out that gross overuse of powerwasn¡¯ton his mind. Thest thing he needed was for the High Elf of Liberation toe for his head. He desired to be fair and just. And not for himself, but for his family¡­


    He was going to be father¡­ Tris telepathically told me Beatrice was approximately two months pregnant. General ckthorn was caught off guard, but the man hid it well.


    Ayroix wished he could tell Cid.¡°Ifit¡¯sa boy, we agreed to name him that¡ªwith Dryke as a middle name. Ifit¡¯sa girl? Beatrice likes the sound of Be.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯rewonderful names, Ayroix,¡±I said.


    Wecouldn¡¯tcelebrate that loudly, but I took out some booze I had stashed and shared a toast.


    ¡°Ah, but before I forget.¡±Ayroix scampered to his carriage and returned with three carefully packaged boxes.


    ¡°What¡¯sthis?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯sa present from Ms. Verdant to wear at the Heptarchis. She pulled a few all-nighters to finish it.¡±


    ¡°Care to try it on, my lord?¡±asked Tris.


    ¡°Sure. Why not? Excuse me, gentlemen¡­ Surtr, could you make me a me curtain?¡±


    ¡°As you wish.¡±Surtr raised his tail and fired a spark of ck mes. An enclosed circle about ten feet tall appeared when itnded twenty feet away, and I effortlessly walked through the opaque fire to find myself entrapped in total privacy.


    A bit overkill, but it worked.


    ¡°Now¡­ What do we have here?¡±


    I was honestly excited and giddy. Verdant was a good woman. I liked her, and to receive a gift from her? It made my heart quiver¡ªespecially if she had made it with her two hands.


    And it was gorgeous¡­ So tantalizingly beautiful that¡­I cried.


    Her precious present was a full-body costume adorned with various shades of green leaves and vines. The headpiece was a bit much, but it connected beautifully with the neck essory. Lucious, thick leaves wereyered onto the skirt that trailed behind, and the arm gauntlets were given the same loving attention.


    I¡­


    I felt like a princess¡­like an actual, genuine, true princess of the forest. I felt the cool, smooth wooden leggings and delicately carved heels, then¡­


    I cried.


    This¡­


    Was this me? It felt like I was meant to wear this.


    The curtain of mes went down, and jaws dropped.


    Spoiler


    [copse]


    ¡°It looks stunning on you, Lord Springfield.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. I say Ms. Verdant¡¯s efforts bore fruit. You wear it well, Lord Springfield.¡±


    Surtr quietly roared his approval, and Tris remarked on my pulchritudinous beauty, likening me to the bright stars nketing this gorgeous night.


    <i>Ask Tilde to send a letter to Verdant on my behalf thanking her for her present. I want her to know how much I love it.</i>


    <i>As you wish, my lord. Tilde wishes to see it, so I used waypoint imaging to recreate your appearance. She gives you two thumbs up!</i>


    <i>Well, I¡¯m d she approves, haha!</i>


    <i></i>The only problem¡­was the chest. It was too small. I had to shrink my breasts to fit, but was that really a problem? Hell no. This outfit¡­ It was possibly the best gift I didn¡¯t know I wanted.


    ¡°And Lysander? What has he been doing?¡± I asked, getting the discussion back on track.


    ¡°Reorganizing the Citrine Reapers,¡± answered Ayroix. ¡°They¡¯re returning to their original purpose, but they only have 4 members¡ªLysander, Mikel, Ry, and Donde.¡± I didn¡¯t recall thatst one, but Tris told me he was one of those archers who had aimed a bow at me.


    ¡°A refocus on nature would do them good. But what about you? The reapers were Gregory¡¯s personal bodyguards and assassins.¡±


    ¡°Assassins? Do...I need them?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps not, Lord Atrix,¡± replied Captain Morgan. "But I cannot deny the role that assassination ys in maintaining peace."


    ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± I added. ¡°You¡¯re always going to have dissidents. But frame the question around. Don¡¯t ask about assassins, but inquire about a recement for the reapers. However, frame them as bodyguards first. Think of them as...your secret service. A group of warriors dedicated to your well-being.¡±


    ¡°Secret...service?¡±


    ¡°The name isn¡¯t important,¡± I said. ¡°But I know little of ruling and needing specialized defenses.¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re so strong?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. But it¡¯s different. Surtr¡¯s my guardian. And I have another close ally¡ªhis original summoner. I don¡¯t require protection around the clock, but someone like you? It wouldn¡¯t be the worst thing. Yetdon¡¯tlet it get to your head. You¡¯re not a god. You may hold the blood of a Vestige, but you still bleed like any other man. And that means you can die. No one... No one is truly immortal. Not a Dark Lord... And not a Holy Lord.¡±


    ¡°...¡± Ayroix pondered my thoughts as he drank.


    ¡°You¡¯re a ruler now. You and your people have expectations.¡± I kept going. ¡°Be sure to meet them, but don¡¯t let them run all over you. You must bnce on a line finer than a spider¡¯s thread. But know that it¡¯s impossible to make everyone happy. Every action you take will enrich one while another suffers. But I shouldn¡¯t get off topic. ckthorn?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re aware of what I¡¯m talking about, right? A defensive force? A unit that would give their lives for Ayroix.¡±


    ¡°I am. The notion has crossed my mind, but the process will be rigorous and rough.¡±


    ¡°Tryouts, then? I¡¯m aware arge portion of the military has sworn an oath to Ayroix, but you cannot be sure their loyalties are legitimate.¡±


    ¡°That is a concern of mine. I feel that it may be too soon. Some may see it as Lord Atrix exercising his power, so it may be better to wait until the fire has simmered.¡±


    ¡°Those are my thoughts exactly. Returning home with excellent news from the Heptarchis will go a long way, Ayroix. Then again, perhaps not. You will make these decisions in the future, and the answer will not always be easy. Remember. You¡¯re responsible for every life in your city-state.¡±


    ¡°...¡± The young ruler was quiet and lost in thought, and Ayroix had much to ponder. After yawning, I suggested that it may be better for his mind to process everything while he slept.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Surtr and I¡¯ll take the night watch,¡± I said, seeing them to their tents. They thanked me once more, and I was alone with my lion, leaning against his warm fur, chatting about whether Ayroix had what it took to lead a city-state.


    The morning sun approached a few hourster, and during breakfast, Gretchen and Ayroix formally pledged to an agreement of trade and defense. The two were now allies. They were before because both had signed the documents, but this was their first in-person meeting.


    ¡°But I didn¡¯t know Verdant had it in her,¡± said Gretchen. ¡°She could make a very lucrative living designing clothing for elves. Oh, it looks absolutely dashing on you, Lord Springfield. Oh, I must ask her about her sewing process.¡±


    After we ate, it was time to continue. This time, Tris was greedy and wanted me to hold her hands while giving her ap pillow.


    Well, who was I to deny her?


    She kept looking at me and said I was like a warm sun.


    We left Plymoise territory and passed by Indiko¡¯s borders in the afternoon. Whereas Atrix had flowing ins of green and a lot of nature, Indiko seemed to be perpetually trapped in autumn¡ªone partly dyed by a crimson tint. The many trees were nketed byauburnleaves falling from the slightest gust.


    Indikoian guards on patrol stopped us, but they let us pass once Gretchen and Ayroix told them we were attending the Heptarchis. The soldiers even grabbed their horses and escorted us along the quickest path. Nothing horrific happened, so it wasn¡¯t a ploy to take us out, but it felt weird.


    Surtr probably put a wrench in those ploys if they had any.


    And nothing of note happened when night fell upon thend¡ªother than letting Surtr roam loose and hunt the nearby wildlife. He was back in the morning, yet his footsteps were so insanely quiet that I barely heard them.


    <hr>


    In the blink of an eye, thest day was upon us.


    It had taken us six days of travel.


    During that time, Gretchen had imparted some of her wisdom upon Ayroix whenever we stopped for breaks. She took it upon herself to act as his mentor, I guess. He wasn¡¯t even 20 years old, but even though he was ¡®pressured¡¯ into doing this, he still chose to see it through. And he couldn¡¯t back out now. The time for that was long, long,<i>long</i>gone.


    But if he had submitted to cowardice and disregarded Verdant and Cid... I would¡¯ve had to take his spot. That n was to manipte Little Gregory¡¯s journal to reveal a second bastard son and create a clone to turn into him rather than waste it on Cid. After killing Little Gregory, I''d assimte him to have his blood running through theclone. Then, while participating in the forting Heptarchis,theclonewould convince the others that they wouldabdicatethe city-state to install a democracy-driven council to look after it since, at that moment, theclonewould ¡®reveal¡¯ a hidden and incurable disease.


    Yes, it had ws, but it was enough to give Atrix a starting boost to hopefully change things around. Lysander would¡¯ve helped a lot. And ckthorn would¡¯ve joined the council since he loved the city-state. So, Tris predicted things would¡¯ve been fine for a few years, if not a decade, before tension or war threatened to crumble the fragile peace that had been constructed.


    <span ss="TextRun SCXW69995518 BCX0"ng="en-us" xmlng="en-us"><span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW69995518 BCX0">You <span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW69995518 BCX0">couldn''t<span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW69995518 BCX0"> force democracy on a country that had never experienced it and expect it to work without issues or ws. <span ss="EOP SCXW69995518 BCX0">


    And at that point?


    Was it really my responsibility to step in and save things?


    I¡¯d only do it if there was a risk of my family being harmed or killed due to the fallout, but other than that...and if I didn¡¯t need the life force or SP...


    I wouldn¡¯t join.


    But I¡¯d be the biggest fool to give up so much free food and power. I wasn¡¯t in a spot where I could ignore an easy chance to tremendously grow in strength¡ªeven considering where I¡¯d be a decade from now. This world had taught me that you couldn¡¯t be too powerful.


    So...


    I suppose I¡¯d have to involve myself if I happened to be around the area, but I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d rush across countries or sail across the ocean to reach it.


    In the early morning, we left our campsite after putting out the fire and rode south through Riotic. Thend was enchanting because all sources of water werevender. The rain was purple. The streams looked like someone had melted and poured a trillion tons of amethyst into thekes. Even the wind was tinted, and it felt so much like winter.


    But it never snowed.


    I summonedClone!Sekh during thisst leg of the journey.


    But it wasn¡¯t to make love.


    It was to talk.


    ¡°You should see Primrose. I fucked up with her, but things are better. She shouldn¡¯t have any more nightmares about Aetos. But we¡¯re almost at Orchta. Hopefully, this won¡¯t take long¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­it¡¯s taking so--¡±


    ¡°I love you, and I¡¯ll always love you,¡± theclonesaid in her voice. ¡°You¡¯re doing your best. I¡¯m proud of you. And I¡¯m proud of what you¡¯ve aplished. I¡¯m waiting for you¡­¡±


    ¡°Sekh¡­ I¡¯m¡­almost there. Ijustneed to find someone to heal your wounds¡­ But I swear¡­ I¡¯ll find someone. Just¡­remain strong¡­¡±


    ¡°I shall wait for you...no matter how long it takes¡­¡± Sekh¡¯sclonevisibly shuddered. It was about to turn into slime and vanish¡­but even in its dying moments¡­it wanted tofort me.


    After it did, Tris crawled into myp and hugged my teary face. She whispered sweet nothings and allowed me to love her until we reached our destination.

 Chapter Eighty-Six: Heptarchis – Part Two (Illustrations!)

    Chapter Eighty-Six: Heptarchis ¨C Part Two (Illustrations!)


    Orchta was the name of the ce where the meteorite crashnded all those years ago. As such, it was constructed at the bottom of a colossal crater and surrounded by rugged cliffs that made descent perilously dangerous unless you used one of the seven roads. The Orchta was a ¡®holy ground,¡¯ so to speak, so it didn¡¯t offer much in rxation or entertainment.


    We were traveling down one of the roads¡ªone that held torches alit with green mes. I stood on top of the carriage and saw the other six paths with my enhanced eyesight, nked by torches lit with their respective colors. Ayroix¡¯s group was on the one meant for Atrix.


    At the bottom, we entered through a gate after Gretchen confirmed her identity to the robed monks standing in front. The roads were left unpaved, and they were bumpy and uneven. Surtr attracted much attention from the onlookers¡ªall were dressed in colors not matching any of Parthina¡¯s Vestiges. Since this was the heart of Parthina, the overwhelming natural phenomena from the city-states didn¡¯t exist. That purple wind was nowhere to be seen, and the trees and grass were clear like colorless ss.


    It was like...those seven colors had vanished from this ce...


    The carriages stopped in front of a building, and I hopped down. Gretchen met me and exined that Orchta was not to show favoritism to any one city-state. Their colors and symbols weren¡¯t supposed to match the Vestiges. ¡°The Heptarchis is to take ce at a structure in the middle of the vige called The Entente Sanctum. Seven paths radiate outward and lead to seven buildings. That is where we will stay while the discussions are ongoing.¡±


    ¡°I can think of them as embassies, yes? The Plymoise dorm is considered Plymoise¡¯s property?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct. Follow me, and I¡¯ll escort you to the sanctum. We must meet with the Wisefolk and check in. The Heptarchis isn¡¯t scheduled to start until tomorrow.¡±


    After unhooking Surtr from the harness, we followed Gretchen to our destination. My lion really attracted attention, but no one said anything.


    We reached the sanctum, met up with Ayroix and the others, then walked around to where Plymoise¡¯s embassy sat. Two guards in leather armor opened the door for us. They shared looks after Surtr was too big to fit through. He had no choice but to return to my bracelet¡ªmuch to his chagrin.


    After stepping in, I was met by the grandeur of the magnificent hall. Seven marble columns nearby supported the roof, and they were ornately carved with prior tales of unity and cooperation from the seven city-states. Sunlight filtered through the green stained-ss windows, and the air was filled with anticipation.


    ¡°Have you been here before?¡± I asked Ayroix.


    ¡°No. I read Gregory¡¯s journals after you left, so I understand the traditions and schedule well enough. But his words fail to do Orchta justice.¡±


    ¡°It is a unique experience, Lord Atrix,¡± Gretchen said. ¡°But don¡¯t worry. I shall impart what I know. We are allies, are we not?¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your generosity, Lady Plymoise. It will not be forgotten.¡± Ayroix bowed very slightly.


    <i>My lord, permission to stay here? I could begin the process of indexing the city.</i>


    <i>Go for it.</i>


    Tris remained behind and entered the room that would be ours. I subtly left five tiny balls of slime that rolled under the door when we departed for Atrix¡¯s embassy.


    That one was mostly the same, but everything was colored orange. We then left and walked until arriving at the Entente Sanctum. It was a circr structure-- one without a roof¡ªand it housed a magnificent meeting table. It was an open-air auditorium¡ªalmost like an outdoor theatre¡ªa circr structure without a roof. I was sure it was enchanted with wind or some other magic to keep the area dry should it rain. Well, Trister confirmed my thoughts a secondter.


    And we weren¡¯t alone.


    ¡°Ah, Lady Plymoise! When I heard word of Atrix¡¯s aggression, I certainly feared the worst,¡± said a bald man with a striking red mustache and beard, which matched his suit. He was nked by a pair of soldiers wielding ming weapons across their backs.


    ¡°Lord Indiko, how kind of you to worry about me,¡± replied Gretchen. ¡°It was a harrowing experience, but it is behind us.¡±


    ¡°Pray, I hope it is. However, might I inquire why you didn¡¯t request a Heptarchis before the assault happened? Surely you saw the signs, Lady Plymoise.¡±


    ¡°That is why we are here, my dear friend. It concerns this very Heptarchis. Have you seen Lady Riotic, Lord Terokai, or Sir Hairokei?¡±


    ¡°They arrived yesterday, as did I. Lord Napoli is missing, but I¡¯m sure he''ll arrive within the half-day. The Wisefolk departed an hour ago for dinner.¡±


    ¡°I see. I would have liked to check in, but it will wait.¡±


    ¡°About Lord Atrix¡­ Lady Plymoise, are the rumors I hear true? Is that¡­?¡± He eyed Ayroix and raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°I¡¯m Ayroix Atrix, Lord Indiko. Atrix is under my rule¡ª¡±


    ¡°Under your rule? As I understand it, boy, the High Elf of Liberation is responsible for your sesses.¡± He looked at me. ¡°Without her, you wouldn¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand, Lord Indiko. What I did cannot possiblypare to leading a rebellion with a just heart,¡± I interjected. ¡°The seven rulers of the seven city-states are equals when you are here, are you not? It would hardly be appropriate to start calling each other by demoralizing titles.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s where you¡¯re mistaken, Madam High Elf.¡± He looked me up and down and refrained frommenting on my outfit.


    ¡°It¡¯s Lord Springfield. And pray tell, why am I wrong?¡±


    ¡°Until the Wisefolk convene and decree the boy of having the blood of a Vestige flowing through him, he is none other than a child not deserving to be here. He has not earned acknowledgment, for in my eyes, he is merely pretending to be worthy. Until he has been epted, he is less of a man and more of trash not befitting to sully my boots or gaze.¡±


    ¡°The Wisefolk? I see¡­ This will be an interesting moment in Parthina¡¯s history?¡±


    ¡°Oh? You¡¯ve got me curious, Lord Springfield. I am awfully intrigued to test the extent of the rumors I¡¯ve heard. For example, they say you ride a ming lion while wielding the firesalt-fueled armamentsmonly used by Dark Elves. Is that true?¡±


    I didn¡¯t have any guns equipped because it felt like walking in with five firearms holstered on my body was probably asking for trouble.


    ¡°And they say Atrix and Plymoise have signed treaties of defense and trade. How peculiar. Care to wage in, Lady Plymoise?¡± he continued.


    Gretchen smiled and spoke for me. ¡°Rumors can be powerful tools, Lord Indiko. Very powerful, very damaging, and very useful. But let us save that for the Heptarchis, yes? The trip was long, and we must recover before tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. The ride from Indiko was¡­unsettling. But s, I¡¯ll let you get your rest, Lady Plymoise. Lord Springfield, please excuse me.¡± Indiko nodded and walked away with his guards, leaving us alone.


    I noticed he ignored Ayroix.


    Captain Morgan and ckthorn asked if we wanted to return to our rooms. They said they¡¯d stay here and check us in once the Wisefolk returned.


    ¡°But be sure to get your rest. Theing days will be long.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lady Plymoise.¡± Captain Morgan nodded, his two tails intertwining, and we returned to the embassies. Gretchen had the master''s room, so I entered the door beside it. Surtr came out when I fell to the bed and sighed. Tris moved from her chair to my side andid her head across my stomach.


    This ce was almost a dead ringer for the Waterdale Inn. It even had hot springs with four walls and a roof with slits for the steam to escape¡ªwhich almost suggested this ce was built on a geothermal valley. If the other city-states had simr features, did that extend to their embassies?


    Why did I feel¡­so uneasy? Fighting and orchestrating a revolution was one thing because I could lie my ass off, but politicking? I was d I was here for my strength.


    But that didn¡¯t mean I could rx.


    ¡°Get some rest, my lord. I shall continue to index the city and learn what I can.


    ¡°Okay, thank you. Surtr, can I sleep against you?¡±


    ¡°That is no problem,¡± growled my lion. Surtr crawled into bed, curled up, and Iid against his ming fur. Instantly, I dozed off and dreamed of a simpler time. Sekh was here¡­holding me close to her bosom and rubbing my back.


    ¡­


    It was a good dream, but it ended with me waking up with wet and reddened eyes.


    <hr>


    Tris told me Ayroix came to invite me to dinner, but she declined on my behalf because I was asleep.


    ¡°Lord Napoli arrived shortly after midnight and checked in. The other leaders discussed Ayroix¡¯s rebellion in detail until the early morning,¡± she said.


    ¡°Together?¡± I asked, stretching. I rolled off Surtr¡¯s back and fixed my clothes.


    ¡°Yes. Lord Indiko, Lady Riotic, and Sir Hairokei. Lord Napoli never left his embassy.¡±


    ¡°What about Terokai? The same?¡±


    ¡°Affirmative. But the High Elf of Liberation came up multiple times after they disregarded Ayroix as a ¡®little boy.¡¯ Surtr¡¯s name was mentioned as added rumors. They wondered if they would see him but don¡¯t know if he exists.¡±


    ¡°I think that can be arranged. Surtr, feel like making a ssh?"


    "I am looking forward to it, Lord Springfield.¡± Surtr licked his paws and rubbed his cute, ferocious face.


    ¡°The Wisefolk are having breakfast, so I expect the Heptarchis to get underway shortly. It¡¯s¡­rather difficult to get information on them. They primarily speak to each other through telepathy, and I cannot eavesdrop on them. But something concerns me. During the scarce moments of verbalmunication, they spoke of a Dark Lord of Justice.¡±


    That certainly got my attention.


    ¡°I asked Tilde, and she said he¡¯s the Head Arbitrator for the Kingdom of Aquanis. He¡¯s called in to remedy situations between countries to ensure peace prevails when there is potential for a mass casualty event to ur.¡±


    I ced a hand on my chin. ¡°Why him? Why this? This is a spat between city-states, not some war between multiple countries. How did it even reach him?¡±


    ¡°I cannot be sure, but I have my theories¡­¡± Tris said Lord Enele might have nned to arbitrate the Heptarchis because of me. Vauche probably leaked my full name. That was fine. And since rumors of the High Elf of Liberation had spread like wildfire, which was also fine¡­


    Those sharp enough to do the math had probably figured I was a secret holdout from Vredi Forest. Although for a High Elf, or any else, for that matter, being a hybrid of two forests and having two surnames was practically an impossibility.


    And that was fine. It was within the calctions Tris had made.


    No matter what people wanted to believe, the world¡¯s rules couldn¡¯t be ¡®broken¡¯ by anyone other than me.


    If someone used a Scan Stone to read my name, they must ept me as Lyudm Vredi Springfield.


    ¡°The one problem is somehow encountering a Vredi. I do look like Susize¡ªI share her face. But only her family would recognize me, right? And what are the chances Enele met a Vredi beforeing here?


    ¡°It isn¡¯t 0. Tilde said Lord Enele evolved centuries after Lady Sekh was sealed. However, his position is acimed and respected. I cannot give a precise chance in numerical value. There are too many unknown variables I cannot calcte.¡±


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t sound like that. Come here. Take off your hat, and I¡¯ll rub your ears, okay?¡± That certainly perked Tris up. She almost dissolved like butter in the twenty minutes I spent showing her my affection until Gretchen was knocking on my door.


    The rulingdy of Plymoise wore her fanciest, greenest gown, and her ne was polished to a shiny sheen. ¡°I¡¯ve received word, Lord Springfield. The Heptarchis is to begin shortly. We are to make our way to the sanctum.¡±


    ¡°Understood. Surtr, Tris, we¡¯re heading out.¡±


    We left the embassy, and Surtr slipped inside the bracelet and emerged once we were past the door.


    We entered the sanctum and found arge round table with fifteen chairs.


    The Wisefolk were seven individuals, three male and four female, who wore colorless robes. Even their hair and facial haircked color and seemed to be transparent. They were already sitting, leaving a space between them. Seven of the remaining eight spots had a small rock, which matched the Vestiges¡¯ colors.


    We arrived first, so Gretchen took her seat. Me, Tris, and Surtr, who had all eyes on him, stood behind her. I crossed my arms.


    ¡°Is that the elusive lion we¡¯ve heard so much about in the past weeks? The one that killed five drakes and three hippogriffs single-handedly? The one contracted to the fabled High Elf of Liberation?¡± The speaker was Sir Hairokei, the second city-state ruler to join the Heptarchis. He wore a yellow robe, but his left eye was made of yellow stained ss.


    <i>I¡¯m fabled now?</i>


    The two women standing behind him were dressed as kunoichi. Their outfits were yellow, but their hoods and lower face masks were ck.


    ¡°Ah, I wondered when it was going to show up. Let me guess, Lord Springfield. Your powerful spirit resides within that bracelet you wear, yes?¡± Lord Indiko was the next to arrive a momentter.


    ¡°You may be correct.¡±


    ¡°Lord Indiko, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve never seen a catalyst like that, have you?¡± Lady Riotic arrived next with her male entourage. She was a tanned woman who wore a purple suit. Her freckles and ponytail shared the same color. After she sat, she lifted her hand. The purple ring she wore shed, and a violet cobra materialized. It slithered to her head and rested, coiling while acting like a sentry.


    ¡°Can¡¯t say I have, Lady Riotic. I choose to employ spirits that don¡¯t need to remain locked away. It diminishes their value. Oh? Is that Lord Napoli?¡±


    A dark-skinned man with ck scales on his forearms walked into the sanctum. He remained silent when sitting down. His orcish guards each had two warhammers on their backs.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Still a man of few words, huh?¡± Lord Indiko shrugged.


    ¡°We¡¯re missing Lord Atrix, yes? Should I take his absence to mean the rumors I heard about his city-state are true? Has it really fallen to rebellion?¡± Lord Terokai asked. He sat and crossed his legs. He shared the same skin tone as Napoli, yet rather than have scales, Lord Terokai¡¯s face was covered in glowing tattoos that matched his blue suit.


    ¡°Not necessarily, Lord Terokai,¡± said Ayroix, who was thest to arrive. ckthorn stood behind the young lord as he took his seat.


    ¡°Ah, the whelping has returned,¡± Lord Indiko said. ¡°Care to regal us with how Atrix was given to you? Are you sure you¡¯re supposed to be here? Return home, boy.¡±


    ¡°Why the hostility, my friend?¡± Lady Riotic asked. ¡°Should we not wait and see if he carries the blood of his Vestige?¡±


    ¡°Look at him. That¡¯s all the proof you need.¡±


    ¡°Wisefolk, could you resolve this issue? We won¡¯t get anywhere if we continue to squabble like this.¡±


    All seven raised their hands towards the rocks in front of the leaders. Gretchen and the others touched them, and they illuminated in their respective colors.


    Lord Indiko looked at Ayroix and referred to him as Lord Atrix, and it seemed that was all he needed. But the bastard didn¡¯t apologize. He just shrugged it off with a jollyugh.


    ¡°You have my thanks,¡± said Lady Riotic. ¡°Furthermore, it¡¯s not often we have an empty seat. Care to fill us in, my dear Wisefolk?¡±


    ¡°Due to the circumstances behind this Heptarchis¡­¡± One Wisefolk spoke, then stopped, and another continued their sentence.


    ¡°¡­the Kingdom of Aquanis has taken note of the skirmish and hasty conclusion of Atrix¡¯s aggression¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­the Dark Lord of Justice contacted Orchta and offered his assistance to reach a peaceful conclusion¡­¡±


    ¡°The Dark Lord of Justice?!¡± Terokai and Indiko eximed. ¡°The Head Arbitrator of Aquanis? Coming here?¡±


    Suddenly, my ears twitched. A secondter, a hole in the fabric of time and space opened, and two people walked out.


    One was a man¡ªa towering figure of seven feet with amanding presence. His brown skin spoke of strength and resilience. His bald head gleamed under the warm sunlight,plementing his sharp facial features and deep, contemtive eyes that seemed to hold ancient wisdom.


    He was adorned in flowing orange monk robes. The fabric cascaded down his muscr frame, entuating his wide chest and broad shoulders. Each sinewy muscle spoke of years of rigorous training and physical prowess. A turtle shell ne adorned his neck, its ornate patterns and earthy tones signifying wisdom and protection.


    That was Enele, the Dark Lord of Justice¡ªthe most powerful existence I¡¯d seen in my life as Lyudm Vredi Springfield. His skills were a dozen miles long, and he was a master of many different fighting styles.


    Spoiler


    [copse]


    But he wasn¡¯t alone. A slim, slender woman was with him. Her eyes were a warm shade of brown.


    Her long blond hair cascaded down her back, shimmering in the sunlight and highlighting her delicate features. Her elongated, elegantly pointed ears revealed her Elvish heritage. She wore a flowing cloak that draped gracefully around her shoulders. Its telluric hues and intricate needlework reflected her connection to nature.


    The staff she wielded struck a chord in my heart because I felt Susize¡¯s memories pass me by. It was forged from the oldest tree in Vredi Forest¡ªthe one that imparted the wood for Susize¡¯s first bow. It gleamed with runes and symbols I recognized as being from Ancient Elvish. It was a protective poem Susize chiseled into it after she opened Holy Lord Amos¡¯s Soul Crystal and became his Soul Warrior-- the same words were engraved on her outfit, which was sewn by those she loved very, very much...so long, long ago.


    This elf was Lv. 155, a master of magic, and over 1,200 years old.


    Spoiler


    [copse]


    And her name was Seraphina Vredi.


    Things just became moreplicated.

 Chapter Eighty-Seven: Seraphina Vredi

    Chapter Eighty-Seven: Seraphina Vredi


    Susize Vredi¡¯s flesh-and-blood sister immediately bit her lip after looking at my face and raised her hood over her head.


    I wondered why no one asked why two High Elves shared the same face, but illusion magic was to me.


    <i>I do not take failure well, my lord. After evolving, I specialize in piercing veils that hide the truth. Should I detect one, I alter your sight to see through it.</i>


    I did my best to not stare, and she did the same. She would probably talk to me after the Heptarchis, so I needed to steel myself for an ufortable encounter.


    ¡°I do hope you¡¯ll forgive me for my tardiness,¡± said Lord Enele, his voice deep and smooth, like a famous bass line. ¡°I offer my most sincere apologies.¡± Lord Enele sat in the empty chair. ¡°I was recently on the Western Continent to hold discussions to end the war between Cridia and Uquenia.¡±


    ¡°Not at all, Lord Enele. Please, raise your head.¡± Terokai was being a kiss-ass.


    ¡°A war¡­?¡± I thought that was my voice, but it was Ayroix. ¡°Between two Divine Countries?¡±


    ¡°Curious, are you?¡± Lord Enele asked. The way he spoke sounded rm bells in my mind. ¡°I¡¯m not surprised word hasn¡¯t spread to Plymoise and Atrix. Considering the obvious, of course, which is why we have gathered here today. But do not let your mind worry about it. The situation has been handled.¡±


    <i>Tris, look around with [Skyview]. See if you can get more information around Plymoise, Atrix, and what remains of Ria.</i>


    <i>Understood.</i>


    ¡°With that said, let us begin the Heptarchis,¡±manded Enele. His voice alone¡­was deep and powerful, like the roar of an ancient bear. But it was sophisticated and civilized. A perfect harmony between both made those who heard it want to look.


    The Wisefolk called on Gretchen to give her side of the story. Then questions were directed to me since she dropped my name as a valuable ally, and it turned to Ayroix, who spoke of the rebellion as a means to an end-- to stop Gregory¡¯s violent rule.


    The obvious question was asked by Lady Riotic.


    ¡°Please do not think I didn¡¯t request a Heptarchis after it happened. I did. Yet, I was given a letter stating my request was denied. Furthermore, the messenger was a mimic. Had Lord Springfield not been there to stop theassassination attempt, I would not be here.¡±


    Indikomented on Plymoise¡¯s historically weak navy and inquired how she defeated seven Concordian-ss battleships.


    ¡°You already know the answer, Lord Indiko. But that is not why I requested this Heptarchis. A mysterious letter has found its way to my hands. One that was penned by none other than Gregory Atrix!¡± Gretchen retrieved proof of Orchta¡¯s corruption andid it on the table. ¡°Orchta is no longer pure. The Heptarchis has been tainted! The Wisefolk can no longer be trusted with overseeing Parthina!¡±


    And chaos broke loose. Hearing an outrageous im would have gotten anyone riled up if it concernedtheirway of life. Indiko and Terokai didn¡¯t want to believe it. Sir Hairokei argued with those two. Napoli remained silent and watched with judging eyes. Ayroix sweated bullets. He looked at me, and his face asked if I knew. I merely nodded. Perhaps my secrecy hurt him.


    Maybe I should¡¯ve told him.


    I didn¡¯t really care. Nothing good or bad would¡¯vee of it. Ayroix probably would¡¯ve said he could¡¯ve searched Gregory¡¯s vi for more information, but Tris had already explored it from top to bottom.


    The madness only calmed once Enele cleared his throat. He emitted a quick pulse of his overwhelming mana, which almost knocked me away. The fear¡­ I hadn''t felt anything like it since I was thrown through the portal.


    For a moment, it felt like all my efforts to get this far¡­was just for nothing. Meruria?


    That bitch was as useless as Shuuta Fentonpared to this¡­anomaly. Surtr heard my teeth chattering and calmed me down.


    Enele reached for the letter and read it. Then he grabbed his ne. It glowed and turned into a justice scale, albeit with a turtle-like twist.


    <i>My lord, that¡¯s a Divine Armament! It¡¯s in the same category as Lady Sekh¡¯s mace!</i>


    This guy had something like that?!


    ¡°With the power of [Conferment], I used my authority as the Dark Lord of Justice to bestow upon a rule of truth. Let the Wisefolk of Orchta speak the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.¡± The scales vibrated, then enclosed the sanctum in a colorless light.


    My heart sank deep into my stomach. I¡¯d never seen anyone other than me use it. How the hell did he master it so quickly? And to utilize it in such a way?


    ¡°[Conferment]?! Then those words I heard weren¡¯t figments of my mind?¡±


    ¡°It appears not, Lord Indiko. I take it you¡¯re seeing the mysterious power in action for the first time?¡± Napoli spoke for the first time. His voice was oddly calm.


    But I wasn¡¯t.


    I was freaking the fuck out.


    How in the goddamn did Enele master [Conferment]? And how the hell did he use it on multiple people¡ªno, that wasn¡¯t urate. Enele used it on all Orchta. And he used it specifically again to target only the Wisefolk¡­


    Why? Tris said he held a spell called [Truth Field], which did the same thing. SO...


    WHY?!


    Using it twice did nothing except make a point. But for who? Who was he trying to¡­?


    <i>Holy shit¡­ Holy goddamn shit¡­ I need to reach that level¡­ No, I need to surpass it.</i>


    "Honorable Wisefolk of Orchta, heed my humble request. Let your words be as pure as the morning dew, devoid of deceit or falsehood as we delve into the matter. Recant the truth of the letter.¡±


    One by one, the Wisefolk spoke, and it wasn¡¯t by choice. They actively struggled against Enele¡¯s overwhelming use of [Conferment] to the point where they bled from the eyes.


    ¡°¡­Eerg¡­ The¡­the Wisefolk of Orchta¡­was¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Beseeched by man¡­not of Parthina¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­to¡­collect¡­and¡­deliver¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­the¡­seven¡­ Vestiges¡­for¡­for¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­ archeological¡­purposes¡­to¡­put¡­an¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­end to the¡­eternal¡­wars¡­to¡­bring¡­peace to¡­


    ¡°¡­and unlock¡­Parthina¡¯s¡­secret¡­history¡­hidden¡­by the¡­Wisefolk¡­of old¡­¡±


    ¡°Secret history?!¡± Lady Riotic spoke first.


    ¡°The ancient stories dictate a period of bloody war and strife because the Vestiges were together,¡± said Sir Hairokei.


    ¡°That¡¯s why our predecessors informed us that we cannot be arrogant and try to reform the mother meteorite! That is why we form coalition armies whenever a foolish city-state tries to aplish the impossible!¡± Lord Napoli was awfully talkative and emotional.


    <i>It makes sense if Ithink of it asa series of checks and bnces. The city-states keep each other in line. But whoever this outsider is must¡¯ve manipted the Wisefolk to refrain from approving Gretchen¡¯s Heptarchis request. They must¡¯ve provided Atrix with supplies. But why not more? They probably couldn¡¯t. If they gave too much aid, perhaps the Wisefolk would have no choice but to intervene? They can probably get away with a little bit of corruption. But if it goes too far, then they need to act. Gregory should¡¯ve burned the letter. But I wonder if he nned on ckmailing the Wisefolk?</i>


    Lord Enele took a deep breath and canceled his use of [Conferment]. He said he offered to meditate this Heptarchis as the Head Arbitrator of Aquanis because he sensed something foul was at y. He side-eyed me, so there was probably a second reason. And I wondered if it had anything to do with Seraphina. She was awfully adept at staring at me via her peripheral vision.


    ¡°Under the Dark Lord of Justice, Iherebypass on judgement to the Wisefolk of Orchta. For the crime of defying the sacred traditions of your ancestors for personal gain, I dere you guilty," Enele proimed, his scales shimmering with an intense radiance. "For the crime of forsaking the harmony of Orchta, I dere you guilty," his scales zed with an ominous glow. "And finally, for the crime of betraying the sacred trust bestowed upon you as the cornerstone of Parthina, I dere you guilty," the resounding words echoed through the chamber, sealing the fate of the used.


    Enele closed his eyes and took a deep breath.


    ¡°The Wisefolk of Orchta areherebysentenced to death. Use the refrain I¡¯ve given you to make amends with your end. The execution shall take ce tomorrow morning.¡± Enele¡¯s words were heavy. Seraphina then acted. She ordered the Wisefolk to stand, and she escorted them away.


    ¡°D¡ªDie?¡± Lord Indiko eximed. ¡°Lord Enele, the Wisefolk have always been here. They¡¯re the cornerstone of Parthina! We must have the Rite of Session and instate their sessors--¡±


    ¡°That cornerstone is broken. It cannot be trusted. I have made my judgement while looking towards the future. Once the stain of corruption has fettered your soul, you remain weak to it. Its alluring nature will chip away at your renewed resolve faster than before.¡±


    Lady Plymoise spoke and asked what they were to do. ¡°I will not leavewhilstthe future is unclear, Lady Plymoise. Parthina is a rich nation with a history unlike any other. Itsnds are vibrant and beautiful¡ªa sight you cannot experience anywhere else. Seeing it torn asunder? I cannot possibly allow it,¡± Enele replied.


    And just like that¡­


    The entire topic changed. Tris said she didn¡¯t think it would turn out like this.


    <hr>


    For thirteen hours, Lord Enele and the others talked politics, foreign policy, domestic affairs, taxes, rules, regtions, and the consequences of two city-states entering a defensive pact. Of course, they wanted to speak of the Wisefolk and what Lord Enele had in mind to rece them, but he said that discussion wouldeter.


    Gretchen argued that she couldn¡¯t be sure any other city-state had a secret agreement, and it only made sense for Plymoise and Atrix to take the necessary steps to defend each other.


    Lord Indiko said Gretchen¡¯s idea was ludicrous. Two others echoed the same and mentioned they would be forced to take preemptive measures.


    Tensions were ring. You¡¯d think they¡¯d simmer when Lord Enele used [Conferment] to have only the truth spoken, thereby revealing that there weren¡¯t any secret agreements, but it did little.


    Gretchen had good reasons to want this defensive pact.


    Since the crux of the matter was Atrix, Lord Napoli wanted a trusted advisor from each of their city-states to each have 1/6th controlling power and form a council to steer Atrix¡¯s growth. Lady Riotic echoed that statement. She said that was the only way to be sure the defensive pact didn¡¯t turn into something offensive and violent.


    ¡°That won¡¯t work. The people would never go for it. We spent a month overthrowing a traitorous lord¡ªone that delved so far to hirea chimerato assist him. Yet you ask foreign bodies to have a say over what we do? We have letters and documents of Gregory Atrix selling the lives of his citizens and soldiers to a certain city-state to test their spells.¡±


    ¡°A chimera?!¡± Sweat poured down Lady Riotic¡¯s cheeks.


    ¡°He appears to be telling the truth,¡± Lord Enele said. He held a Scan Stone and confirmed Ayroix¡¯s chimera yer title.


    ¡°My¡­ Oh my¡­ Who knew you had the courage to y one of those monsters. Shall we ask Bellerophon to construct a barracks? Perhaps an office or an outpost?¡±


    ¡°Do not be crass, Lord Indiko. We do not have the money to license a unit from Bellerophon. We are focused on repairing our city, first and foremost. Even still, I refuse to allow others to have a say in my city-state when I cannot trust them.¡±


    Someone pointed to Gretchen, and Ayroix said she was shown to be a true friend.


    ¡°Lord Springfield? Would the High Elf of Liberation like to add anything? The rumors report you were on the scene from the beginning.¡± Lord Terokai looked at me. Gretchen nced, and I couldn¡¯t stay quiet.


    I cited my experiences within Atrix. I spoke of the people and how fiercely they fought to overthrow their tyrant ruler¡ªof how depraved Gregory was in thest few weeks. When he ordered the deaths of children and impaled them onto spikes.


    Lord Enele narrowed his eyes. I continued.


    ¡°Once they taste freedom under a man who genuinely cares for them, they will not give it up. If you¡¯re willing to deal with that, then be my guest. I expect to see you here within five years to discuss your failures, what went wrong, and how this could¡¯ve been avoided.


    ¡°You don¡¯t mince your words, Lord Springfield.¡±


    ¡°I do not, Lord Indiko. I¡¯ve seen, felt, heard, and experienced more than you could imagine.¡±


    ¡°And I don¡¯t doubt that. I cannot begin to envision what it feels like to not be at the mercy of time¡¯s whimsical restraint that binds so many others to its unbreakable chains. Rest assured, your words are highly valued and appreciated.¡±


    When night fell, Atrix and the defensive pact was still the primary topic of discussion. But Lord Enele offered a moment of respite and switched to the Wisefolk to rest their minds.


    What were they to do about them? The Orchta and Heptarchis system had been all they had known.


    They literally didn¡¯t know any other way. In my world, we had republics and democracies, but they were mostly just reminders of the past. While the concept existed here, I doubt it was anything like what the ancient Greeks developed in Athens in 508 BC.


    Someone brought up the idea of recing the Wisefolk with trusted members from their city-states, but that brought up another weakness¡ªthe same concern as the defensive pact between Atrix and Plymoise.


    What was forbidding, say, Plymoise and Atrix from colluding their voting power and influencing decisions?


    Nothing except their word.


    But if this council wasrger? Say, for example, made up of 10 citizens from each city-state?


    Unfortunately, Enele called for an end to the discussion since it waste. We had worked through lunch and dinner. Near the end, tensions were hot, and voices were raised. A fight wouldn¡¯t break out, but it was clear we weren¡¯t getting anywhere fast.


    Ayroix was exhausted to his core and needed General ckthorn''s assistance in standing. I knew what he felt from those sunken eyes. He didn''t harbor regrets, but this was a new battle he wasn¡¯t yet ready for. There weren¡¯t enough books in the world you could read to prepare you for the intense world of politics.


    ¡°Each day is going to feel longer than the one before it.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t jest, Lord Springfield. I¡ª¡± Ayroix¡¯s stomach rumbled.


    ckthorn said dinner would be delivered soon, so we returned to our respective embassies and waited. Tris spied on the other leaders and fed me updated reports while I ate with Gretchen. For being a big gal, she didn¡¯t eat a lot. She pecked at her food like a timid squirrel while her mind moved a thousand miles an hour on how to best navigate this battlefield of words.


    She eventually excused herself and went to bed, leaving me alone with Captain Morgan. We chatted a little before there was a knock at the door. The captain narrowed his eyes and asked who would be bold enough to approach sote.


    But I knew who it was even without looking at [Skyview].


    ¡°I¡¯ll handle it. Rest up,¡± I said.


    <hr>


    ¡°Lord Springfield? Please forgive me for intruding, but Lord Enele wishes to speak to you. Is this a good time?¡± Seraphina Vredi asked when I opened the door. She found it difficult to look at my eyes.


    ¡°It is. I assume my advisor and protector can apany me?¡± Tris and Surtr approached, and Seraphina nodded. She stepped aside for me to leave, and I followed Susize¡¯s sister to the sanctum. Enele was there, sitting with a cup of coffee in hisrge hands.


    ¡°Forgive me for calling you out like this. I hope you weren¡¯t eating dinner.¡±


    ¡°I was finished. Mind if I sit down?¡±


    ¡°Not at all.¡± Seraphina pulled the cloak of her hood down, but the illusion spell was still up.


    I took my seat and introduced Tris and Surtr, who stood at my left and right.


    ¡°That¡¯s an interesting hat you have on, my dear,¡± Lord Enele said. ¡°It''s foreign to me, but it suits you wonderfully.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for the kind words, Lord Enele, but do not refer to me as ¡®my dear¡¯ ever again. I am not yours. I am in service to Lord Springfield and Lord Springfield alone.¡± Tris¡¯s tongue was sharp. I didn¡¯t expect that. I didn¡¯t think she could formte a poisonous response.


    ¡°O ho ho!¡± Lord Eneleughed a hearty chuckle. ¡°Forgive me, Lady Tris. I mean no disrespect. But that was a determined answer. You looked at me and replied without hesitation, even after knowing who I am. And Sir Surtr¡­ I¡¯ve never seen a spirit like yourself, but I sense deep power harboring within.¡±


    Surtr narrowed his eyes and replied amicably, choosing to sit instead of stand. But he never let Lord Enele leave his gaze.


    ¡°Care to exin why you wished to speak to me?¡±


    ¡°I believe you have your own unique viewpoint, Lord Springfield. We couldn''t discuss it much during the day, but more than that¡­I wish to know more about you¡ªabout why a Vredi would suddenly involve herself and take on themoniker of theHigh Elf of Liberation¡ªyou even went so far as to acquire [Liberator¡¯s Legacy].I want to know why you shed blood on their behalf. Your two surnames are intriguing as well.¡±


    ¡°It appears our hunch came true, my lord. Vauche has leaked your name.¡±


    ¡°Yes, he did. That¡¯s a shame. His promises are nothing, but I expected it to get out one way or another. Remind me to tell Lady Plymoise to punish that gnome.¡±


    Seraphina opened her mouth briefly, but she didn¡¯t speak. Her voice was caught in her lungs. She was trying to think of what to say now that I didn¡¯t deny being a Vredi.


    ¡°As for why I helped¡­ It¡¯s simple, Lord Enele.¡± I told him a brief abridgment of my ''life.¡¯ The lie about being born in Vredi Forest, going into stasis, and being reborn in the Springfield Forest. I skipped to when I met Mom and Dad. He didn¡¯t get the whole truth¡ªfar from it. But Seraphina intensely listened as I spoke.


    ¡°You wished to protect your mother¡¯s birth city-state? I cannot deny or fault a noble goal.¡± Lord Enele took another sip of his coffee. His hands were massive.


    ¡°Family means much to someone who spent most of their life without it. I love my mother and father. And my sisters. And my advisors, protectors, and defenders. There is nothing I wouldn¡¯t do for them.¡±


    ¡°So it seems¡­ Well, allow me to discuss the situation with you. You¡¯ve fought with Lord Atrix. You¡¯ve seen what Atrix has to offer. What path do you believe we must tread?¡±


    Just what was the best course ahead? Lord Enele and I discussed why Atrix¡¯s and Plymoise¡¯s agreements would be met with cynicism¡ªnow more than ever. The other city-states wouldn¡¯t permit this to stand. And their idea of using Atrix as a democratic location wouldn¡¯t fly by Ayroix. Nor would the people ept to be under 6 different rulers after they finally outed a dictator.


    Recing the Wisefolk with elected members was a step in the right direction, but it was still a drastic departure from tradition. ¡°In truth... The revtion of festering corruption within their ranks has likely inflicted a more profound wound than any other. What they once held as an unassable institution has now be an unfortunate reflection of mortal nature. The bedrock of trust that bound them together has suffered irreparable damage. I doubt time is enough to repair the doubt. I¡¯m skeptical that a single solution could genuinely appease everyone. The journey ahead is one of necessary sacrifices¡ªchoices that may breed both regret and resentment. Much like the growing pressure behind a dam, resentment builds over time until it eventually spills over, impacting all in its path.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a unique perspective. It¡¯s a joy to chat with someone who doesn¡¯t need to feel the effects of time. And very well-spoken, might I add. Of course, I mean that in the most respective way.¡±


    ¡°And I didn¡¯t take it to mean anything else,¡± I said, smiling. I crossed my legs and thoroughly enjoyed this intellectual conversation. It felt like a little bit of Murag wasing out. By myself, I definitely wasn¡¯t smart enough to converse like this. And Tris¡¯s influence helped. I had ess to her processing power, but I couldn¡¯t quite grasp it like she did, but I was trying to change that.


    The conversation changed to Cridia and Uquenia when I steered it that way. He thought it was odd, but he exined Uquenia¡¯s trap. They had imnted Meruria¡¯s church with a magic explosion that killed some of her Soul Warriors, most of the nobles, many citizens and left Junsa in ruins. ¡°Lord Meruria couldn¡¯t let it go,¡± he said. He freely divulged information¡ªeven going so far as to tell me who died in the attack. ¡°It¡¯s not a secret, Lord Springfield. Lord Meruria freely spread word of Uquenia¡¯s sin to all who heard. The entire country knows what happened in explicit, vivid detail.¡±


    The ones that died weren¡¯t on my shit list. They would die regardless, but Que, those other traitors, Mia, Tokko, and the rest I needed to kill were still breathing. At least I''d end their lives with my own hands.


    But then... Lord Enele told me about a Soul Warrior who used [Time Magic] to reverse the devastation across Junsa.


    That goddamn bitch reverted TIME for a CITY! Of course, Meruria would want everyone in the goddamn world to know about it.


    I wasn¡¯t scared. I was excited. I was going to take that power for myself. I¡¯d bring Mia within an inch of her life, then eat her alive. Bit by bit. Piece by piece. And I¡¯d make it hurt. And she¡¯d suffer...


    And that power would be mine...


    ¡°I assume Cridia emerged victorious?¡± I asked, keeping my internal emotions in check after Tris¡¯s voice checked on me. Lord Enele nodded, telling me that two twins named Lori and Ann led Meruria¡¯s army. They fought Geron¡¯s Soul Warriors to a standstill...


    But as it turned out, Geron had used his miasma to fill his Soul Warriors with a deadly gas he could activate at any time. They were forced to fight for him in a warGeronstarted to take out Meruria...


    Lori and Ann weren¡¯t there when they threw me in, so I didn¡¯t have a reason to hate them. But I¡¯d kill them if they tried to stand in my way.


    My bullshit detector had its rms ring. Did Geron really make the first move? Or was Meruria behind it? I wouldn¡¯t put it past her tomit a false g attack. But could she fool Lord Enele? That was a concern, and I didn¡¯t know if she could. But I almost knew for a fact that the bitch was behind it. She had to have been.


    ¡°Is there anything you wish to add?¡± I looked at Seraphina. She¡¯d been silent the entire time.


    In the following lull in the conversation, Seraphina stammered. She nervously bit her lips.


    ¡°And I¡¯m afraid this is where I must leave you, Lord Springfield. You¡¯ve given me a great deal to think about, and I thank you for sharing the time to converse with an old man like myself.¡± Lord Enele stood and nodded towards Susize¡¯s sister. ¡°I know it¡¯ste, but please hear Seraphina out.¡±


    ¡°I cannot deny your request, Lord Enele.¡±


    Lord Enele thanked me and left to return to his room. Seraphina and I looked at each other. The silence erupted for what felt like a decade, but only a second or two passed.


    I had to break it, or we¡¯d be here staring until the morning sun came up. ¡°Seraphina, I¡¯ll be in your care.¡±


    ¡°Y¡ªYes!¡± She fumbled her staff and almost dropped it. She took a half step forward, stopped, looked behind her, and took another small step.


    The poor girl was torn as to what to do.


    Understandable.


    I had her sister¡¯s face. But I just knew¡­ ¡°Are you wishing to teleport us somewhere?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°I¡­ Umm¡­ Could¡­you stand, please?¡± It was hard to hear her voice.


    ¡°We shall return to the room, my lord,¡± Tris said.


    <i>I¡¯ll inform Lady Plymoise to forget selling the ceremonial clothing. It doesn¡¯t seem wise to bring it up.</i>


    <i>Good idea.</i>


    My guardian and advisor left us, and I stood and approached Seraphina.


    She performed a chant that was too powerful for my [Mana Language] to trante, and a sh of light enveloped me.


    A momentter... We were on a hill overlooking Orchta when she began chanting again. It was a summoning spell, but it wasn¡¯t to summon a spirit. It was called [Recollection Projection], which enabled Seraphina to manifest an aspect from the past into the physical world.


    And she summoned Aetos¡ªwhen he was in his prime. The grand eagle took one look at me and happily pped his wings.


    It appeared this recreation couldn¡¯t speak. It was severely limited, and as soon as the eagle¡¯s task was over, the beast would be gone, and everything they had learned since being summoned would be lost. His eyes turned sad when I rejected his affection. And the shame and hurt extended to Seraphina¡¯s gaze. She hopped on the eagle and offered a hand.


    Earlier, I had asked Surtr for advice. It felt wrong to inherently act like a bitch towards Seraphina. I personally didn¡¯t harbor any grudges. In fact, I had ample chances to potentially grow from this, but it would mean involving myself in the family of one of the Soul Warriors that sealed Sekh away.


    Surtr, however, said that was fine. He spoke the truth, citing that Sekh had already achieved victory over Susize by dealing a mortal wound before being imprisoned by the seal. And he assured me she wouldn¡¯t be upset if I had somehow be friends with Seraphina.


    Furthermore, while I couldn¡¯t reveal the whole truth, Seraphina would be a fool to try and kill Sekh the next they meet. She¡¯d eventually agree that the best n was to work together to rid Sekh of her curse.


    You didn¡¯t need a supeputer to predict how much it would hurt her.


    Surtr echoed my thoughts.


    Besides, this could be my chance to get an elixir or something for Sekh. I couldn''t squander it.


    So¡­


    Instead of ignoring her assistance, I took her hand, using her help to get on the great eagle''s back.


    <hr>


    It appeared we didn¡¯t have any destination in mind. We¡¯d been aimlessly flying for fifteen minutes. Seraphina turned around moments after takeoff and faced me, but she kept looking at a letter hidden in a pouch.


    ¡°What¡¯s troubling you? You can speak. We¡¯re alone.¡±


    ¡°Do you¡­know who I am?¡± she asked after removing the illusion spell.


    ¡°Seraphina Vredi, a princess of thete Vredi Forest. Susize Vredi, the first chosen Soul Warrior of Holy Lord Amos... She was your sister. Sra Vredi was your mother and queen. Isolde Vredi was her husband, the king, and your father. The illusion you wear on your face is strong, but my eyes can see through its veil.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I can see it in your eyes. You think I¡¯m your sister? I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m not. You heard my story, yes?¡±


    ¡°But you look like her!¡± Seraphina showed an ounce of heart. ¡°You have her face and her hair. You walk as she did, and you move with the same grace. The leaves and vines from your clothing react¡­the same way¡­ You¡¯re¡­ You¡¯re everything like her¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not Susize Vredi. I¡¯m Lyudm Vredi Springfield.¡±


    ¡°But there wasn¡¯t any Lyudm born in Vredi Forest. I knew everyone.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but¡­ I¡¯m not your sister. I¡¯ll concede that I look simr, but there are differences. Have you noticed my chest?¡± Seraphina¡¯s eyes looked at my cleavage, then she frowned. ¡°If that¡¯s not enough, then what about this? I belong to the subset of High Elves that possess both male and female reproductive parts. I¡¯m quite certain Susize Vredi didn¡¯t have that. Do you wish to see proof?¡± Seraphina¡¯s eyes widened, and she shook her head, trying to hold back the tears. I could see the hurt in her eyes. I crossed my legs and wondered how to progress from here.


    Just what was the best way to approach this? Trying to mechanically build a friendship differed from growing it organically. But how much could I do without the pressing questions being asked?


    I didn¡¯t have to hate Vredi Forest, and Sekh wasn¡¯t involved in destroying it. It was someone or something else. But¡­


    This affection I felt¡­


    The Susize in me wasn¡¯t so muchshing out as it was making itself noticeable.My thoughts weren¡¯t tampered with,buttheywere influenced before being formted.The bias was there. It wasn¡¯t a bad feeling, per se. But why didn''t I hate it?


    ¡°Seraphina.¡±


    ¡°Ye¡ªYes? What is it, Sis¡ªLord Springfield.¡± She wiped her teary eyes.


    ¡°I understand where you¡¯reing from. Truthfully, I used to harbor hatred towards my birth forest. But¡­ There isn¡¯t a reason for that, is there? Perhaps this is the time for reconciliation. I have not told the entire truth. Please forgive me for not wanting to dredge up nightmares that are better left forgotten. There¡¯s a reason I go by Lord Springfield and not Lord Vredi, but¡­ I am willing to extend a hand. And should it help heal your heart from my sudden appearance, you may call me your sister.¡±


    That broke the dam.


    She dropped her staff and leapt towards me. We fell off the recreated Aetos¡¯s back and slipped into a free fall. The eagle turned and dived, ensuring wended like a gentle flower petal while Seraphina cried in my arms. Ten minutester, we sat up. I held her arms while she confided in me, which exined her previous heartfelt actions.


    ¡°My father ended his life twenty years ago. They say being immune to time is a High Elf¡¯s greatest strength, but it¡¯s also their greatest curse. My mother is my only surviving family. Less than ten from our forest still live. They vowed to continue the legacy, but...time is a vow¡¯s greatest weakness. It chips away endlessly and tests our resolve, often emerging victorious. So¡­ When Lord Enele was informed of the High Elf of Liberation and said it could be an unknown survivor from our forest¡­ I felt hope I hadn¡¯t felt in centuries¡­ Lord Springfield¡­ Sister¡­ Thank you¡­ Thank you for being alive¡­ Thank you for being here¡­¡±


    I took a handkerchief she hadid across herp and dried her eyes. Sheughed and fondly recalled a memory of the past.


    ¡°Sister¡­ Susize would always hold my hand when I was little. She and Lord Aetos would share my bed when the sharp crackle of thunder was too much for my youthful mind to handle. I miss her, Lord Springfield. I miss her charming smile. I miss her schrly advice. I miss how she acted like a newlywed when Murag proposed to her¡­ I miss her flute¡­ She was the brightest, most beautiful High Elf¡­ There is not a day that passes that I do not grieve her.¡±


    A recollection of the past of those very events yed through my mind.


    ¡°You can call me M. But only if I can call you Sera.¡±


    ¡°M¡­¡± Sera whispered the name twice and gave a happy, tearful smile. The letter she kept looking at was from her mother. The two shared a spirit that always knew where to find the other, and rumors reached Sra before Sera. ¡°My mother¡¯s currently busy trying to gather the remaining Vredis. She wishes to celebrate. Please, you must attend, M.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I wish to bring along my family. As much as I¡¯m a Vredi, I¡¯m more so my mother¡¯s and father¡¯s daughter.¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course. That¡¯s fine!¡±


    ¡°Then you can write to her. Tell your mother I¡¯ll attend.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, M!¡± Sera was all smiles as she wrote a letter. She summoned a messenger spirit, handed it the carefully wrapped message, and sent it away, praying it would reach her mother sooner thanter.


    I could only wish the party would happen before I recovered Sekh. I wouldn''t purposely dy her recovery for this, but should ite to it... I could always have Sekh wear a disguise. Or I could learn illusion magic. [Conferment] was also an option.


    But I held an odd feeling in my stomach. I didn¡¯t know if this was a mistake or a blessing because I could use this opportunity to find a way to heal Sekh. Perhaps apowerfulelixir? That would be the best option.


    But there was more I could do¡­ I asked Seraphina if she was adept at magic andbat. That prompted her to tell Aetos to take us down, where wended near avenderke, and she exined her specializations.


    [Recollection Projection] was herstrongesttime-based magic because there wasn¡¯t a limit to what she could snapshot. She had saved fragments of her family. Sera confided in me, saying she often summoned her sister to speak to her. The projection couldn¡¯t talk. It would always forget everything once it died or was dismissed.


    Sera said Susize, her husband Murag, and his three other wives always rushed to hug her whenever she summoned them. ¡°They¡¯re gone¡­ They¡¯ve been¡­away for so, so long. But this is the gift they gave me,¡± she said, waving her staff.


    She also didn¡¯t chant, proving she could mentally cast spells without being verbal. One by one, Sekh¡¯s mortal enemies appeared in a sparkle of shes.


    I was immediately blown away by their overwhelming aura. The wind died, and it felt like everything nearby waited with bated breaths to see what these powerhouses would do.


    And these copies weren¡¯t them at their strongest. And Sekh often fought against them. And at the same time!


    Just how in the hell did she do that?! I found it hard to even remain standing!


    <i>She¡¯s so incredible¡­ I miss you more than ever, Sekh.</i>


    They ran to hug Sera¡ªMurag patted her head with his massive hands, and all eyes turned to me. The five were cautious. They shared a look before the projected Susize approached. She looked me up and down, smiled, and turned to Sera, who told her my name in anguage I didn¡¯t have.


    <b><i>New Skill: [Ancient Elvish Language]</i></b>


    Murag shared a series of looks with his wives, and all five extended their hands aftering closer.


    The irony didn¡¯t fail to hit me in the face like a speeding train.


    Their bodies¡­were my body.


    I was made from them. And here I was, shaking hands with mere programmed entities of a past forgotten by much of the world.


    Sera¡¯s tense face attracted my attention when the projections wavered. She groaned and waved her staff, causing her allies to vanish.


    With how strong they were, Sera was exhausted. She said it took an incredible amount of mana to sustain one, let alone five.


    This gave me an idea¡­ I quickly used the massive stockpile of SP to pump [Mana Language] and [Arcane Sight: Veil of Mystical Vision] to Lv. 10. That barely put a dent in my dragon¡¯s horde of SP, and I had enough to max out everything else.


    But¡­


    I had to learn this manually-- to prove to myself that I could. And then, if I was in a bind? Well, if I had the skills or magic avable for purchase that would help, Tris could buy and pump them, as needed, to Lv. 10. Maybe that was selfish, but Tris processed information faster than me. I trusted her to act before I had to ask.


    However, it wasn''t as simple as immediately buying everything in my Skill Menu. My body would need time to adapt to the upgrades. Honestly? Pushing [Mana Language] and [Arcane Sight: Veil of Mystical Vision] to Lv. 10 put strain on my body and spirit since they were so powerful. I''d have to recover from that, and Tris estimated it''d take a month. SP was a shortcut that had drawbacks, but manually learning didn''t have any downsides.


    So...


    There was one thing to do...


    ¡°Sera?¡±


    ¡°Yes? Is something wrong?¡± The color was alreadying back to her face. She regenerated mana quickly.


    ¡°Could you¡­perhaps instruct me? In magic? I¡¯m unsure if this is the proper etiquette, so I hope this isn¡¯t rude, but would it be possible for you to chant for me?¡±

 Chapter Eighty-Eight: Faraway Hope – Part One

    Chapter Eighty-Eight: Faraway Hope ¨C Part One


    When I asked Sera my request, she nodded and epted before I could finish¡ªanything to spend time bonding with me.


    We spent two hours near thevender-coloredke, and I made more progress in that time frame than I had in my whole life as Lyudm Vredi Springfield.


    Sera had shown me over 150 spells. Of those, only 20 were untrantable. At that point, Sera said my overall arcane knowledge wascking, but she said she would help me as much as possible. She was also surprised by my mana reservoir. It wasn¡¯t rare for a High Elf to have a lot, but I had way more than others around my level.


    But Sera was unable to answer my question on why I couldn¡¯t obtain enhancer skills like [Wind Magic] or [Lightning Magic]. They were avable for me to purchase, but I wanted to manually acquire them. And I knew it was possible. She theorized it probably had something to do with my flow of mana. She used [Mana Perception] and gasped because she couldn¡¯t see anything.


    That was exined by a ¡®masterful¡¯ control to prevent it from leaking, but Tris configured [Status Cloak] to only hide energy rted to my chimerism while I cast [Aero Chain].


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s the issue. M, you¡¯re not letting the mana flow throughout your body,¡± she said, her eyes sparkling. ¡°You gather it around your hands and shoot it out without letting it circte. Do you feel this?¡± Sera used [Icy Finger] and touched my arm.


    I nodded. Sera then slid it to my shoulder and told me to focus on directing the mana towards the cold feeling. ¡°No, you¡¯re trying to bottle it up. Rx, sister, and let it flow like a river. Ease yourself.¡± I closed my eyes and steadied my breathing.


    There was¡­something there. I couldn¡¯t realize it before, but I perceived it to be¡­a feeling of¡­of a blockade? No wonder my hands felt slightly jittery.


    I just¡­had¡­to break¡­it¡­down¡­


    ¡°There!!¡± I eximed. The grass below me parted ways as wind surrounded my body¡ªnot just my hands. It flowed like a rollercoaster and collected in my open palms, where a sharp chain made of pure wind shot out from my wrist. It struck the floating nk Sera had set up, and I yanked it back, catching it.


    ¡°Yes! Did you feel it? The chain was thicker. The tip was sharper and pointier! Congrattions, M!¡± Sera jumped up and down while hugging her staff. Her ears fluttered up and down.


    ¡°That was what held me back?¡± I channeled [Fireball], but the blockade was broken. The mes whooshed that much brighter and burned more intensely than ever. It felt like my whole body was being subtly warmed.


    About a dozen magic enhancer skills were immediately learned and were raised to Lv. 8 because of my prior training and progress with my clones.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t take it to heart. Susize tutored me, and our father trained her. And our mother trained him when they were children. But you¡­ Being devoted enough to cast without speaking is a marvelous aplishment! It¡¯s astounding you learned it at all. Most wizards go their entire lives without ever obtaining it.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for making me feel better, sister.¡±


    Hearing that word made her pep up again. Her ears fluttered up and down when happy¡ªmuch like Tris¡¯s tail wagged when she felt excited.


    But Sera was also a proficient fighter when it came to meleebat. She used [Stone Sword], a spell from [Elemental Conjuration Magic]-- something I acquired¡ª to craft a weapon made of rock and sparred against the projected Murag she summoned a momentter.


    Their exchange was a ballet of intensity, an intricate weaving of blows and evasions. Sera''s every motion was a fluid dance of precision, her strikes harmonizing with her short-range teleportation. The stone sword cut through the air, each strike challenging Murag''s spectral presence.


    Yet, the sword bore marks ofbat''s toll. Fractures snaked across its surface, a testament to its impending dissolution. Its magic waned, and Sera sensed its weakening grip. With a final flourish, she shattered the de, its fragments dissipating like stardust. Without a moment of hesitation, she beckoned forth twin stone gauntlets, enveloping her hands with a substance stronger than steel. Her punches reminded me of a boxer¡ªthey were formidable and carried the weight of a mountain. She lunged forward and met Murag¡¯s form.


    But the Ashen Orc always dodged. He smiled and treated this as training as he effortlessly ducked and jumped back. Sometimes, he¡¯d throw a fist and sh with Sera, but the force would always cause her gauntlets to break.


    The fight progressed for a few more minutes until Murag¡¯s ghostly outline became difficult to see. He wavered like mist and vanished after suddenly wrapping Sera in a hug. Sweat dripped down her face like a waterfall, and she dropped to her knees while fishing for a mana potion hidden in a pouch.


    ¡°That was amazing!¡± She turned my way and smiled through her exhaustion. Bashfulness overcame her face when I extended an arm.


    I asked her a few questions, and she spent the next ten minutes helping me summon a stone sword, axe, spear, scythe, and hammer. My projections weren¡¯t as strong as hers, but she gleefully pped at my hasty progress.


    ¡°But let¡¯s return to Orchta, yes? It iste. Tomorrow¡ªno, the morning will soon arrive, and it will be¡­quite lengthy,¡± I said when I saw her yawn.


    <i>My lord, I have logged Seraphina¡¯s chants as tranted by [Mana Language] and her trantions of them. I will begin work on decoding Latin with the information avable to us.</i>


    <i>Okay. Good job.</i>


    <i>I¡¯m awaiting your return!</i>


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea, sister.¡± She said she needed a moment to regain her mana, but I started singing and grew my wings.


    ¡°I can carry us back. Perhaps not all the way, but most of it.¡± I told her about [Flight Magic] and [Song Magic]. I almost instinctively pulled out Susize¡¯s flute, but Tris stopped me at thest moment. She already had lyrics ready because she had predicted something like this would happen after we encountered Sera.


    After picking her up in my arms, I pped my wings and flew towards Orchta.


    Halfway back, I stopped, and we took a projected Aetos the rest of the way.


    <hr>


    Afternding near the city, we walked the rest of the way until we arrived at Plymoise¡¯s embassy. Sera seemed hesitant to let me go.


    I knew why. I could work this in my favor.


    Her eyes briefly lit up when I asked if she wanted to share my bed, but she didn¡¯t know if that was okay.


    ¡°We¡¯re sisters, are we not?¡± It wasn¡¯t until I grabbed her hand that she relented and thanked me for my generosity. Captain Morgan was asleep in his chair, and Tris was sitting cross-legged on the bed in our room. Surtrid to her right, and she rubbed his head.


    The two weed me back, and Sera introduced herself in a shaky voice. When it came to us being alone, she was getting more confident¡ªmore adept, I suppose. Or maybe more like herself. But seeing people I regarded as family¡ªas loved ones, probably made her realize that I resonated more with non-Vredis than Vredis.


    ¡°Would you like to rx in the bath, my lord?¡± Tris asked, grabbing my hand with both of hers. She looked up at me expectantly.


    ¡°Sure. Sera? Care to join?¡±


    ¡°Eh? Are you sure? Is it fine?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is. Tris wouldn¡¯t mind, would you?¡± I looked at her, and she shook her head,keeping a perfect smile.


    ¡°Then...thank you. I¡¯ll join you.¡±


    We walked to the bath, which was more of a hot spring¡ªit was like what I had at the Waterdale Inn, and Tris stripped me nude. Sera began undressing, but her eyes caught on my penis.


    Audibly, she gulped and turned her gaze. Tris and I entered first, and she rested between my legs and let me rub her ears. Sera grabbed a towel from a bag she summoned from somewhere and wrapped her body before dipping a toe in.


    She was almost the same as Susize. From her eyes, hair, nose, and body, only an elf would perceive the differences.


    ¡°Does it feel good?¡±


    ¡°Mmm... It does...¡± Tris purred and rxed against my chest.


    ¡°May I ask where you received your clothing? Did you make them?¡±


    ¡°No. An elf named Verdant did. The outfit was a gift for me to wear to the Heptarchis. It probably won¡¯t be my regr attire because it¡¯s special. It¡¯s meant for unique asions. I can¡¯t risk damaging it, or I could never forgive myself.¡±


    ¡°Umm... I...noticed something. Are you capable of changing your body? Your...¡± She eyed my chest, and yep... I had unconsciously reverted my breasts to their usual size.


    ¡°I can. It¡¯s something of an innate talent, but altering my size is the most I can do. Verdant never measured me, and it¡¯s not strenuous to change myself to suit her wonderful work.¡±


    <span ss="TextRun SCXW206429209 BCX0"ng="en-us" xmlng="en-us"><span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW206429209 BCX0">¡°I can fix that. I have a few cores with the {Resize} enchantment. And an enchanting table within my spacial storage. Please, allow me to do this.¡±<span ss="EOP SCXW206429209 BCX0">


    ¡°I won¡¯t refuse your kindness, sister. Thank you.¡±


    Sera smiled, but something was bothering her. No¡ªa thousand things probably troubled her, but she eventually forced out a request. ¡°Sister, umm... Could...I get to know more about your...family? I...¡±


    I didn¡¯t mind. If anything, I could use this moment to ease Sera''s prejudice against Sekh by ¡®hyping her up,¡¯ as Tilde would say, by gushing about how she saved my life¡ªabout how I wouldn¡¯t be alive if she hadn¡¯t stepped in to rescue me when I needed help the most.


    And it wasn¡¯t a lie. It was all verifiable truth.


    ¡°Then I met a fairy named Tilde. She taught me what Icked¡ªwhat I had failed to understand.¡±


    Sera remarked my eyes were glowing when I spoke about Irisa. ¡°She just didn¡¯t see me as a High Elf. First and foremost, she saw me as a woman who needed a friend. I didn¡¯t have much. I messed up a lot. I pushed her away when I needed to hug her close. But she forgave me,¡± I said, leaning back slightly. I found myself smiling. ¡°And mom... I had a mother, but I didn¡¯t have a mom. I didn¡¯t have someone who loved me for who I was, and Ichiha...did that. She taught me how to cook. When I needed advice, she was there. And Kokan was the same. Without him, Niva wouldn¡¯t be alive. His medicine was invaluable in saving her life.¡±


    ¡°Niva?¡±


    ¡°Ah, she¡¯s a halfbreed between a Cyclops and a Lizardfolk,¡± I said, briefly exining her life. And I had to bring up Primrose. Sera oddly twitched when I brought up Aetos¡¯s name, but she didn¡¯t do anything else.


    I wonder why?


    Didn¡¯t Aello say thest time a High Elf visited Aetos Vige was 130 years ago? Surely, Sera didn¡¯t go a century without at least showing up to talk to the eagle.


    But if she did...?


    Why? Did she have an argument? A fight? Sera obviously didn¡¯t want to discuss it, so I passed by the point and brought up Tris.


    ¡°She¡¯s my Fragment of Wisdom,¡± I said, fluffing her ears.


    ¡°That¡¯s a unique title,¡± Sera replied.


    ¡°It¡¯s one I bear with great pride,¡± Tris added. ¡°I¡¯m Lord Springfield¡¯s advisor. While I cannot fight with sword and magic, I am more adept at categorizing information and formting ns.¡±


    ¡°Ayroix¡¯s rebellion wouldn¡¯t have been possible without her. I love you, Tris.¡±


    ¡°And I love you too, my lord...¡± I kissed her head and continued ying with her ears.


    Sera asked about Surtr, who had curled into a ming ball of fluffy cuteness a few feet from the bath. He had told me he desired to keep an eye and ear on Sera. Notout of maliciousness but to keep me protected. Whatever he and the other lions experienced would be transmitted to Sekh the second he broke the ice coffin.


    ¡°He¡¯s...Sekh¡¯s spirit.¡±


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t she with him?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s... It¡¯s difficult, but Sekh was injured in the incident at Ria.¡±


    ¡°You were there?!¡± Sera eximed.


    I nodded and told her Bellerophon nned to kill me after I had told them who I was. ¡°They had verified my identity, yet they said a Vredi¡¯s sacrifice was necessary if it meant a chimera would die.¡±


    Oh, that made her angry. I¡¯d never seen a scowl like that on anyone¡¯s face. Rippling mana flourished across the water¡¯s surface. She only calmed down after I called her name.


    ¡°I hate them as well. But don¡¯t let it bother you, sister. I¡¯m here. They¡¯re not.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it.¡±


    ¡°Can I trust you?¡± Sera nodded. She scooted close and put a hand on my shoulder. Most of the details were forged. The Essence of Wrath didn¡¯t appear, so that role was yed by some fire lord that went out of control when its summoner died. It used thest of its strengths, but it flew into a rage and was responsible for breaking the barrier around Aetos Vige while injuring the eagle.


    Again, Sera visibly shuddered upon hearing his name.


    ¡°Sekh¡¯s in a safe location, but she¡¯s close to death. You could say she¡¯s alive and dead at the same time. I need a powerful healer. Or an elixir. I hoped the magic you taught me would be enough, but¡­they aren¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°More than that?! Just how...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s bad, Sera. Please, if there¡¯s anything you can do... Do you know someone? Do you know where I can get an elixir? I need... I need to save Sekh.¡±


    ¡°I... There¡¯s... a way, perhaps.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s--¡±


    ¡°Even if we go now, it won¡¯t work. The method I know requires something that needs to be nurtured. Even now, the process is ongoing, and we cannot do anything to hasten it. If we do, it will fail."


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s... Umm... Lord...Aetos...¡±


    ¡°Sounds like there¡¯s history between you two. I recall the eagle was Susize¡¯s greatest ally, yes?¡±


    ¡°They were inseparable, but...¡± Sera struggled to exin that after Susize and her spouses died¡ªshe refrained from telling the reason, although I knew they used their lives to seal Sekh¡ªshe used to make yearly trips to Aetos Vige after the eagle had developed it. But he found her use of [Recollection Projection] a heinous mistake. He didn¡¯t like that she kept clinging to the past. Aetos wished for her to move past her sister¡¯s death and grow stronger because that was what Susize wanted.


    And Sera didn¡¯t like it. The two had a falling out approximately 130 years ago, and she¡¯d never been back since. ¡°I¡¯ve tried. I know my dependency on my sister isn¡¯t healthy. But I¡¯m not as strong as her, M. I¡¯m not as smart or capable. She¡¯s everything I wish to be.¡± When she heard of the attack, she figured this could be used to rekindle her rtionship with Aetos, but she had second thoughts.


    She didn¡¯t want to stop seeing Susize, Reina, Yaekira, By, or Murag. She loved them as much as they loved each other. But she knew Aetos would try to convince her to move past using them as emotional crutches. That was why she had begged Lord Enele to go in her stead. She had gathered the necessary soil to transnt his spirit core into a new sapling, but he was to deliver.


    Sera often helped Lord Enele with matters concerning Aquanis. It was a professional rtionship, though. They were partners and acquaintances, but I wouldn¡¯t consider them close friends. Not necessarily distant, but somewhere in between.


    I didn¡¯t understand it much, but Aetos needed soil and a fragment of crystalized mana from the Spirit Realm. Sera had acquired them 200 years ago in case this day ever came, but if you left it inside the soil for too long, it would lose its effectiveness. Likewise, you couldn¡¯t take it out once you nted it.


    Based on when Sera first received word of Aetos¡¯s injuries, she had 6 days before there was a 7-day window. Aetos needed to be transnted within that week.


    ¡°And if I do that, then...¡±


    ¡°Lord Aetos¡¯s healing abilities lie far beyond what I or my sister can do. If there¡¯s anyone to heal Sekh, it will be him¡ªSister?¡±


    ¡°Sera!¡± I grabbed her arm and pulled her close for an embrace. ¡°Thank you!! Thank you so much!¡±


    ¡°Ahh¡ªyou¡¯re wee, M.¡±


    Sera scooted closer. Her face was much gentler and softer. Perhaps she was happy she helped me so much.


    Or maybe she believed this to be a blessing in disguise. It was already one to her because she met me, but knowing that the new Vredi she weed as a sister benefited directly from her preparation done two centuries ago?


    ¡°This Sekh... I wish to meet her. If she¡¯s had this effect on you... She must be great."


    ¡°She is. I love her so much.¡±


    Sera¡¯s ears twitched. Her face slightly blushed. I told her Sekh, Tris, and Tilde were my lovers. With each name I dropped, her face went redder. ¡°Three women?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. They mean so much to me.¡± I turned to Tris and held her hand. She leaned her head against my shoulder. ¡°Picking and choosing? Someone would get hurt. I care too much about them. But they aren¡¯t just my lovers. We¡¯re each other¡¯s support. it perfectly encapstes the way we love each other.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s...not as strange as you might think, M.¡± Sera spoke about Susize and Murag. They were deeply in love, but then they shared feelings for Reina, Yaekira, and By, and while Sera thought it odd, she understood that the five loved each other. Being together was the answer. Even if it was met with criticism because Susize and By were royalty, albeit thetter was the queen of a fallen kingdom, the five pushed ahead and continued to love each other until their final moments.


    <i>That fits in with Susize¡¯s memories.</i>


    ¡°What about you? Do you have someone special?¡±


    ¡°Me?!¡± Sera blushed, looked away, and returned her sight to the water. ¡°There was... But... No, there isn¡¯t. Not anymore. I wanted him to be my first, but... After he was taken, I couldn¡¯t...¡±


    Susize¡¯s memories told me she knew Sera had a crush on Murag. She had even tried to seduce him once or twice in the past before her sister wed him. Susize knew about it but refrained from bringing it up to keep the peace.


    I wondered if she tried that with Murag¡¯s projection? They were physical, after all.


    Sera didn¡¯t want to keep talking about it, so she changed the subject to my lovers. The more we talked about them¡­


    ...the more I found myself missing theirforting embrace.


    My memories told me Sera loved to spy. She often used her magic to watch Murag take baths. But her favorite hobby was to watch him love his wives while hiding inside the closet. Susize knew about it. She kept it a close secret to keep the peace¡ªbut Susize secretly hated it. And since I looked so much like her...and I basically had Murag¡¯s penis...


    <i>It seems like everyone I meet has some voyeuristic fetish.</i>


    It was gettingte. Sera nodded when I asked if it was time to get out of the bath. We stood, and the water noisily dripped off our bodies. I walked to the bench and sat, and Tris dried my hair and arms.


    <i>My lord, I believe we have overlooked something...</i>


    I listened to Tris and silently cursed. How could I have forgotten that?


    ¡°Sera?¡± I stood, and Tris worked the towel around my thighs and legs. She was nothing but diligent in her cleanliness.


    ¡°Ye¡ªYes?!¡±


    Since I was leaving soon¡ªprobably within the next 12 hours¡­ I needed someone to protect Gretchen in my ce.


    ¡°Leave it to me, sister! I can do that!¡±


    But there was more. There was something else. Something that also needed Lord Enele¡¯s assistance. Sera said he would most likely help with whatever I needed. And I hoped that was the case. I¡¯d have to ask in the morning¡­


    Sera turned around and finished getting dressed. Tris stood and kissed my lips before dressing me, and after she put on her colorful pajamas we had bought, we walked to the bedroom. The sliding doors were totally silent. Sera was behind us in an oversized shirt. I sensed her nervousness.


    We slipped into bed, with me in the middle. Tris embraced me from behind and tightly wrapped her arms around my stomach.


    ¡°You two sleep like that?¡± Sera asked, pulling the covers over as she snuggled against the pillow.


    ¡°We are always connected,¡± Tris exined. ¡°We keep each other warm.¡±


    I stared at Sera, whose face went through an overabundant barrel of emotions, ending with her crying.


    ¡°You¡¯re a Vredi I thought had died. I¡¯d never thought I¡¯d meet you¡­ I thought we were all that were left. M, I¡­still wish to talk with you. I don¡¯t want to go to sleep,¡± she whispered, whining like a little girl refusing to ept her bedtime.


    It took a while for reality to set in.


    Another memory of the past struck me like a speeding train. In it, Sera had something simr to her sister when they were younger. She had just returned from a diplomatic trip, and Sera didn¡¯t want to go to bed.


    ¡°I once believed my sister and I would have never separated... M, I miss our family... I miss our forest... I... I miss it all. Time is supposed to heal wounds, but it¡¯s never enough. There¡¯s not enough time to make me...¡±


    ¡°Sera...¡± She wiped her eyes and apologized, but I held her hands gently against my heart. ¡°Don¡¯t hide your emotions. If you¡¯re sad? Then be sad. Cry if you wish to.¡±


    Were my words ironic? Coming from someone who was a lie?


    I was a phantom of the past. My body was 100% High Elf. A DNA test would prove that, but my soul was still human.


    Yes, I knew the culture from the Susize within me. And I knew how my actions were interpreted by someone¡ªespecially if that person was Seraphina Vredi¡ªsomeone who had almost no one left. She had never even thought about taking a lover during thest 1,000 years. She was a stranger in romance and passion. For some people, an ounce of kindness was enough tost a lifetime.


    But I didn¡¯t feel any genuine chemistry between us.


    The thing I wanted most out of Sera was a friend. Nothing more. Nothing less. Nothing closer. Nothing farther.


    But I pitied the elf. Sera really hadn''t anything to deserve my ire.


    If I could continue to foster this friendship, I could get more out of it. The Vredis had worldly connections. I wanted those to help me take revenge against Meruria. Nurturing this friendship benefited my goal.


    ¡°M... I¡¯m...so d you¡¯re alive... I¡¯m...happy I didn¡¯t kill myself,¡± Sera admitted. ¡°After Susize passed, I... It was hard. I¡¯ve never endured anything more difficult in my life. Living in a changed world... One where she isn¡¯t here.¡±


    I touched my head to hers. ¡°I¡¯m d, too. I¡¯m happy I met you, Sister...¡±


    ¡°M...¡± Sera¡¯s face scrunched. It was dark, but I saw it as clear as if the sun was out. I held my arms out, and she scooted closer until we hugged. For as strong as she was physically and magically?


    She was weak in her mind. I held her until she fell asleep. Her quiet breathing reinvigorated the Susize within me.


    ¡°Was I¡­wrong? In my response to Lord Enele, I mean?¡± Tris¡¯s voice was meek.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Surtr and I spoke. He said I was too sharp with my words. He said Lord Enele didn¡¯t mean disrespect, but I still inferred that way. I don¡¯t want anyone to imply that I¡¯m theirs. My lord, I only wish to be yours. Foreverand always, for now and for the future. The mere thought of serving someone else sickens me. I know that we are equals, but it... In my mind... I only wish to serve as your equal. I don¡¯t wish to be someone else¡¯s equal...¡±


    <i>I figured that was it.</i>


    ¡°But¡­ If Lord Enele hadn¡¯t shrugged off my disrespect¡­.or if he was someone else, I could¡¯ve caused problems for you. My crass behavior reflects more on you, my lord. I cannot cause you any difort. It simply cannot happen, and yet... I¡¯m sorry, my lord. Please, forgive me.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to forgive because you¡¯ve done no wrong.¡± I formed a second face on the backside of my head and met Tris¡¯s eyes. ¡°You will never disappoint me. But I also won¡¯t be mad if you learn from this. We aren¡¯t perfect. As much as you think me to be, I have room to grow. And¡­let¡¯s grow together, okay? We¡¯ll apologize to Lord Enele tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°But don¡¯t take that to mean you must always be pleasant. Some do not deserve any respect.¡±


    Indiko was one of them. If we were here alone, I wouldn¡¯t mince my words. But Gretchen¡¯s and Ayroix¡¯s reputation was on the line.


    ¡°My lord?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Tris snuggled closer. I felt her soft breath tickle my neck as I canceled my transfiguration. ¡°Thank you for speaking with me.¡±


    ¡°Any time, Tris. I love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you too. Sweet dreams, my lord¡­ I hope your slumber is restful¡­¡± I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

 Chapter Eighty-Eight: Faraway Hope – Part Two

    Chapter Eighty-Eight: Faraway Hope ¨C Part Two


    Tris woke me before dawn, and we settled for an early morning bath underneath the still-dark skies. After she dried and dressed me, we returned to the room to find Sera hugging a pillow between her arms. She slowly rolled...until she fell off the bed.


    <i>Crash!</i>


    She awoke in a hurry and manifested mystical orbs of sharp wind around her hand before remembering where she was.


    ¡°Forgive me for showing you such a thing, M. I don¡¯t know what happened,¡± Sera stuttered, her face looking like a cherry tomato.


    ¡°Pay it no mind,¡± I said, sitting against Surtr. I rubbed his chin, and he purred for me. ¡°I take it that¡¯s the first restful slumber you¡¯ve had in a while?¡±


    Sera walked to the bath, and we continued to chat while she cleaned herself. ¡°Yes, but¡­ I had a dream,¡± she said, her voice still sounding like it was beside me.


    ¡°About?¡±


    ¡°The first time I rode on Lord Aetos¡¯s back. I was still young, but I was so terribly afraid of heights. I remember crying when he pped his wings. But Susize was there. She caught me when I jumped and held me close, apologizing for putting me through something scary. Then Lord Aetos rubbed my head andforted me¡­¡±


    ¡°Sounds to me like that¡¯s a sign to reconnect with him. It isn¡¯t toote.¡±


    ¡°Maybe¡­ But¡­¡± Sera¡¯s voice dropped to a whisper, but she never continued.


    She had unresolved trauma. Sera preferred the past. She¡¯d contend with the memories of her loved ones than face life without them, and Aetos was upset at that weakness.


    After Sera finished her bath and dressed, we walked to the sanctum and found Lord Enele. Three cups of coffee sat empty on the round table while he looked over a dozen documents.


    He looked up when he heard our footsteps and smiled. ¡°Good morning,¡± he said. We shared pleasantries, and I ¡®encouraged¡¯ Tris to speak up. Lord Enele raised a curious eyebrow and listened to a heartfelt apology. ¡°It¡¯s not a problem, Lady Tris, and I am happy to see you learn from this. In the future, you may very well cause problems for Lord Springfield by carelessly addressing or replying to powerful people in the future.¡±


    ¡°I understand my mistakes, Lord Enele. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re quite wee. Now¡­¡± Lord Enele looked at me. ¡°You¡¯ve something to ask me, yes?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re quite perceptive,¡± I replied.


    ¡°I must be if I¡¯m to continue my work.¡±


    ¡°I hope I¡¯m not crossing the line¡­but I wish to ask you for a favor. And it extends to you, Sera.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not about Lady Plymoise?¡±


    I shook my head and told Lord Enele about me heading to Aetos Vige on Sera¡¯s behalf to deliver the soil for Aetos. Context was necessary, so I informed him about Sekh needing to be healed by Aetos¡¯s healing magic. Then I exined what urred in Ria and my original goal of helping my mom find her parents.


    ¡°You wish me to be their escort after the Heptarchis has concluded?¡±


    ¡°Yes. If the Heptarchis has finished before I return, I would greatly appreciate this, Lord Enele.¡±


    ¡°Well, I can hardly refuse your favor, can I? Don¡¯t worry, Lord Springfield. You may consider it done. I promise you my assistance as the Dark Lord of Justice,¡± said Lord Enele.


    I¡­didn¡¯t expect him to agree so readily. ¡°And I¡¯ll help, too!¡± Sera added. ¡°That¡¯s fine, isn¡¯t it? M, please say it is!¡±


    ¡°Of course, it is. Sera, I¡¯d like you to get to know my family. I want you to see the kindness they radiate to take a stranger like me in and overflow them with love.¡±


    Sera smiled. ¡°Wait¡­ How will you know where to find us when you return?¡± I told her that Sekh had summoned five spirits. Surtr was with me, and he could detect the locations of the other four. They never left my family¡¯s side.


    ¡°Lord Enele¡­ Please, you must let me repay you.¡±


    ¡°I only wish to see you return with this Sekh, Lord Springfield. She sounds like she¡¯s very special to you. Ah, nothing wets my eyes more than a heartfelt reunion."


    Okay, maybe Lord Enele was a good man. Tris told me she viewed him in a brand-new light. She had no reason to think anything differently based on her information. He retrieved a ss box from his robe and handed it to me. There was a slight panic when it vanished, but Sera understood me to have a storage-type spell. She agreed when I said it was safer there than with me. Tris informed me she partitioned [Void Storage] into two, enabled time to flow in the secondsection, and moved the box to it. Otherwise, it wouldn''t develop and nurture.


    ¡°Are you departing now?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be rude if I leave without telling Lady Plymoise anything.¡±


    Lord Enele said the Heptarchis wasn¡¯t supposed to resume for another two hours, so I returned to Plymoise¡¯s embassy with Sera, Tris, and Surtr. The time I needed to waste passed by quickly when Sera retrieved a flute and yed a song. The desire to retrieve Susize¡¯s flute waged a war, but I won. Sera eventually handed me a spare, and we yed a duet. She found my skill marvelously incredible and said I yed like her sister.


    It only made her that much happier¡­


    <hr>


    Three hourster¡­


    Lady Plymoise was more than understanding when I told her I needed to leave.


    ¡°You¡¯ve done more than your fair share, Lord Springfield. Truthfully, I felt¡­greedy when I asked you to escort me.¡± She watched while I hooked Surtr to the carriage¡¯s harness.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly.¡± I pointed at Sera, who wiped her reddened eyes with a handkerchief made of grass and soft leaves. ¡°Your offer enabled me to reconnect with a long-lost sister. I should be thanking you.¡± When Tris had stealthily told Gretchen to forget the clothes, she didn¡¯t even question it. Although she was going to lose a lot of money. But she didn¡¯t bring it up or act like that was a concern¡ªalthough¡­ It probably was.


    ¡°Please be safe, M! I promise you won¡¯t have to worry about anything! You can leave it to me!¡±


    After locking thest clip, I shook Gretchen¡¯s and Captain Morgan''s hands and hugged Sera tightly. She didn¡¯t want to let go, but she knew we would meet again.


    This was a ploy designed to garner her trust. Of course, it didn¡¯t start that way. I really didn¡¯t have a reason to innately hate her. But once I realized I benefitted more from this rtionship, I merely pushed the right buttons, said the correct words, and controlled the entire narrative. Her devotion to the Vredi Forest¡­ Her dependency on fragments of the past and an unhealthy desire to abandon the future¡­


    It all worked¡­in my favor¡­


    And while I was using her, I didn¡¯t want the rtionship to be fake. But I knew it would end in the foreseeable future. I could hide Sekh from her, but if she suddenly appeared out of nowhere¡ªlike she did when she arrived, then¡­


    <i>That¡¯s a problem for future me. Let¡¯s focus on getting Sekh back.</i>


    Lord Enele arrived and waved as we set off, and I rxed in the seat and crossed my legs while Surtr kept a steady pace towards Plymoise. He didn¡¯t need to stop for breaks, so the n was to ride throughout the night and arrive in three or four days.


    ¡°Tris, send a waypoint message to Aetos and the Eagle Yew. Tell him we¡¯reing for a visit.¡±


    ¡°As you wish, my lord¡­ There, it¡¯s done. He¡¯s inside his tree, but I don¡¯t know if he can read it. I¡¯ll keep it there and check backter.¡±


    ¡°Good. Now¡­¡± I tapped the vacant space beside me. Tris blinked twice and sat near me, then I turned and rested my back against the door while pulling her into a hug. She fell to my chest and smiled, and we remained embraced as I rubbed her stomach.


    I only stopped when she disyed a [Skyview] window of the meeting.


    Lord Enele was about to carry about his execution order on the Wisefolk. Tris had tuned in right as Sera escorted them to the sanctum.


    He pulled his Divine Armament from his turtle shell ne. It glowed gold. The illumination washed over the robed Wisefolk, and it was like their strings were cut. One by one, life left them. They fell to the ground as corpses¡ªmuch to the horror of Lady Plymoise and the other onlookers. Yet Enele seemed sad. He didn¡¯t gloat about their deaths. Instead, he folded his rugged hands together and offered a prayer. Enele asked the almighty beings who reigned above us to wee the Wisefolk into the cycle of reincarnation.


    Workers picked up the bodies and carried them to waiting graves after he finished.


    Only then did the talks continue.


    And Tris closed the window because I didn¡¯t rightly care about that.


    But I cared about her. We resumed snuggling, and she liked it when I rubbed her stomach a certain way. But that was over her clothes, and I wanted to feel her bare skin¡ªa request she was ready to fulfill. I felt her tail wag against me. ¡°You¡¯re warm... You¡¯re soft... It¡¯s one of the greatest feelings in the world.¡±


    We must¡¯ve spent thirteen hours in silence¡ªjust loving each other. When it came to showing affection... it didn¡¯t always have to turn immediately sexual. Sometimes, the mere act of sensual touching was more than enough.


    When night fell, Tris¡¯s face¡­ It blossomed with lust, and she panted hard because we had spent 90 minutes kissing without a moment¡¯s rest.


    When you didn¡¯t need to breathe¡­ There was a lot you could do. I was back in my Atrix disguise¡ªthe orange outfit¡ªsince I didn¡¯t want to mess up Verdant¡¯s gift.


    Surtr continued to pull us. He always checked in every hour, but he enjoyed hauling the carriage. Well, he liked the fearful expressions on the faces of the people we passed. No one expected an eight-foot-tall lion when they traveled a path meant for horses and oxen.


    I called for a break, and we cuddled to calm down from the excitement before it picked up again.


    We still had at least two days of travel left¡­and I nned to spend it to show Tris how much I loved her.


    ¡°Oh? There¡¯s something you need to see.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Take a look.¡± Tris opened a [Skyview] window. The Dark Lord of Justice sat alone at the table in the sanctum, writing in a journal of some kind¡­


    ¡°What¡¯s this ¡®entity with void scars across its soul¡¯ referring to? It can''t be me, right? How the hell does he know about the void?¡±


    Tris spoke, but she was interrupted by a startling sight. ¡°I don¡¯t¡ªWhat?!¡± Suddenly, Lord Enele looked up and mmed his journal shut¡­


    There was no way he should¡¯ve been looking at me¡­but he was.


    ¡°What is¡­that feeling¡­?¡± Lord Enele asked a question to himself and pondered things.


    ¡°My lord, his senses are awfully sharp. Please believe me when I state [Skyview] cannot be blocked by any barrier, shield, or protective ability. It... It cannot be sensed by anyone. Lord Enele isn¡¯t aware of the power we hold. He shouldn¡¯t be...¡± Lord Enele¡¯s journal vanished. But it wasn¡¯t stored within a storage spell¡ªit must¡¯ve been teleported elsewhere. ¡°But¡­ This doesn¡¯t make sense¡­ I¡­ I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m at a loss. Nothing I know can shed light on this phenomenon.¡±


    That was another mystery. If Lord Enele knew about the void, what about others? Was itmon knowledge amongst Holy and Dark Lords? If I was this entity with void scars upon its soul, what did that mean regarding Meruria? Did she know I was alive? Was she searching for me through him?


    Or... Were there others like me? People who survived the void?


    I doubt asking those questions would do any good. Lord Enele would probably deflect. Sera might¡¯ve told me if she knew of it. But she¡¯d probably want to know where I heard about it. And if Lord Enele overheard? Or if she told him?


    It was a risk I couldn¡¯t take¡ªnot now.


    Mysteries and questions swirled around my mind, and answers would have to wait.


    <hr>


    We arrived in Plymoise about forty hourster.


    During the return trip, not much progress was made in Orchta. At this rate, it would take another week. Maybe even two. I peeked in whenever I felt like it, but I didn¡¯t make it a habit.


    It took another hour to reach the Waterdale Inn, and I changed into Verdant¡¯s gift. Mom and the others were waiting outside to wee us back. And for the most part, it was an emotional reunion¡­


    I feared the worst when I said I had to leave. I knew Irisa had missed me, but¡­


    ¡°So¡­ You¡¯ve done it? Sekh¡¯s¡­¡± Irisa¡¯s smile could light up a ckened abyss.


    ¡°I just need to swing by Aetos Vige and transnt the Eagle Yew, and I have everything to do that.¡±


    Irisa became emotional, but the tears came from a source of happiness. ¡°Mom, did you hear?! Sekh¡­¡±


    ¡°Is it true, M?¡± Erin held my arm. She also couldn¡¯t stop crying.


    ¡°It is.¡± I rubbed her head. ¡°Remember what we talked about?¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh! I do! I can¡¯t wait!¡±


    During our return trip, Tris sent a message to Tilde to tell Captain Caulk to get our ship ready to leave by tonight.


    The sooner we left and revived Sekh, the sooner we could return to being a family with Mom and Dad.


    Delouise walked outside and announced dinner was prepared. ¡°I¡¯ve heard from Ms. Tilde about your new attire. It¡¯s a lovely outfit for a powerful woman like yourself, Lord Springfield.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not wrong. You look amazing, M.¡±


    ¡°Aww¡­ Thanks.¡± I rubbed Erin¡¯s head.


    We went to the dining room and waited for Ginnie, Chax, Niva, and Primrose to return. They had errands, so Tris said they¡¯d return in 10 minutes. They also knew I was here because she sent Primrose a waypoint message seconds before.


    Chax and Ginnie arrived and told me Niva and Primrose had a few more things to do, but they said to eat without them because they¡¯d grab something from the market.


    That was sad, but we went ahead and ate. I couldn¡¯t focus that much on dinner. The sd and veggie stew tasted nd and vorless. It shouldn¡¯t have, but I really wanted to share one final meal with the family I loved¡­


    <i>There¡¯ll be time for that after Sekh¡¯s back. I know how I want things to y out for the following six months. And I¡¯ll have to spend as much time with my family¡­</i>


    As we ate, I told them about Lord Enele and Seraphina.


    ¡°The Dark Lord of Justice?!¡± Dad was surprised about me encountering another Vredi, but he never believed Lord Enele would have shown up.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. He¡¯s honestly incredible. His use of [Conferment] ispletely masterful.¡±


    ¡°[Conferment]? Isn¡¯t that the ability that voice spoke about a while back? And wait¡­ You met a Dark Lord?! Like an actual Dark Lord?!¡± Ginnie¡¯s fluffy ears twitched.


    ¡°Yes, and yes. Have you never met one before?¡± While my family read the floating words of light only they could see, I steered the conversation using the experience I gained thus far.


    It was funny.


    When I first met Mom and Irisa, I was so shitty at small talk until Tilde gave me some expert advice. And here I was¡­able to control the flow of a discussion.


    ¡°I wanna go with you, but I know I can¡¯t,¡± Irisa said. ¡°If we¡¯ve found Grandma and Grandpa by then, I want to introduce you to them. I know what happened between Mom and Dad and Grandma and Grandpa, but I really think we can move beyond it.¡±


    Erin said that sounded nice and fun. She touched her shiny horns and asked if Grandma and Grandpa would like them. Her cute ears twitched, and her tail lightly danced behind her. I knew Erin harbored thoughts about what we discussed before I left for the Heptarchis, but Erin wanted to think positively. She knew she was her father¡¯s daughter and sister¡¯s sibling. And she knew Mom loved her as if she was flesh and blood. Any feeling to the contrary was born from her reluctance to ept that affection because of the events surrounding her birth.


    The solution was internal and obtained via self-growth. Erin knew that. She knew I knew that. epting was the hard part. Casting out internal demons¡­ It wasn¡¯t child''s y. But again, my little sister wasn¡¯t alone.


    Irisa smiled with sisterly affection. Tris told me the two had a fewte-night discussions. Irisa knew Erin¡¯s worries and fears and helped her through them.


    After dinner, I spent some time with my family. Irisa led me to her room. I sat on the bed while she took a seat at her desk. Tris was with Surtr and Tilde, and they were talking with Mom and Dad, informing them about the ''events'' I had told Sera.


    We had to keep the story straight.


    Erin was hanging out with Chax and Ginnie in the courtyard.


    ¡°This is going to be my greatest weapon,¡± Irisa said, showing me a dozen journals. ¡°They¡¯re filled with blueprints and notes I¡¯ve gotten from Tris. And when this is done, I want to make something for Sekh. She¡¯s so close toing back. If I can do this...I¡¯ll be that much closer to achieving my goal. Ah, but¡­ Maybe I can add some leaves?¡± Irisa looked me up and down. ¡°And vines? Maybe engravings? Ah! M, I¡¯m filled with so many ideas I can¡¯t stand it!¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m happy for you. But you¡¯re not the only one working on something important,¡± I said. Before the incident in Ria, I had worked on a ruby ne for Sekh and a locket for Irisa. They weren¡¯t done, but I hoped Enap would let me use his workshop.


    Tris¡¯s voice resonated in my mind, and it was time to leave.


    Irisa escorted me to the lobby, where I saw the rest of my friends and family. Tilde said goodbye to Pawsome Fables. Erin cried. She wiped her eyes and tried to remain strong¡ªeven though we would be back soon. Sera and Lord Enele would probably arrive before our return. Even if they entered an area I hadn¡¯t indexed, I had Surtr, the lions, and their telepathy.


    ¡°Mistress!!!¡± I turned to the gate and saw Niva and Primrose. They ran towards me, and both carried beautiful smiles. Niva held Primrose''s staff tightly in her sole biological hand. Her robe¡¯s hood was lowered, and Lei the slime bnced on her head. She tripped, but Primrose caught her with her vines. ¡°I¡¯m sorry we¡¯rete! We had a few things to prepare before we set off.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± I put a hand on Lei and rubbed its blubbery body. It excitedly jiggled.


    ¡°And wee back!¡±


    ¡°Yes. It does me well to see you¡¯ve returned safe and sound, Lord Springfield.¡± Immediately, I knew they had changed. Niva was more confident. And Primrose walked with a refined air. She wasn¡¯t confined to being tied down to Aetos.


    Even though she wasn¡¯t.


    She thought she was, but her mind forced her to believe what wasn¡¯t true. The link she shared was already broken on Aetos''s end, but she didn¡¯t perceive it.


    With how emotional the scene became...it was a wonder we left for the harbor before the sun came up. Mom, Dad, Irisa, Erin, their lions, Chax, Ginnie, and the inn¡¯s staff waved us off, with the lions choosing to roar. Surtr roared back. He red his mes and sent a beam high into the sky, parting the clouds.


    The citizens already knew about the lions. They knew not to panic when they saw such a sight because it most likely involved the High Elf of Liberation.


    A bit overkill, but it was the perfect disy of power for the king of the jungle.


    ¡°Primrose and I¡­ We talked a lot. And there¡¯s much we want to say.¡± Niva turned her head and looked at me. [Mana Perception]''s magic circle was more intricately detailed. It was proof of her hard work.


    I smiled. ¡°Then we¡¯ll discuss it on the ship, okay?¡±


    Niva shared a smile with Prim, and the two determinedly nodded.

 Chapter Eighty-Nine: Summoner’s Growth

    Chapter Eighty-Nine: Summoner¡¯s Growth


    As I stood on the ship''s deck, my gaze fixed upon the tranquil expanse of the nighttime sea. The moon casts its ethereal glow upon the gentle waves, their rhythmic dance soothing the weary soul. The air was still, carrying whispers of mystic energy that wrapped around me like a silk shroud. The Eagle Yew remained far. We were still days away from reachingnd, but its massive girth and incredible height made it easy to spot from almost everywhere. It only vanished beyond the horizon and clouds once you were in Parthina.


    I turned around and stared at a brown-skinned woond spirit wearing a crown of thorns and vines, with clothing more suitable to work as lingerie. Tilde, Tris, and Surtr silently watched. Lei bnced on my lion¡¯s back. It wiggled happily from the warmth.


    My doppelg?ngers behind them oversaw steering the ship to our destination. Heading to what used to be Ria was a foolish choice because Gloria¡¯s soldiers were using it as a base while rebuilding the city. Tris checked it out earlier, and amid the rubble and half-constructed tents were posters with Niva¡¯s face and description. She did a search, but there weren¡¯t any soldiers affiliated with Dirge in Aetos Vige.


    The eagle was there, biding his time while roosting on a tree limb as thick as a skyscraper. His HP was dangerously low, though. Arge portion of his body was burnt ck with ash. I hoped we made it in time. He knew we wereing, so he had to hang on.


    Niva stood near Primrose and gripped her wooden staff. Her crystalline purple scales reflected her healthy recovery and bounced the stars¡¯ illuminations like tiny mirrors while enting her soft, blue skin.


    ¡°Mistress, I owe my life to you. If you weren¡¯t there to save me from Noelia... I wouldn¡¯t have known Irisa, Ichiha, or Kokan. Or Tilde, Sekh, or Erin, and I wouldn¡¯t have met Primrose or Lei. And I wouldn¡¯t have gotten my mobility back. My life changed for the better when you entered it." Niva¡¯s face was determined. She lifted her chin and stared me in the eye. Primrose smiled and put a hand on her summoner¡¯s shoulder. ¡°But I haven¡¯t...devoted as much effort into training as I should have. Primrose talked to me about it... I was holding myself back, wasn¡¯t I? I¡¯ve...always been told I was useless... That I wasn¡¯t worth the food or water used to keep me fed... Or the bedding to keep me warm. I kept lying to myself after you saved me. I thought that if I put in just enough effort, it would be enough... I wouldn¡¯t have to fight or get hurt if it looked like I was advancing. But I was wrong. I¡¯m sorry, Mistress... It took me this long to realize it.¡±


    Niva took a deep breath and continued to channel [Mana Perception]. Her gaze... It was unwavering.


    ¡°But that¡¯s going to change. I¡¯ll follow you wherever you go. I won¡¯t be scared anymore. I won¡¯t think of myself as weak because you don¡¯t think that of me, do you?¡± She smiled. ¡°You see something in me. And I wish to be the Transcendent Dark Lord¡¯s spirit summoner. I won¡¯t rest until I can summon a draconic spirit for you. And that¡¯s my promise. That¡¯s my vow to you.¡± Niva turned away and looked at her spirit. ¡°And Primrose¡­ You...helped me learn how to see. You helped me walk. And you¡¯ve given me courage. I can look proudly at myself because you¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m d you were my summoner,¡± said Primrose. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have wanted anyone else.¡± The spirit turned to me and repeated most of what Niva said, albeit with her own twist. She said she looked back on the past and hated how she acted. She took my hands in hers and gave a heartfelt apology. ¡°I wish I were stronger¡­ I wish I were more mature. I¡­ The regrets I have number in the thousand¡­¡± Prim couldn¡¯t speak without stuttering. She choked over her breath and wiped her wet eyes. The tears only grew stronger when I embraced and held her close.


    ¡°I love you and Niva,¡± I whispered, extending an arm for the spirit''s summoner to join the hug. ¡°You¡¯re under my protection. I won¡¯t ever betray the trust you two have in me...¡± I sprouted four more arms from my hands and rubbed their heads as Lei jumped to my hair and joyfully wiggled. Three months ago, I¡¯d never thought this would happen.


    ¡°Aww¡­ Isn¡¯t that just about the sweetest thing?¡± Tilde asked. She held her hands to her heart and pped her pretty wings. ¡°I think I¡¯m about to cry.¡±


    ¡°I agree it is heartwarming,¡± Tris replied. ¡°But you cannot ¡®about to cry¡¯ when you¡¯re already crying, Tilde. Additionally¡­¡± Tris approached and held a ck, eye-shaped orb etched with whiteputer lines. This was the mana generator Niva had embedded within her eye socket. It powered the illusion spell that made her seem like a normal cyclops.


    Tris found a way to ¡®reset¡¯ it to factory settings.


    If Niva permitted me to imnt it where her second eye would have been, it would absorb enough mana from the atmosphere to sustain [Mana Perception]. She wouldn¡¯t ever need to cancel the spell.


    "Tris and I have done our research, Niva," I said. "It won''t be painless, but it shouldn''t hurt too much."


    The healing magic I learned from Sera would obviously help after the surgery, but it wouldn¡¯t do anything to numb the operating area or lessen the pain during it. It was too dangerous to put her to sleep since I didn¡¯t know how to control the strength of those spells. And like hell would I risk it on Niva. ¡°Aetos or Aello could have a sedative if you''d rather wait."


    "No." Niva shook her head. "Please, can you do it now?"


    "Are you sure? I don''t mind being patient."


    "I''ve made you wait long enough. I need to take a more proactive role, Mistress. Primrose and I talked about that. I''m finally Lv. 19."


    ¡°I¡¯m proud of you, Niva. I really am. And you too, Primrose. But if this is what you want, then I¡¯ll get started. Tris, I need the ns.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re already prepared, my lord. I¡¯m sending them to you now.¡±


    Detailed instructions for the operation appeared in my vision. Iid Niva on the ship¡¯s deck and formed a barrier of slime, which I spread across half of her face. A spell called [Healing Field] enveloped it in a golden glow. Prim took Niva¡¯s biological hand and readied herself to channel [Minor Heal].


    I first formed a long, sharp, thin needle and slowly pressed it into her face where her second eye would''ve been. Primrose gripped her hand and kept her calm, and I followed the augmented instructions Tris had made that showed me how deep I was going.


    After reaching the correct depth and reaching the empty socket, the top transfigured into a little drill and chipped away at the skull fragments that had healed. Niva''s face strained. She bit her lips and tried to kick away-- a reflex-- but Tilde and Surtr kept her pinned to the deck.


    A squirt of slime kept the operating area sterile and assimted the flowing blood and bone fragments.


    "Okay... Almost..." The slot was shaped, so I slowly canceled my transfiguration after leaving behind a single drop of slime. It was so thin Sera would have had trouble seeing it, but it belonged to me. Therefore, it acted as a ''receiver'' for my storage ability, so the slime retrieved the mana generator. Primrose offered her sticky sap, so the slime dripping used that to lock the generator into ce. "And there... It''s done."


    Niva didn''t answer. She had passed out. While I couldn''t deny that it hurt, the likelier option was that her mind had expected something so much worse, and Niva passed out as a result. But Tris assured me she was fine-- Niva''s vitals were perfectly healthy.


    A potion wasn''t needed, but we still used it in the aftercare. Niva''s tolerance was still decently high, so she''d need three more detoxes. But even so, the little entry wound was already healing after Tris sprinkled a little bit on Niva''s tongue. Honestly? The extra precautions weren''t required, but it was always better to be safe than sorry.


    Finally, I took a couple of bandages from the stockpile Sekh and Dad had made from the web I had spun.


    <i>That seems so long ago...</i>


    Primrose gave me more sap to act as glue. Thest step was to apply the pain reliever ointment Dad had taught me. It wasn¡¯t strong. But it was what I had. She once needed constant care, so I became good at looking after her.Again, the aftercare was too extensive, but it was still good practice. Besides, we had the supplies to spare. Niva was also important to me, so why wouldn''t I do what I could to ensure the healing went off without a hitch?


    All that was left was to wait for Niva to wake up. I went with Primrose as she picked her up and carried her to the cargo hold. We didn¡¯t have a bed, but the sleeping bag and lumpy pillow would have to sustain for now.


    I looked at the supplies Captain Caulk managed to load for us. Only two people needed to eat, and I had more than enough food for them. I wouldn¡¯t say they were wasted because I could store them, and I did just that¡ªwith enough room to spare¡ªbut it was a genuine gesture from someone I fought side-by-side with.


    Tilde, Surtr, and Tris remained above to watch for things.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have my loyalty until the day I draw myst breath,¡± Prim suddenly said, breaking the silence. The gentle waves of the ocean rocked the boat while she palmed Niva¡¯s cheeks. She looked so peaceful. ¡°Lord Springfield?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re aware, but you became part nt after assimting that draingi. The one that gave you [Photosynthesis]? Do you recall it?¡±


    ¡°What about it?¡±


    Primrose sprouted a bundle of primrose flowers from her hand. ¡°I¡¯m certain you can use biomass as a substitute for sunlight and nutrients. Please take this.¡± She handed me a seed. I assimted it, then followed hermands. The skill innately came to her because she was a woond spirit, so it was difficult for me to grasp my mind around growing a living thing from my body.


    Three hours of practice resulted in nothing more than a root and stem.


    I took a break and sat with Prim while watching Niva.


    The spirit told me of their spelunking within the Crystal Veil Mines. It was close enough and consisted of weak enemies, so it was the perfect ce for Niva to train. She sometimes went with Pawsome Fables, but she mostly went alone.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy. My summoner¡¯s terribly frightened of failure. It paralyzed her to the ground¡ªimmobilized her hands and feet. It wasn¡¯t until a crystal monster ran me through from behind that she acted.¡± Primrose touched her chest and said my thread protected her core. ¡°Her use of [Razor Wind] was spectacr. It was her first time casting magic like that. The independence she gained from the feeling¡­ For all her life, she thought herself a dependent weakling. But she isn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Niva¡¯s strong. She¡¯s resilient. She has the drive to survive. She would¡¯ve died a dozen times over if she hadn''t. But she¡¯s here. And I¡¯m proud of her. I¡¯m so proud.¡±


    ¡°While you were away at the Heptarchis, she cried in my arms every night, and we spent every day in activebat.¡± Primrose recalled she and Niva were walking through the mines. They had found a chest in a side room, but it was a trap. Two dozen crystal lizards rushed them from all sides. But Niva¡­ She didn¡¯t let her fear get her down. She had activated [Spirit Overdrive] to flood Primrose with half of her mana, used [Vine Maniption] on the staff she held, and threw it in the middle of the group. The excess mana let Primrose turn the staff into onerge vine. It pierced, stabbed, and threw the enemies into the air.


    Niva had aimed with [Razor Wind] and ripped them apart, but she almost passed out from the mana drain.


    ¡°I recall her pounding the ground with her fist until it was bloody. She screamed and cursed while I fought, then forced her legs to stand. She didn¡¯t let the prosthetics slow her down. She picked up a rock and tried to fight the lizards head on. I shielded her with [Woond Shield] and finished the fight. Do you know what her biggest fear is?¡±


    I shook my head.


    ¡°It¡¯s disappointing you. You¡¯re my summoner''s light. You gave her a reason to live. You gave her back everything she lost.¡±


    Prim went quiet for a moment.


    ¡°I¡¯ll follow you until the end of the world. Your enemies are my enemies, your goals are my goals, and I vow to be your sword and shield to end Meruria¡¯s life and beyond. I know I don¡¯tpare to the Dark Lord of Tyranny, but¡­ I will forever be there for you. I willy down my life for you without hesitation. And I ask that¡­should the daye to pass¡­assimte me. Please... Allow me to apany you until the end. My strength is meager, but it is yours all the same.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t allow you to die for me. Prim, I won''t let you live solely for me. You¡¯re not an underling. You¡¯re not a subordinate. I see you and Niva as equals. I refuse to let your only lives revolve around me.¡± I reached over and took her hand in mind, and we interlocked fingers. Her skin felt so wooden and bark-like. She apologized for the texture, but I shook my head and said it was pleasant.


    I told her I felt regretful about something when Niva made her speech. It sounded like her sole reason for living was¡­to serve me. I was a fool to force the idea of her summoning a draconic spirit for me as ¡®repayment¡¯ for saving her.


    I didn¡¯t want that anymore because¡­was that needed?


    Just look at how strong I was¡­ [Conferment]? [Ira Ignis]? [Furia cies]? Immunity to fire and ice? Surtr? My Soul Weapon? And with Sekh¡¯s eventual return¡­


    I didn¡¯t want their lives to revolve around me. I didn¡¯t want our rtionship to evolve to the point where their feelings had to look at me for approval or denial.


    Making a big deal about a draconic spirit was one of my dumbest mistakes. I regretted it so much I wanted to scream.


    ¡°Please¡­ Just treat me like an equal. Call me Lord Springfield, Mistress, or M. I don¡¯t care. Be a friend. Be someone I can count on, but don¡¯t devote yourselves to me to the exclusion of everything else. I may have wanted that in the past, but I don¡¯t want that anymore.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Prim kept quiet. I¡¯d given her a lot to think about. Her poor mind was already in disarray. And this didn¡¯t help.


    Hand in hand, we watched over Niva, who awoke after the morning sun vanquished the dark night and illuminated the skies with its cherry-red glow.


    I thought she would¡¯ve cried when I told her what Prim and I spoke about, but¡­


    No. Niva said she had spoken to Tilde a few days ago. She helped her rehearse her speech and said I would eventually approach her.


    She added that I had said almost everything Tilde had predicted¡ªword for word¡­


    Niva had asked Tilde if she should change her speech, but the fairy insisted she keep it the same to ¡®encourage¡¯ me to have this talk.


    Tilde also helped Primrose with her emotions.


    Oh, she knew me better than I knew myself.


    So¡­


    My worries were for naught.


    ¡°You gotta have a little fun when you get to be my age,¡± Tilde said, grinning. She cozied up near me. ¡°I¡¯m d I can read you like a book, Master. It means we have a connection, ya know? Something deep and primal. Most of the world can¡¯t ever experience something like this.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t deny that. It seemed as if I was always relying on that lewd menace.


    Tris prepared a simple breakfast of eggs and potatoes and fed it to Niva. The familiar magic circle appeared over her eye once she took off the unneeded bandages. It would forever remain there, granting her the gift of sight until the day she drew herst breath.


    <hr>


    After eating, Niva imed she was well enough to stand and move. Of course, she stumbled immediately after standing, but she swore she was okay.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do this for us,¡± she said. ¡°I want to be stronger, and I¡¯ll use my power to protect those I love!¡± She leaned against Primrose for support and walked to the deck. After getting her bnce, she wielded Primrose''s staff and cast spells. Her spirit joined her. Tris helped by taking pots and pans from [Artificer¡¯s Arsenal] and throwing them in the air for target practice. Niva used [Razor Wind] and tried to cut them all down, but she missed a bunch.


    Next, Lei helped by dashing across the ship. Niva was to use [Vine Maniption] to catch the slippery rascal. She ran ragged.


    When she was tired, I assisted her as Sera did for me. Likewise, Niva never learned how to cast magic the proper way because she had these blockades preventing the mana from properly circting.


    ¡°And a Vredi taught you this?¡± Prim asked. She kneeled and assisted, using her vines to help Niva direct the mana.


    ¡°Seraphina Vredi. Susize¡¯s sister,¡± I replied, coating my finger in ice. I slid it up her flesh-and-blood arm, but Niva had trouble grasping it. It took a few hours to break the blockades inside her biological limbs, but her prosthetics were another thing entirely. She had long forgotten what it felt like to move them.


    Tilde said a nerve mesh would help. Ruru, a Deerfolk, used some for a kid he brought to Aetos Vige to get a prosthetic. It connected the nerves to the metal and made it act like skin. But that was rare. We didn¡¯t know where to even begin to find it. Even a search for it via [Skyview] came up empty.


    Niva was upset. But all it took was a gentle, loving scolding to calm her down. I told her she shouldn¡¯t rush anything. As much as she wanted to jump ahead into the deep end, I couldn¡¯t have her burn out.


    <hr>


    It was almost midnight, and nothing challenged us on the open sea. I had two clones take the shape of arge fish and push the boat from behind, and Surtr¡¯s ferocious roar scared off anything that came close.


    I sat across from Tris, who skillfully worked the makeshift kitchen from [Artificer¡¯s Arsenal]. I had told her I wanted to reward her for her help in Atrix, and she wanted a dinner date after getting advice from Tilde.


    Tris was all smiles as she saut¨¦ed mushrooms, boiled potatoes, and seared the steaks. She said she had spent over 1,000 hours studying the inn¡¯s chefs, and Tris proudly proimed she had surpassed them in culinary skill. ¡°Your presence is all I require. And you know how much I enjoy copting. But Tilde told me sex shouldn''t be the only thing on my mind. She says the ''intimate non-intimate'' moments should be enjoyed."


    ¡°So¡­¡±


    ¡°I wanted to share one with you, my lord. Tilde is tutoring Niva and Primrose below, so¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m all yours. Mhmm¡­ It smells delicious.¡±


    Tris¡¯s ears happily twitched. We enjoyed small talk until she ted our food. And it was incredible!


    The chefs at the inn were masters at their craft, but this?


    My endless praise caused Tris to blush like a tomato. If her tail had wagged any faster, it would¡¯ve shot off like a rocket and escaped the¡¯s gravitational pull.


    She said her heart felt peaceful to hear how much I liked it. She finished first, and after putting everything away, she sat beside me and fed me. When I was thirsty, she filled her mouth with the lemongrass tea she brewed, then passed it to me through a kiss.


    ¡°Wow. That¡¯s something new.¡± The touch of her soft lips still lingered on mine.


    ¡°Did you like it?¡±


    ¡°I did. I think I¡¯m still thirsty.¡±


    ¡°Well, I cannot have that¡­¡± Tris giggled and gave me another tea-filled kiss. Then weid down under the beautiful night. She rested her head on my shoulder and slung an arm over my stomach. ¡°These moments¡­ I now understand what Tilde meant when she said they should be cherished. It¡­fills my heart with something new, and the butterflies have returned.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not the only one,¡± I whispered, kissing her cheeks.


    ¡°My lord¡­ Once Lady Sekh has returned, I¡­want us all to share a moment like this.¡±


    ¡°I desire the same. I think that can be arranged. We¡¯ll have to make it one to remember.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we do! But¡­¡± Tris was unnaturally stuttering. Her words were hesitant, but I knew what she wanted.


    How could I not?


    I rolled on top of her and found her precious fingers. They were so soft and slender¡­and fit perfectly in my hands.


    ¡°This night has yet to end, Tris.¡± I sealed her lips with mine and tasted the remains of that tea. The sweet sensation sent thrills throughout my body. Our lips parted, and she panted. Her reddened cheeks¡­ Those glistening eyes¡­ The way she adorably squirmed when I gently caressed her neck¡­


    In a sh, she swapped her clothes for that lingerie, I ¡®dressed¡¯ for the asion, and¡­


    We loved each other all night long...continuing until dawn¡¯s morning glow as our telepathic connection sent shatteringly euphoric earthquakes throughout my mind.


    She didn¡¯t want it to end.


    And neither did I.


    I loved her¡­so much.


    <hr>


    ¡°Guess you can call that a sessful date night, huh?¡± Tilde asked as she emerged from the hold the following morning. She skipped over and saw Tris¡¯s wonderfully satisfied expression as she recovered from our intense night. My Fragment of Wisdomid softly in my arms like a princess. I had dressed Tris in her regr clothes after supplying her with the tender aftercare she deserved¡ªjust like my fairy had taught me.


    ¡°You could say it was.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t hear anything, ya know. I tried, but Tris rocked your mind instead of your ears. Anyway, wanna take her down below? Niva and Prim are still asleep. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll wait on ya!¡± Tilde met me off with a wink, and I used my slime to craft a mattress. I looked at Niva, who had her head in Primrose¡¯sp.


    <i>They look so cute¡­ Better let them sleep.</i>


    I returned to the hold and found Tilde leaning against the railing. Joining her, she attacked my cheeks with a quick kiss. ¡°Anyway¡­¡±


    ¡°Anyway¡­what?¡±


    ¡°I¡­really like¡­¡± Tilde was uncharacteristically bashful as she swapped to Maid Mode. ¡°Fine. I¡¯m just gonna say it. Being a maid suits me a lot, so I think I¡¯ll stay like this,¡± she said. ¡°The fit¡¯s pretty cute, yeah?¡± She struck a few poses like a pop singer would do when performing.


    ¡°Yep.¡± I nodded. ¡°Anything for the cutest fairy in the whole wide world.¡± She seriously loved the outfit more than her adventuring gear. ¡°But you don¡¯t need my permission to use Maid Mode.¡±


    <i>I should find a way to reinforce it.</i>


    ¡°Well¡­ I mean, I know that. But¡­ I dunno. Maybe I¡¯m being kinda weird.¡± Tilde lightly pinched her cheeks. ¡°But you¡¯re not wrong about me being the cutest fairy in the whole world. And might I add another nomenture to that? I proim I¡¯m the cutest fairy maid the world has ever seen. And that means a fairy like me has a reputation to uphold, so¡­ Pardon me, Master.¡± Tilde gave me a sexy wink and set about improving her marksmanship with a silent pistol.


    <i>That was a little odd. But Tilde is Tilde. She wouldn¡¯t be Tilde otherwise. Huh¡­ I gave her that name for the hell of it, but it definitely suits her.</i>


    Niva and Primrose showed up about fifteen minutester. They asked me aboutst night and if I enjoyed it, and I nodded.


    Something felt strange. I looked at Tilde, and she briefly nodded as if she could read my mind.


    I guess <i>that </i>discussion was fated to happen sooner thanter. But how did I want to approach it? Did it have to be in any specific way?


    ¡­<i></i>


    Niva practiced meleebat, and I tossed in a slime clone to help. It was roughly configured to her level and wielded a water staff¡ªcourtesy of Sera¡¯s tutoring. It wouldn¡¯t hurt if it hit you, but you¡¯d get wet.


    <i>She¡¯s a master at projecting elemental weapons¡­ I wonder how the situation is in Orchta? Meh, I can find outter.</i>


    So, my clone fought Niva and her spirit. Niva couldn¡¯t athletically move, so she relied on [Woond Shield]. She chanted the spell and raised her staff, and thick vines grew from the tip to form a defensive armament.


    When Tris woke from her deserved nap, it was time to break for lunch, which consisted of eggs and sausage expertly prepared by the Fragment of Wisdom.


    Training resumed afterwards.


    I taught Primrose how to properly shoot a gun to rest my mind. She wasn¡¯t a fan of them, but she understood how impressive they were when the silenced 92FS refused to make noise. She was also led to believe that a silencer couldn¡¯t be wholly effective.


    Dinner consisted of fish stew with tons of veggies and freshly baked bread. Tris received a lot ofpliments. Her blushing face was so cute that I just had to squeeze it.


    After eating, I asked for Tilde¡¯s maid and adventuring gear. She happily stripped nude for me, and I used my crystal-infused webbing to add protective reinforcements. Tris analyzed the armor and developed the ns, but after I was finished, the maid outfit had sshes of azure and crimson. When the iceme cloak was added, Tilde looked spiffy. She gushed and hugged me tightly, then proudly flew around the ship while happily proiming herself the Transcendent Dark Lord¡¯s Head Maid.


    She was the only maid, so she said it naturally made her the ¡®top dawg.¡¯ Tilde put that energy into training to work off dinner.


    <hr>


    Night had fallen again, and it was Tilde, Tris, and myself on the deck. Niva and Primrose had descended to the hold since they were exhausted. The training was hard, but it bore fruit. If nothing else, it increased their confidence. And that was always a positive.


    Confidence went a long way, after all.


    But¡­ Something wasn¡¯t right. I had intended to have a talk with those two, but¡­


    ¡°You know as well as I do that I won¡¯t get a straight answer from them. Niva will say things are fine. But they aren¡¯t. Tris, can you speak with them? You know what I want to say, right?¡±


    ¡°Leave it to me, my lord,¡± said Tris. She gave me a sly wink before skipping away.


    ¡°Master? Are you sure?¡± I turned to Tilde, who leaned against the railing. She looked utterly beautiful and breathtaking in the pristine moonlight.


    ¡°I am,¡± I replied. ¡°Tris¡¯s better than me at analyzing emotions. She can read those and use her processing abilities to steer the conversation in the right direction.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s logical. I can¡¯t find any ws in your reasoning, so¡­ What do we do? Wait?¡±


    ¡°Unless you have an idea?¡± I raised my eyebrows.


    Oh, Tilde had an idea¡ªone that greatly interested me.


    ¡°But that can wait. Little Miss Verdant isn¡¯t the only one who¡¯s prepared a gift.¡± Tilde turned around, haughtily peeked over her shoulder, and¡­ ¡°Ta-da!!!¡± She turned around and held a neatly folded stack of clothes. ¡°Go on. Check them bad boys out.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯d you get this? And is that a hairpin? Why is the gem so big? And a¡­tiara?¡±


    ¡°I pulled some strings. But no. The gem¡¯s fake. The one in the tiara isn¡¯t real, but they look pretty. Right?¡±


    ¡°They do. But okay. Give me a second.¡±


    A heartbeat or twoter, I was dressed.


    The top was white with puffy, long sleeves with a stiff cor. It came with a slot to attach the red ribbon neatlyying on top. The brown crisscross corset hugged my stomach and transitioned into the skirt. The white stockings came all the way up my thighs. And the heeled shoes¡­


    Well, they were high heels. Susize loved these things, and wearing anything else didn''t feel right.


    ¡°Wooow¡­¡± Tilde licked her lips. ¡°Ya know, I was thinking that big ass hairpin was too much, but just look! It suits you. You¡¯re powerful, Master. And powerful women need to look powerful. It¡¯s just like how water is made of water, and sand is made of sand. Obvious things are obvious.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ I do feel good,¡± I admitted. The sensation differed from Verdant¡¯s gift. That brought tranquility and¡­peace while this... It made me want to go on an adventure.


    Two different emotions... But ones I cherished and loved.


    ¡°Okay, so I was thinking it¡¯ll be like this. This can be your regr outfit. Your Atrixian disguise¡ªthe orange clothes? That can be your casual wear. And Verdant¡¯s gift can be what you wear to formal events or when you gotta stand out and make a ssh.¡±


    ¡°What? Are you my wardrobe maintainer?¡±


    ¡°Damn skippy!¡± Tilde crossed her arms and shed a confident smile. ¡°I may not look like it, but I was into fashion for a few hundred years. Anyway, consider that another perk of having me be your headmaid. Oh, but before we move to the good stuff... Wanna do me onest favor?


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Okay, so make a throne with your slime.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Come on. Just y along.¡±


    I did. It felt odd, but I made and sat on it. But Tilde wanted me to cross my legs. And then she asked me to do this weird pose with my finger under my chin after giving me a fake book. ¡°Surtr? Can I get your help?¡±


    My lion approached and sat. ¡°Okay, so can you make some fire? It must be around the throne¡­kinda like this¡­¡± Tilde scribbled something on a piece of paper. Surtr looked at me.


    <i>It''s fine.</i>


    <i>As you wish, Lord Springfield.</i>


    And so, Surtr created a thin nket of harmless, orange mes that danced around the throne.


    ¡°Are we done?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    ¡°And why did we do that?¡± I canceled the throne and erased the mes.


    ¡°Because we could. Isn¡¯t it a Master¡¯s job to make her headmaid happy?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ Only because you¡¯re so cute. And adorable. And beautiful, charming, and enchanting.¡±


    <i>Tilde¡¯s just Tilde¡­ She¡¯ll always be my precious little fairy.</i>


    ¡°Anyway¡­ Why don¡¯t we move on and have a little fun, Master? It¡¯s my way of thanking you for going along with my dumb little skits¡­¡± Tilde licked her lips, and¡­


    Well, we had time to kill while Tris talked to Niva¡­ And Tilde¡¯s idea?


    I didn¡¯t expect anything else from the fairy who taught me how to be apassionate lover¡­

 Chapter 89.5: Moonlight Passion (R-18)

    Chapter 89.5: Moonlight Passion (R-18)


    Tris¡¯s technique was forceful. She overpowered my tongue and kept her lips to mine for the better part of a minute. Thick strips of saliva connected us¡­and we kissed again.


    And again.


    And again.


    Our switches were flipped. My hands explored Tris''s chest, and she rubbed my erection. Her delicate fingers felt so good¡­ Our gazes longed for the other, and when she sensed I was close to climaxing, she kissed me harder than ever as I covered her stomach.


    She seductively bit her lip and licked my semen from her fingers.


    Tris fidgeted. ¡°I want you¡­ So much¡­ I can¡¯t hardly stand it¡­¡± She touched her crotch and shivered.


    ¡°And I want you,¡± I whispered. I caressed her chin and kissed her, wrapping my arms around Tris¡¯s trembling back. We sat up, and I fell to my back. My Fragment of Wisdom straddled me with that lewd expression and pushed her panties to the side¡ªshe was drenching wet. Her eyes were flooded with lust, and I wanted her passion to devour me.


    ¡°Masturbate for me. Show me how you do it.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ I want nothing more than to show you¡­¡± Her voice quivered in deep anticipation. But Tris had another idea. She gently guided my cock to her cute ass and¡­


    ¡­slipped it in. Tris arched her back and cried out, but her tender voice did not escape her lips. No¡ªher beautiful moans echoed endlessly in my mind.


    <i>Please¡­ Please watch me¡­</i>


    Tris leaned back and spread herself open. She timidly fingered herself while I slowly, steadily gyrated my hips. Her insides were deliciously tight. Tris heaved and panted with every thrust. She bit her lips and fought an urge to close her legs.


    <i>My lord¡­ My lord¡­</i>


    I felt myself getting close. The familiar pressure began building in my testicles, but¡­


    There was more¡­


    Tris¡¯s mouth¡­ That tongue she loved to lick me with me¡­


    It was avable¡­


    Her eyes went wide when she saw my clone, but she fluttered her pretty blues and opened her mouth, taking the cock that stared at her without waiting. She greedily sucked it and almost whined when my clone stepped back to run the shaft across her face. She inhaled the scent when it went under her nose, inhaling my scent.


    <i>My lord¡­ Your scent. I could get drunk off it. It¡¯s the best. There¡¯s nothing else like it. It¡¯s my favorite smell in the world... I want¡­more. Please, more¡­</i>


    Her fingers furiously ravaged her cunt, and the clone slid their hips back, pulling their shaft across her head. Our sensations were linked¡ªI felt it all, even when the clone rested their balls on Tris¡¯s face.


    That turned her on more.


    She opened her mouth¡­and the clone did what she wanted and fucked her throat.


    She took it all¡ªthe entire shaft was gone-- hidden and loved. Tris didn¡¯t need to breathe.


    I greedily grabbed her mesmerizing breasts with my hands after transfiguring a set of lips in the middle of my palms. Immediately, I felt her lips tighten harder. Tris beautifully squirted, sending her delectable juices across the deck.


    I wanted to taste her.


    A third, fourth, and fifth clone appeared. They kneeled and offered tongues to help Tris''s fingers. The moist, pink appendages slithered like snakes and drove her wild. Tris clenched tighter than before, and I couldn¡¯t hold it back. I jumped faster and climaxed, shooting thirteen long ropes of semen that never ended¡ªsynchronizing my orgasm with the clone enjoying Tris¡¯s throat. She greedily swallowed everything the clone pumped out without spilling a drop.


    And my mind was just entirely filled with her passionate voice.


    And that was really it.


    Hearing my partners enjoy themselves did way more than anyone would¡¯ve thought in turning me on.


    But Tris didn¡¯t want the night to end.


    And neither did I.


    We both desired this¡­


    We spent the rest of the night like this¡­conjoined together in an orgy that reinforced the love and lust we shared for each other.


    <hr>


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Tilde sassily tapped a finger to her chin, starting off another of her skits that would almost certainly lead to something lewd and sexually charged. ¡°Sheesh¡­¡± She exaggeratedly wiped her sweaty forehead and stretched, grabbing the ship¡¯s railing while sticking out her ass. ¡°I said... Sheesh... Oh, am I tired... If only I had a kind-hearted Master to rub my tired body... Perhaps it¡¯ll be the same Master who... Eeek!¡±


    <i>p!</i>


    I spanked her ass, and her smile was just so yful. ¡°Hmm¡­ That¡¯s not the kinda rub a girl like me was looking, Master¡­¡± She wiggled her butt again, and I smacked it, keeping my hand on her cheeks this time¡ªgroping her the way she liked it.


    ¡°Mmm¡­ It feels so good¡­ But¡­¡± She turned around and shed a cute smile. ¡°What do you say, Master? Wanna have a little fun?¡±


    ¡°You have to ask me now?¡± I swooped her in my arms and sat her on the railing.¡°Ah, don¡¯t say anything. I¡¯ll go along with it, my cute fairy.¡±


    We explored each other¡¯s bodies and kissed like wild beasts. Tilde''s wings were sensitive, so I treated them like fragile works of art. I soon unbuttoned her top and saw her cute bra, then lifted her skirt after she said she wanted to do it in her uniform¡­but I found¡­


    Panties?


    ¡°What happened to goingmando?¡±


    ¡°I have to have modesty if I¡¯m to be your Head Maid,¡± she sultrily whispered, leaning close to kiss me as she pushed the drenched garments to the side. She was already wet. ¡°Unless¡­ You want me to be naughty? You know I can be a dirty girl if that¡¯s what you want.¡±


    ¡°I think you know the answer.¡± I stashed her underwear and returned the kiss, my tongue descending until I focused on her neck. Her moans were like sweet music and only excited me, and her tender noises made me more excited as I locked my lips around her nipples.


    ¡°Mmnn... That¡¯s more like it. You gotta be gentle with me,¡± Tilde whispered, rubbing my cheeks. ¡°You¡¯re trying so hard that it¡¯s so adorable! But¡­¡± Her tone turned mncholy. I asked her what was wrong. ¡°I¡­don¡¯t have milk. These puppies are bone dry¡­¡± Tilde groped herself. ¡°But... That won¡¯t stop you from trying, right?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± I whispered, resuming my sucking. Tilde¡¯s panting increased as she rubbed my head. She called me a good girl. The embrace almost turned...motherly? It wasn¡¯t odd, and it wasn¡¯t ufortable. Tilde eventually bit her lips and let loose a sweet cry as I felt something wet against my knee.


    She had climaxed from her nipples alone.


    Tilde panted and sweated, her cheeks turning red like a tomato. ¡°I... I can¡¯t wait, Master... Please, jam it in me! Just stick it in like I¡¯m a toy and flood my tight¡ª¡± Her lewdness was defeated by a gentle,ical flick to the head.


    ¡°Oh? Is my precious Head Maid telling her Master what to do? Hmm... I¡¯ll have to punish you, you know...¡±


    ¡°Tee hee!¡± Tilde stuck out her tongue and winked. ¡°Oh no, I guess you discovered my ultimate n...¡± My clothes vanished, and vines sprouted from my back. They wrapped around Tilde¡¯s limbs and kept her suspended.


    ¡°Come on, Master¡­ Your naughty maid¡­needs to be taught a naughty lesson¡­ I...want all of you...for as long as I can handle it... Just...drive me wild, Master.¡±


    And I did nothing. I remained still¡­because I had a better idea when a clone of Tris appeared beside me. She approached Tilde and deeply kissed her. A second clone manifested and exclusively targeted her breasts. A third focused on her stomach, a fourth kneeled and spread the fairy open, and a fifth licked her together.


    And I watched¡­ The scene was beautiful. Seeing Tilde being yed with? Having her teased all over? She writhed in pleasure. Her eyes watered, and her cheeks went red as she shivered. The anticipation was too much, and she begged me to stick it in as a sixth Tris clone kneeled and licked my dick.


    ¡°Master¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ Maa~~!¡± Tilde climaxed. Her body involuntarily quivered as she climaxed hard, squirting her delicious juices all over the clones¡¯ faces. She heaved for air and panted. Her hair clung to her sweaty face as she breathed hard.


    ¡°And Tilde is ready to take you, my lord,¡± said a clone. Two held my hands and guided me to my fairy. Her lewd eyes¡­ She didn¡¯t speak, but I knew what went through her mind.


    A third clone gently held my penis, and thest two spread Tilde open as I pushed past her inner folds into her sweet, delectable pussy. She was almost blisteringly hot and clenched immediately. Tilde wanted to cry out, but a clone sealed her voice with a deep kiss while I slowly pumped my hips. She curled her toes.


    ¡°Mmm!!!! Mmphm¡ªmmphhmmmm!!!!!¡± Her eyes almost rolled to the back of her head, but the Tris Army Clone Attack hadn¡¯t stopped. They crowed Tilde and rubbed her body with warmed slime, ensuring she was slick, wet, and slippery. The clones knew her weak points, and her cries were delectable and fulfilled the insatiable lust I felt. That must¡¯vee from Murag, but It didn¡¯t overpower me. No¡ªI wouldn¡¯t make that mistake again...


    I lowered Tilde closer to the ground¡ªshe was still hovering, and three Tris clones transfigured a copy of my penis.


    ¡°You said to drive you wild, Tilde,¡± I whispered, trying to hold back the pressure rising within my crotch. ¡°And you won¡¯t be the same... Come on, Tris, let¡¯s do it together...¡±


    ¡°At one, my lord,¡± said the clones in unison. The three without penises continued to massage every inch of Tilde¡¯s body. The other three rubbed their cocks against Tilde¡¯s bouncing breasts before rubbing her face. In between gasps, one slipped it in and fucked Tilde¡¯s throat¡ªjust the way she liked. It silenced her moans, but I felt the vibration¡ªeverything, really, that the clones experienced. Our passions weren¡¯t separate¡ªeveryone felt what the other felt.


    <i>But seeing Tris...with a penis like that... That¡¯s...turning me on... But... I... No, don¡¯t focus on that, M. Tilde... She¡¯s your objective... It¡¯s all about your precious Head Maid.</i>


    ¡°MMMMPPPHHHHHH!!!!¡± Suddenly, Tilde convulsed, her body erupting like an earthquake had sent thunderbolts surging through her spine. She clenched me tightly, and I released the pressure, shooting all I had into her. The clone monopolizing Tilde¡¯s face climaxed, and I felt the pleasure flow through me. Her orgasmic expression... It was so beautiful... The other two penis-wielding clones shot their load over Tilde¡¯s breasts, painting her in a gorgeousyer of white, thick seed, and the three other clones immediately began licking Tilde clean.


    Tilde¡¯s eyes were zed over when the Tris she gave a blowjob to backed away, her penis glistening in the soft moonlight unobstructed by any pesky clouds. Even though she didn¡¯t need to breathe, that Tris softly panted and met my eyes, licking her lips as her hands returned to her mighty erection. She kneeled and kissed Tilde, greedily taking the semen clinging to her throat before passing it around to the other clones.


    I fell to my ass. My knees were quivering too much to stand as my vines gently brought Tilde to me. She sat in myp, but Tilde wasn¡¯t moving¡ªtoo exhausted, I suppose. But her vitals were fine...


    ¡°This is what she wanted, my lord,¡± said a Tris clone. She kneeled and rubbed my thighs as she hugged Tilde from behind. Her saliva was still all over my fairy¡¯s stomach. The other clones sat on their knees and watched.


    ¡°Master...¡± Tilde¡¯s voice was weak. She didn¡¯t have the strength to push herself off me, but her lewd tongue licked my neck. I felt the beating of her heart and the depths of her love.


    ¡°I¡¯m right here, Tilde... Take the time you need, okay? I won¡¯t let you go.¡±


    ¡°More...¡±


    ¡°Huh? More? But--¡±


    ¡°I...¡± Her hands brushed against my erection. ¡°Ha! I got ya!¡±


    ¡°Wha-- Hhhmphhh--¡± The kiss was sudden. Just where had Tilde gotten this bolt of energy? She was passionate, like a lion on the prowl.¡±


    ¡°Tricking your Master, huh?¡± I smirked and touched my forehead to hers. ¡°Just what kind of Head Maid are you?¡±


    ¡°Hmm...¡± She innocently pressed a finger to her chin and looked up. ¡°A lewd one? One who cares about her Master a lot? A practical joker who knows not to take it too far? Someone who...honestly is pretending to be energetic...¡± Her mood shifted slightly. She was still excited and upbeat, satisfied with our lovemaking, but the fairy was exhausted. She fell against my chest and rested her head on my shoulder.


    ¡°Dummy... You¡¯re just going to tire yourself out. Here, want a pillow?¡±


    ¡°Ap pillow? With something yummy to lick?¡±


    ¡°Yummy?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what it is, isn¡¯t it? Your dick¡¯s delicious, Master. And... Well, it does have my juices, so... a Head Maid worth her salt and liquor must clean up her messes.¡± The Tris clones assisted Tilde inying on myp, and they watched as I stroked her hair after using slime to clean her body.


    ¡°I think you turned me on to some different fetishes, Master,¡± said Tilde, her tongue tickling my shaft. Her motions were small, but it was nheless very enjoyable. I felt myself growing harder with each passing second.


    ¡°Penis-wielding Trises?¡±


    ¡°Yeah... Usually, you make clones of yourself. But this is a first. It...was different. And I loved it... Hey... Master?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Can... I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve talked about fetishes before.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we have. Why? Have something you want to try?¡±


    ¡°Umm...¡± Tilde avoided the subject and wrapped her lips around the tip for a few seconds. I wasn¡¯t close to climaxing, but...


    I wasn¡¯tining. Especially when she was touching herself. I had cleaned her, but my lewd Head Maid was already a sweaty, wet mess.


    ¡°Ah, sorry about that.¡± She gave the tip a quick kiss and returned to her passionate licking. ¡°It¡¯s...hard to talk about.¡±


    ¡°I find that hard to imagine.¡±


    ¡°Eh? That¡¯s kinda cruel. I think that deserves a little Tilde Kiss!¡± Tilde smooched the tip and happily pped her precious wings. ¡°I dunno... Maybe one day... But I have one request. And it¡¯s not from the giant list from the Century of Tilde. It¡¯s a personal one.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t they all personal? But yeah. Go ahead. Ask. I¡¯m all ears, Tilde.¡±


    ¡°I...Can you let me fall asleep? Like this?¡±


    ¡°With it in your mouth?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind. That¡¯s...a fetish I have. I¡¯ve never actually had a chance to act it out, though. So... I mean, my lovely Master should allow me that much, right? Especially after how tight I was? No one has a pussy quite like¡ªbah!¡±


    ¡°Geez... So vulgar and lewd, aren¡¯t you?¡± I lightly bonked Tilde on the head and rubbed her hair. ¡°But I wouldn¡¯t have my precious Tilde any other way.¡±


    ¡°Yep! I¡¯m precious, alright! Besides, I¡¯m sure this patented Tilde¡¯s Cock Warming is brand-new for you, too. So... I guess...you can escort me downstairs after I fall asleep... You¡¯d do that for me, right? Master?¡±


    ¡°Anything for you, Tilde. Sweet dreams...¡±


    I felt a familiar sensation envelop the tip of my penis, and Tilde¡¯s eyes slowly closed as I rubbed her body.


    The Tris clones vanished after kissing me, and I merely waited...enjoying a tender moment with someone I loved very much.


    Tilde was unique.


    She was an enigma.


    Certainly... There wasn¡¯t anyone else like her in this world. But...


    I loved her.


    I¡¯d do anything for her because she¡¯d do anything for me. I still needed her. She was my Head Maid, but she was my teacher first. A belovedpanion who taught a broken piece of shit like...whoforted me when I was at my lowest...who always knew what to say...to get me back on track...


    ¡°Our family¡¯s almost reunited, Tilde,¡± I whispered, her soft breathing tickling my penis. I grew hard. I didn¡¯t want to wake her up by filling her mouth, so when I was about to climax, I used slime inside my penis to assimte the semen before it spurted out, thenunched the collected waste over the deck with a slingshot of slime.


    ¡°I know what I must do. No, I know...what I think I want to do. I know I have choices to make. I...only hope that you¡¯re with me until the end. A Head Maid isn¡¯t supposed to die before her Master, you know?¡±


    I leaned down and kissed her cheeks, then enjoyed the night until it was time to take her downstairs.


    Another conversation had to happen, and my night wasn¡¯t any closer to ending.

 Chapter Ninety: What We Didn’t Want You Knowing

    Chapter Ny: What We Didn¡¯t Want You Knowing


    I wasn¡¯t a stranger to being near my Mistress when she had sex. I never wished to be a burden. If she had to go to a different room because of me... That meant I was the problem.


    Mistress''s happiness was my happiness.


    Before she saved me, I thought that was beyond me.


    I was a halfbreed...thrown in the trash by almost everyone I knew after failing to summon suitable spirits for them. I was given as a sacrificial shield for Noelia, who sold me to brothels and anyone willing to pay her. She often watched my torment¡­ She hated the way I looked. She despised my gross body.


    And it was through her that I came to hate everything about me.


    But then I met Mistress¡­ She was just a voice in the darkness. She was someone I couldn¡¯t see. I could hardly hear her. Yet¡­


    I wanted to follow her¡­ There was nothing else to lose, so when the voice I heard asked me to pledge my loyalty... I nodded.


    Why not? If I died, then I died and left this painful world. And it was a trap? It wouldn¡¯t have been the first.


    And that changed¡­everything for me¡­


    Mistress was my reason to live. She was why I wanted to get up in the morning. And she was why I discovered a source of determination I thought I had lost.


    I was ready to die for her.


    I was ready toy down my life for her.


    But then Tilde had told me...that living like that was a mistake. It wouldn¡¯t be what Mistress wanted. She told me that after I had given my speech, Mistress would desire me to be an equal. I was willing to pray to her... Honestly? I had already prayed to her a little.


    I really...wanted her to be my goddess¡­even if I knew she wouldn¡¯t want my worship.


    I didn¡¯t know how I''d react after hearing it, but I was strangely calm. If being an equal...would make Mistress happier than me serving her...


    I¡¯d stand by her side at any time.


    But I didn¡¯t know how to find something to live for that wasn¡¯t her because I...didn¡¯t know what I had.


    Family?


    They were probably dead. I couldn¡¯t remember my mother¡¯s face. My father''s voice wasn''t there. And I''d forgotten what my siblings looked like. All that remained was the cold, frigid winters, frightening snowstorms, and fields that never produced enough food...


    But I had Irisa. I had Ichiha and Kokan... They nursed me when I was at my weakest¡ªwhen anyone else would¡¯ve written me off. The Dark Lord of Tyranny regarded me as a friend. She talked to me when she changed my bandages. And Tilde... She was always there. Before she had evolved, she was probably aware of Mistress developing like this. The fairy had probably considered my feelings and prepared for this day. I wasn''t close with Erin, but we bonded. We both loved Lei, and we yed with him. And Erin helped me with my training as an honorary member of Pawsome Fables...


    And then there was Primrose¡ªthe first spirit to answer my summoning in years. I knew Aetos had given her to me to spy on Mistress and Sekh. But I was happy to have finally summoned something... I was happy to not feel like a failure any longer.


    And then it hit me...


    I could live for myself. I could live for the strength no one said I had. I desired to evolve into a Dragonfolk...to prove to myself that I had it in me all along. Summoning a draconic spirit was said to be one of the hardest things for a summoner to do. They were powerful and proud¡ªthey tore the skies with a roar and could summon powerful meteorites with a p of their wings.


    I now wished to summon one to prove that I could. I still wanted to be the Transcendent Dark Lord¡¯s spirit summoner. That goal would never change, but the hidden objective, as Tilde put it, had be more...selfish.


    Mistress wanted that. She desired me to be more selfish and do things for myself.


    Part of that selfishness...frightened me.


    I hadn¡¯t told anyone, but I despised it when Mistress had sex around me. I hated smelling or hearing it. Those gross sounds always forced my body to recall...what it endured during my darkest moments. Having those heavy bodies press me into the bed... Having those nails dig into my back...


    When Mistress was intimate with her lovers...I forced myself to endure it. I killed the shudders I felt. Those nightmares were ughtered. I refused to entertain them.


    I thought Tilde hadn¡¯t realized it, but she did. She didn¡¯t bring it up when we spoke the night before¡ªwhen Mistress and Tris were enjoying some intimate time together. The fairy just said she would create an opportunity for me to talk with the smartest being in the world. Tilde had done just that. I knew she and Mistress were having sex above us. I was in the hold with Primrose and Tris.


    ¡°You should speak your mind,¡± said Tris. She kneeled and held a cup of water.


    ¡°I...¡± It was hard to find the words.


    ¡°Shall I assist? Niva, do you love her?¡±


    ¡°I do!¡± I eximed. It felt like a dagger was in my throat.


    ¡°Do you want to have sex with her?¡±


    ¡°I... My body is dirty. It¡¯s been defiled. It¡¯s corrupted... I¡¯ve... She wouldn¡¯t ept someone like me--¡±


    ¡°Forgive me, but that is a lie.¡± Tris¡¯s eyes were sharp. They narrowed, but she wasn¡¯t angry. ¡°I know you despise carnal rtions. It is, after all, understandable. I am aware of what you endured. If I had to guess... You¡¯re...conflicted about your feelings. A part of you wishes to offer everything to your Mistress. The other part is hesitant. It is having serious thoughts about why you want to do this. Is it truly out of love? Do you wish to repay your Mistress for saving your life? Subconsciously, since you have yet to summon a draconic spirit, and I am aware of your recent thoughts on that after speaking with Tilde, you are left with only your body.¡±


    I was stunned. How could Tris have known...so much? She continued.


    ¡°You despise watching. You hate the smell. You didn¡¯t want to tell your Mistress because you didn¡¯t want to hurt her. It doesn¡¯t matter how big or small an injury is, or if it¡¯s physical, verbal, or mental¡­ You''re the type to never inflict difort upon her. Even an ounce, in your mind, is far too heavy.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± I admitted. Primrose held my hand. I felt tears drip from my eye. Tris¡¯s monochrome form became hazy.


    ¡°Your Mistress wishes for you to be happy more than anything. She won¡¯t force you to do anything you don¡¯t want to do. If you wish to repay her? Merely be happy. Find your joy. However, I do not need to continue because you have already found it. It is never wrong to be selfish.¡± Tris smiled with a gentle expression. ¡°Close friendship and camaraderie are what she seeks more than any physical rtionship. She is not the same person as when she saved you.¡±


    ¡°Tris is right.¡± My heart stopped. I turned to the stairs and found Mistress. Tilde, wearing pajamas, was asleep in her arms. Mistress put her fairy to bed and sat beside me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I never meant to make you feel ufortable.¡±


    ¡°NO! It wasn¡¯t like that. It was--- I mean¡ªIt...¡±


    ¡°Progressing in an endless cycle of apologies is not advisable,¡± Tris said, sipping her water.


    Mistress continued. She promised things would change. Her intimate times with her lovers would happen away from me. I wanted that... Suddenly, she rubbed my head, and it felt like everything was right in the world.


    If Mistress wanted me to treat her as an equal...then I¡¯d have to ept things here. Endlessly apologizing would only lead us into a cycle¡ªTris was right. We didn¡¯t want that. Tris looked at me, so I wondered if this was a small test? I knew she was constantlymunicating with Mistress.


    ¡°I...¡±


    ¡°I...?¡± repeated the High Elf...


    ¡°I love you, M¡ªM... I¡¯ll always love you. As a friend... As someone I know I can turn to when I need help. And you can turn to me when you need help, too...¡±


    ¡°Between you and me? M sounds much better than Mistress. I love you too, Niva.¡± M kissed my head.


    Waves of unexinable relief washed over me. I felt stronger and more determined than ever.


    Would my feelings change in the future? It was uncertain... Maybe I¡¯d develop something fierier for her.


    But not now.


    I had too many skeletons in my closet¡ªtoo many demons to face before I ever thought about giving my body to someone else.


    <hr>


    It felt like a new bond of trust had developed between my spirit summoner and me.


    No, that wasn¡¯t the right way to refer to her. Niva was an honored friend. A valuedpanion that I could trust with any and everything. She looked at me with a renewed expression.


    I was saddened, though. On our first visit to Aetos Vige, Tilde had spoken to Niva and said she was fine with Sekh and me having sex near her. Tilde was a sharp fairy. Her emotional intelligence surpassed everyone else, so she probably saw this as an opportunity for self-growth. She knew Niva disliked it. She waited for her to say so herself, although maybe Tilde regretted that. I couldn¡¯t ask her since she was still asleep from our lovemaking.


    Then again...


    No. That was the past. Sure, I could look to it to help me in the future, but my time was better suited to focusing on just that.


    The future.


    I had to be better¡ªfor Niva and the others I¡¯vee to love.


    It felt like a fresh breath of air, honestly. I talked with Niva and Prim until they yawned and went to bed, and the atmosphere felt...so much more refreshing. Whatever haze that had been there was now gone. I felt closer to them than ever before.


    ¡°I recognize that smile,¡± Tilde said. I turned and saw her stretch before sitting up. She flew to me and hugged me from behind. ¡°I take it things worked out?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It feels like we¡¯ve had this conversation before.¡±


    ¡°We have. Anyway, let me guess. You thought I should¡¯ve caught that back in Aetos Vige? Yeah... I thought so. Honestly? I did catch it. And it¡¯s probably like you guessed. I wanted her to speak up. I wanted our little Niva to grow a backbone, but...¡±


    ¡°Even the great Tilde makes mistakes?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯m not that Tilde anymore. I mean, I kinda am. But I¡¯m also your Head Maid. I haven¡¯t grown in processing power or anything like that, but you can be sure I¡¯ll speak up when it matters. People...¡± Tilde paused. It was unlike her to take so long to gather her thoughts. ¡°People need a boost sometimes. Everyone does. You. Me. Tris... We all do. And I think that¡¯s the best way I can help. I do have a lot of experience. But I¡¯m also aware of how much emotions can y a role in deciding what to do.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°What? Did I leave you speechless?¡± Tilde flew to myp and wrapped her arms around my neck.


    ¡°More like amazed. You¡¯ve...really been there all along. Thank you, Tilde.¡±


    ¡°Well, this kind of support naturallyes from a head maid like me. Ya better get used to it, Master. Ah, I can still call you that, right?¡±


    ¡°Naturally,¡± I replied, grinning. ¡°Anything elseing from you just sounds wrong. Besides, you can¡¯t be a Head Maid without a Master to pamper.¡±


    ¡°Hehe! That¡¯s the spirit! I love ya!¡± Tilde shed a grin and kissed my cheeks. "And a Master needs a Head Maid to love, hug, and squeeze!"


    ¡°Tilde,¡± Tris interjected. ¡°Do you believe...it¡¯s time?¡±


    ¡°I...¡± Tilde looked at me. She squinted and bit her lips, but then her body shuddered. She wasn¡¯t cold. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°I believe... Our lord is ready, but I value your opinion.¡±


    ¡°Is it about what you...don¡¯t want me to know?¡± Tilde nodded.


    ¡°Sorry, but... No. We can¡¯t...do it. I¡¯m sorry, Master, but I must put my foot down. You might be ready, but... I¡¯m not... I can¡¯t... I mean... I...¡± Tilde bit her lips. ¡°You aren¡¯t the same Master that met me upon my return. You¡¯re someone more confident. The things you realized? The things you now understand? It¡¯s not enough for you to remember those memories--¡±


    ¡°Wait, memories?¡± I was shocked. Suddenly, my head hurt. It felt like someone had taken a nail gun to my skull. ¡°That¡¯s... Gaaaahhhh!!!¡± I grabbed my hair and grunted.


    Something...


    Something...was there...


    It felt ominous... Dark... Like the feeling you¡¯d get when you stare into a dark alley in the middle of the night. I didn¡¯t want to go down that path. But something called for me... something told me... I had to dig deeper.


    <hr>


    ¡°...fuck... No. Forget what I said, Master!¡± Tilde hugged her Master tighter than she had ever done. ¡°Forget it! I¡¯m just a dumb fairy! I¡¯m just drunk! You can¡¯t take what I say at face value! I¡¯ve lied about everything! Please, just--¡±


    ¡°Stop it, Tilde.¡± Tris¡¯s voice was stern. She kneeled beside the Transcendent Dark Lord and held her left hand. ¡°It¡¯s toote. Our lord--¡±


    ¡°No! Master!!! Stop! Just look at me! Focus on my voice! Please!!!!¡±


    The fairy¡¯s voice would go unheard. It didn¡¯t matter how tightly Tilde clung to her Master because the process had already started.


    All those vile, horrible, repressed memories were wing to her mind¡¯s forefront.


    Or were they?


    Something odd was happening. Tris¡¯s body glowed a fantastic red. She reached a hand to her lord¡¯s head and closed her eyes, doing what she could to rectify an innocent mistake.


    A careless error brought about by a simple observation, yet the former Conduit of the Void would never live this down¡­ How ironic¡­ She knew much about the mind. She knew how delicate and intricate it could be¡ªhow much having an open point of view could increase someone¡¯s senses.


    And most importantly¡­


    How vital forgiveness was when it involved yourself.


    But this?


    Tilde didn¡¯t know if she could forgive herself for something like this.


    Someone as experienced as her...shouldn¡¯t have made such a dumb, pathetic mistake.


    <hr>


    Salty water leaked from my eyes...


    I...


    I...


    I...


    ¡°I...remember it... I remember it all...¡±


    Tilde¡¯s voice came in sputters. Her breathing was heavy and loaded, but I didn¡¯t know what she said. She held my hand tighter and cried louder, like she didn¡¯t want to hear me speak.


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± I signed and looked up. ¡°My birth name wasn¡¯t Shuuta Fenton¡­ It was Michael¡­ Michael Fenton.¡±


    The past¡­ The one thing Tilde and Tris knew about me that I had forgotten rushed to my mind after Tilde mentioned ¡®those memories.¡¯ Itsted for a mere moment, but it felt like an eternity.


    It was no secret¡ªI was abused by Mia and her parents. But it didn¡¯t end there. No, you could say that was the beginning. At some point, before I was 10, I was forced to attend an event. There, a man named Marshall Doctrinae approached Mia and her family with an offer.


    ¡°The fucker wanted to rent me, didn¡¯t he? Mia needed money. That¡¯s how they paid for the advanced learning chambers. Marshall was on thepany¡¯s board of directors, so they sold me to him for weeks at a time.¡±


    Tris sobbed. I¡¯d never seen her so upset. Tilde begged me to stop. She wanted me to stop thinking and forget about it. That doorway couldn¡¯t be closed once it opened.


    But I couldn¡¯t¡­


    I had to continue¡­


    Marshall hated my name. He had it legally changed to Shuuta to suit his fetish. My obsessions with guns and ancient military strategies were a form of escapism. ¡°My mind needed something to focus on. It needed a distraction. So, I often thought of killing them all, didn¡¯t I? The days were filled with torment¡­ From being thrown from bed to bed¡­being chained down and pumped with drugs¡­ The injections wouldn¡¯t let me sleep, so the nights needed to be upied so I wouldn¡¯t go insane.¡±


    What happened to me¡­was what Niva had endured¡­ No wonder I felt¡­a link to her. We had suffered simrly.


    ¡°When I was too old for that bastard, he voided the contract. But Mia was on top of the world by then. Her sess can be linked to my sacrifice. And I¡¯d forgotten all about it¡­ What I endured¡­killed most of what made me¡­me. That''s why I couldn''t be angry... That''s why I didn''t care... That''s why..."


    ¡°That goddamn bitch would have nothing if not for you! Master!!!! It¡¯s not fair!!!¡± Tilde punched the ship¡¯s floor. ¡°It¡¯s not fair! It¡¯s not fair! Why did you have to remember it?! Master, stop! Please¡­ You¡¯re not¡­ You¡¯re not ready¡­ It¡¯s too¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop it. You¡¯ll hurt your hand.¡± Tilde punched the deck, but her fist met my hand. It turned to slime and softened the blow.


    ¡°And why do you sound so calm?! Why¡ª¡± Tilde¡¯s eyes were hazy by her tears. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you mad?!¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯ve separated the emotional link from the corresponding factual events,¡± Tris said, speaking for me. Her voice was barely audible. She opened a [Skyview] window to my Divine Skill¡¯s internal world.


    There¡­


    The Essence of Wrath was writhing out of control. The torrential ming sea shed hard against her iron tform.


    She screamed, clutched her head, and cut into her flesh with a ming dagger. The wounds were healed, but her agony was never gone. Eventually, ming tendrils spewed from her back and eviscerated her stomach before shattering her ming horns. The exmation of pains never ended¡­because the Essence of Wrath was living through my trauma...so I didn¡¯t have to feel it.


    ¡°MAKE IT STOP!!!! MAKE IT STOP!!!!! PLEASE!!!!!!¡±


    Tilde didn¡¯t get it, but Tris calmly exined the best she could. ¡°The Essence of Wrath is a tool to be used. Its feelings do not count. Its hopes and dreams are nonexistent. On the threshold of importance, they rank even less than worms that live in the dirt,¡± she said, wiping her teary eyes.


    Tris quickly regained control over her emotions and cracked a small smile when the Essence of Wrath let loose a horrid scream. ¡°I had prepared for this the moment I evolved, although I didn¡¯t know if I had enough time to properly implement it.¡± Something like this was usually impossible. But the repressed memories of Michael Fenton and his abuses were malleable.


    Tris could manipte and alter them because they were partly hidden from my conscious mind because I had unintentionally repressed them. It was a gamble, but it paid off.


    ¡°Basically, I received the factual knowledge without any emotional bias. If I had¡­¡± I pointed to the [Skyview] window. Tris closed it. I thanked her and Tilde for not telling me.


    But Tilde was a wreck.


    She was a mess. Snot dribbled down her nose, sullying her lips and chin. I¡¯d never seen her so upset. She constantly begged for my forgiveness.


    But what was there to forgive?


    She didn¡¯t do this to me.


    I¡­did this to myself.


    My former self couldn¡¯t handle these memories, so my mind cast them to the darkest reaches.


    Tilde struggled when I embraced her. She probably thought she wasn¡¯t deserving. But herbative nature died when I told her I loved her. She became weak at my touch¡­ Tris joined the hug tofort our fairy.


    "I''m not mad," I whispered to my favorite fairy. "I''m not upset..." And I really wasn''t. Tilde was always looking out for me. She was overprotective of matters like these, but it turned out?


    I was ready. No, Tris was ready. It seemed she always had a n.


    I wouldn¡¯t have gotten as far as I did without these two.


    Tilde told me Surtr and the other lions knew. They received the info after Tris finished their initialization. Sekh would be aware after the lions sent her a surge of mana to catch her up on what went down while she was out.


    Irisa and my family weren¡¯t privy. Was it even right to tell them? Needless trauma¡­was what it was. And they¡¯d been through enough. I didn¡¯t need to add on my troubles when they didn¡¯t matter anymore. The past was the past. Michael wasn¡¯t me. Shuuta wasn¡¯t me.


    I was Lyudm Vredi Springfield...


    Right?


    Suddenly, I heard whimpering. Niva and Prim had woken up at some point. I confirmed they had heard everything.


    Niva knew what I went through. She said my abuses were worse than what she endured. I wanted to say it was dumb to even measure them, but that¡­would probably be insensitive.


    But it didn¡¯t stop them from crying. Niva and Primrose took an arm and hugged me. They wept on my shoulders and apologized for what I endured.


    ¡°Niva?¡± After fifteen minutes of silent whimpering, I finally uttered a word.


    ¡°Yes? I¡¯m here for you, M,¡± she replied, sniffling. Her eye was reddened.


    ¡°Even if the emotions aren¡¯t there¡­ I¡­want the memories to go away. How do I do that?¡±


    ¡°You¡­can¡¯t. I don¡¯t have nightmares anymore, but¡­ There are still glimpses that show up when I least expect it. That¡¯s the past, M. Primrose once told me we live in the present. But I know the more time I spend with my loved ones, the more those memories will be pushed away. Eventually, I won¡¯t even think of them. They¡¯ll be there, but they won¡¯t ever curse me again.¡±


    My friends and lovers supported me. They helped mey down and cuddled beside me. Even if the emotional aspects had been severed, there¡­were still the aftereffects. The sudden realization of everything Michael Fenton had endured.


    The nightmares didn¡¯te. They tried to, but they were redirected to the Essence of Wrath.


    She would endure it.


    She would suffer in my ce.


    The hell I had lived became her everything.

 Chapter Ninety-One: The Woodland Spirit’s Feelings

    Chapter Ny-One: The Woond Spirit¡¯s Feelings


    Morning came, and it was the second tost day of the trip.


    Tilde was distant. She took it to heart. But I disliked that. When Tris went upstairs with Niva and Primrose, I had a heart-to-heart with my favorite fairy. I didn¡¯t let her leave my embrace until we had genuinely talked it out.


    ¡°The chances were always there, you know,¡± I whispered, holding her close. The rxing shing of the early morning waves rocked the ship like a baby cradle. ¡°It could¡¯ve happened this morning. It could¡¯ve happened sometime tomorrow, or it would¡¯ve been next week. The point is that remembering them was inevitable. It¡¯s better to face them now when I¡¯m surrounded by loved ones than risk it happening when we¡¯re apart. Hell, even breaking Sekh from her coffin could¡¯ve triggered them. If not that, then seeing that goddamn Holy Lord might¡¯ve been the catalyst. And that¡¯s thest thing I needed. So, it¡¯s better to face them now, Tilde, when surrounded by loved ones... When I have the help I need to get through this. And you¡¯re that support.¡±


    ¡°I... Someone like me shouldn¡¯t make mistakes like these, Master,¡± whispered Tilde. She had been whimpering for about fifteen minutes¡ªever since waking up. She even tried to shrug off my touch before relishing myfortable embrace. ¡°I¡¯m probably the oldest thing in this world...so I should know better. I''m supposed to be knowledgeable and experienced, but... I really screwed up.¡±


    ¡°Well, this old woman is still my favorite fairy in the whole wide world. I don¡¯t want anyone else to be my headmaid. It''s an honored title."


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Tilde. Really,¡± I replied, wiping away her tears. ¡°I¡¯m not mad. You know I¡¯m not mad. Even if I didn¡¯t have my Wrath at 0, this would not have pissed me off. You¡¯re a best friend, Tilde, and a lover. You¡¯re someone I don¡¯t want to live without. So... Why don¡¯t we eat breakfast? Tris told me the food¡¯s ready.¡±


    Tilde shed a small smile. We had talkedst night, but the words I imparted had to be reinforced, and there was nothing wrong with that. Sometimes...you had to hear something multiple times. If not to reinforce something, then to merely listen to it again, and again, and again.


    We ascended the stairs to the deck, hand in hand, and enjoyed a pleasant breakfast. It was on to training after that.


    As always, the clone with the water weapons fought Niva, who seemed to be in rare form. Everything about her was quicker and sharper. She dexterously moved like I hadn¡¯t seen before and used her staff and [Vine Maniption] to enhance her mobility. For example, she¡¯d make a hook and rope out of vines and attach them to the mast to get up high. Or she¡¯d use them totch onto something behind her and yank herself out of danger.


    Tilde said she needed to maintain her form, so she began a series of squats and pushups. She wanted to work on her muscles, so Tris developed ns to make dumbbells using the iron we had stashed away. Between using slime to form molds and clones to provide the furnace, it didn¡¯t take long to have them made.


    Honestly, everyone was really into it.


    It made me want to grab some workout gear and join in. But with me being a chimera, nt, and part slime, physical training offered very few benefits.


    <i>But maybe it¡¯s worth it? If Tilde¡¯s gonna oversee my wardrobe, then wouldn¡¯t she like the chance to make me a workout outfit? That might cheer her up.</i>


    <hr>


    I encouraged them from the sidelines until lunch, and Tris mentioned an interesting point I hadn¡¯t considered. ¡°You want to use [Status Cloak] to forcefully give a clone a title?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Your clone of a chimera gave Ayroix a title rted to ying them. [Status Cloak] fools the world into thinking something true is false or something false is true. To the system, any entity you use it on is considered factual. Whatever status it shows will be considered legitimate by the world.¡±


    To test it out, I made a clone of Mia. That bitch annoyed me, so I was too eager to send a rifle round through her skull when Tris configured the [Status Cloak] around her to be a goddess.


    But nothing happened. I didn¡¯t get any title.


    We tried a few more with various animals and royalty-rted titles, but it didn¡¯t work. Tris said I probably had to be considered a goddess or a queen first by the world, then I could ¡®grant¡¯ those respective yer titles to my allies by having them kill a clone with them.


    That kinda sucked. I could still falsely disy that title, though. I just wouldn¡¯t get any beneficial effects without first legitimately acquiring it.


    But we learned something else. The clones I killed? I didn¡¯t get experience, but I obtained progress in my Soul Weapon Evolution Tree.


    That improved my mood a lot. But it worked if [Status Cloak] made my clones into their ¡®own¡¯ beings. It sounded like a loophole, but I took advantage of it.


    By the time it was dinner, 761 clones had perished¡ªall of them looked like Mia. But progress drastically slowed after my fourth unlock.


    Until now, I had the Colt SAA, Winchester Model 1873, Winchester Model 1887, a Beretta 92FS, a M1911, a Beretta M9, and a snub-nosed Taurus 856. After my leveling, I added the Cei-Rigotti¡ªone of the world¡¯s first automatic rifles from Italy to my arsenal. It was never officially adopted, although it was heavily tested. Tris made the ns and ordered my clone to make the 6.5x52mm Carcano rounds.


    <i>Can¡¯t believe prototype weapons are included.</i>


    My second and third abilities were [Frag Grenade] and [sh Grenade].


    My Soul Weapon¡¯s forms were supposed to be firearms. But grenades weren¡¯t guns. You could use them in grenadeunchers, but these worked by taking soul energy and forming an explosive device in my hand. The shape and size looked like the M67 the United States military used in thetter half of the 20th century. It just felt right at home in my palm.


    I pulled the pin and threw it as hard as I could. Five secondster¡­it exploded just above the ocean¡¯s surface. It seemed strong based on the waves it produced. But just one took 5% of my soul energy. The sh grenade took less, and it worked by creating a sharp, bright light that could blind someone. It also emitted a loud, annoying ringing. It could stun a blind monster from the noise alone, but I could probably learn a [Stun Grenade] skill somewhere along the way.


    Thest ability was [Soul Weapon Enchant ¨C Wind]. I tested my new automatic and fired a controlled burst with the skill active. Wind surrounded the bullets and made them fly farther and faster. So, not the worst. But it still used arge chunk of soul energy.


    But I was happy. I was feeling more confident about these abilities.


    Grinding with the guns made me unlock more attachments, so I had silencers on the ones that could use them. Tris said we had a lot of bullets, so I figured it was time to rearrange my armaments.


    Tilde kept her SAA and snub-nosed revolver after I added a sight to them. Primrose was given the M1911 with a silencer and aser sight, which helped her uracy. But she had problems keeping her wrist steady.


    But Primrose thanked me and promised to work at mastering it.


    Niva couldn¡¯t use one, but I aimed for her while she pulled the trigger to my 92FS. It was a minor thing, but I knew Niva liked spending this time with me.


    Tris asked to see me all kitted out, so I equipped my automatic rifle on my back, the 1887 over my left shoulder, the 1873 over my right, the 92FS on my hip, and the M9 on my ankle.


    Tilde said it looked like I was readying for war. For the hell of it, I grew a dozen arms and fired all my guns at once, utterly obliterating the pans Tilde and Primrose threw into the sky. Smoke filled the skies, and while excessive, it felt good to blow off some steam.


    The Cei-Rigotti was stable when full-auto, but the stock version came with a 10-round mag, and the weapon fired at 299 rounds a minute. I used soul energy to fuel it.


    Being full-auto meant it was less powerful than my other weapons. However, it needed less soul energy per bullet, and detrimental effects like poison or paralysis were more effective when spells containing those effects were used with [Chimeric Armatization].The rate of status build-up was high, so things would get poisoned or paralyzed sooner.


    An hourter, Surtr received a report from Kengu and Longtooth. Lord Enele and Sera had arrived in Plymoise with Gretchen, Captain Morgan, the carriages, and horses with teleportation magic.


    The Heptarchis, however, didn¡¯t end the way I thought it did. Too much had changed in too little time. The Wisefolk system was all they had known, and you couldn¡¯t rece it in just a few weeks. Not even Lord Enele could get everyone on the same page.


    But progress was made. There was to be a regrly scheduled Heptarchis held every three months, and Lord Enele offered to arbitrate the first four. It was either that or remain there for months as tension kept ring. A temporary reprieve was, by far, the optimal choice.


    While Lord Enele made small talk with Dad and the others after introducing himself, Sera¡¯s nervousness was disyed. She barely spoke above a whisper until Irisa took charge and introduced herself as my sister. Her friendliness was really on disy. She took Sera¡¯s hand and led her to the lobby¡¯s couch, where she quickly broke the mold.


    Irisa had done the same with me¡­ She always said she had trouble making friends because Irisa didn¡¯t have a filter on what she said or did, but the problem was keeping them. Tilde said something simr when she saw the stress fade from Sera¡¯s face.


    But Irisa hadn''t spent much time with Chax and Ginnie. They were friends, so I wondered if she realized it? Then again, a lot had happened. A war. A rebellion. Death of the Wisefolk. A sudden realization of something important¡­ And I had to leave a lot. When Sekh was back in our arms, we needed to spend some time with our favorite oni.


    Erin put on a brave front. She held Longtooth and tried to join in the conversation. Sera smiled when Erin proudly said she was my younger sister. It looked like Sera had understood that while I was alone for so long, I wasn¡¯t by myself anymore.


    <i>The lies I¡¯ve been telling aren¡¯t falsehoods if you read between the lines.</i>


    After a few minutes, Lord Enele inquired about the blisters. Sera examined them, but her healing magic didn¡¯t work.


    If a mage of her caliber was stumped, how would we cure them? They seemed harmless. They didn¡¯t hurt or cause any irritation. They were just¡­there.


    Asking the Essence of Wrath seemed like an idea, but she was busy dealing with the literal hell that was my past. Even before this, I had refused to ask because she couldn¡¯t be trusted. Anything she said was liable to be a lie to fuck me over.


    I wasn¡¯t going to fall for it.


    During their dinner, Dad and Lord Enele hashed out the finer details of the trip, and they agreed to leave the following morning after breakfast. Gretchen already had the carriages and wagons ready, and Sera vowed that her magic would ensure they wouldn¡¯t have anything to worry about. She also said she would research the blisters and work hard to find a solution, staking her status as a Vredi on it.


    I just had to have hope that it wouldn¡¯t take long for both objectives toe true.


    Hope never found a home with me, but times were changing. And things were different.


    ¡°But I need to talk with you about something.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Is everything okay, M?¡±


    Tilde and Niva were concerned, but I assuaged their worries. ¡°Yeah, everything¡¯s fine. It¡¯s just my SP.¡± Eyes went wide, and jaws dropped when they discovered how much I had. ¡°You can thank Atrix for that. But I can¡¯t use it all myself.¡±


    ¡°Sharing is caring, huh?¡± I nodded at Tilde.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re each getting 1/3rd. Sekh¡¯s gonna get about half of the rest.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s super strong, so that¡¯s about tracks. And you¡¯re much better at manually learning magic and skills after destroying the blockades. Things areing up nicely, aren¡¯t they, Master?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡± I rubbed Tilde¡¯s head and began sharing my SP.


    Sekh initially convinced me to allow her to bind herself to my will via [Tyranny Control] by mentioning the SP sharing property. And now look¡­


    I had hundreds of thousands! I had so much that I couldn¡¯t possibly use it all! But if I knew then what I knew now¡­


    I¡¯d have never gone through with it.


    Seriously¡­ I wanted to kick my ass for that terrible mistake¡­ Yes, [Tyranny Control] was considered unbreakable, but shouldn''t [Conferment] hold the power to make it breakable?


    I couldn¡¯t waste the life force and try it now¡ªSekh had to be here¡­ But after that? Perhaps expunging the curse could wait, but only if removing that damn [Tyranny Control] was possible.


    I hoped it was¡­


    I really¡­really hoped it was possible.


    <hr>


    An hour before dawn, I woke up and noticed Primrose wasn¡¯t here. A quick search saw her on the deck, so I went to see what was wrong because she pensively looked out towards her former home.


    "It¡¯s not like you to be like this,¡± I said, standing beside her. The moon highlighted her beautiful figure.


    Primrose merely talked. She rambled for a dozen minutes, freely speaking her mind as the ocean breeze blew her hair. The scent of salt was around us.


    ¡°But more than anything, I feel confused. My heart¡­ It¡¯s suffering from an oddness I cannot exin.¡±


    I stepped closer, put my hand on the railing, and offered my help.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s more than one thing. It¡¯s multiple worries. It¡¯s a guiltiness I cannot shake. Forgive me, Lord Springfield, but I cannot get your past out of my head. I wish to forget it¡ªmuch like you, but¡­ Knowing it now makes me realize how foolish I¡¯ve been since my birth. Call it remorse, if you will. If I had matured faster¡­¡± Primrose ced a hand on mine. ¡°Would I have known you quicker? The real you? The one suffering from an exclusive ache? Or would I be blinded by my hubris and fail to see the truth? Sometimes, I think about that eagle. If he hadn¡¯t forced me to think like a ve, would it have taken this long? Would I have still received your anger?¡± Primrose looked fine, but her eyes showed a different tale. They were listless and dull. You couldn''t find any light within them.


    <i>She seriously needs help. Telling her Aetos¡¯s ¡®grip¡¯ on her core being a figment of her mind would only exacerbate things. She seriously thought he was about to kill her.</i>


    I remained quiet and let Prim talk. Her hand became weak and nearly slipped away, but I gently interlocked her fingers with mine.


    She shivered fiercely.


    ¡°You once asked me to stand beside you as an equal, but I don¡¯t know how. I¡­still feel like I must be strong for your sake. If not yours, then my summoner. Your request¡­ How do I aplish that when I¡¯m deathly afraid? You¡¯ve felt me shiver. The link connecting me to the eagle is gone, but¡­¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t let anything happen to you, Prim. Aetos won¡¯t even get to think about harming you. But I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t help you with the former. I can certainly be there, though. Niva wishes to prove her strength to herself. Irisa wants to be the world¡¯s best crafter. Find what you value. Is it strength? Is it sess? Is it happiness?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Primrose was at a loss. She looked at the moon. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Primrose had been born for one purpose. Without it? She felt like she had nothing. Then Prim''s focus transferred to me. She traded one obsession for another. It would probably turn to Niva. And that was fine in a vacuum. Maybe it was just¡­okay? Some people probably didn¡¯t like independence. Perhaps it equated to being alone. Not that Primrose would go solo anytime soon, but I couldn¡¯t lie and state I didn¡¯t understand her hesitation. ¡°Sekh¡­¡± she suddenly said.


    ¡°Sekh?¡±


    ¡°I...¡± Primrose shivered, then took a few deep breaths to calm her nerves.


    After a moment of silence, Prim asked me about Sekh. I suppose she wanted me to talk about her since she asked questions she knew the answer to.


    In the end, she looked once at the Eagle Yew. ¡°I wish to apologize to her. Will she ept me?¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°My association with Aetos? I was born¡ª¡±


    ¡°Remember our first meeting?¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t make me recall that,¡± Primrose whined. She covered her eyes and blushed.


    ¡°Did you ever think you¡¯d talk about Sekh like this? Or that we would sit here andmunicate under the moon?¡±


    ¡°I...did not,¡± she whispered. Her eyes were slightly wet from the salty sap leaking, so I dried them for her with slime.


    ¡°Sekh¡¯s¡­ She¡¯s just another woman at heart.¡± I told Prim about Drunk Sekh and found myselfughing along with her. ¡°The curse is what prevents her from doing regr things. She¡¯s been with it for so long that it¡­just alters her way of thinking. Death and destruction are all she¡¯s ever known. She was forced to believe those two things could solve every problem in the world.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s suffered a lot, hasn¡¯t she?¡± I nodded. ¡°I¡­ Would¡­¡±


    ¡°Changing your goal to Sekh instead of Niva?¡± Prim asked how I¡¯d known, and Iughed, saying she was easy to read. Her cheeks reddened.


    ¡°But it¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t know what to do. I¡¯m serious. It¡¯s fine. You¡¯ll find something. Maybe spending time with Sekh will do you some good. Some of your worries might fade.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t she rather be with you? Why me? I¡¯m just...¡±


    ¡°Maybe you can spend it with Erin, too. The three of you can have fun, rx, and be closer.¡±


    Primrose was confused, so I told her Erin wanted to spend more time with Sekh because it felt like she hadn¡¯t had the chance to. ¡°Sekh¡¯s touched our hearts in more ways than one. Without her? I know I wouldn¡¯t be here. You wouldn¡¯t. Erin wouldn¡¯t. And Tilde wouldn¡¯t. If you think about it, we can trace our meeting to her saving my soul from the void¡­ To the Dark Lord of Tyranny¡­ To the woman destined to destroy the entire world by a curse that controls her every being. Prim?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Your assistance. I¡¯ll need it more than ever. I can¡¯t do it alone. I¡¯ll¡­need those I can trust to stand beside me.¡± The life force I¡¯d need was staggering. Even the lives of many thousand were just enough to remove the little bit she let in during the fight with the Essence of Wrath. Just what in the world would I need topletely shatter it? ¡°Honestly? That¡¯s what scares me the most. It¡¯ll be nice if Meruria and her Soul Warriors would be sufficient,¡± I confessed. ¡°I can get my revenge and save Sekh.¡±


    ¡°And after that? What are your ns?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Easy? Was it? My only goal was revenge. That was the me that kept me going. Would it be extinguished once I had achieved what I wanted?


    No¡­


    I had other reasons, didn''t I? I¡¯d be a hypocrite if I didn¡¯t. Living solely for revenge wouldn¡¯t be different from Niva striving to summon a spirit specifically for me. Or Irisa''s yearning to better herself for my sake alone.


    It was time¡­for me to be selfish.


    ¡°I want to continue being happy. Michael and Shuuta died. But I''m alive. I can live for us... I can do what the world refused to do for them. The happiness they never experienced? I''ll be happy enough for three lifetimes."


    "That''s a wonderful answer, Lord Springfield."


    "Having people like my family waiting on me?¡± I touched my chest. ¡°It¡¯s¡­something I¡¯ve never had before. It¡¯s certainly an odd feeling. Sometimes¡­¡± I confided in Primrose. ¡°Sometimes this feels like a dream. But I don¡¯t want to wake up. Even if the path will get rocky before it smoothes out, I wouldn''t change anything because of what''s awaiting me once my goals are finished."


    ¡°You¡¯re not alone in thinking that. But this is real life. It must be. Why else¡­would that eagle let me feel like this? If it were a dream, I¡¯d¡­¡± Primrose didn¡¯t finish. She didn¡¯t need to.


    She brushed her hair past her eyes and raised a hand to the Eagle Yew. Suddenly, she turned and hugged me. I touched her forehead with mine and rubbed her arms.


    Since we were feeling sentimental, I shared some personal worries with her¡ªabout what I had done in Atrix. The problem could¡¯ve been solved in a few days, but Sekh was more important. I saw a chance, and I took it. Thousands had died. Families were shattered that didn''t need to fracture. Lives were lost that didn''t need to expire.


    ¡°And it¡¯s the same with Sera.¡± Truthfully? I worried for her. Sera''s heart would be broken. I could try until the end of time to keep Sekh a secret while trying to keep a false sistership with her, but the truth would eventuallye out. The other option was ghosting her. I could just not...recognize her appearance. I could ignore every aspect and decline to talk to her¡ªto treat her like an outcast. It¡¯d hurt her, but that hatred would save her from a harsher heartache.


    I didn''t know what to do...


    I really didn''t... I was...using her to cure her greatest enemy... That kind of broken trust couldn''t be repaired.


    ¡°You have your own monumental worries as well, Lord Springfield,¡± Primrose whispered.


    I asked Prim to reveal her core. The webbing I had wrapped around it was still in good shape but outdated. The crystalized silk from those crystal spiders doubled my webbing¡¯s strength and durability. It took but a few seconds to reinforce it. After closing her chest, she returned her sight to the tree.


    She talked about her mistakes again. She said she should¡¯ve died a dozen times over. But I didn¡¯t have to tell her to stop thinking like that. Primrose made a vow to me. She promised to grow. She swore to be someone better. She knew the past couldn¡¯t shackle her.


    "I''m sorry I hurt you," I confessed, recalling our first fight after her summoning. And when I shot her with my gun. "You aren''t afraid of me?"


    "No. I''m not. You''re a wonderful woman, Lord Springfield. I''m not scared, worried, fearful... I''m...happier than I''ve ever been before."


    Tris soon arrived to prepare breakfast. Prim wanted to help, so I watched them do that. Tilde and Niva joined a few minutester. By then, it was time to eat, and I had something to discuss with Niva.


    ¡°You want to use [Conferment] to fix my blindness?¡± asked the cyclops, looking at me like I spoke gibberish.


    ¡°Yes. [Conferment] can do the impossible. It can bring back your limbs and tail, and I could use it to remove the potion dependency so you wouldn¡¯t have to take any more detoxes. Is that something you¡¯re interested in?¡±


    ¡°Umm... I... I really don¡¯t know, M. I should say yes, but why do I feel hesitant?¡±


    ¡°Well, mythril is stronger than flesh,¡± said Tilde. ¡°Some can argue that prosthetics are better if you have a nervemesh. And haven¡¯t you heard that losing one sense strengthens the other? Only being able to see via [Mana Perception] will naturally cause it to grow faster and stronger than if you weren¡¯t blind. Your conflict probably sprouts from that.¡±


    ¡°Tilde is right,¡± added Tris.


    ¡°What do I do? M? Prim?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t make the decision for you, Niva.¡±


    ¡°Neither can I, my summoner.¡±


    ¡°But you don¡¯t have to make it now. Are you happy?¡± I asked.


    Niva nodded. ¡°Happier than I¡¯ve been in a while. I...feel so independent. Even with one arm and a prosthetic leg and a foot... I feel better than ever. But I can¡¯t break those barriers if I can¡¯t feel them. But Sekh needs to be rescued. I¡¯m sorry, M, but I can¡¯t ask you to waste lifeforce on me when she¡¯s almost here.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll never be a waste,¡± I said, rubbing her head. ¡°But the choice is yours. Remember, the option is always on the table, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll remember. Umm... Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Anytime.¡± I smiled and returned to my breakfast, eating as a conversation about guns and arrows began.


    After that, we still had an hour before we were scheduled to disembark. That time was used to check our gear.


    Prim and Tilde ensured they had enough ammo for their guns in their brand-new crystal web ammo pouches a clone had made.


    We didn¡¯t anticipate a fight, but a fool would walk around unarmed. Although I did transform the Model 1873 into Kronto at thest minute and kept it on my back as a divider between the Cei-Rigotti and 1887.


    The stubborn eagle just needed to hang on.


    We were almost there.

 Chapter Ninety-Two: The Spirit Lord of Nature, Aetos – Part One

    Chapter Ny-Two: The Spirit Lord of Nature, Aetos ¨C Part One


    The closestnding spot near Aetos Vige still meant it was about a 3-hour hike away. It was after 10 AM when we anchored about 300 feet from the coast. Surtr used his ice to create a walkway, and we just had to hope no one would steal the ship.


    The sails were stashed in [Void Storage]. It¡¯d be mighty hard to move a boat that size without those. Tris also marked it with a waypoint and aligned its coordinates with the ship. If it moved, the waypoint would drift with it.


    Walking in the Eagle Yew¡¯s shadow was somewhat ufortable. Just being in the presence of something drastically taller than the skyscrapers from my world made you seem so insignificant.


    Although the walk was long, it wasn¡¯t without lively discussion. Niva wondered if Enap, the smith who made her prosthetics, would be there because she wanted to show him how much better she had gotten with them.


    I searched for his name and found him in his cave workshop. Tris told me Dad and the others were packing the wagons. Chax and Ginnie were going with them, so Erin was happy. My little sister had spent much of the morning with Sera, who wanted to know more about me. Erin knew what was off-limits, so I didn¡¯t have to worry about the wrong thingsing up.


    We talked about Aello, the dryad, and the other spirit children we encountered thest time as we ate a quick lunch of baked fish. I had caught a few hundred during the ship ride here, and Tris had prepared, cooked, and stashed them in our storage. She preferred to manually cook them rather than rely on her automation.


    While we ate, I practiced growing nts from my hands. I was at the stage where the stem and roots were lovely and strong. Ten percent of the time, I could grow a petal or two, but the colors were washed and dullpared to Primrose¡¯s flowers, which danced up and down her bare arms. She plucked one and asked me to sustain its roots in my arm. This was a different type of training¡ªone I still wasn¡¯t that good at. The goal was to grow a nt from scratch and have it bear fruits and veggies within a few minutes.


    Since the bounded field surrounding Aetos Vige had shattered, we didn¡¯t need to follow the map Dad had given me so long ago. The quickest way was to cut through the forest and head there directly.


    Surtr took point and used hisrge body to push the vines, hanging limbs, and weaker trees out of the way.


    <hr>


    Ten minutes ago, we encountered a certain Vermillion Harpyfolk deep in the recreated Vredi Forest. She had been sent by Aetos to fetch us.


    I had to admit it was emotional when we reunited. Aello flew hard and fast and skidded to a halt. She pped her wings and bounced like a hyperactive songbird before remembering she was supposed to be the elder.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Yes! It is good to see you walk without assistance, spirit summoner!¡± squeaked Aello as she escorted us to the vige. ¡°But beauty shouldn¡¯t be hidden. Do not worry. All are safe within Aetos Vige, Niva.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? I¡­¡± Niva looked at me, and I nodded. She was hesitant, but the cloak¡¯s hood fell, and Aello gave her a confident smile.


    ¡°And Primrose! A spirit born from the Eagle Yew is and will forever be wee! The forest is d to see your safe return! Ah, but another spirit?¡± She eyed Surtr curiously. ¡°Hmm¡­ Did you answer the call of a High Blessing, o¡¯ great lion?¡±


    ¡°You could call it that, Aello. I have been given the name Surtr. It is a pleasure to meet the elder of this vige.¡±


    ¡°Surtr¡­¡± The harpy repeated it twice and pped her wings. ¡°It is a powerful name for a mighty spirit! And likewise, Surtr! Ahh¡­ But the fairy? You are¡­the same Tilde, are you not?¡±


    ¡°Yeppers! I look a little different, but that¡¯s because I evolved."


    ¡°Ah? Evolution? Such wonderful news!¡±


    ¡°Hehe! Thanks! I¡¯m d to see you again.¡±


    ¡°You are much wee! But then wee to a stranger¡­ A lioness? No, a cub? No¡­ You are not the grey-skinned lioness¡­¡± Aello tilted her head. ¡°Might I inquire your name, lioness?¡±


    ¡°It is Tris, Aello,¡± Tris replied. ¡°A pleasure to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Tris¡­ The name imparts mysticism and wisdom. I sense great intelligence buried deep within.¡±


    ¡°Oh my, you¡¯re quite perceptive.¡± She softly smiled. ¡°I possess the title of [Fragment of Wisdom].¡±


    <i>My lord, I¡¯m happy we reunited with Aello. She¡¯s fun to talk to. I¡­wish to be friends with her.</i>


    <i>Then do it. Aello¡¯s nice. She¡¯s gentle. I like her a lot, too.</i>


    ¡°But¡­ Where is the other lioness?¡± Aello pped her wings and looked around, finally confronting the obvious.


    ¡°That¡¯s rted to why we¡¯re here, but can I ask about the vige? What happened after Ria was destroyed?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Panic and chaos erupted when the barrier broke,¡± she said, her tone unusually low and gritty. ¡°Lord Aetos rarely materializes from within the sacred Eagle Yew, so everyone was shocked. But with it being visible to all...¡± She pointed with her wings. ¡°The greedy scoundrels with dubious intentions took advantage of our helping nature and lied about needing assistance. They attacked once their group had infiltrated the vige, and dozens perished before we knew it. Lord Aetos had to intervene, using his grand and magnificent presence to fight back. But some escaped and still draw breath...when they shouldn¡¯t...¡± Aello had a little bit of an edge in her voice. She was upset and sad that so many died under her watch.


    ¡°But what about Lord Aetos himself?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It is not what you wish to hear, High Blessing, but it is not good. Lord Aetos and the Eagle Yew are injured, but the damage is recoverable. But the attacks are non-stop with little reprieve. Those survivors must¡¯ve spread word of Aetos Vige. Bandits and criminals only see money earned by selling the spirits we harbor. The raids aremonce.¡±


    One day, the assault was outrageously intense. Aetos couldn¡¯t regenerate if he had to keep fighting off waves of enemies, and the mes of that powerful attack kept chipping away at him like an ant gnawing at a piece of bread.


    If he had a month or two to rest, then maybe, but the constant toll chipped away at him. One day, he slipped up and couldn¡¯t detect an ambush.


    ¡°They then came prepared with catapults and trebuchets,unching explosives designed to corrode and eat away at wood,¡± she added. ¡°That happened four days ago. Lord Aetos had to split his power and create smaller eagles, but the Eagle Yew was left more undefended. Even if Lord Aetos was to focus on recovery¡­ It would not be enough. I¡¯m afraid that death is the only future awaiting him.¡±


    <i>I do not detect any attackers within the indexed areas, my lord. Not even merchants or peddlers, so they must be far away.</i>


    ¡°Your appearance is a weing sight, Lord Springfield. The little ones will be happy to see a friendly face. But may I ask why you¡¯ve returned?¡±


    ¡°Do you know about the High Elf of Liberation?¡±


    ¡°High Elf of¡­ Liberation? No. The title is unknown. But it sounds powerful, and it suits you well. Many congrattions on acquiring it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Aello. But that¡¯s not all. I encountered Lord Enele and Seraphina¡ª"


    ¡°Eh? Seraphina Vredi?!¡± Aello interrupted me. She stopped in her tracks and looked me in the eyes. There was half an inch of space between our noses. ¡°Your sister? How is she? It has been a long time since shest visited.¡±


    ¡°We reconnected and became friends. It¡¯s¡­been a while.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that is the one hint of good news I am d to receive!¡± Aello pped her wings and shed a smile. The Vermillion Harpyfolk was the type to experience happiness when others were happy.


    ¡°But she¡¯s why I¡¯m here,¡± I said, retrieving the ss box. ¡°She¡¯s doing something important for me, so I¡¯m here in her stead to transnt the Eagle Yew. There¡¯s no need to worry, Aello. I won¡¯t permit Lord Aetos to die while I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!!! Thank you, Lyudm Vredi Springfield!!! Oh, High Blessing of the Forest!!!¡± Aello danced around me and pped her wings.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard Lord Aetos is a powerful healer. Sekh is gravely injured. I came to ask him for help to save her life.¡±


    ¡°Lord Aetos is kind and gracious! I am certain he will assist you! Oh, Savior High Blessing of the Liberation Forest!! Please, let us hurry to the Spiritual Grove! We must give Lord Aetos the good news!¡±


    <i>She got her names mixed up. That¡¯s kinda cute. Guess she¡¯s a birdbrain.</i>


    I asked about those Bellerophon soldiers that used to be here, and Aello said they left after Ria was destroyed. She wondered why I brought them up, and I told her what I recounted to Sera.


    Aello was pissed. Wind mana surged around her wings as she vented.


    ¡°That is¡­ uneptable. A Vredi is a Vredi! A High Blessing is a High Blessing! A Vredi High Blessing should be nurtured! They remind the world of what it lost¡ªa reminder of what the world cannot rece.¡±


    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind me asking, but what are your thoughts on chimerism? Are they truly a blight that a High Elf dying to exterminate one is considered an equal trade?¡±


    ¡°Some believe chimeras to be unnatural, yet chimerism exists naturally. The world creates chimera, so the world must ept chimerism. I cannot say more than that because I have never met one. But no. The death of a Vredi High Blessing or any other High Blessing from an extinct forest is not and shall not be a permissible trade! Bellerophon will never be weed here again. Violence against a Vredi High Blessing will not and cannot be tolerated.¡±


    I didn¡¯t expect that kind of answer. I didn¡¯t know how to respond, so I kept quiet until passing over the bridge because the other vigers started noticing me. My clothes had changed, but my overall physical features were the same.


    ¡°Is that¡ª¡±


    ¡°It is!! It is!¡±


    ¡°High Blessing of the Forest!!!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s returned to us!!! She¡¯s returned!!!¡±


    ¡°As you can see, High Blessing, you have been missed,¡± Aello said. ¡°Your presence is like the glow of the morning sun. It can shine a smile upon their tired, worried faces.¡± I turned and waved, offering a friendly smile. Some of the smaller Mandragorafolk hid behind the bouncy slimes or sat on the centaurs¡¯ backs. Lei jiggled out of Niva¡¯s sleeves and hopped away to y with¡­its siblings? Regardless, Lei looked happy being back in a familiar environment.


    I didn¡¯t see any draingi, though.


    Now that we were this close, I saw the rotting on the tree¡¯s roots and trunk. It was like a wave of decay was slowly eroding the bark and poisoning what was underneath. The color of the leaves and wood was off and looked sickly. Even the air was different. A hint of sourness lingered on the tongue and burned the nostrils.


    It wouldn¡¯t be long before it spread to the inhabitants. Most of Aetos Vige consisted of orphaned spirits that relied on the Eagle Yew to sustain their mana need. They looked fine for now, but the vigers would soon follow a simr fate if nothing was done.


    ¡°...¡±


    <i>I see cheery faces, but I know the expression of gloom hiding behind their eyes. Not even my arrival can fix that, huh?</i>


    Aello led us to the vige''s eastern side to a path that wasn¡¯t there thest time we were here. Before, there was a line of trees preventing anyone from essing it. After walking for a few minutes, we emerged into a graveyard. ¡°Long ago, before Aetos Vige was Aetos Vige... There existed a wide in. And it was home to a great and terrible battle. This graveyard was constructed by Lord Aetos and the Eagle Yew to pay their respects to the brave soldiers that fell.¡±


    I knew the battle. Aetos had shown it to me and Sekh.


    Aello pointed to a dazzlingly bright cherry blossom tree. The pink petals continuously fell and flowed in the breeze before touching the ground, at which they were absorbed by the soil.


    ¡°How do we reach the Spiritual Grove?¡± I asked.


    ¡°The tree. The elder of Aetos Vige can create a portal to the Eagle Yew¡¯s spiritual core. It is where Lord Aetos resides. But before that, there is something I wish to show you. This sacred area is not just for the soldiers Lord Aetos wishes to remember. It is for all who pass away while inside the vige.¡±


    I figured that was the case. It was probably more symbolic than anything else.


    ¡°Lyudm Vredi Springfield, do you recall the dryad that gave you her flower on your leaving day?¡±


    ¡°I do. I want to see her again.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Aello stopped, and¡­she looked at a grave¡­ It was tiny, carved out of green stone with a crude drawing of a child holding the hands of a High Elf. ¡°After you left, Lyudm Vredi Springfield, the dryad talked about you. When the attacks came... She fought to protect the forest because she knew you loved it. In the end¡­her spirit core was destroyed.¡±


    Niva, Tris, and Prim grabbed my hands and rubbed my back. I kneeled and touched the gravestone. My sight was blurry¡­ It was hard to see.


    I retrieved the flower she gave me and ced it in front of her grave. Next, I took Susize¡¯s flute and yed Vredi¡¯s Luby.


    Verdant mana surrounded me, and the intensity picked up in speed. It swirled like a tornado and shot directly into the sky, breaking far past the clouds beforeing down and mming into the flower.


    It began to bloom, and bloom, and bloom some more, growing two more roots and four stems. I continued to cry for the dryad¡­


    It wasn¡¯t fair she had to die!


    She was just a child!


    A goddamn orphaned spirit!


    This was all she ever knew! And now she was dead! She paid the ultimate sacrifice to save something I didn¡¯t give two goddamn fucks about!


    It wasn¡¯t fair¡­ Goddamn it wasn¡¯t fair¡­


    Why did her death affect me like this? Why couldn¡¯t I stop crying? Was it the Vredi inside of me that felt empathy?!


    Or¡­


    I yed my heart out. The resounding lows were slow and docile, which shed with the tinge of airy highs to create a soliloquy of love. The song carried the hopes of all elves born within the nurturing bosom of Vredi Forest.


    But the song had to end¡­ Much like the life of this child¡­


    When my eyes opened, the flower I nted evolved into the image seen on the gravestone.


    It was a little dryad¡­holding the hand of a High Elf¡­and little flowers surrounded them¡­


    ¡°That was a beautiful song,¡± said Primrose, who hugged me while I cried. The tears and embrace only stopped when I heard a noise and turned to the tree.


    A portal appeared in front of the cherry blossom tree.


    Aetos had called for me.


    <hr>


    Tris, Surtr, Tilde, and I walked into the portal. Aello remained behind to close it with Prim and Niva. I guess the spirit wasn¡¯t yet ready to face Aetos. I didn¡¯t me her. She probably thought herself a coward, but it took great courage to return here when her mind was so consumed by fear and terror.


    Instantly, we were transported to an enchanting-looking garden overlooking a sprawling green in. It was a naturalistic paradise that didn¡¯t befit the state of the tree.


    After turning around, I saw stone statues dedicated to Amos¡¯s Soul Warriors. There was a wooden post stabbed into the ground. An eagle was perched on it. Its sharp eyes looked my way.


    Aetos pped his wings. The eagle¡¯s face suddenly winced, and half of this paradise flickered, revealing a poisonous swamp instead of a verdant, emerald-like wondend of nature.


    The illusion shattered a momentter, revealing the harsh truth. The Spiritual Grove was a clusterfuck. mes burned in the north, and disease and rot reigned supreme in the south. Aetos¡¯s eagle form was missing half a wing, and the air was unbelievably thick with a cloud of sickening fumes.


    It reminded me of the apocalypse.


    ¡°You have seen better days, eagle,¡± growled Surtr.


    ¡°You are not mistaken, lion born from the Dark Lord of Tyranny¡¯s corruptible mana,¡± replied Aetos. ¡°I surmise next month would have been myst had you not shown up.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got it right here.¡± I showed Aetos the ss box after wiping my eyes. This wasn¡¯t the time for tears. ¡°But make a vow. Give me your word that you can save Sekh. I must hear it out loud from you.¡±


    ¡°I vow, o¡¯ Transcendent Dark Lord, that I shall heal the one you love in return for ensuring my survival!¡± Aetos raised his wings, and a golden light radiated from the tips of his feathers.


    Surtr uncharacteristically broke intoughter. Tilde exined that Aetos had used [Spiritual Geas], a contract spell connecting me and him. If either of us refused to fulfill our part¡­ Aetos would die. And only him. I¡¯d be fine.


    ¡°You would go this far? Has it even crossed your mind that I don¡¯t need you?¡±


    ¡°Where else will you find a healerparable to me? Lady Seraphina Vredi wouldn¡¯t help you. To cure the Dark Lord of Tyranny¡¯s excessive wounds brought on by [Tyrannical Renewal]¡¯s overuse, you cannot settle for anything less than the best.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a High Elf. I hold the Vredi name. There are other Holy and Dark Lords out there who don¡¯t know anything about Sekh. I can lie to Sera and her mother and reintegrate myself into their life. I can use their wealth and supplies to hunt for a healer.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, but you won¡¯t abandon me. Not when your goal is days away. Not when you can finally touch the one you¡¯ve been longing for.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good point. Aetos?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Be honest with me.¡± I sat and crossed my legs. Surtrid down behind me, and I leaned against hisfy body. Tris and Tilde remained standing. ¡°I know this hurts you. Even an idiot can see that you don¡¯t want to do this.¡±


    ¡°My hatred over that tyrannical lord cannot be eclipsed by my love of my home. I want nothing more than to see her die and suffer."


    ¡°Even if you know about her curse?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t change the past. The Dark Lord of Tyranny still ughtered millions and enved more. She still orchestrated that volcanic eruption. She was responsible for my death and destroyed countless lives. A child like yourself cannot imagine the tyrannical fear she flooded the world.¡±


    ¡°A child, huh? Compared to you, I guess I¡¯m a toddler,¡± I said. ¡°Anyway, how am I to save you? What¡¯s the process?¡±


    Aetos closed his eyes. ¡°The answer lies in the ceremony needed to transnt my essence.¡±


    ¡°Go on¡­¡±


    ¡°Sathtshas is the name of the monster living in a stone temple deep in Vredi Forest. I created it to hold the ingredients needed to transnt the core of the Eagle Yew to the spirit-infused soil you obtained. After killing it, you may assimte it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d let me?¡±


    ¡°Why not? Is it not a chimera¡¯s nature to assimte the dead? It is your right to do so. It also isn¡¯t enough to outright break the curse binding the Dark Lord of Tyranny to a life of destructive servitude. Chimera, I do not know if there is enough life force in the known and unknown realities to achieve your goal. [Conferment] is new to all of us, yet the curse may predate it.¡±


    That was true. I just had to hope [Conferment] would be enough to outright banish it. But even if it couldn¡¯t, removing what Sekh had taken in would be enough for now.


    Aetos said it would take a few days to prepare the ceremony. Sathtshas was vital to it, but to save mana and prolong his survival, Aetos removed it from the dungeon that was this recreated Vredi Forest. He held administrative power over it and could summon or dispose of monsters. Sathtshas was strong, though, at Lv. 94. The monster was a snake with the features of a nt. Its mouth opened horizontally and vertically, containing thousands of sharp teeth. A hundred thick vines sprouted from its long, massive body, which burrowed into the ground to receive nourishment. It could also attack with them.


    On top of being heavily resistant to me magic, its skin was tough as steel.


    But it was going to die.


    ¡°When you¡¯re not spying or trying to show me horrors designed to make me leave Sekh, you¡¯re not that difficult to talk to. Let¡¯s be honest. You didn¡¯t make the perfect first impression on me.¡±


    ¡°You can hardly put the me on me. While it is true I spied, I stopped some time ago. Did Primrose not tell you?¡±


    I told him about Prim¡¯s fear and breakdown. Aetos went silent and confirmed a stockpile of unused mana from where he had once been linked with Primrose.


    ¡°I¡­must remedy this.¡± Aetos sounded sorrowful. He confirmed the link ended from his side not long after Primrose left Mom¡¯s house the night Sekh and I had sex with Irisa. But Prim was probably already suffering mentally by then, so Aetos¡¯smand failed toe true.


    ¡°I¡¯m kinda pissed at you for filling her head with a bunch of bullshit. But¡­ I know where you¡¯reing from. But talk with her. She¡¯s your daughter? You made her?¡±


    ¡°I did. The Spiritual Grove may not reside within the Spirit Realm physically, but it is nheless considered Spirit Realm territory, which is why the portal is necessary to enter. Primrose was born here, crafted by the purest spirit mana. She was constructed to best suit the summoner¡¯s disabilities to convince her to betray you and the Dark Lord of Tyranny¡ªto sew discord and disorder.¡±


    It hurt me to say, but Aetos¡¯s hatred was justified.


    ¡°Do you know why I gave you mydy¡¯s flute?¡± he asked out of nowhere, changing the subject.


    ¡°No. I¡¯ve always wondered about that.¡± I took it out and held it in my hands.


    ¡°It is far too precious an instrument to remain here. Call it wishful thinking, but I wanted to hear it. Your beautiful rendition of Vredi¡¯s Luby was just like hers. Granting it was a moment of weakness¡­ Perhaps it¡¯s one I do not regret.¡±


    ¡°You really loved Susize, didn¡¯t you?¡± I asked.


    ¡°To be born as a Great Eagle in the Vredi Forest meant pledging my loyalty to the firstborn prince or princess. It was always my destiny to be mydy¡¯s greatest ally. You are not her, but you share her appearance. Her blood runs through you. To me, your existence is a curse. I know mydy was cast from the cycle of reincarnation. Yet I know the seal used to imprison the Dark Lord of Tyranny would mean she wouldn¡¯t ever enter it. But I hate you all the same. I wanted to kill you. I thought about attacking you a thousand times during your stay¡­ And I¡¯m still fighting the urge to strike at you. You killed her slimes and draingi. You destroyed her life¡®s research to discover the genesis seed.¡±


    ¡°Susize¡¯s research isn¡¯t destroyed, Aetos,¡± said Tris. ¡°Her findings are securely stored away in my databank. I can replicate them at any time¡ªjust like this.¡± Tris retrieved a stack of documents, showed Aetos, and stashed them.


    ¡°Ahh~¡± Aetos gasped. The eagle¡¯s expression softened. He didn¡¯t expect this.


    Something nagged me. I brought up Sera and herst visit.


    "An argument?" he repeated after me. "Yes, we did. The child clings to puppets of the past to satisfy her physical and mental needs when my Great Lady would have desired her sister to approach the yearning dawn rather than staring at the glimmering dusk that set so long ago. A fight never urred, but...in my anger, I had banished Sera from returning."


    <i>Sera didn''t mention that part, did she? That''s understandable. She''s probably taking the banishment to heart.</i>


    ¡°But she still loves you. But she¡¯s afraid, you know. She doesn¡¯t want you to hate her because she doesn''t share your mental fortitude. Some people¡­ They can¡¯t move from the past. The new and unknown is scary, and people findfort in familiarity.¡±


    ¡°That is not a way to live. The future holds infinite potential. To turn away and refuse a chance to grow is proof of a person¡¯s cowardice.¡±


    ¡°Maybe, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Anything more to say?¡±


    ¡°No. I can¡¯t find the words.¡± I stood up. ¡°This truce may be uneasy, but you wish to protect the forest and vige, and I want to heal Sekh. I want to use this power given to me to break the curse. Let this incarnation of the Dark Lord of Tyranny be thest.¡±


    ¡°You have my assistance, chimera.¡± The portal to the graveyard opened. ¡°Please note that I cannot help you in the fight against Sathtshas once it is recreated.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t need it,¡± I said, walking away. ¡°But it¡¯s time for you to speak with your daughter and her summoner. Ease her heart. Prim¡¯s a good woman.¡± I threw up a hand and left the Spiritual Grove.


    After emerging near the cherry blossom, I told Prim to enter. She was hesitant and shook her head, but I said she needed to talk to him. ¡°Trust me. You¡¯ll be fine. I promise.¡± Niva held Prim¡¯s shivering hand and entered the portal even as salty sap leaked from those green eyes.

 Chapter Ninety-Two: The Spirit Lord of Nature, Aetos – Part Two

    Chapter Ny-Two: The Spirit Lord of Nature, Aetos ¨C Part Two


    Twenty minutes had passed since we entered the portal, and the silence was almost overbearingly loud.


    Primrose and Aetos kept looking at each other, but no one made the first move. The Spiritual Grove seemed wounded and afraid. The damage almost reminded me¡­of me¡­when I was constantly kept near death.


    ¡°I¡­haven¡¯t treated you well.¡± Aetos was the first to finally speak. His wounded form flickered like a candle, and he hopped from her perch, approaching with a noticeable limp. Primrose flinched and squeezed my hand. I felt her apprehension like it was a deadly disease. Her fear wasn¡¯t unjustified.


    ¡°¡­¡± Primrose began heaving like an overheated horse. She pressed away from Aetos and moved back, clutching her heart while looking at me. Primrose''s eyes told me she wanted to leave¡ªthat she didn¡¯t want to be here¡ªthat she¡¯d rather live without this conversation. And maybe she was right. But I was her summoner. Looking after my spirits was part of my duty.


    I loved Primrose. I loved all my spirits, and I still wasn¡¯t over the ones who were viciously ughtered in front of me when I was being sold and passed around like meat. The nightmares were rare, but I thought of them. But those thoughts were bing scarce. Spirits alle from the same world. They shared a mutual rtionship at a level that couldn¡¯t be felt by beings from the Mortal Realm, so my former spirits could be considered Primrose¡¯s extended family that shared amon ground.


    I wanted to do right by them and her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we can¡¯t leave. This is important, Primrose. You helped me conquer my fear,¡± I whispered, squeezing her hand¡ªit felt like sweaty wood. ¡°So let me help you. I promise everything¡¯s going to be okay. I swear it will.¡±


    ¡°Your reaction is understandable. Perhaps it is what I deserve. And perhaps that mark of failure shall define my recent legacy,¡± said Aetos. ¡°I know you must understand the truth of what I¡¯m about to say, but the words must be spoken for¡­ No, I¡¯m unsure if it¡¯s for my benefit or yours. However¡­still¡­¡±


    Aetos stuttered. This wasn¡¯tfortable for either of them.


    ¡°I¡­ You didn¡¯t create me out of love, did you?¡± Primrose¡¯s voice was a whisper, and it was unsteady.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ That¡¯s correct,¡± replied Aetos. He stepped away and looked out at the damaged Spiritual Grove. ¡°There will be no more lies. For all that I shall speak shall be the truth. Hatred was the fuel that initialized your creation. Hatred for that damned Dark Lord of Tyranny.¡±


    ¡°And¡­ My life was never really meant to be my own?¡±


    ¡°¡­ No. It was not. Your purpose was espionage. I had imprinted bias and forced you to live a life that never¡­belonged to you. Your goal was to sow discourse within the ones surrounding the Dark Lord of Tyranny. You were to drive an unrepairable nail and shatter their trust.¡±


    ¡°You¡­never really cared for me? Not when Lord Springfield bested me inbat? Or when, after those bounty hunters were killed, I tried to take my life? You still¡­held the reigns, but¡­ You were resolved to let me die?¡±


    It was like a flip had been switched. Primrose¡¯s hesitation was reced with fiery wrath. She bared her teeth and stared down Aetos, refusing to look away.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been so lost! The feelings I acquired after spending time with them did not match what I thought I was supposed to feel! And you never cared?! No¡ªyou were only preupied with making the Dark Lord of Tyranny¡¯s life a living hell, but Sekh isn¡¯t her! She¡¯s¡­ She¡¯s kind¡­and gentle. And caring¡­ She fought to protect me! Me! Someone who was given ample reasons to see her suffer, and you didn¡¯t even care enough to stop me from taking my life?! Lord Springfield and Sekh are the only reasons why I still draw breath. And¡­ You never cared¡­ I was a pawn¡­¡±


    ¡°I consider all spirits created from the Eagle Yew to be¡ª¡±


    ¡°To be what? Family?! I cannot believe that!¡± Primrose spat. She trembled like she was freezing. ¡°What father would make a daughter from hatred, not intervene when she¡¯s about to kill herself, and continue to hold the reigns to her core?! I know about that! You were holding me hostage the entire time! And¡­ And¡­ My life¡­was never meant to be mine¡­¡±


    ¡°Primrose¡­¡± I rubbed her back andforted her.


    ¡°There are no excuses, but permit me to say this,¡± Aetos said. He inhaled a deep breath. I saw the wincing in his eyes. Talking this much was difficult for him. ¡°Only a few still remember how close we brushed against the brink of execution when the Dark Lord of Tyranny unleashed her terror upon the world. It was chaotic. It was disorder. No one knew if they would survive to see tomorrow or if her forces would arrive to rape, pige, and burn away thend. Everyone, Primrose¡­ Everyone who had lived through those dark ages would have done what I did¡­ And I regret it.¡±


    Water surged around Aetos¡¯s eyes. ¡°The burden of the father should have never been ced upon the child. You never asked for this. You never desired this, yet I thrust it upon you without offering a choice. And the consequences were dire. You''ve suffered so much from conflicting feelings that¡­that there is nothing I can say or do to make things right.¡±


    ¡°YOU¡¯RE DAMN RIGHT!¡± barked Primrose. ¡°You¡ªGaaahh!¡± She grabbed her hair and screamed, unleashing a lengthy tirade. Everything she wanted to say and confess erupted from her chest. ¡°I¡¯m not a tool to be used! I¡¯m me! I¡¯m Primrose! I¡¯m my summoner¡¯s spirit, and I wish to be an ally to the Transcendent Dark Lord! I wish to help break the Dark Lord of Tyranny¡¯s curse! I won¡¯t be your puppet! Not anymore! You can¡¯t detonate my core remotely anymore! I don¡¯t have any reason to fear you!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Aetos kept silent, but Primrose continued for another twenty minutes. She finally screamed and dropped to her knees, sobbing in her fragile hands. I approached and hugged her from behind, and Aetos replied. He was wounded¡ªnot only from the damage the Essence of Wrath had inflicted upon the Eagle Yew, but Primrose¡¯s words cut deep.


    I was sure no father ever wanted to hear them. I saw the strain on his face as he stepped forward. Each one must¡¯ve taken much effort, but he approached, spread a wing, and¡­


    Aetos wrapped it around her¡ªhis daughter. ¡°There are no words to describe how I feel, my child. But know this. And please understand it. I do not have control over your core. I did, but I relinquishedmand the night before Ria fell. I felt your personality emerge from the shell I had put it in. My mistake was evident, and I rectified it. But the damage was done. Primrose¡­ You¡¯ve been free for months.¡±


    ¡°Is¡­that supposed to make me feel better?!¡± Primrose shrugged Aetos off, but he didn¡¯t move. She beat his chest and tried to rip his wings, but Aetos was stubborn. He endured her strikes until her emotions ran hot. Primrose simmered, cried, and eventually fell asleep, exhausted and tired. Her mind needed time to recuperate.


    That left me alone with Aetos. He raised a wing and summoned a bed of white, orange, pink, and red primrose flowers for my spirit to sleep.


    ¡°And what are your thoughts, Niva?¡± Aetos asked as he carefully rubbed Primrose¡¯s head. ¡°Do you hate me? How many grudges do you hold against me?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Just what did I want to say? ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡­can¡¯t understand your fear. I was treated horribly, too. I didn¡¯t live through the Dark Lord of Tyranny''s time, but I was beaten, raped, and punished for years before M rescued me. And if¡­Noelia had vanished and showed up and med her treatment of me on something like that¡­ I¡­ I can¡¯t say to know what you felt when we showed up, so I might be speaking out of line. But I want to empathize with you, Aetos. But I can¡¯t ept you using Primrose for this. She wasn¡¯t involved. She didn¡¯t exist until after we had arrived. In my eye? It¡¯s wrong. I¡¯m sorry, but it is.¡± Maybe my words were harsh. But I was determined to stay by Primrose¡¯s side. And I didn¡¯t want to be afraid anymore. Nor did I want to shy away from what could¡¯ve been unpleasant.


    I¡¯d done enough of that for two or three lifetimes.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ You have changed, Niva.¡±


    ¡°I hope in a good way. I¡¯ve had a lot of time to think. M¡­ She changed my life. She saved me from darkness. And she taught me how to live. She doesn¡¯t look at me and think my disabilities define me. She believes in me. And refusing to ept her belief would mean throwing it away, and I don¡¯t want to be that kind of person. But it¡¯s not just her. It¡¯s Sekh, Tilde, and Tris. And Irisa and her family.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good answer. Pride may not mean much from me, but I am proud of your growth. I¡¯m happy you and Primrose met¡ªalbeit under selfish circumstances.¡±


    ¡°Do you know about me?¡± I suddenly asked.


    ¡°You spoke briefly about your life when the mana generator was first discovered in your eye, but I wasn¡¯t paying much attention. I presume the information is in the mana link that once connected to Primrose, but I shall not take it, for it shall infringe on her privacy.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my blindness. I¡­My sight got worse and worse, and there was medicine to fight the disease. But it was expensive. And Barbil¡¯s a dangerous ce. It¡¯s always cold and snowing and we lived in poverty. My mother went to the local lord and begged for help, but he used her body and sent her home with nothing. I was a detriment to our vige. Those who work get to eat. There was no food for those who didn¡¯t pull their weight. And¡­ I couldn¡¯t let my family suffer. My father couldn¡¯t ept what happened to my mother. And she was broken. So, I left. I was resolved to die since I thought I had nothing. Why remain alive if I¡¯m nothing but a drain on our precious resources? That was how I thought.¡±


    ¡°But you survived. Death did not im you.¡±


    ¡°It didn¡¯t. I don¡¯t know who I spoke to, but they gave me [Mana Language] and the power to summon spirits. My life became a living hell after that because whoever was searching for that stranger decided to take me. I was blind, so I couldn''t see anything. But even though I swore to always remember my family¡­ I can¡¯t remember what my mother looked like. All I have is¡­is this scream when she returned home. Father cried. The others wept for her. And¡­ My mother only did it to help me¡ªher daughter. And¡­and I can¡¯t even remember her face¡­ I know my family loved me. I know they did. But I loved them more, so I was resolved to die to improve the chances of them surviving. But that doesn¡¯t apply here. You used Primrose out of hatred for something she never experienced.¡±


    ¡°Your words are true. And they cannot be denied. Then¡­what should I do, Niva? Can I reforge the trust? Is it possible?¡±


    ¡°You can try. That¡¯s all anyone can do. But Primrose is your daughter, right?¡± Aetos nodded. ¡°And you¡¯re her father. I don¡¯t know much about being a parent, but my father was always gentle. His face¡­ I can¡¯t remember it, but my body remembers how he used to carry me on his back when I was little. Umm¡­ What¡­.what did Susize¡¯s father do with her?¡±


    ¡°To the Great King Isolde of Vredi Forest¡­ The princesses were his shining jewels. He was a man most men strove to be and a father none couldpare to. The great Vredi Forest was vast, withnd not unlike the size of Dirge, yet his family never lost their spot in his heart. The king had many advisors. Perhaps you think it impossible, but no one was corrupt. King Isolde had nothing to fear. He could vanish for years, and no one would dare think to usurp his proud and just rule.¡±


    ¡°He sounds incredible.¡±


    ¡°And he was¡­ His passing affected me greatly. The world does not know what they have lost. He was the man I wanted to be had fate held a different option. If I were to be reborn as anything other than a Great Eagle¡­ It would have been like him.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the answer, Aetos. King Isolde. Do what he would do.¡±


    ¡°Ahh¡­ Is it really so simple?¡± Aetos looked at me and tilted his head. His pained expression softened¡ªlike his agony had vanished for a heartbeat. Everything I saw was dded in monochrome, but for a moment¡­


    He was radiant¡­like the bright stars that always shone so brightly.


    ¡°Tilde used to say that nothing is simple. If it appears to be simple, then there¡¯s something behind it that makes itplex, and we¡¯re only seeing the surface.¡±


    ¡°The sprite is more knowledgeable than she appears.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s been alive a long time. But even she¡­makes mistakes. But her advice goes deeper than that. Sometimes, if it¡¯s easier for your mind to handle, it¡¯s¡­ Umm¡­ How did it go again? I think Tilde put it... ¡®It¡¯s beneficial to summarize the needlesslyplex into the dimwittedly simple if you need a little push here and there.¡¯ It¡¯s one thing to want to be a better father. That¡¯s the simple aspect, but theplex requirements are different. And in your case, if you¡¯re lost on how to begin, then simply ¡®being¡¯ a better father, in whatever way you can think of, will be a good ce to start until you figure things out.¡±


    Aetos was blindsided. He silently observed my face, turned to Primrose, and looked at the anxious skies. It was faint, but the eagle was crying.


    ¡°Who knew¡­this day woulde¡­when I¡­know how shameful mydy would¡¯ve looked upon me for treating a child like this? The great Princess Susize Vredi never wished to involve children. She often dreamed of giving birth to three or four and desired arge family. To her? Everyone and everything within Vredi Forest were her brothers, sisters, and cousins. The forest surrounding Aetos Vige is naught but a shallow recreation of what used to be the grandestndmark in all the world. And to think that I was once proud¡­ Just where has that pride gone when I devolved to use a precious child¡­like this¡­ Primrose, forgive me¡­ I am so sorry¡­ This is not your war. Nor is it your conflict.¡±


    We became silent. No one moved or spoke until Primrose shifted in her sleep. Her eyes slowly opened, and I was there to greet her with a smile.


    Throughout it all¡­ Aetos never removed his wing from Primrose¡¯s head.


    ¡°Why?¡± she asked, leaning up. ¡°Why are¡­we here? After what I said? Why didn¡¯t you kick us out?¡±


    ¡°The thought has never crossed my mind.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Primrose, I wish to do right by you. Please grant me another opportunity. I promise¡­ I swear on all I love that I will do better.¡±


    Primrose turned her head away and looked at me. She met my eyes. All I did was nod, and she turned back to Aetos. Her steps were small¡ªlike a baby crawling. But she ran to Aetos, crying soft sap from her beautiful eyes. She tightly hugged him, and he protectively wrapped a wing around her as she rubbed his back.


    ¡°Father¡­ Father!!!¡±


    ¡°I love you, my child. I swear¡­ I desire your happiness¡­ Please¡­grant me the chance to atone, my sweet girl.¡±


    The two embraced¡­ I couldn¡¯t lie. I¡­I wanted to hug my mother and father. Even if it was for just a moment, but they were probably dead. Our vige was harsh. The environment was unforgiving and cruel. I had hoped my running away would¡¯ve let them survive that much longer.


    In my mind? I had already considered them gone. My heart felt the same, but¡­


    I still loved them. And I did wish they were safe, sound, and living happily ever after. But¡­


    I doubted it. I also doubted if I¡¯d ever returned. I was sure M wouldn¡¯t mind taking me to Barbil if I asked. Seraphina could probably teleport us. But I was afraid¡­because heading there meant confronting the truth. But if I were to go, then I wanted to go alone. I knew how that made me sound like a brat, but facing the past? I¡­ The power had toe from within.


    ¡°Come, Niva,¡± said Aetos, breaking me from my thoughts. ¡°Please¡­ I¡­wish to be better for you, too.¡±


    ¡°Summoner¡­¡± Primrose¡¯s glistening eyes had softened, and I felt emotional, too.


    So¡­


    I ran to them, joining the embrace. This marked the beginning of a new era.


    No longer would Primrose be shackled to the fear inside her mind.


    And¡­


    It served as a beginning for me, too. As Niva, a spirit summoner epted by the Spirit Lord of Nature, Aetos.


    I could do this¡­


    I could grow strong. And I wouldn¡¯t have to do it alone¡ªI¡¯d never be alone again. And¡­maybe I could¡­one day return to Barbil and confront my past.

 Chapter Ninety-Three: I Know Who I Am – Part One

    Chapter Ny-Three: I Know Who I Am ¨C Part One


    ¡°So¡­ What¡¯s the n, Master? What do you want to do?¡± asked Tilde. We were still in the graveyard. ¡°Wanna wait for Niva and Primmy?¡±


    ¡°No. There¡¯s no telling how long it''ll be. But¡­¡° I looked at the dryad¡¯s grave and felt a nail hammer into my heart. The trust that little girl had in me¡­


    It wasn¡¯t deserved, was it? I wasn¡¯t the elf she thought me to be¡ªno, I wasn¡¯t anything she thought me to be.


    And¡­


    What¡­ What if I could change that?


    <i>Is that possible?</i>


    ¡°Tris, can you search the map for people experiencing specific emotions?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not in my capabilities, but I can refine the parameters for aspects rted to those, such as an increased blood pressure when someone is angry. Murag¡¯s collection of tomes included an extensively detailed bestiary on many non-human species and beastfolk, so I can incorporate that data to reduce any false positives.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡± Tilde flew behind me andtched her arms around my shoulders.


    ¡°I think¡­I need to do what <i>she</i> would¡¯ve done. Tris, search for anyone experiencing anxiousness, fear, or uncertainty towards the future.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s broad, my lord. Approximately 93% of the vige¡¯s inhabitants fall under those search conditions.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ How about this? What¡¯s Aello up to?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s with a group of children in the park, Tilde. I see a mix of beastfolk, non-humans, and spirits.¡±


    ¡°Are they¡­you know, feeling hesitant? Did they show up in the previous search?¡± I asked.


    ¡°They did.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it, then,¡± I said, resolved in my choice. ¡°Tilde, Tris, feel like making some children smile? Words can reassure them, but <i>she</i> would have done more. I¡­must do the dryad proud.¡±


    <i>If she¡¯s looking down on me¡­ she knows the truth. I don¡¯t want her to regret giving her flower to someone like me.</i>


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯d be down for that. You know, I used to be a teacher a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you still one?¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah. I used to teach at a daycare. It was long before Sekh¡¯s time, though. Like a few hundred years before¡­you know. Anyway, are you down for it, Tris?¡±


    ¡°I am. I¡¯ve studied childrearing and watched the nurseries in Plymoise during downtime. I believe I have a few ideas to ease their worries.¡±


    ¡°Thanks a lot, you two. Surtr?¡±


    The lion let loose a low growl of uncertainty. ¡°It is better to make myself scarce since I bear the mes. It may unease them.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll see you at the mansionter.¡± Surtr wished us well and silently departed.


    <hr>


    "Miss Aello¡­ I¡¯m still worried," said a Snailfolk, clutching a wooden doll in her arms as she anxiously stared at the Eagle Yew. Her worries were not hers alone¡ªthe other children in her group shared them. Everything the girl knew was about to be cruelly taken from her. Even if she wanted to ignore it... The proof was around her.


    The bounded field was responsible for granting sunlight, but with it being broken, the nket of shade cast an ominous shadow across the entire vige. Even though the leaves resting so high above on the branches of the Eagle Yew were wilting, sunlight still struggled to pierce through.


    However, with how things were going, it wouldn¡¯t be long before the leaves were lifelessly scattered, enveloping a vige that had no more than a month or two of life left.


    But barring that, you only had to look at the group¡¯s surroundings.


    The swings sewn from the magnificent trees could no longer support a slime¡¯s weight before buckling. The slides elegantly intertwined with soft wood were rotted to hell and back. And the grass¡­ Their hue faded, reced by a sickly brown that bordered on ck. The colorful flowers had been drained of their luster. Their petals were too heavy for the neglected stems to hold.


    Not even a ce for smile,ughter, and joy was free from thesting effects of the Essence of Wrath¡¯s rampage.


    No¡ªit was my fault.


    I¡¯d been watching the group while we walked to the park. We were about there¡ªmaybe five minutes away¡ªbut I couldn¡¯t help but stop and talk to the other vigers. Anything to clear their minds and ease their hearts. That dyed our arrival.


    ¡°What if¡­ What if the High Blessing can¡¯t do it? What if she fails? I¡­¡±


    ¡°Perhaps if I was alone, little one,¡± I said, walking past the gate. The group was set up near the entrance. All eyes turned to me, but no one was more frightened than the Snailfolk.


    ¡°Ah, please forgive me! I¡¯m sorry, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°What is there to forgive? I know this is scary.¡± I kneeled and hugged the whimpering girl. ¡°But I¡¯m not alone. Seraphina Vredi is my sister, and she¡¯s helping me. I promise¡­ I will seed, and I will save this vige.¡±


    ¡°See, children?¡± Everyone turned to Aello, who jumped from a stump. She proudly spread her wings. ¡°The High Blessing will transnt the Eagle Yew, and Lord Aetos will continue to thrive for many years. Worries are natural, but don''t taint your minds with negativity.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s so cool¡­¡± A centaur child blushed.


    ¡°I wanna be like her when I grow up,¡± said a Slugfolk.


    ¡°Aello, can I speak with you? Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll be right back. But while we¡¯re gone, I want to introduce you to my allies.¡±


    ¡°My name is Tris. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡±


    ¡°A lion girl? That hat is cool¡­ I¡¯ve never seen one like that before,¡± said a treant.


    ¡°And I¡¯m Tilde! I¡¯m Master¡¯s head maid!¡± Tilde posed, giving a cute wink.


    ¡°A fairy maid? Wow, your wings are sparkly and pretty.¡±


    ¡°Hehe! ttery will get you everywhere, kiddo.¡± Tilde hovered and flew around the group, causing a few to ooh and aww with excitement. The two fairies among the children tried to fly, but their wings were underdeveloped.


    ¡°Go and have your talk, my lord. We¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Thank you. Aello?¡±


    ¡°Lead the way, High Blessing.¡± The harpy followed me to the park¡¯s other side.


    ¡°Everything went well,¡± I told her, summarizing the n. ¡°Sathtshas must die, but I¡¯m confident in my abilities. The Eagle Yew and Lord Aetos will be transnted by the week''s end.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful news!¡± Aello squawked, pping her wings with excitement.


    ¡°It is. But I can¡¯t stop thinking about that dryad. It pains me¡­that she¡¯s not here. But the other children are. I want to see them smile. I want to make them happy.¡±


    ¡°Your presence is all they require, High Blessing. Meeting a Vredi is an honor many cannot im to have experienced.¡±


    ¡°Maybe, but what about ying with one? Singing with one? Being read to by one? Casting magic with one? Walking with one? Aello, I¡¯ve never done this before. You¡¯re the elder. Forgive me if this is unnecessary, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you asking for permission to spend time with the children?¡±


    ¡°Something like that.¡±


    ¡°You are correct; it is unnecessary. I am sure you didn¡¯t ask during yourst visit, but I will grant it, High Blessing!¡± Aello pped her wings. ¡°It will be a great honor and a valuable experience.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, friend. This vige has endured too much. I don¡¯t know how long I¡¯ll stay after the transnt is done, but I want to see smiles on everyone¡¯s faces when we leave.¡±


    ¡°A noble goal indeed! It is a goal to be proud of, High Blessing of the Vredi and Springfield Forests!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d you agree. I¡­wasn¡¯t the friendliest during myst visit. I wish I had been more receptive. It¡¯s no excuse, but I was preupied with things I now regret.¡±


    ¡°No one is perfect, Lyudm Vredi Springfield. Even High Blessings can make mistakes because no one is infallible. But¡­did you learn?¡± I didn¡¯t expect that. I really didn¡¯t. And hearing those words was refreshing. Aello almost idolized the Vredis¡­


    ¡°I did. I hope I did. I want to strive to always be a better me, Aello. To be someone the person I was the day before would be proud of bing.¡±


    ¡°It does make sense, High Blessing. When I became elder, it was daunting. But I was always learning. Every day brings something new. Every nightes with new regrets. But we persevere. We endure and face each tomorrow with renewed vigor.¡± Aello pped her wings and paused, watching the children gather around Tris. She stood on the stump, telling a heartwarming story about a caterpir who endured unimaginable trials and evolved into a beautiful butterfly.


    Meanwhile, Tilde yed the caterpir. A fun role for a fun girl like her. I knew she was having a st.


    ¡°The little ones are the future. When the great fire broke the barrier, it scared me. High Blessing, I had never felt like that before. From old to young and young to old, everyone believes in the Eagle Yew and Lord Aetos. But my belief¡­ Seeing, enduring¡­¡± Aello began to cry, stretching a wing toward the Eagle Yew. ¡°I felt so powerless. I felt like the end wasing. Everyone looked to me. I acted headstrong, but I am not a High Blessing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m proud of you, Aello. You did the best you could. And I¡¯m inspired.¡±


    ¡°Really? A High Blessing gets inspiration from someone like me?¡± The harpy sounded so shocked.


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be? I only wish I could be half the leader you are. So¡­ I hope you¡¯ll let me rely on you for the future, friend.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Aello pped her wings and jumped for joy. ¡°And I hope I can rely on you, High Blessing! Let us rely on each other and continue to be better than who we were the day before!¡±


    ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s do that.¡± I extended a hand, and Aello offered me a wing. We shook, ended our chat, and returned to the group just in time to see Tilde ¡®evolve¡¯ into a beautiful butterfly-like fairy with sparkly rainbow-ented wings. The dazzling sight, courtesy of Tris¡¯s waypoints, was a roaring sess, and the children happily pped as Tilde flew around.


    ¡°Ah! Wee back, Master! So, how do I look?¡± Tilde asked. She posted in mid-air.


    ¡°Very adorable. So, I take you enjoyed the story?¡± I asked the kids.


    ¡°Uh-huh! Miss Tris is amazing!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great! But there¡¯s more left toe.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right.¡± A centaur boy with long blonde hair stood and walked over. ¡°Lady Springfield, Miss Tilde said you had something special to show us?¡± It felt like he was about to have the zoomies and take off sprinting like the wind.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I do.¡± During the walk here, Tris, Tilde, and I came up with ideas. A few involved newly developed spells Tris had invented after listening to Sera chant. She was still decoding the Latinnguage in the background. Even though I had purchased and raised [Spell Creation] to Lv. 10, it would take time to really feel the benefits.


    But it was enough. Offensive magic wasn¡¯t viable--yet-- since it was intricate andplex. You had to be specific in your chant to ensure the mana did what you wanted and nothing else while keeping the cost to a minimum¡ªthatst bit didn¡¯t necessarily apply to me, but Tris wanted to wait before we tested any.


    But mundane spells? Magic that was more for ir than massive destruction?


    Yeah, that was ¡®easy'' and let Tris experiment.


    ¡°Here, can you hold this for me?¡± I retrieved a stick and handed it to the centaur, grabbed Susize¡¯s flute, yed a melody, and mentally performed the chant.


    <i>Lucem scinti, per baculum effulgeat! [Glimmer Flick]!</i>


    <b><i>New Skill: [Glimmer Flick (Lv. 10)]</i></b>


    A sparkle danced from my flute to the stick, wrapping it in a glowing, warm haze.


    It roughly tranted to ¡®spark the light, let it shine through the staff,¡¯ with extra emphasis on ¡®spark¡¯ being a flickering light, not the electrical or lightning kind.


    ¡°Go on. Do you see that glowing light?¡± I pointed to a waypoint. Tris ensured everyone could see it. ¡°Flick the stick at it.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Umm¡­¡± The boy did it, and a little beam of light flourished. It shot at the target, where it quietly exploded like a softened firework.


    ¡°It¡¯s harmless,¡± I said. ¡°It uses illusion magic as its base. But there¡¯s more.¡±


    [Water Flick] was a water gun-like spell. [Bubble Burst] did as the name said¡ªmaking a bubble that released water when popped. [Butterfly Kisses] made phantom butterflies that emitted pink hearts. [Bouncing Bubble Burst], a variation, made the bubbles bounce a few times before popping.


    ¡°Now, there¡¯s one more thing I must do¡­¡± I said after handing out the enchanted sticks. As I yed my flute, I subtly released slime fragments that stealthily burrowed underground. And they were in the perfect spot to use my next ¡®spell.¡¯


    Although it wasn¡¯t magic¡­


    ¡°The ground is about to shake, so please do not be rmed.¡± Right on cue, everything gently rumbled after cing the flute to my lips, and¡­


    ¡°A yground?! Woah, Master, you never told me you had anything like this!¡± Tilde was genuinely shocked, and the idea originated from Tris. She wanted to do something special, so why not replicate something all children loved?


    There were a few slides¡ªsome straight, others were wavy or spiral. Three types of swings, four variations of jungle gyms, two rock walls, three climbings, a seesaw, a bouncy house, an in-ground trampoline, and a few tunnels.


    And, of course, precautions were taken to ensure safety. The ground was oveyed by ayer of reinforced grass that detected a fall, softening ordingly to reduce injuries. Tris was behind the calctions. So, a centaur could run their heart out and not trigger the safety effect.


    And yes, the biomass drain was high. But I had so much. The depletion rate meant I could sustain this makeshift yground for at least 10 hours before I was anywhere close in danger of devouring myself. Still, I had so much food in storage that I could extend it to a week. I could also leave and hunt some animals a few dozen miles away and be back within the hour.


    Surtr would get me there faster, and I knew he¡¯d hunt for me.


    And yes, everything¡­was me. The yground was a series of clones interlinked, connected, and intertwined, transfigured to wood. But it was still me at the base, and everything was controlled by Tris.


    <i>I wish to snapshot this and turn it into a usable spell, but the vernacr is¡­unfamiliar. There are too many variables to ount for with a multitude of permutations. Unless¡­ Yes, we have [Spell Chaining] avable for purchase. Shall I unlock and level it to 10?</i>


    <i>Go for it.</i>


    And thus, a new skill was learned.


    <i>That¡¯s the key, my lord. I¡¯ll use the slime wood as a blueprint, break it into individual partitions, and link them in abo, using [Wooden yground] as the activation word.</i>


    <i>Haha, I¡¯m d you figured it out. That¡¯s impressive, Tris. You¡¯re incredible.</i>


    Tris blushed. I smiled and turned to the children, who watched with wide, excitable eyes.


    ¡°This¡­ It¡¯s amazing!¡±


    ¡°Is this for us?¡±


    "It is," I replied. "Go ahead, have fun. I''ve ensured everything is essible to everyone, so please, y to your hearts'' content."


    ¡°Come on!¡± I thought that centaur would¡¯ve been the first, but it was Tilde. She immediately flew to the tallest slide and went down without hesitation. ¡°Yaaaaaay!!!!¡± She threw her hands up and giggled. And the other children took off.


    ¡°It seems our spells are a hit, my lord.¡±


    ¡°It is. And I¡¯m d.¡±


    <i>[Wooden yground] isplete, my lord. It''llst five hours and take approximately 12% of your mana. Shall I rece the existing structures with the spell?</i>


    <i>Can you do it without them noticing? They¡¯re having so much fun, and I don¡¯t want to interrupt them.</i>


    <i>I can. It will require one more clone to act as a temporary control center. It cannot be connected to the structure.</i>


    A little bit of subtle slimeter¡­and it was done in ten seconds. The process was fascinating, involving a rapid-fire de-transfiguration that gradually matched the spell¡¯s manufacturing speed to ensure everything remained in ce as if nothing had happened.


    It was a marvel. And only a Fragment of Wisdom could have effortlessly pulled it off.


    <i>I can use the knowledge acquired from crafting [Wooden yground] to create a spell to manufacture a temporary wooden house or cabin with furnishings.</i>


    <i>If you don¡¯t mind.</i>


    <i>Not at all! I¡¯m instilled with so many good ideas that I do not know where to begin!</i>


    Tris¡¯s excitement was infectious.


    <i>Don¡¯t hold yourself back. Make all the spells you want. Do whateveres to mind.</i>


    ¡°I see your eyes, Aello. Are you curious?¡±


    ¡°I am, High Blessing. But I am more so impressed by theplexity. Can your mana sustain it?¡±


    ¡°For five hours. Give or take a few minutes.¡±


    I remained with Tris and Aello until that hyperactive centaur urged me to y. We climbed on the jungle gyms, and I went down the slides with each of them. And¡­


    <i>When was thest time¡­I did kid stuff?</i>


    It was bittersweet. This joy was denied to me for so long, and now?


    Now I could relish in it anytime I wanted¡­


    And I made the most of it. We spent about three hours having fun. My favorite part was shooting the water gun sticks at each other. But having a bubble-bouncing contest with the others was up there.


    Tris joined in, and she naturally whooped everyone.


    <i>What else do you expect when your opponent is a supeputer? Well, the children enjoyed it, at least. </i>


    She happily epted my first-ce medal.


    <hr>


    Lunch was after that. Tris had some dishes already prepared, so we enjoyed a pleasant meal before finishing off with a group walk. The children already had smiles permanently stered on their adorable faces, but they wanted more.


    And¡­


    I did, too.


    I didn¡¯t want to stop, so I indulged in their whims and let them escort me into the forest. Tilde and Tris excused themselves to help around the vige however they could, but Tris was always watching.


    <i>I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s impossible for her to not keep track of me.</i>


    The atmosphere was dreadful, though. The wildlife that was so abundant during myst visit wasn¡¯t there. It felt like all life that had once thrived and relied on the forest had perished.


    The Susize within my heart couldn¡¯t stop crying. It wanted tosh out¡­but I kept those feelings restrained.


    Restrained, not buried.


    ¡°Ah, High Blessing,¡± excitedly said a treant, pointing at a nearbyke. It was the one I had fished at with Ruru. But even that was¡­dissolved, leaving gaping holes that foreshadowed Aetos Vige¡¯s eventual fate.


    More than ever, I felt my heart ache with unknown pain. It truly hurt me to see the forest look like this when everyone here relied on it for substance and nourishment. Even the ash that had fallen thest time I was here did little to rejuvenate the soil. Its packed nutrients were worthless.


    Honestly, the Eagle Yew was a cornerstone of this ce. No, to all of Dirge. Its bountiful effects could even be felt through the barrier. It was a major surprise that the forest closest to the road had little decay or death. But it increased dramatically the further you went into the heart of Aetos Vige. It wasn¡¯t even considered a dungeon anymore¡ªit had diminished that much.


    But I wouldn¡¯t allow the vige toe to an end. I¡¯d refuse it¡ªwholeheartedly.


    ¡°I once caught a fish thiiiiiis big!¡± The treant spread her arms wide.


    ¡°Impressive,¡± I replied, rubbing her head. ¡°We must go fishing together once the vige has healed. I¡¯m quite the angler myself. Let¡¯s have a little contest then, shall we?¡±


    Two centaurs shivered, and I reassured them we were safe. ¡°No, High Blessing. It isn¡¯t that¡­ Umm¡­ You¡­will save Lord Aetos and the Eagle Yew, right?¡±


    ¡°I will. My answer will not change no matter how many times you ask it. But if it¡¯s to reassure your heart and assail your worries, then ask anytime.¡± I put a hand on their heads. The blond-haired one blushed and looked away.


    One would expect the older children to have a constrained grip on their emotions, but they were just kids.


    They were afraid. This life was all they ever had, and it was being uprooted.


    No one in this vige had done anything to earn my ire. How many had passed away because I was too weak? Because I wanted to listen to the Essence of Wrath¡¯s false words? Because she used her sweet lies to snatch control over my body?


    How could I look them in the eye when my weakness was directly responsible for all this heartache?


    That¡­ That hurt the most.


    ¡°High Blessing, can I show you my secret spot?¡± asked the doll-holding Snailfolk.


    ¡°I¡¯d be honored to see it,¡± I replied, which sparked a series of adventures. I followed the children to their favorite locales and sceneries and listened as they recanted brighter, happier memories. I could vividly imagine the locales in their prime because this forest was a recreation of Vredi Forest. Perhaps a few differencesy here and there, but the kids were excited when I used magic and waypoints to recreate mini dioramas of theirfort spots.


    The little treant was thest, but hers was probably the prettiest. She told me she enjoyed ying with dolls and animals in a cave hidden behind a waterfall. And the pond was home to this gorgeous slice of nature. It was obscured by a curtain of vines that disguised a hidden tunnel. Even I had no idea a ce like this was here.


    But I could see it¡­it in its prime¡­ The treant staring out from the curtain of crystal-clear water...gazing at the vibrant, plentiful wildlife that would make any nature preservation blush...


    We followed Aello back to the vige under a warm, glowing dusk that was still so beautiful even though death and decay surrounded it. It was proof-- proof life was still pushing on. And it was inspiring.


    ¡°Here you go, High Blessing.¡± The children held out the dioramas.


    ¡°They¡¯re gifts,¡± I said. ¡°Gifts tomemorate the time we spent together. But don¡¯t take it to mean an end, okay? You¡¯re all my friends, and I wish to grow closer. But please note that they aren¡¯t permanent. The magic will fade by midnight, but I will conjure a recement whenever you want.¡±


    <i>I¡¯ve registered the spells to create them and have categorized them ordingly, my lord. A perfected, mimicked copy is a stray thought away.</i>


    All at once, the children thanked me. The Snailfolk was the first to hug my leg, and the others followed suit almost immediately. I kneeled and embraced them. We returned to the park, meeting up with Tilde and Tris, who had helped the other vigers with whatever issues they had.


    I turned to the Eagle Yew, and...


    I couldn¡¯t restrain the emotions swirling around my heart¡ªnot after personally experiencing just how much this ce meant to the children¡ªlet alone the vigers and inhabitants who relied on Aetos for safety, nourishment, and protection.


    A song came to my mind...


    <i>Tris, I need your help.</i>


    <i>Of course, my lord. y your flute, and leave the lyrics to me.</i>


    I did just that, grabbing Susize¡¯s beloved instrument... Tilde caught on and told the kids to sit and listen.


    Slowly, I ced the flute to my lips, closed my eyes, and yed... I yed my heart out, but it wasn¡¯t so much an apology as it was...a statement¡ªno, a deration of how much I¡¯de to love this ce. Tris¡¯s precious voice suited the lyrics, and they were carried across the wind, spreading far and wide across the entire forest.


    <i>In the forest green and grand,</i>


    <i>Where the mighty branches stand,</i>


    <i>Lives the Spirit Lord so true,</i>


    <i>In the heart of Eagle Yew.</i>


    <i>Aetos, Aetos, Spirit Lord so wise,</i>


    <i>Guardian of nature, beneath the azure skies.</i>


    <i>We sing of your wonders, your love so pure and true,</i>


    <i>In the shade of your great tree, the mighty Eagle Yew.</i>


    <i>Birds they sing a joyful tune,</i>


    <i>Underneath the silver moon,</i>


    <i>Deer and rabbit y and roam,</i>


    <i>In the tree lord¡¯s loving home.</i>


    <i>Aetos, Aetos, Spirit Lord so wise,</i>


    <i>Guardian of nature, beneath the azure skies.</i>


    <i>We sing of your wonders, your love so pure and true,</i>


    <i>In the shade of your great tree, the mighty Eagle Yew.</i>


    <i>Flowers bloom and rivers flow,</i>


    <i>Where the ancient branches grow,</i>


    <i>All the woond creatures know,</i>


    <i>Aetos makes their spirits glow.</i>


    <i>Aetos, Aetos, Spirit Lord so wise,</i>


    <i>Guardian of nature, beneath the azure skies.</i>


    <i>We sing of your wonders, your love so pure and true,</i>


    <i>In the shade of your great tree, the mighty Eagle Yew.</i>


    <i>In every leaf and every root,</i>


    <i>In every bird and furry brute,</i>


    <i>Aetos¡¯ care is always there,</i>


    <i>In the gentle forest air.</i>


    <i>Aetos, Aetos, Spirit Lord so wise,</i>


    <i>Guardian of nature, beneath the azure skies.</i>


    <i>We sing of your wonders, your love so pure and true,</i>


    <i>In the shade of your great tree, the mighty Eagle Yew.</i>


    <i>So we dance and so we sing,</i>


    <i>In the forest, in the spring,</i>


    <i>Thank you, Aetos, for the view,</i>


    <i>In the shade of Eagle Yew.</i>


    I hadn¡¯t felt like this since Mom and Dad adopted me...and here I was, basically being embraced again by the forest belonging to an eagle deeply in love with a woman whose body partially made up mine...


    As I opened my eyes...


    Everyone who had heard the song had gathered for the concert, and there wasn¡¯t a pair of dry eyes in the crowd.

 Chapter Ninety-Three: I Know Who I Am – Part Two

    Chapter Ny-Three: I Know Who I Am ¨C Part Two


    ¡°You must be tired, High Blessing,¡± said Aello after she dispersed the crowd. It was just us. The children had returned to their homes since most found it difficult to remain awake. Either that, or they didn¡¯t want me to see them cry. ¡°Please, why don¡¯t you return to the mansion and get some rest? The little ones can be a handful.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I promise. I...¡±


    ¡°I agree with Aello, my lord,¡± said Tris. ¡°Today was more eventful than I had predicted. You must let time work on your mind to process the transpired events.¡±


    ¡°Tris is right,¡± added Tilde. She grabbed my hand and pointed towards the mansion. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, Master. We don¡¯t have to do everything tonight, do we? We¡¯ll be here for a few more days, at least. And then maybe longer to ensure no side effects or unforeseen concerns after the transnt. You¡¯ll have more time to spend with the little rascals.¡±


    Even after Sekh was back, we didn¡¯t have to immediately leave. We could spend a few days ensuring things were okay and return to Parthina. Or Sera could teleport here. She could make up with Aetos, and perhaps she¡¯d teleport us to Irisa and the others?


    ¡°Alright. Let us return, then. Good night, Aello. Should you see the children...tell them I wish them well.¡±


    ¡°Of course, High Blessing. May your dreams be ever pleasant.¡± Aello sent us off with a wave of her wings.


    My precious fairy held my right hand, and my beloved Fragment of Wisdom took my left. It felt like I¡¯d wander away if they weren¡¯t keeping me on track.


    I opened a [Skyview] window to the mansion and found Surtr. He was in the field of dying flowers in the backyard, surrounded by death and decay. The once beautiful slice of nature reminded me...more of my actions and what they had wrought.


    <i>Everything... Everything reminds me of it...</i>


    Hisrge head rested on his paws, and his eyes of fire looked out towards the forest. Before the barrier had broken, he would¡¯ve seen mountain tops...


    I closed the [Skyview] window and sighed, gripping my lovers¡¯ hands forfort. Niva and Primrose hadn¡¯t returned, so they were probably still with Aetos. Tris opened the door for me, and we ascended to Susize¡¯s room, where I just...plopped on the bed.


    I didn¡¯t even bother undressing. I didn¡¯t have the strength for it.


    ¡°Master¡­¡± Tilde said, sitting beside me. She rubbed my head.


    ¡°It... Today was hard. I...¡±


    ¡°Hey... It¡¯s okay...¡± Tilde¡¯sforting voice... Tris¡¯s loving touch to my cheeks...


    The dam burst.


    As much as I hated to admit it...


    <i>Do I hate it?</i>


    I was a High Elf.


    <i>Not a human.</i>


    I was a Vredi.


    <i>Not a Fenton.</i>


    I¡¯d spent so long using that identity to my advantage that I hadn¡¯t realized until now that it had be who I was.


    ¡°I¡­¡± My voice was fragile.


    ¡°My lord?¡± Tris¡¯s anxious voice entered my ears. ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t be long. Just...can I have a moment alone?¡±


    ¡°Master¡¯s gonna be fine,¡± said Tilde. She knew what I had nned. ¡°Here, I¡¯ll talk to you, okay? Go on, Master. Do what you need to do. We¡¯ll be right here.¡±


    I left without speaking and went to the top floor, entering...<i>that</i> room.


    The room with the empty cages...


    The room with the toy-filled ypen....that would no longer see any y.


    The room...that used to harbor the precious slimes and draingi that Susize loved so much...


    The room...where I was a fool...


    The room...where I acted out of unnecessary hate...


    The room...where I saw...everything rted to the Vredi as an enemy.


    The room...where...I experienced glee...when it came to devouring them.


    ¡°You must¡¯ve been so afraid.¡± Was I even speaking? My voice was soft. I entered the pen and looked at the closest cage as a shback yed out. Susize was here... She had just started her research on the genesis seed, and she was tired¡ªannoyed, maybe, at how slow her findings were progressing. She had intended for the slimes and draingi to be her test subjects, but they quickly became her friends...herpanions... They were always there to greet her with a smile.


    ¡°Thest time a High Elf visited before was Sera. You spent so long in loneliness, and...you all thought the best when I showed up, right? I can still feel your excitement. I still remember your names. I...¡± I gripped the toy <i>they</i> loved to y with. It pitifully squeaked, reminding me of their dying...wails...


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry... I¡¯m so sorry...¡±


    Empty cages couldn¡¯t ept apologies.


    The dead couldn¡¯t return to life.


    ¡°Why... Why did I do that?! Why did I...have to eat you? Why? Whywhywhywhywhywhy?!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t hold it back. The regret was building, and building, and building... I clutched the toy and screamed.


    ¡°YOU DIDN¡¯T DESERVE TO DIE! I¡¯M SORRY! I¡¯M SORRY!! I WISH I CAN TAKE IT BACK! AAAHHHH!!!!!!¡±


    <hr>


    ¡°Please, Tilde, let me--¡±


    ¡°No.¡± The fairy¡¯s response was sharp as a chimera¡¯s regretful scream nearly deafened them. Tilde had expected something like this to happen, especially when her Master had started leaning more into her new-found identity. ¡°Master must face this head on. What she¡¯s feeling... It¡¯s not something you can push onto the Essence of Wrath.¡±


    ¡°But... But that damn thing deserves it!¡± argued Tris.


    ¡°Maybe, but Master must grow from this. Do you think she''s so weak that she can¡¯t handle this?¡±


    ¡°What?! I¡ªNo, that¡¯s not what I meant.¡± Tris was taken aback by such outrageous ims. Thinking her lord to be that feeble? Tris knew her lord would be the most powerful being in the world. And as her Fragment of Wisdom, Tris was resolved to make whatever dreams her lord harborede true.


    ¡°You¡¯re smart. Remember what I said a while back? People break all the time. But you can fix them. You can repair them and ensure they¡¯re stronger than ever before. But you can¡¯t do everything for them. This... This is one of those things."


    ¡°I--¡± Tris was interrupted by another mournful wail. The walls seemed to shake. She bit her lips and clenched her fists, unable to take it any longer. But she had to endure it. She trusted her lord above anyone else. She would never doubt her¡ªnot in a million years.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be easy, Tris. Master¡¯s... She¡¯s vulnerable. These next few days are important. But she can trust us to be with her all the way, right?¡±


    ¡°Right! I... I won¡¯t let her endure it alone! I... But this is ufortable... Her tears make me want to cry. It feels like I¡¯m failing her.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re not,¡± reassured the fairy. She gently grabbed Tris¡¯s hand and rubbed it.


    Tilde and Tris practiced patience for what felt like hours...until the door handle turned. They looked and saw their Master and lord, not ignoring the exhausted, nk expression stered on her face. She wasn¡¯t empty-handed, though. A bundle of toys sat in her arms, and she walked to the bed before sitting down. Her eyes were still red and raw, and it still felt like she could shatter at any moment.


    ¡°Do...you think Lei would like these?¡± she asked, her voice a whisper. ¡°Her pets did. She... She yed with them all the time. I want to y with Lei like that.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Lei''ll like the toys, Master.¡±


    ¡°I...can save the forest? I can save the vige?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you can, my lord.¡± Tris spoke to her lord like a little girl who needed to be reminded she was doing the right thing. Her mental stability wasn¡¯t the best. It was fragile¡ªlike a ne of ss bncing precariously on the tip of a pin. Tris¡¯s processing abilities were working to ensure she¡¯d say nothing but the right things.


    ¡°And I can right my wrongs? This is my fault. So, it¡¯s up to me to rectify things? I can¡¯t revive her pets, but I can save the forest they all loved, right? And Mom... She¡¯ll be happy? Dad, too? And Erin would look at me like a role model? I want to do right by them. I want to make them proud...because I love them so much.¡±


    ¡°They are proud of you, Master. You know that.¡±


    Lyudm Vredi Springfield did not reply to her fairy¡¯s statement. Instead, she leaned back and hugged those ancient toys close to her heart, closing her eyes. She let the Susize Vredi inside her transport her mind to the past...relishing in the fragments of a forgotten era onest time.


    Tilde and Tris shared a look before joining the one they loved. They each took an arm or a hand, snuggled close, and remained connected throughout the night.


    <hr>


    It was early the following morning¡ªmaybe an hour before dawn, and I sat on the front porch. Tilde and Tris were inside preparing breakfast, and Surtr rested at my feet. His mes kept me warm even though I was immune to burning or freezing to death. I enjoyed his presence, though. It wasforting and rxed my heart, and¡­I felt a little better about myself.


    Last night was rough. It was like a flood¡ªno, a plethora of emotions surged through me. But it confirmed something¡­


    I wasn¡¯t a true Vredi. But I loved this forest. And I loved thisnd. And the vigers, spirits. And the trees,kes, ponds, vines, and bugs¡­


    I¡¯de to cherish them all. And¡­ I wanted to find pride in presenting myself as Lyudm Vredi Springfield because¡­for someone who hadn¡¯t had an identity¡­knowing who you were¡­what you were¡­and who you wanted to be¡­


    Many people took that for granted. And I felt like those who knew what a struggle it was to live without those could appreciate how much it meant when someone had something totch onto.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Surtr¡¯s ears twitched, and he raised his head towards a banana-yellow slime happily bouncing down the pathway.


    ¡°Did you have fun? I¡¯m sorry, but Niva¡¯s not back. She¡¯s still speaking with Aetos."


    Lei jiggled and stopped. I think he looked towards the graveyard, but he bounced to the porch. The slime extended a wiggling appendage before hopping into myp like a cat.


    ¡°Lei¡­ Are¡­you not afraid of me?¡± I suddenly asked.


    Slimes couldn¡¯t talk. Or if they could, Lei couldn¡¯t. I didn¡¯t know if they were male or female. I¡¯d just been swapping between pronouns, but Lei didn¡¯t seem to mind.


    ¡°You know what I did, right?¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°I killed them. I ate them. I¡­can¡¯t take it back. Even still¡­will you remain with us? I want¡­to know you better, Lei. And be your friend. Susize loved her pets, and I love you, too.¡±


    Lei made a funny noise and rubbed against my arms. He bounced off myp and hopped in ce like an excited dog, making a¡­happy noise?


    ¡°I believe he wants to y, Lord Springfield.¡± Lei reacted and bounced higher. He zoomed to the left like a streak of lightning before doubling back.


    "Okay, let''s y," I said, standing up. Susize''s toys for her slimes included several balls, a rope for tug-of-war, a few sticks, and five leashes for when she wanted to take them for a walk.


    I tossed the smallest ball at Lei. He jumped, ¡®swallowed¡¯ it in his stomach, and threw it back after spinning. It didn¡¯t reach me, so I had to get closer.


    ¡°Huph!¡± I tossed it skyward. Lei anxiously vibrated as he darted around, jumping at thest moment to barely catch it. ¡°Haha! Nice one!¡± Lei hopped once more and spun, ejecting the ball. I ran to the left and snagged it out of their air, twirling to throw it back.


    Our little gamested for about ten minutes before the front door opened. ¡°Are you having fun, Master?¡± Tilde rested a rolling pin against her shoulder. Her apron was slightly covered in sauce, and she gave us a proud, cute smile.


    Lei answered for me, adorably squeezing before he slithered up my body to rest in my arms.


    ¡°Haha! That¡¯s all I need to hear. Anyway, the food¡¯s done. Ready to eat?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± We went to the kitchen and saw a magnificent breakfast spread. The eggs looked fluffy and scrambled, the cucumber sd was filled with delicious fruit and veggies, and the honey-thered toasted bread with jelly and peanut butter¡­


    But the stack of pancakes called my name, and so did the cold ss of freshly squeezed milk.


    ¡°It looks delicious.¡±


    ¡°And thatpliment makes it all worth it. Come on, pick up a chair and chow down, Master.¡±


    ¡°I have a steak for you, Surtr,¡± said Tris, retrieving a chunk of meat. My lion thanked her and tore into it, devouring the b in seconds. He then sat at my feet and watched us eat. ¡°And I¡¯ve something for you, Lei.¡± Tris walked to the counter, grabbed a bowl, and sat it on the table before sitting down. Lei hopped from my arms and investigated it, wigging curiously.


    ¡°Jelly fruit?¡± Just one look caused another memory to surge. Susize used to grow hollow berries and inject them with homemade jam. Then she¡¯d freeze them for a tasty snack.


    ¡°Yes. It was after you went outside with Surtr. A nt grew from the floor. Murag¡¯s tome had a recipe, and we had the ingredients to recreate it. I surmise it was Aetos¡¯s doing."


    ¡°I guess you¡¯re still watching, huh?¡± I looked at the ceiling and walls. ¡°Thanks for the gift.¡± I turned to Lei. He formed a hand, grabbed a berry, and plopped it into his body, squirming after every ¡®bite.¡¯ ¡°He likes it a lot.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s enough about that. You gotta eat, Master. Or it¡¯s gonna get cold. And your beloved head maid will be sooooo sad that her hard work was for nothing¡­¡± Tilde crossed her arms and wouldn¡¯t look away until I had tried everything. And she only sat after I gave a glowing, 5-star review on what she and Tris had elegantly prepared.


    ¡°Yep yep! A head maid like me must obviously know how to cook.¡± She made a te and sat beside me, dumping a spoonful of honey over her toast. "And a sweetie like me has to eat something sweet, too. I got boobs now, so all the extra calories go to my chest. You can thank meter when I¡¯m rocking some double Ds."


    <i>Is that how it works?</i>


    ¡°Haha! I appreciate that,¡± I said, turning to my food. We ate in bliss. And¡­it was soforting. ¡°Why didn¡¯t we wait for Niva and Prim?¡±


    ¡°Aetos left a message for us in the graveyard. He wrote it in vines and said he was preparing a meal for the three to share. He is gravely ill, but Aetos is not yet crippled. His limitations have greatly grown, though.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s putting pressure on him. Every little thing drains from his tank. And he doesn¡¯t have long left,¡± added Tilde, licking her sweet lips. ¡°Expending his energy¡¯s another way of showing his trust in you, Master.¡±


    ¡°And I won¡¯t let him down. I said it a hundred times. You aren¡¯t dying on my watch, Aetos.¡±


    ¡°A broken record much?¡± Tilde joked.


    ¡°Then I guess you have to put me back together.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I will, haha!¡± Tildeughed, chomping into her stack of pancakes.


    <hr>


    After eating, we went to the backyard and rested on a swing on the back porch until Niva and Primrose arrived about twenty minutester. They didn¡¯t look sleepy, but their eyes were still red and raw from crying. And their smiles foreshadowed the weed news. I listened and rubbed Lei as they caught me up to speed.


    ¡°I cannot deny the ufortableness,¡± said Primrose, holding a cup of coffee Tilde had brought her. ¡°But I am d¡­ Thank you, Lord Springfield, for giving me the courage. And you, my summoner, for being with me.¡±


    ¡°So, the rtionship¡¯s rekindled, Primmy? Almost reminds me of Irisa and Kokan.¡±


    ¡°Yes. The mana link has been reestablished. I¡­ We have discussed everything at great lengths. And if I want to grow stronger to protect the ones I care for¡­ I need my father¡¯s help.¡±


    ¡°Father, huh?¡± I smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯m d, too,¡± added Niva. ¡°But¡­ M? Are you okay? Aetos showed us¡­what happened.¡± She said she saw what we did with the children, and they heard the song Tris and I performed. And she knew about my breakdown in the slime and draingi ypen.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I can¡¯t take back what happened. I have to live with it. But I can ensure I won¡¯t ever repeat my mistakes.¡± I poked Lei¡¯s blubbery body and watched him vibrate. ¡°I¡¯ll ensure Lei¡¯s the happiest little guy ever.¡± Lei made a funny sound and squirmed deeper into my arms. I was¡­so d he epted me.


    ¡°You embody the Vredi name more than you realize, Lord Springfield. Would you like to be called Lord Vredi?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± I thought about it, but¡­ ¡°I think it¡¯s too soon, Prim. Maybe I¡¯ll go by itter, but not now.¡±


    ¡°Do you feel like¡­ Forgive me for the abruptness, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Do I feel like I¡¯m not worthy?¡± I finished her question. ¡°Yeah. I do. I feel like I can¡¯t take it as my own as I am now. Not when <i>she</i> was the Vredi all High Elves strove to be.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s a tall hill to climb,¡± replied Primrose.


    ¡°And a difficult one. It may even be insurmountable. But I want to do <i>her</i> proud. Even though¡­¡± Even though Susize was Sekh¡¯s enemy. Even though¡­


    Even still¡­


    ¡­


    I changed the subject, and my favorite fairy mentioned Niva¡¯s newfound confidence. ¡°You sound different. In a good way. And you hold yourself with more pride.¡±


    ¡°Tilde¡¯s correct,¡± said Tris. ¡°My heart warms at your progress, Niva. Congrattions.¡±


    Niva blushed, but she didn¡¯t turn away. ¡°Primrose¡¯s not the only one who talked with Aetos. He helped me a lot. And it lit a fire under me. M, I¡¯m so ready to get back to training. I know¡­ I know I can do this. I know I can evolve, and I know I can be a powerful spirit summoner.¡± She finished her tea, stood, and grabbed her staff. ¡°Are you ready, Primrose?¡±


    ¡°I am, my summoner.¡±


    ¡°You got room for a fairy, yeah?¡± Tilde stretched her wings and began shadowboxing. "I gotta burn off those cals so I can eat a lot tonight."


    <i>Don¡¯t tell me she wants to go five founds with someone?</i>


    Prim and Niva nodded. ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s what we¡¯re gonna do. What¡¯s on your docket, Master?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    ¡°We encountered Enap yesterday, my lord. I mentioned your request, and he said he would ready the tools for you to finish your gifts for Lady Sekh and Irisa. I¡¯ve verified that he¡¯s awaiting us in his workshop."


    I knew Tris was willing to create the ns, but these had toe from the heart. And I wanted to show her how much better I¡¯d gotten at using her abilities.So, I decided to scrap what I had before and start anew from the beginning.


    "Then that¡¯s our n. Lei? What about you? You cane with us, but it¡¯s probably going to be really hot and ufortable.¡±


    Lei jiggled like he was thinking and gestured to Niva. ¡°Okay. Be sure to help her out a lot, okay?¡±


    Lei happily squealed, and Tris and I departed, but not before leaving Lei¡¯s toys to y with if they took a break.

 Chapter Ninety-Four: Unforeseen Encounters of the Past

    Chapter Ny-Four: Unforeseen Encounters of the Past


    ¡°Ahh, Lord Springfield,¡± said Enap, looking over his shoulder as we entered his cavern workshop. The furnace was already roaring alive. ¡°It¡¯s a shame we missed each other yesterday, but as I understand it, you gave the children a day they would forever remember.¡± He had the upper body of a man with the lower body of a spider, and Enap was toned and muscr. He was a master of focusing on the intricate details with those impable eyes.


    ¡°It is the least I can do. But thank you for granting my selfish request. It means a lot to me.¡±


    ¡°And you are most wee, High Blessing. Any crafter would consider it an honor for a Vredi to use their tools.¡± He spread his arms and showed me his impressive collection. Anything I needed was within reach. ¡°Additionally¡­¡± He skittered over to a table on the room¡¯s other side and returned with a wrapped box. I opened it to find¡­


    ¡°Mythril and silver? But Enap, you didn¡¯t have to do that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware, Lord Springfield, but is this not the least I can do since you¡¯re transnting the Eagle Yew? Please ept it. And should you have any other favor, please do not hesitate to ask!¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Niva came to my kind. ¡°Remember the prosthetics you made for me?¡±


    ¡°I do. How¡¯s the client? Is she taking to them well?¡±


    ¡°She is. But since we¡¯re here, and if it isn¡¯t too much trouble¡­ She¡¯s taken excellent care of them, but a maintenance check would ease my worries.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be delighted to, Lord Springfield.¡± Enap skittered around on his eight legs to gather his tools, then wished me well.


    ¡°Okay¡­ Now¡­ Time to get started¡­¡± I approached the roaring furnace, covered my arms in a colorless slime, and reached into it¡­


    And it didn¡¯t hurt. The slime barrier was unnecessary, but it was a precaution. Anyway, it didn¡¯t even feel slightly lukewarm.


    I retrieved the ruby I¡¯d acquired so long ago and cut it into the perfect shape. A block of mythril was fashioned into the chain for the jewel. The interlocking links around the base looked exotic, and Tris happily pped. She kept any constructive criticisms to herself, but her encouragement gave me extra motivation.


    This took about four hours. I went slow and steady, ensuring I had thought about any given step a dozen times before moving on.


    Primrose came to visit during one of their breaks. She sat against the wall, hugging her knees while watching me with hopeful eyes. She said Enap was impressed by how much care Niva had given her prosthetics. He only found the tiniest dent on the side of the pinky toe and fixed it.


    Aello showed up with a basket-covered lunch prepared by the children, and we hungrily enjoyed its simple vor and deliciousness.


    With the break over, I finished the ruby ne, encased it in a thin, transparentyer of crystal webbing, and stashed it away because it was time for the silver locket for Irisa. The material was soft, making it easy to bend, scratch, and dent if I wasn¡¯t careful. Luckily, Enap had various quenching oils for me to rest the locket and chain while I chiseled an extra gift out of a b of marble I¡¯d gotten as a bonus from my working in Plymoise.


    Delicate eyes and a steady touch guided me and my chiseling hammer. I even forgot to breathe for an hour while carefully etching a small figurine of my extended family.


    Everyone was there. Even the lions. The locket had to be 23% bigger, but it wasn¡¯t an issue.


    <i>Click!</i>


    The sp made a satisfying noise when I closed it with the figurine inside.


    ¡°They¡¯re very well made, my lord!¡± Tris happily pped and gave me a smile of approval.


    She gazed at it for a few seconds and securely stored it in our storage. ¡°But what about Lady Sekh¡¯s disguise? Shall we tackle that?¡±


    ¡°Do you have an idea?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, my lord.¡± Tris sent me the ns via augmented reality, recreating what she had in mind with waypoints. ¡°It must be full body armor. Iment that her beauty must be hidden, but¡­¡±


    ¡°I know you do. I feel the same.¡± I fluffed her ears and scratched her under the chin, enjoying her sweet purrs. ¡°We can¡¯t take any risks with Sera. Grey-skinned Lionfolk with silver eyes aren¡¯t the mostmon. Anything could risk setting her off. But this what you have in mind, huh?¡± I looked at the disyed armor. It was solid ck.


    ¡°I am no designer, but I tried incorporating lion-like aspects in the helmet and pauldrons. I especially like the fang-like design on the knuckles. And the color... I call it scorched iron, my lord. I¡¯ve investigated Enap¡¯s notes and discovered iron can be stained with ash to resemble scorch marks without losing potency. It¡¯s purely cosmetic, but I think it will suit her.


    ¡°I do, too. It imparts a sense of ferocity and strength that''ll befit Sekh. Send the instructions, Tris. Let¡¯s get started.¡±


    ¡°As you wish, my lord.¡±


    I looked them over, then gathered our excess iron. We had plenty of that, but mythril? That was in short supply.


    <i>We¡¯ll probably have to head to a mine one of these days and get some. Or maybe there¡¯s an alloy we make. I can look into thatter.</i>


    Crafting the armor was as simple as using slime to make a mold of Sekh¡¯s proportion. I poured in the iron, then used abination of [Furia cies] and quenching oils, following Tris¡¯s precise instructions, to cool, harden, and reinforce the armor in minutes, not hours.


    That was her power. She could make the mostplicated task understood by children, and her advanced processing capabilities could discover shortcuts like these. So, the ne and locket could¡¯ve been crafted in ten minutes? Maybe fifteen if I¡¯d allowed her to help.


    ¡°And nowes the scorching process, my lord.¡±


    ¡°Can you handle it?¡± I asked, creating a me clone. ¡°This was your idea. I know Sekh would appreciate your finishing touch.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be delighted! Hehe! I cannot wait to see her!¡± Tris giggled, mentally directing the me geyser that emerged from the clone. ¡°Will she be surprised, my lord?¡±


    ¡°You know she will. I¡­can¡¯t wait until we¡¯re together. It¡¯s been so long, but that day is almost here. It¡¯s so close.¡±


    ¡°It is, my lord. I often find myself dreaming about our forting reunion. It¡­makes my stomach feel like it has butterflies.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good feeling to have.¡±


    ¡°Tilde has said as much.¡±


    We continued to talk as the process finished, which took about five minutes with four clones using [Ira Ignis] and [Furia cies] in tandem. A fifth spread the ash as chalk, giving the armor a beautiful, stained finish. And then... It was done. I had a clone take Sekh¡¯s form and put it on, and... It really looked astoundingly sharp.


    ¡°There are ws,¡± said Tris. ¡°I doubt the iron can withstand her mes. I¡¯m afraid wrapping it in your crystal webbing won¡¯t solve that issue.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. This is just the first version. We¡¯ll learn from any mistakes and go from there.¡± I rubbed Tris¡¯s head. ¡°Besides, the armor¡¯s not meant for fighting. It¡¯s for disguise¡ªfirst and foremost. But it needs a name. Tris? Care to do the honors?¡±


    ¡°Me? Umm... I wasn¡¯t expecting this. How...¡± Tris closed her eyes and focused, opening them a momentter. ¡°How about... Lionheart?¡±


    ¡°Lionheart is perfect. I know Sekh¡¯ll love it. Come on, let¡¯s return to the mansion.¡±


    We left Enap''s workshop after cleaning and tidying the ce and ran into him on the way back. ¡°Thank you again,¡± I told him, showing the friendly spider-guy my gifts. The armor remained hidden. I wanted Sekh to be the very first to see it.


    ¡°Ohoho! May I take a closer look?¡± I nodded. ¡°Hmm¡­ A High Blessing¡¯s eye can see the imperceivable. Congrattions, Lord Springfield. I am certain these recipients will cherish them for many years.¡±


    ¡°Praise means much when ites from someone as skilled as you. I know you must¡¯ve honed your craft for decades.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, I have. Ah, there is something rxing about it, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not wrong,¡± I replied. ¡°Hmm? I see your notebook. Do you have a new client?¡±


    ¡°Ah, that? Well, Niva can¡¯t continue with a stump cap, can she? She¡¯d need a prosthetic arm sooner orter.¡±


    ¡°Enap, you¡­ Will you really do that for us? Mythril¡¯s expensive... Tris, how much¡ª¡±


    ¡°Please, High Blessing, I couldn¡¯t sleep at night knowing I asked our vige¡¯s savior to pay. To be honest? I regret charging you during yourst visit. I¡¯ve been praying for your return since I wanted to make up for it.¡±


    ¡°It seems your kindness surprises me every time we meet.¡±


    ¡°And your words make my heart swell, High Blessing. Now, I hope the rest of the day serves you well. Please, excuse me.¡± Enap sped off his spider legs and returned to his workshop.


    ¡°He¡¯s always so pleasant.¡±


    ¡°I concur, my lord. I like Enap a lot,¡± Tris replied, grabbing my hand as we returned to the mansion.


    Aello was waiting on the porch with news concerning Sathtshas. Aetos would have the monster ready to go in two to three days. I was afraid it would put us behind schedule because the spirit soil didn¡¯t have long left before it expired, but that was easily solved by handing it to the harpy. She quickly flew to the graveyard and delivered the ss box to Aetos, where she said it wouldn¡¯t lose its potency.


    <i>I probably should¡¯ve done that yesterday.</i>


    It really felt like things were going my way¡ªbarring that extremely minor hup. And Sekh was that much closer¡­


    It was really within reach¡­


    So many days¡­ So many long hours and months¡­ It felt like I had spent more time without Sekh than by her side, so I wanted to correct that.


    We would never be separated again. I¡¯d refuse to allow it.


    I told the good news to Prim and Niva when they returned from the vige square. After the spirit¡¯s break in Enap¡¯s workshop, she spent time with her step-siblings. Niva was there to learn a few tricks about being a better spirit summoner. Tilde primarily helped with chores-- she was my head maid-- a title she took to heart-- and other little errands between her magic and sharpshooting training. She had also developed a positive reputation as the ¡®High Blessing¡¯s Head Maid.¡¯


    <i>She¡¯s serious about it.</i>


    Since it was a beautiful evening, we spent a few hours in the backyard. Surtr slung the pots and pans from [Artificer¡¯s Arsenal] high into the sky. I used my silent pistol, Niva cast her magic, Prim tried to incorporate her pistol into her spells, Tilde flew and wielded a spear to better herself at aerialbat, and Tris cheered us on like a cheerleader.


    That made us hungry, so it was time to feast on Tilde¡¯s and Tris¡¯s cooking.


    <i>I thought this was a roley or some little game. But no. Tilde¡¯s really taking her new duties to heart.</i>


    It was time to bathe after ate dinner. Prim and Niva had their own rooms. They wouldn¡¯t share my bed, and we wouldn¡¯t take baths together. That was fine. I was alright with that.


    It was for the better since...the night turned steamy...


    But the fun extended to the early morning hours¡ªwhen Primrose and Niva were still asleep, and we had the dining room and kitchen to ourselves¡­


    <hr>


    We departed the mansion after Niva and Primrose ate breakfast and traveled to the vige center to meet Enap, who had rushed Niva¡¯s prosthetic.


    He removed the stump mp and slotted the mythril arm into ce.


    ¡°Is it too tight? Can you hear any rattling?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Niva shook her head. She raised her arm at the shoulder to familiarize herself with the weight. ¡°It¡¯s perfect. Thank you again, Mr. Enap.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just Enap, my dear, and I¡¯m d.¡± He stood and stretched his upper body. He probably pulled an all-nighter to get it done. ¡°s, I wish I had nerve mesh. It¡¯s difficult to find, hard to produce, and immediately scooped up once it¡¯s for sale. I¡¯ve no doubt the quality of luck Ruru needed to find it.¡±


    ¡°A nerve mesh cer. But this is still more than enough,¡± I said. We thanked Enap and waved as he returned to his workshop. Tris¡¯s [Deduction] indicated he was suffering from sleep deprivation and physical and mental exhaustion.


    ¡°Our spider bro deserves a nap,¡± said Tilde. She held Lei, and the slime jumped to Niva to investigate the new arm. ¡°Seems like he¡¯s a fan.¡±


    Lei adorably squealed and settled on Niva¡¯s head. That was his favorite ce.


    ¡°Leave it to a slime to find thefiest spots,¡± said Tilde. She was about to continue when she suddenly stopped and turned. I followed her eyes and found a crystal-winged woman wearing clothing from¡­my world? Her silver hair danced in the breeze, and her tiara kept subtly altering its shape every other second in almost imperceivable ways.


    ¡°Huh? Is that¡­ Master, wait.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­someone I used to know,¡± Tilde whispered. ¡°A long time ago¡­¡±


    ¡°Is that even possible?¡±


    ¡°It really shouldn¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t know how she¡¯s alive. Umm¡­ I¡­ Can I¡ª"


    ¡°Need to talk to her?¡± Tilde nodded. ¡°Okay. Go ahead. You don¡¯t need to ask my permission.¡±


    ¡°Thank you! I promise to tell you everythingter!¡± Tilde jogged away and called a single name. ¡°Hey! Queenie!¡±


    The fairy turned around and stared, those eyes wide with surprise.


    ¡°What are we going to do, M?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see Aetos. I want to ensure things are still progressing well.¡±


    I sent Surtr a telepathic message to meet us at the grave, so we headed there. The portal manifested automatically, and we passed through it.


    ¡°And what do I owe this visit?¡± Aetos was perched on his stand.


    ¡°Just want to check on things. Are you still manifesting Sathtshas?¡±


    "Did Aello not¡ªAhh, no matter. Yes, I am. The monster will be here soon. Are you ready to fight?¡±


    ¡°I am. It sounds like you¡¯re concerned for me.¡±


    ¡°Call it what you will, chimera. Recall that my life is in your hands.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t forget that. Sekh¡¯s recovery depends on you getting better. We both benefit from this deal. But your expression. It hurts. You¡¯re doing all you can to hold fast, but I see the cracks.¡±


    ¡°This is¡­nothing for the Spirit Lord of Nature.¡±


    ¡°Even after you¡¯ve already shown us your weakness? It¡¯s fine, man. Stop trying to impress your daughter.¡±


    ¡°I¡ªI am not!¡± stammered the eagle.


    ¡°Okay, then. If you say so. But¡­¡± I retrieved Susize¡¯s flute, ced it on my lips, and yed. Almost immediately, his expression softened. Even the Spiritual Grove subtly regained its illusion and seemed tranquil and peaceful.


    Even though this ce was in the Spirit Realm... It wasn¡¯t connected to it. It sounded weird, but Aetos made it easy to understand by saying the Spiritual Grove was his exclusive domain as a Spirit Lord since he had staked a im tond in the Mortal Realm.


    But traveling from realm to realm was nearly impossible. The specific techniques written into the base properties of summoning magic were a one-wayne. Aetos could do it, but it would mean the destruction of the Eagle Yew, the vige, the nearby forest, and every spirit that relied on him.


    He¡¯d also be stuck there for a century or two to regain the power needed to make the journey back, but that might kill him unless he answered a summoner¡¯s plea.


    I didn¡¯t think it always used to be this way. It was a stray thought, but what if [Conferment] was used in the past to lock away certain things?


    Like, you¡¯d lock a safe with a key, but then you¡¯d throw that key inside another safe, then that key inside another. You¡¯d need thest to work your way to the first.


    If traveling between the realms used to bemonce, then did an ancient Transcendent Dark Lord do something simr? That didn¡¯t seem usible because Tilde had been alive for dozens of thousands of years and would¡¯ve said something.


    That scale was difficult to imagine. But this world didn¡¯t run onmon sense.


    Or I could be wrong. That was the far more likely scenario.


    ¡°Confliction is evident in your face, Aetos,¡± I said as I ended the song. Tris silently hummed along, and Primrose and Niva yed fetch with Lei. ¡°I know I can¡¯t rece what you lost. But does the music calm you?¡±


    ¡°It does. You y as wlessly as <i>her</i>¡ªand your tender song is what <i>she </i>would¡¯vee up with. But the mes that burn in my heart shall forever remain paradoxical. However¡­ If I needed reassurance that I was doing the right thing¡­ Then perhaps this is it. Thank you, chimera. For but a brisk moment¡­I saw <i>her</i> within you...more clearly than ever before.¡±


    ¡°Hey, can I ask something?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about [Conferment]. Have you ever heard of it before? Before that announcement, I mean.¡±


    "I have not. I still cannot wrap my head around what forces at work were required to make such a promation¡ªone that¡¯s heard worldwide simultaneously in every tongue.¡±


    ¡°Can you use it? You¡¯re a Spirit Lord, right?¡±


    ¡°I am. Any Holy, Dark, Spirit, or Demon Lord can use it, but I do not have the life force to waste.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s...one more thing,¡± I said, finding it hard to approach the topic. The obvious was on the table, and I had been ignoring it¡ªno, we had been ignoring it since...it was directly rted to...this. But I couldn¡¯t put it off. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Aetos. For your injuries... For the damage to the Eagle Yew... For letting that damn Essence of Wrath tempt me with her sweet words... This is my fault. This shit show only happened because I¡ª¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s done is done, chimera,¡± Aetos said, his voice sharp. ¡°Perhaps part of the fault lies with me for not...doing more during your first visit. Yes, the vige has suffered, but you did not purposely relinquish control to one of the [Seven Deadly Sins] specifically to destroy the Eagle Yew. But it is your mistake. And it is your fault. And it is one you must live with. But press forward. Right your wrongs. Ensure what has passed will never transpire again. The Eagle Yew is resilient and strong. And so am I. The transnt will renew us.¡±


    ¡°...¡± I kept quiet for a minute. I didn¡¯t know how to process Aetos''s words. I...didn¡¯t expect that. I almost thought he¡¯d admonish me. Or maybe he¡¯d verbally cut me down and me me for his pain, anguish, and agony. But he didn¡¯t. He was almost...trying tofort me, I guess?


    ...


    ¡°Can I ask something else?¡±


    ¡°Your inquisitiveness reminds me of Sir Murag. He was always questioning everything. A schr like him is only born once in a generation. But yes. Ask away, chimera.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about the genesis seed. I understand Susize was trying to make a seed that only needs mana to give it nourishment instead of water and sunlight, but why? Was it a food issue?¡± I retrieved her research about her magus opus.


    "War is not just about the sh of armies. It''s a relentless resource struggle where food bes as vital as ammunition. The sustenance of a nation dictates the endurance of its soldiers."


    ¡°Susize was trying to...make food a non-issue to stop war?¡±


    "That is but one aspect, yes. My Great Lady envisioned a world where wars for fertilend were unnecessary. As the poption grows, so does the need for food. Hungry bellies breed belligerence and violence. Revolution often follows, perpetuating the cycle of chaos with promises that may never be fulfilled."


    ¡°But that¡¯s naive thinking,¡± I replied. ¡°People are greedy. They¡¯ll always want more. Satiate one desire and another grows. Fulfill that, and they¡¯lltch onto something else.¡±


    "You are not wrong, chimera. But my Great Lady''s vision went beyond that. Her idealized genesis seed was designed to survive in any climate¡ªwhether hot, cold, or otherwise inhospitable to nt life. The seed was meant to adapt, thrive, and provide food for all, serving as the first step toward making the world a better ce. Only a fool attempts the immeasurable and expects to seed at their first attempt.¡±


    ¡°Do...you think I can finish it?¡±


    ¡°You wish toplete her legacy?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s that. But this meant much to <i>her</i>. But I won¡¯t be doing it alone.¡± I grabbed Tris¡¯s hand. ¡°I have her help. So, even if I can¡¯t do it... It doesn¡¯t mean she can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Hmm... I do not mean this to be rude, Fragment of Wisdom, but you are an existence that cannot be defined. I¡¯ve lived a long time. I¡¯ve seen much and experienced far more than you might think, but you¡¯re the first of your type. A mortal that¡¯s not mortal. A being that can die, but death won¡¯t allow them to remain dead if your lord is alive. Like your title suggests, you appear to be wisdom given physical form.¡±


    ¡°Your words aren¡¯t rude, Aetos,¡± replied Tris. ¡°You are correct. I am [Tris, Fragment of Wisdom], and fragment implies that I¡¯m only partiallyplete. Further evolution is possible, and I will obtain it, and my intelligence will only magnify. My lord?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I wish toplete Susize¡¯s work.¡± Tris was adamant. She had this fiery gaze in her eyes. ¡°But I¡¯m not capable of doing that as I am now. I fear that even my next evolution won¡¯t be enough. [Conferment] may bridge the gap, but rewriting thews of this world to install a rule allowing the genesis seed to be nurtured by only mana and nothing else¡­ The cost will be astronomical.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no rush, is there?¡± Aetos shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Aetos. Ifpletion is possible, then Tris will do it.¡±


    ¡°Your faith in her is irond.¡±


    ¡°As it should. Tris has never steered me wrong. I trust her more than myself.¡±


    ¡°Then... Allow me to ce my faith in you, o¡¯ Fragment of Wisdom.¡±


    ¡°You will not regret it, Aetos. I promise you that,¡± I replied. Tris¡¯s ears wiggled, and she wagged her tail happily.


    ¡°Now, chimera. Anything else you wish to ask?¡±


    ¡°Sounds like you want to keep talking forever.¡±


    ¡°Speaking with you is like conversing with my Great Lady and her spouses. Fond memories are forever coursing through my mind.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re not the only one. This...is enjoyable for me, too,¡± I said. ¡°And I guess there is something else. It¡¯s about a chimera''s inability to effectively use potions.¡±


    ¡°You ask about one of life¡¯s greatest mysteries. Does that maid of yours not know? I understand she¡¯s lived longer than most countries have been around.¡±


    ¡°Tilde doesn¡¯t. And I assume you don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I do not. But I¡¯ve heard whisperings. Some say chimerism is unnatural and not meant to be. It cannot stand in ordance with the rules of this world."


    ¡°But it does?¡± I asked, partially confused. ¡°Chimeras can use magic like everyone else. We¡¯re on the system. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have a Status Menu.¡±


    ¡°That is why I do not believe that theorem. I think the problem lies in the process behind assimtion. When a chimera drinks a potion, a part of it is devoured, not used.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense. A weak potion won¡¯t do much. So if it loses half of its effectiveness, it won¡¯t have any effect. But an elixir? Even if 70% of it is wasted, the remaining 30% is still noticeable. Tris?¡±


    ¡°The theory is sound, but I cannot verify it. Murag¡¯s tomes concerning chimerism aren''t extensive.¡±


    ¡°As it should be. Chimerism is looked down upon by the world, chimera. Unlicensed research will cause Bellerophon¡¯s axe to sever your head.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re fine with working with one?¡±


    ¡°I am when your [Status Cloak] ds your chimerism from being detected.¡±


    ¡°But if I didn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Ending the curse keeping the Dark Lord of Tyranny bound to this world takes precedence over fearing that little armed group.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like you hate them,¡± I replied.


    ¡°For the obvious, chimera. For the obvious. They saw fit to sacrifice a High Elf to kill a chimera. There is nothing they wouldn¡¯t do to see the death of one¡ªno limit to their dark depravity and sinister schemes to rid the world of those like you.¡±


    ¡°And you don¡¯t know what chimera did to make them so angry?¡±


    Aetos shook his head and slowly stretched his wings. ¡°It is a mystery. Perhaps you¡¯ll shed light on it.¡±


    ¡°Maybe. I hate those bastards¡­ They seriously sicken me so much.¡± I sighed. ¡°But we¡¯ve been here a while. I think it¡¯s about time to leave, but I¡¯ll return, Aetos. I¡¯m¡­really enjoying these talks. More than you¡¯d think. But before that...¡± I retrieved Susize¡¯s flute and yed onest song. The portal opened, but Aetos flew to Primrose and held a wing to her head.


    ¡°Father? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I wish to instruct you and your summoner. Would you permit me that, my daughter?¡± Fighting with a spirit differed from engaging inbat with a non-spirit. There was far more you could do, but the risks were higher since both essentially shared a mana pool.


    But a proper spirit and their summoner could be more than their sum if they worked harmoniously.


    Niva looked at Prim and smiled her approval. ¡°Ah¡ªYes! Thank you, Father.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee, my sweet child. Can you return tonight? I shall rest and recover my strength.¡±


    We departed after Aetos rubbed their heads. Before returning to the mansion, I kneeled by the dryad¡¯s grave.


    "You loved this ce. I¡¯ll protect it for you. And I hope you¡¯re smiling at me... I hope I¡¯m making you proud.¡±


    Tris, Niva, Prim, and Surtr supported me. I looked at Susize¡¯s flute and yed <i>Vredi''s Luby.</i>


    Tears streamed from my eyes.


    But I kept ying. Verdant mana resurged around the bloomed flower, casting it in an emerald glow.


    I felt like I could stand here all day, and I probably would¡¯ve done that¡­if I hadn¡¯t heard six voices that forced a memory to the forefront of my mind. Slowly, I took my lips off the flute and turned to my left¡­


    <i>Tris, lock my Wrath at 0! Do not let me turn it up!</i>


    ¡°Ami, do you feel the sadness? I can¡¯t stop crying.¡± The speaker was a blue-haired girl dressed like an idol. She covered her mouth, but those reddened eyes showed her emotion. ¡°That song was so beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Elly, if you cry, I¡¯m going to cry too¡­¡± A dark-skinned girl wearing fingerless gloves with spikes handed a handkerchief to her cousin. She was dressed like a street fighter.


    ¡°Mary, how are you feeling? Are you okay?¡± asked a man with a southern drawl. His armor didn¡¯t hide hisrger-than-average gut, but it had gotten smaller thest we met. The fat around his neck and face had thinned considerably.


    ¡°Here, you¡¯re sweating. Take this. It¡¯ll cool you down,¡± said an average man wearing a tunic. He reached into a bag on his hip and pulled out a chunk of blue rock. It suddenly became malleable like y as he folded it into a rag. He gave it to the one named Mary.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay, Greggie. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve heard someone y with so much passion. And thank you, Keeth.¡± said a woman with ck hair who dressed like someone from my world.


    The only one who hadn''t spoken was a red-haired woman with sses, whose eyes lingered a little too hard on my numerous guns and massive lion. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your loss. You must¡¯ve been close with the dryad,¡± said the one I hated the most.She wore a red mage¡¯s robe.


    That crystal-winged fairy descended from above with Tilde.


    ¡°Master? Umm¡­ I¡­ Yeah¡­¡± Tilde¡¯s expression said it all. She didn¡¯t expect that pink-eyed fairy to be with the ones I wanted to kill.


    ¡°Excuse me for this, but would you happen to be the High Elf of Liberation?¡± asked the red-haired bitch.


    My mind kicked into overdrive as it linked with Tris¡¯s processing power. One second felt like 1,000 minutes.


    After three seconds of silence¡­the perfect n came to my head. It was the best idea¡ªa wless blend of revenge that these traitors deserved. I shared it with my Fragment of Wisdom.


    <i>It''s certainly a suitable punishment... I shall be a devil if it''s for you, my lord. But are you okay with your role?</i>


    <i>No. I''m not. But they need to feel what I felt. They need to experience the despair that consumes them when I abandon the fools in their time of need.</i>


    <i>I agree with you, my lord, but... New information hase to light... I must share it with you.</i>

 Chapter 94.5 – The Head Maid’s Anxious Worries (R-18)

    Chapter 94.5 ¨C The Head Maid¡¯s Anxious Worries (R-18)


    ¡°We¡¯ll see you in the morning, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay, M. Goodnight. We love you.¡±


    ¡°We love you too. Sweet dreams.¡± I saw Niva and Primrose off with a smile, then shut the door. We¡¯d just finished eating, and it was time to clean up, hop into bed, and drift off to a wondrousnd of sleep.


    But¡­


    I doubt I¡¯d be getting much rest.


    ¡°Hehehehehe¡­¡± The giggles were adorable, but I knew what that meant. I turned around and saw Tilde¡ªnaked¡ªusing her hands as a bra while leaving her crotch uncovered.


    ¡°Should I be concerned about something?¡±


    ¡°Only if you¡¯re afraid of checking off my giant list. Remember? The 100,000 step n for the Century of Tilde.¡±


    ¡°Afraid? I don¡¯t recall saying that.¡±


    ¡°Good! Anyway, remember what we talked about on the boat ride here? About fetishes and stuff? I¡­think it¡¯s time to discuss that. You know, the core of a healthy rtionship is conversation. And¡­¡± Tilde lowered her hands, exposing her bountiful chest. She looked so serious and determined. ¡°Come on. Little Miss AI is readying the bath for us. Master?¡± Tilde approached and grabbed my hands.


    ¡°Lead the way,¡± I replied with a smile. She escorted me to the bathroom. It was just as gorgeous as I recalled. The decaying vige should¡¯ve blemished the sight, but it was¡­just so beautiful in all the right ways. Like a sad happiness, I suppose.


    ¡°It¡¯s prepared, my lord,¡± said Tris, standing by the bath. She only wore a towel, and it was loose, exposing much of her cleavage like her breasts were calling my name.


    ¡°You can¡¯t bathe like that. We gotta get you ready.¡± Tilde began undressing me, and Tris assisted. Tilde cupped my crotch and rubbed my bulge, then exposed my erect penis as Tris revealed my breasts.


    ¡°It¡¯s always so awesome¡­¡± whispered my maid. ¡°Hey, are you ready?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± replied Tris. She tossed her towel to the nearby bench. I expected them to grab my hands, but¡­


    They went for my penis, leading me into the bath. It was different but enjoyable. Yet they never let go even after we sat down.


    ¡°This¡­is one of them,¡± said Tilde as she slowly jerked me off. It felt like she chose her words very carefully. ¡°I just like touching it. And looking at it. And seeing and smelling and tasting it. Like¡­ I think it¡¯s so hot to do something like this. It¡¯s forey. But a super casual forey. I think that casualness is what really turns me on.¡±


    ¡°That seems tame,¡± I replied, growing harder. Tris kissed my cheeks and focused on the tip with her fingers. Jittery electric shocks surged through my body¡­


    It felt so good¡­


    ¡°Remember the boat ride? The Tris Clone Army with penises? They covered you in semen.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s more than that. It¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Come on, Tilde,¡± I rubbed her head and softly spoke. ¡°You can tell me. I¡¯m almost positive your fetishes are going to turn me on. I¡¯m doing all I can to¡­not climax too soon¡­¡±


    ¡°Can¡­you cover my hand? In semen? Just¡­cum all over my fingers? And¡­sit back, rx, and spray it all out?¡± I didn¡¯t know why Tilde had to force that request out. I mean, hadn¡¯t we already done so much more? Heck, she had already fallen asleep sucking my penis, but this was too much? It seemed simple and tame.


    Maybe it was my inexperience, but I didn¡¯t understand her reluctant hesitation since¡­wasn¡¯t this the same? With just me?


    <i>I think I get it, my lord. The atmosphere is different, I believe. What we shared on the boat was sexually charged, whereas this is, like she said, more casual. I don¡¯t understand the difference, but there¡¯s one here.</i>


    <i>Ah, so that¡¯s what it is? Lewd stuff when the atmosphere isn¡¯t so lewd? That makes sense, but wouldn¡¯t that turn the non-lewd atmosphere lewd?</i>


    Tilde lightly bit her lips. She let go of my dick, but I gently grabbed her hand and kissed her. ¡°I¡¯ll fulfill your wishes,¡± I whispered. I still caressed her fingers while kneeling in front of her, her hand half an inch from my throbbing cock. Tris joined me. She rested her bountiful chest against my back while jerking me off with both hands.


    I locked eyes with Tilde and felt warmth nket my cheeks. ¡°Master? You look¡­so sexy¡­ That look¡­ Those eyes¡­ And your panting¡­ You¡¯re getting close, aren¡¯t you? I¡¯m pussy¡¯s tingling. Bute on¡­ Do it¡­ Shoot your hot spunk all over me¡­¡±


    ¡°Ahhh¡­ Ahhh¡­¡± I grabbed her hand and softly rubbed her palms as I brought them close to my penis.


    My semen¡­ My entire load¡­


    ¡°Ahhhh~~¡± The pressure was too much to be contained as I released a thick, sticky st of sperm across Tilde¡¯s hands. But it didn¡¯t stop with shooting one rope. Tris aimed my ejactions and painted the target white, milking me to the veryst drop.


    Slowly, I let go, and Tilde observed her zed fingers. She licked them, lewdly sucking on them like they were a popsicle. She pped her wings and sat on the bath¡¯s edge, spread her legs, and touched herself.


    The lewd fairy spread my semen around her pussy, then masturbated while never breaking eye contact.


    ¡°My¡ªMy legs¡­ Please¡­¡± Her eyes were zed with lust. ¡°Hump my legs, Master¡­ Cum on them, too¡­ They¡¯re soft and silky smooth¡­ It¡¯ll feel¡ªAhhh!¡±


    Tilde didn¡¯t have to finish. I was¡­all in. Something had awoken inside me, and¡­


    I wanted to spray her from head to toe in semen¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s it, my lord,¡± said Tris, who helped me inch closer to Tilde. She rubbed my penis against Tilde¡¯s knees, then assisted me in rocking my hips back and forth. ¡°Keep the rhythm¡­and let it out once you¡¯re ready.¡± Tris slipped in front of me and licked my nipples, staring up at me with the most passionate gaze only rivaled by this masturbating fairy.


    Her grip on my balls was gentle as morning dew. She lightly massaged them as I sputtered semen across Tilde¡¯s legs. She shivered and climaxed, squirting over me, but I didn¡¯t stop.


    How could I when I was this turned on? I moved to her other leg, repeating the same as we locked eyes like star-crossed lovers. Eventually, sheid back, and I kneeled beside her. Tris rubbed the tip against Tilde¡¯s breasts while groping her, continuing until she had made a semen river between her tits. And then she jerked me off on her face. Tilde¡¯s eyes were zed. Her expression was gorgeous, and seeing how sticky, wet she was¡­


    She lightly parted her lips and kissed the tip, attacking it softly with her wet tongue. Tris continued to milk me until the semen erupted like a soft roar, pouring ever-so-gently into Tilde¡¯s mouth. She swallowed it all, refusing to drop even a single bit.


    ¡°Ahhh¡­ Ahhh¡­¡± Tilde was satisfied.


    <i>She climaxed six times, my lord. She¡¯s experiencing euphoria.</i>


    ¡°But¡­ I¡­can¡­more¡­ Master¡­ Please, more¡­¡± Tilde whispered. ¡°Sit on the edge¡­ And Tris, help me, please?¡±


    I did as she asked and spread my legs¡ªmy erection was not going away. Tilde was unsteady when she stood. She almost tripped, but Tris caught her before she crashed hard. They walked in front of me.


    ¡°You¡­have to rub it on my skin. Just¡­take these hands¡­¡± Tilde gently grasped Tris¡¯s fingers and ced them on her leg¡ªright where I¡¯d shot my load. It was seductive¡ªI couldn¡¯t turn my eyes away from two of the loveliest beauties in the whole world.


    In Plymoise, we talked about dating and loving each other instead of focusing solely on me as themon denominator.


    It was more than just sexy. It was¡­ exhratingly passionate. Tilde¡¯s sweet moans melded with Tris¡¯s lovely whispers as they kissed, rubbed, and affectionately groped each other. Tris licked every inch, and Tilde did the same¡ªending with lewdly licking Tris¡¯s semen-soaked fingers.


    Tilde¡¯s adorable meekness was enduring. I still didn''t make much sense of it, but I was trying to understand the intricacies of her lewd heart¡ªas in, what made it tick, tick, tick.


    ¡°Anything else? I¡¯m seriously all ears,¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well¡­ There is one thing. Maybe more. Or a lot. But some involve you, Tris¡­ Master? This¡¯ll be thest thing I''ll ask tonight. And it¡¯s something¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s something you really want to do?¡± I gave her a smile. ¡°Anything for my hardworking maid. Do we need the bed for this?¡± She nodded, and I created slime to dry us off as we left the bath.


    But Tilde was still soaking wet...


    <hr>


    Tilde was an enigma. How could such a lewd, promiscuous fairy, who had bragged and gushed about her nearly endless sexual exploits, suddenly find it hard to engage in fetishes that, while umon, didn¡¯t scratch the shell of depravity?


    The answer was within her heart. Perhaps her modesty had grown three times after her evolution. Or maybe, since she wouldn¡¯t get another chance, the fairy was taking a drastic turn to live the ideal life she desired?


    Tilde didn¡¯t know. But that didn¡¯t scare her. If anything, that ufortable uncertainty just meant she was more alive than ever before. She relished that feeling.


    <i>I can still feel it¡­ Master¡¯s warmth all over my belly¡­</i>


    The semen was cleaned, but the fairy was still nude. That went for her Master and Tris¡ªthe former was mming her hips into thetter. Neither said a word, for all theirmunication urred within the unique telepathic link the two shared.


    And Tilde? She sat beside them, holding their hands¡­watching the two she loved most ravage each other.


    Watching¡­observing¡­witnessing¡­ You could categorize it severaldifferent ways, but the definition remained the same.


    <i>Master¡¯s¡­she¡¯s more intense than usual¡­ I bet that feels so good, Tris. Enjoy it. Don¡¯t ever forget this experience. Damn¡­ I really wish I could hear her sweet moans. But her face says it all¡­</i>


    Tilde slightly increased her grip, although her Master was more forceful. Tilde didn¡¯t mind it, though. Not when she had a front-row seat to one of the sexiest things she¡¯d seen in decades. She thought nothing was more powerful than genuine lovers going at it like rabid animals.


    Her Master really gyrated her hips¡ªthe lewd pping of their hips echoed throughout the mostly silent room. Only Tilde¡¯s libidinous moans were audible. Her hands were upied, so she couldn¡¯t relieve the tingling she felt between her legs. But this was enough.


    The fairy knew her Master enough to detect the imperceivable changes in her technique. A half quiver here¡­ A sudden twitch of the knee there¡­


    An earth-shattering climax was approaching. Tris locked her lips with her lord, their nipples furiously kissing as slime mimicked ayer of glossy sweat and tightly wound her legs around her lord¡¯s hips. She squeezed and mped down, arching her back. She almost spasmed from the ecstasy flooding her databanks for what felt like ten minutes. All the while, her lips never left her lord¡¯s precious mouth until the veryst drop had been pumped into her.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­gotta be the biggest one¡­yet¡­¡± Tilde¡¯s Master was exhausted, but it was more mental. Someone like her could only be physically tired in specific scenarios. She rolled off Tris andid on her back beside her, her erect cock standing straight up. A never-ending stream of sperm dripped from Tris¡¯s pussy. ¡°We only held your hands, but¡­ Wow¡­¡±


    ¡°See? I told you. Holding hands while doing it is one of the best feelings in the world. But you¡¯ve enjoyed yourself, Master. Just look at Tris. She¡¯s utterly satisfied. You are, too. So, stay right there and slip into bed. Leave the clean up to me.¡±


    ¡°No. That¡¯s¡ª¡±


    ¡°Geez, Master,¡± chided Tilde in her usual tone. Her voice carried a mix of¡­ uncertainty and flirtiness¡ªan oddbination for someone like her. Tilde thought she disguised it, but her Master wasn¡¯t the same na?ve chimera she¡¯d met outside Ria. She had grown more attentive to the emotional needs of others and read between the lines.


    Clearly, Tilde wanted to converse with Tris about something, and her Mastertched onto it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t leave me waiting for long,¡± whispered her Master. She kissed Tris onest time, morphed into slime, got under the covers, and morphed back. ¡°The bed¡¯s cold and lonely without you two.¡±


    ¡°Point taken, Master. Now¡­ Come on, Tris.¡± Tilde lent Tris an arm and helped her to the bath. The Fragment of Wisdom recovered from the sexually charged encounter.


    ¡°Tilde, I don¡¯t understand your reservation. Please, talk to me.¡±


    ¡°In a sec. There¡¯s something I still wanna do. Can you sit on the edge? And spread your legs?¡±


    Tris obliged, and Tilde rubbed Tris¡¯s silky while staring at her Master¡¯s love¡ªso much thick seed refused to stop pouring out of her. And as the head maid¡­


    Well, Tilde tended to it. She closed her eyes and worked her tongue along Tris¡¯s cute slit,pping up the oozing semen. She savored thebined vor and nearly climaxed. Tris enjoyed it. She rubbed Tilde¡¯s head and lightly stroked her cheeks, whispering sweet nothings while relishing in the pleasure. A familiar heat welled in her stomach, and Tris squirted, dirtying Tilde¡¯s precious face. But the maid went in for more and attached violently with her tongue until everyst drop was swallowed.


    Only then did she settle down. And only then did an uncharacteristic flushness warm her face. Recovered, Tris sat beside Tilde and patted herp, causing the fairy to scoot over, where she found herself embraced by the one she had safeguarded for all those millenniums.


    ¡°Talk to me,¡± whispered Tris. She rested her chin on Tilde¡¯s shoulders and rubbed her stomach. ¡°I thought I knew what ails you, but I cannot understand the conclusion I found. This side of you is new, Tilde.¡±


    ¡°I know. It¡¯s not like me, huh? I know I saidmunication is the cornerstone to a healthy rtionship, but some things are hard.¡±


    ¡°And these things are your fetishes?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Tilde was ashamed. She bit her lips and didn¡¯t want to admit what turned her on¡­ But she did. Because she couldn¡¯t be hypocritical about this. ¡°I like being treated as if I¡¯m not there¡­¡± The fairy verged on the cusp of tears. Her heart wasn¡¯t stable. ¡°So, for an example¡­ If Master¡¯s eating breakfast, and she¡¯s talking to you¡­ I wanna suck her off. And I don¡¯t even want her to acknowledge me. Just¡­let it out¡­and flood my mouth¡­ And treat it like nothing special. We¡¯d go about our day and¡­that¡¯s that.¡±


    ¡°I understand that much, but only at a base level. You¡¯ve taught me that sex is special. It¡¯s a way for lovers to deepen their rtionship and grow their trust. But how can acting like it¡¯s nothing do that?¡±


    ¡°It does. In that scenario, I know Master¡¯s feeling good. It¡¯s impossible not to. And I know she¡¯s enjoying it. And it deepens our love because she¡¯s trusting me enough to lick and hold it in my mouth. But¡­ I don¡¯t always want to do that stuff. Sometimes, I like to be held tightly. I want to feel Master¡¯s arms around my back while she slowly puts it in. And I want her to look at me like I¡¯m the only girl in the world. But I also like¡­that other stuff. And it¡¯s hard to bring up.¡±


    ¡°Why is it so difficult?¡± inquired Tris. She thought about it, but nothing came to mind. She knew her lord better than she knew herself. It was the same with Tilde. All evidence pointed to her lord being okay with Tilde¡¯s kinks. She knew her lord would¡¯ve wanted to try them out herself to spice things up. There was little she wouldn¡¯t do.


    Tilde knew that, too. But perhaps the hesitation was a w? It really was not like her.


    A shadow covered the maid¡¯s head. But there shouldn¡¯t have been one. She saw the long, throbbing <i>appendage</i> that cast a thinly veiled darkness across her face. ¡°Huh? Master? Aren¡¯t you supposed to be asleep?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a clone. Our lord gave me one to use. Let¡¯s work through your reluctance, Tilde. Be a good girl.¡± Tris lowered her voice and readied herself. Her tone turned sultry and sexy. ¡°We¡¯re at breakfast. And you¡¯ve done a wonderful job preparing our lord¡¯s food. She arrives nude and sits down¡­¡± She leaned close to Tilde¡¯s ears and nibbled the tip. ¡°But it¡¯s not over. There¡¯s still more for you to do. So, you get on your knees and crawl under the table, and the most delicious thing stares at you.¡±


    The clone approached and kept the tip half an inch from Tilde¡¯s anxious lips.


    ¡°You then hear our lord talk about the day. It could be about her ns. Or the weather. Or the future she wishes to share with us. But you can only look at her¡­ And you can¡¯t hold it in, can you? So, you open your mouth¡­just like this¡­¡± Tris encircled Tilde¡¯s moist lips with two fingers until she opened her mouth.


    The fairy leaned forward just so slightly enough to touch the clone¡¯s cock with her tongue. She closed her mouth and pleasured the clone. Tris changed topics to the history of guns and casually conversed with the clone without missing a beat. The subject change was wless.


    And neither even acknowledged Tilde. They left her to her own little world, and her mind wasn¡¯t filled with anything else but ensuring her Master finished in her throat. The clone¡¯s penis throbbed before unleashing its load. Oh, it was thick like hot jelly. The sperm clung to Tilde¡¯s throat before she swallowed, ensuring not a single drop escaped past her glistening lips.


    And just like that¡­


    It was done. Rather-- it would be in another ten minutes since that was when the conversation would end. Tilde spent that time kissing the tip, and the clone vanished afterward.


    But something wasn¡¯t right. Tilde didn¡¯t feel that fulfilled¡ªcertainly not as much as she thought she would. She felt empty and almost worse than before the night began.


    But why?


    Where was that spunk? That fire? That desire?


    People often endured spurts of being either in high or low spirits. Tilde, even before she became mortal, was the same. However, her highs and lowssted for decades, if not centuries.


    The depression dded her sorrowful face. She wanted to cry, walk away, find a nice spot, and vent the unknown frustrations dding her heart.


    Tris was worried, too. She redoubled her hug and licked Tilde¡¯s neck until the water ran cool.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get out. The bed¡¯s cold and lonely without us. I don¡¯t want Master to be ufortable.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Tris was quiet for a moment. ¡°Of course. Maybe you need a good night¡¯s rest, Tilde. You¡¯ve once told me that¡¯s the cure to the heart¡¯s worries.¡±


    ¡°Oh, hath I fallen so far to get my words thrown back at me?¡± She tried to make it humorous, but it was forced¡ªlike everything else.


    ¡°Your hand¡¯s always very soft,¡± said Tris as she dried her lover. ¡°Holding it when our lord and I were¡­ I swore I felt your emotions flow through me. Thank you, Tilde.¡±


    ¡°I mean, it¡¯s your turn. Master gave it to me hard on the boat ride over here. I can still feel her.¡± Tilde touched her stomach and smiled fondly upon recalling. Oh, she loved being bound. And yed with, too. Being treated like a toy turned her on. And having her limbs restrained?


    Honestly? Her list of favorable kinks stretched four dozen miles.


    ¡°Turns? I suppose it was, but I prefer doing it together. We are equals, are we not?¡±


    ¡°We are. But¡­ That¡¯s another thing. Maybe I should¡¯ve mentioned this, but you can feel all sorts of stuff from imagination alone. So¡­ Maybe next time¡­ I cany on my back and spread my legs, but Master¡¯s focused on you. So, I¡¯m just waiting until my turn. And my mind goes into hyperdrive. And when she finally sticks in it? Euphoria¡­ Nothing but sweet ambrosia warming my whole body¡­ Or if we¡¯re hugging each other. You could support me while Master¡¯s doing me. And I¡¯d support you. And we¡¯d kiss¡­¡± Tilde stopped herself unceremoniously and quietly sighed as they left the bath.


    Tilde motioned to the bed as they approached, but something was off.


    ¡°Haa¡­ Haa¡­¡±


    ¡°Master? Are you awake?¡± Tilde flew to the bed¡¯s other side and saw something she didn¡¯t expect.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t hold it back¡­ It felt too good,¡± replied her Master. Her eyes were zed with euphoric pleasure as she lifted the covers, revealing the heavy loads she had ejacted against the soft fabric. Even now, her throbbing cock was more excited. It was like a tower dded in a white curtain amid the sticky, hot, steamy, moist surroundings. And¡­ Even though it was so filthy¡­


    Tilde slipped right in. She relished in the feeling and nearly went wild by the smell.


    <i>Who cares if it¡¯s messy? It¡¯s not like it¡¯ll take a week to clean it. Master could have this room spotless and smelling like fruit in fifteen seconds if she uses her slimes. Ehh¡ª</i>


    ¡°Let me be selfish, Tilde.¡± Her Master tightly hugged her, and something hard poked her stomach, leaving a trail of white as she pumped her hips. Tilde was shocked, but¡­


    Wasn¡¯t this what she wanted?


    It was, so it took a moment to ept it. And after Tilde did?


    She smiled. Her heart felt at ease even though it should¡¯ve already been that way.


    But the heart wasn¡¯t easy to understand. It was dichotomous and didn¡¯t followmon sense. It was entirely possible to wake up one day feeling like the scum of the world even if you hadn¡¯t done anything wrong. Or the opposite could be true. A stray thought could cause a criminal to feel like a dragon¡¯s horde of gold.


    And tonight?


    Those stray thoughts and phenomena spread a dark, transparent curtain over Tilde¡¯s desires. It made her second guess a thousand things that should¡¯ve been etched in unbreakable iron.


    And just as fast as those uncertainties came¡­they were gone¡ªeliminated by the mere act of her beloved Master unleashing her final load of the night across her stomach. But she didn¡¯t let go¡ªno. Lyudm Vredi Springfield tightly hugged her fairy and maintained an erection as slumber wrangled her consciousness. And Tilde soon followed after wrapping her hands around her Master.


    Tris refrained from sleeping. She sat on her knees and watched over the two she cared about while thinking long and hard about theplex intricacies of the heart and soul.


    She had much to learn-- tonight was proof of it.


    <hr>


    It was still before dawn when Tilde opened her eyes. She blinked twice and stretched her wings before remembering what had urred the night before.


    <i>Ah¡­ Yep. Master¡¯s still hard. I¡¯m sticky, so I¡¯ll need a bath. But¡­ I have to clean her. That¡¯s my duty as her head maid, right?</i>


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± whispered Tris. ¡°I know what you want. Lady Sekh often did it, didn¡¯t she? I¡¯m certain she got the idea from you¡ªhow the most pleasurable way to wake up is in the mouth of your lover?¡± Our lord hasn¡¯t been woken up that way since the incident in Ria. And¡­ I¡­wish to see a master of their craft in action.¡±


    ¡°Because you wanna do it too?¡± Tris nodded. ¡°I suppose I can show you a thing or two. As thanks forst night.¡± Tilde winked and slowly rolled out of bed. She carefully helped her Master to her back, then pulled off the color to reveal something her five senses couldn¡¯t get enough of.


    Tris leaned close as Tilde lowered her head. She pursed her lips and tended to her Master¡¯s shaft, pelting it with affectionate kisses. Her tongue was next. She left saliva trails up and down before finally entrapping it in her mouth.


    Tilde rubbed those thick testicles that gave her the semen she loved so much. Tris''s schrly gaze was inches away. She observed Tilde¡¯s technique in close detail andpared it to what she knew from her beloved Lady Sekh.


    But the instruction ended momentster when the pleasure became too much. Her Master¡¯s climax was soft and gentle¡ªher savory seed flowing like azy river as Tilde swallowed everyst drop.


    ¡°You know, it¡¯s been months since I¡¯ve woken up like this,¡± whispered her Master.


    ¡°A head maid must tend to her Master¡¯s every need. And should she require her favorite fairy¡¯s wake-up call? That¡¯s what she shall get.¡±


    ¡°Tilde?¡±


    ¡°Yeah? What¡ªEh? Vines? Here? Now?¡± Four vines entangled the maid¡¯s arms and legs. She thought her Master¡¯s morning libido was responsible¡ªshe felt anticipation between her knees and waited for it¡­but that didn¡¯t happen.


    The vines merely brought her to her chest, where she hugged Tilde softly and spoke directly. ¡°Nothing is off-limit between us. Nothing, okay? I¡¯ll wait until you¡¯re ready, butst night concerned me.¡±


    ¡°I guess¡­I was overthinking things. Maybe I was concerned with nothing. Guess even someone like me can have an off day or two. But I¡¯ll tell you, Master. Everything,¡± said Tilde, repeating what she told Tris a few short hours ago.


    ¡°I mean, as far as fetishes goes¡­ It¡¯s tame,¡± Tilde admitted.


    <i>Seriously, why did I make a mountain out of a molehill?</i>


    ¡°Tilde?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Are you hungry? Something tells me breakfast is going to be fairly casual¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah¡ª¡± Tilde looked at her Master¡¯s smile as she felt that warm, soft hand cup her cheeks.


    ¡°Tris, do you have a menu for this morning?¡±


    ¡°Pancakes and eggs, my lord. With leftover jelly fruit and homemade peanut butter on toast with bananas.¡±


    ¡°Sounds delicious.¡± Ten slime clones manifested and cleansedst night¡¯s debauchery in ten seconds. Everyone was clean, the furniture and coverings were spotless, and Tilde¡­had the biggest smile.


    Because what did she have to be afraid of?


    Even someone like her needed a little reassurance. And there wasn¡¯t anything wrong with that.


    Tilde and her Master got out of bed, but she didn¡¯t let her go. "Do you have any more fetishes you haven¡¯t told me about?¡±


    ¡°I do. But I¡¯m not afraid. I mean, I have¡­hmm¡­about¡­¡± Tilde smirked and winked at her Master. ¡°Let¡¯s say I have about 99,628 left for us to explore! And¡­ We¡¯ll experience them together, Master. I promise it. I swear it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good answer,¡± replied her Master. She rubbed her maid¡¯s head and kissed her forehead. Tilde¡¯s wings reflected a dog¡¯s tail and happily pped. ¡°Come on. Best get to cooking while Prim and Niva are asleep. Breakfast doesn¡¯tst all day.¡±


    ¡°Right! Lead the way, Master! Oh, and if you happen to feel anything¡­¡± Tilde shed that haughty smile and felt a warmth radiate from her chest. ¡°Hey, I¡¯ll beat you downstairs!¡±


    Tilde skipped away. She had to reach the dining room and get ready for her role!


    <i>Yeah¡­ I never had anything to be afraid of. I mean, my Master¡¯s my Master! She can tell me anything, so I can obviously do the same! There ain¡¯t no judging here! Nope. None at all!</i>


    To call it a new beginning would¡¯ve been an overstatement, but it was the start of a new dawn melting thest little bit of stoneheartedness that was probably a leftover remnant from one of Tilde¡¯s prior incarnations.


    But she didn¡¯t think that mattered much. Yes, this night could be considered a little dip¡ªeven if it was one in the faintest, most generic sense¡ª in their rtionship, but all rtionships had their dips. And Tilde knew they would recover and be more resilient than ever before.


    Oh, and the future was bright. Almost blindingly so. And¡­ Tilde had so much to do and much to explore. The ideas, positions, and roleys involving herself, her Master, Tris, and Sekh numbered in the tens of thousands.


    The fairy maid couldn¡¯t wait to get messy with her lovers!


    <i>Ahh¡­ I should ask Tris to help with the costumes and clothes¡­ Fairy Maid Tilde is cute and cool, but Nurse Tilde? Drill Sergeant Tilde? Lifeguard Tilde? Lemon Farmer Tilde? I am a woman with many hats, haha!!! Oh...what about a bodysuit? Maybe...it can be made of tongues? I can have Master lick me all over...</i>

 Intermission – Shiku – Heartbreaking Realization – Part One

    Intermission ¨C Shiku ¨C Heartbreaking Realization ¨C Part One


    I ran through the halls of Lord Meruria¡¯s new chapel in Aurathal, Uquenia¡¯s capital city, and pushed open the door to Tokko¡¯s office. ¡°What the hell is your problem?!¡± I screamed, mming my hands on his desk. Two ceramic cups of coffee fell to the ground, shattering like the trust I used to have in him. ¡°You know Renata isn¡¯t fit forbat! Why are you trying to force her to fight?!¡±


    His eyes weren¡¯t amused. ¡°Lord Meruria requires all hands to be operational. Even Will has gotten back to work in serving our summoner. That girl isn¡¯t anything special. She doesn¡¯t deserve exclusive treatment.¡±


    Approximately 10 days had passed since the Uquenia-Cridia War, and Lord Meruria had dered herself Uquenia¡¯s new Holy Lord.


    Renata had awoken a few days ago, but my ally was a shade of her former self. She couldn¡¯t walk without help, but everything set her off. Water terrified her. Red made her vomit. Her meals had to be cold and colorless, or she¡¯d be reminded of those horrors. But even then? She barely moved. Renata had given up.


    ¡°But she deserves a chance to heal! Stop forcing these missions upon her!¡±


    ¡°Why should I do that? Annexing Uquenia has doubled Cridia¡¯snd. While we have assimted Lord Geron¡¯s Soul Warriors into our forces and dispatched them to fix the troubles that idiot had left before embodying the definition of cowardice, we need more. Need I remind you of our losses in the ambush? Our predecessors were wiped out. We are all that remains.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not an excuse, and you know it!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Tokko seemed perplexed. He thumbed his earrings. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯ve grown so weak to consider it one. This isn¡¯t a fairy tale, Shiku.¡± He narrowed his eyes. ¡°If our assets cannot return our investments, we must cut them off to prevent bleeding.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not an asset! She¡¯s a person! Like you or me! We can¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°I agree. But she¡¯s not valuable. She brings nothing. I assigned those monster exterminating quests upon her to ease her into fighting. If she cannot even do that¡­¡± Tokko didn¡¯t have to say it. I knew the void was in Renata¡¯s future. ¡°I don¡¯t wish to progress down that path.¡± Tokko stood, called for a maid, and looked out the window at the ongoing efforts to repair the city from the twin¡¯s assault. ¡°But I know you¡¯ve been finishing those missions in her stead. I know you¡¯ve forged her writing. I know all about it. And I¡¯m severely disappointed. Deadweight must be recycled until it¡¯s useful.¡±


    That stung¡­more than I thought. I knew it was a possibility, but¡­


    ¡°What about Damon? What has he done other than visit the brothels?!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s unoriginal in his methods, but he¡¯s been providing information about mounting resistances. Women speak when being loved. He¡¯ll screw anything with a pulse.¡±


    ¡°Will?!¡±


    ¡°Lord Meruria has advised him on how to progress past his difficult, painful loss. He¡¯s the first to find true love in a resident of this world, but he has what youck. It is one thing toplete Renata¡¯s mission, but it¡¯s another to go against me. Traitors have no ce.¡± A crystal greatsword materialized on his back. A tower shield formed of ck, frozen lightning hovered in front of him. It split into ten pieces and surrounded me.


    ¡°After all we¡¯ve been through¡­ You¡¯re going to kill me? You¡¯re the one that¡¯s changed.¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯ve been the same. I couldn¡¯t fulfill my desires being stuck in our¡ªmy¡ªworld.¡± He turned my way, raised a hand, and canceled his Soul Weapons. ¡°I¡¯m giving you onest chance. There¡¯s a vige to the northeast dealing with famine. It harbors a dungeon nearby, and the monster spawner is acting out of its limit. We believe Lord Geron is responsible for it via [Conferment]."


    ¡°Our task?¡±


    ¡°Determine the root of the problems and fix them. Send word if you find traces of Lord Geron.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s it?¡±


    Tokko¡¯s smile was disgusting. ¡°Yes. That¡¯s it. It¡¯s a simple task. Failure will not be tolerated. You¡¯re to leave tomorrow morning. Inform your team. Now leave. Begone from my sight.¡±


    I left after Tokko ordered it and silently returned to my room. My mind was swirling. The passing priests gave me a wide berth and hushed the ones in training for trying to greet me.


    I couldn¡¯t handle it.


    I was tired of everything and this world.


    <hr>


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m back¡­¡±


    My room had nothing special. Just a bed and a bath, but it had a pair of Dogfolk maids¡ªLaika and Leika Barkwood. The two hadn¡¯t had it easy since the ambush. Their family was wiped out¡ªtheir father had passed. An exploding meteorite created by that spelldestroyed their mansion, leaving these two thest ones alive who bore their name.


    They ran into my arms and hugged me tightly, crying into them.


    ¡°I told you I wasn¡¯t abandoning you,¡± I whispered. ¡°I won¡¯t leave. I promise you that.¡±


    Again. Silence and tears. My maids couldn¡¯t perform their duties¡ªnot that I wanted maids in the first ce¡ªbut Lord Meruria had tried to convince me to get rid of them. She said I could earn a few hundred gold. Virgins went for a lot. Being a noble doubled it. Their status as a Soul Warrior¡¯s maid tripled it.m


    But they weren¡¯t virgins. And neither was I.


    It happened after the war began. Laika and Leika probably thought I would leave them. Abandonment issues had most likely filled their minds, and I awoke naked. The two straddled my legs, but I couldn¡¯t push them off. Their expressions begged me for this, and¡­


    I made love to them throughout the night, promising that I wouldn¡¯t leave them. I needed to protect them.


    It was probably a mistake, but at that moment? It didn¡¯t feel like one.


    I should¡¯ve protected Shuuta. I should¡¯ve spoken. That was my biggest regret.


    But I couldn¡¯t¡­rectify that. Not anymore. So, I vowed to defend my team. No matter the cost, I wanted to protect the ones I loved until the end, even if it meant my life.


    They brought me to bed, where I told them about the mission.


    "Are you up for a trip? We''re heading to Aronza Vige," I said, holding their hands.


    They nodded and began to pack my bags, but they cried and hooked their arms around my stomach when I said I had to tell Benedict.


    They really, really didn''t want to be apart from me... I was thest link to this world that they had.


    "I swear I''m not leaving for good. Do you two want to follow me? We can pray along the way and hope Renata''s feeling better."


    <i>Pray? There''s nothing in this world worth praying to. Who can I put my faith in?</i>


    Laika and Leika practiced silence. The two followed me to Renata''s room. She was still asleep-- lying still like a corpse.


    "Shiku? Hey." Benedict sat beside her and barely looked my way. He rarely left her side and hadn''t eaten or slept much. Those darkened eyes reminded me of a zombie. "Another mission?"


    "Yeah. Tokko''s caught on."


    "What?!" Benedict raised his voice from a whisper to a slightly louder murmur and coughed. He spat bile across his arm when he covered his mouth.


    "We get one more chance. It''s a ce called Aronza Vige. The dungeon is out of control. It''s spawning monsters more than usual. There''s a famine issue, too."


    "And we''re ordered to solve that? How? With... Renata''s in no shape to travel!"


    "I know, but we can''t go against his orders. But... What if this is what she needs?" Benedict didn''t explode, but he was cautiously apprehensive.


    "Renata rtes with water and thrives in nature. Aronza Vige, if the map I found is correct, has a river running through it. Since she''s a spearfisher, being surrounded by what she loves could help more than being stuck inside a room."


    "But she can''t fight, Shiku. Hell, I can''t fight. I... I know Soul Evolution exists, but it feels like I''m about to de-evolve. I just don''t know what to think anymore, man. I just don''t." Benedict''s thick hands trembled. He was muscr, toned, and strong, but his mind was fragile. Anyone would be after...<i>that.</i>


    And it wasn''t fair.


    This goddamn world was unfair and unnecessarily cruel.


    Laika and Leika rested their heads on my shoulders and quietly whined. They probably sensed me getting restless and wanted to calm me.


    "It''s a job," I continued. "But it gets us away from everyone. We''re not like Team Que. We don''t have Remy following our every move. We can solve the issue, regroup, and focus on healing. Doesn''t that sound good?"


    "It does. It really does, but..."


    "You''re hesitant?"


    "Aren''t you?" I nodded. "It''s this damn world, Shiku. I can''t even take a step without fearing another explosion. Or that... That dark magic... Or anything, really. So, forgive me if it feels like...this is all going to go into the shitter. What''s the catch? What''s going to bite us in the ass this time?"


    Benedict wasn''t wrong. And that was the issue. This...


    It was probably some sort of...I didn''t know, but I couldn''t take the mission at face value.


    ¡°Look, I¡¯m sorry,¡± he apologized. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. I¡¯m the one who asked you to help.¡± Benedict sighed and looked at Renata. ¡°Is it wrong to cling to hope that isn¡¯t there? You might be right. Maybe Renata needs to be surrounded by what she loves. Maybe Laika and Leika will benefit from it, too.¡±


    ¡°I thought the same.¡± The two maids squeezed my hands. ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll get lucky. Maybe it won¡¯t be a shit show. And maybe¡­ The mission might be a blessing in disguise.¡±


    Or maybe I spoke too soon. Renata suddenly jerked. She sat up and scratched her arms. The poor girl screamed blood murder and violently thrashed around. Benedict held her down andforted her, but she tried to beat him off. The outburst frightened Laika and Leika until Sir Salim entered. He waved his flower spear and lulled Renata to an uneasy slumber. I felt fatigued looking at those glimmering particles.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Benedict.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee,¡± replied Sir Salim. ¡°Shiku, how fares the day?¡±


    ¡°Tokko¡¯s caught on. We have a new mission,¡± I said, exining our task in Aronza Vige.


    ¡°I see. We¡¯re to leave tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Yes. As soon as possible. Benedict and I talked. It¡¯s not a break or vacation, but we think it might help those three.¡± Laika and her sister¡­ While they weren''t as ¡¯wounded¡¯ as Renata¡­ They were suffering from something. They couldn¡¯t speak. They barely said or did anything without looking to me for approval.


    ¡°Perhaps you¡¯re right. Return to your room and rest. Leave the preparation to me.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Thank you, Sir Salim.¡± He nodded, and I left with Laika and Leika by my side.


    They quietly whimpered as our footsteps echoed down the corridor.


    <i>They say things get worse before getting better. But the opposite is true. It¡¯s possible for things to never improve. I hope this isn¡¯t one of them.</i>


    <hr>


    We met Sir Salim in front of the chapel before dawn. He stood near a caravan of a carriage and three supply wagons.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± he said, hitching them together. ¡°The weather seems fair.¡±


    ¡°Good morning,¡± I replied, yawning. Laika and Leika¡¯s tails twitched at the horses. They didn¡¯t leave my side, but I approached them so they could pet them.


    <i>That¡¯s something new.</i>


    ¡°The weather fairly greets us, Shiku.¡± A gust of wind flew us by. ¡°If nothing else, we shall be escorted by a guiding breeze.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s good? I¡¯ve never been in tune with the weather.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. Omens are found everywhere. They may be good or bad. However¡­ No, I don¡¯t think that kind of talk is appropriate. Forgive me. Say, are you two hungry?¡± He looked at my maids and spoke grandfatherly to them. ¡°I woke early and prepared a dessert from my time.¡± He walked to the second wagon and retrieved a wrapped dish.


    ¡°Care to guess, Shiku?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s bava, isn¡¯t it?¡± answered Benedict, who emerged from the chapel. He effortlessly carried fourrge traveling bags. Renata¡­she was <i>there</i>, but only in the positional sense. She monopolized Benedict¡¯s left hand and presumably hadn¡¯t stopped shaking. Those timid eyes probably regarded everything as a threat, and I knew it wasn¡¯t easy for her.


    <i>She can still talk. That¡¯s a good thing.</i>


    ¡°Indeed. My family never had much, but we always enjoyed cooking to unite us when uncertainty reared its unweing visage. This recipe was given to me by my mother on my fourteenth birthday. Come. Let us depart. We can eat on the road.¡±


    Benedict tossed his bags in the back, and we hopped in the carriage. A sharp whistleter, the horses moved, beginning our journey to Aronza Vige.


    The ride wasfortable. The carriage¡¯s suspension wasn¡¯t standard, and it handled the bumps and uneven road without issue. Once we had left the city and arrived at the unpaved paths, it continued to provide a smooth ride.


    ¡°And now it¡¯s time to eat.¡± Sir Salim unwrapped the tray and retrieved serving tes from his personal bag.


    ¡°It smells delicious,¡± I said, epting his gift. ¡°Did you use pistachios?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. They¡¯re difficult to find, but I found a suitable substitute. This variant is best served cold.¡±


    ¡°But it can be eaten at room temperature?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Benedict. Perhaps I¡¯ll make another batch after arriving.¡± Sir Salim said his prayers after passing out the food, and we dug in.


    <i>It¡¯s so crispy and key.</i>


    ¡°Mmm. That¡¯s sweeter than I remembered.¡±


    ¡°Haha! You¡¯re tasting my mother¡¯s honey syrup. I¡¯ve always had a tooth sweeter than others. How do you like it?¡±


    Laika and her sister were silent, but they were eating. That was good. I hoped we¡¯d regain our appetite on this trip. And it was faint, but their ears twitched. But only time could mend their sorrowful hearts. You couldn¡¯t rush the recovery¡ªyou could only be there to offer support. And you couldn¡¯t force someone to ept that support. I didn¡¯t think it woulde to that, though.


    <i>Honestly? I¡¯ll take care of them for the rest of my life. And not just them, but Sir Salim, Renata, and Benedict. They¡¯re my new constants in life.</i>


    It felt like my old world was slowly eroding from my memory. After a few years¡­


    I probably wouldn¡¯t think about it. That was for the best¡­ It had to be. I wasn¡¯t happy there. I couldn¡¯t be true to myself. The same applies here, but I have more freedom. If I could just be sent on these missions¡­ If my team could have that independence without being beholden to that cruel woman¡­


    <i>Yeah¡­ That¡¯ll be nice.</i>


    But for the first time in a while¡­ I guess I felt a little confident about the future. And maybe Benedict felt the same about Renata. The girl was still frightened. She ate, but it was like a squirrel¡ªlittle nibbles. Her te was left unfinished, and her curly hair never left Benedict¡¯s shoulders for a moment until we rode near a coursing river. She seemed curious, then looked at the salmon-like fish jumping upstream. That brought a little luster back into her eyes, and she smiled for the first time in weeks.


    And then her stomach growled, and Renata finished her early morning delight after we stopped to let the horses rest. She sat on the riverbank and just¡­stared. I thought she¡¯d have another episode when we returned to the carriage, but she didn¡¯t fight.


    <hr>


    It took four days to get there, but the ride was peaceful. The nights were more serene since we camped near the Aronza River. Renata often stayed up until morning, staring at the rushing water. It felt like parts of her wereing back. I wondered if Tokko knew this would happen, but it felt like that would have given him too much credit.


    Sir Salim had mentioned something intriguing during our first night. ¡°Food has the power to heal the soul,¡± he had said. ¡°It nourishes not just the body but also the spirit with eachforting bite. Do not underestimate how much better you¡¯ll feel with a full belly.¡± That began a discussion about culinary delights from our childhood, and since we had the supplies and equipment, we each prepared different meals that meant much to us.


    Well, except for me. I didn¡¯t have anything. My father never cared for vor or deliciousness and favored nutrition above all else.


    Benedict was all about barbeque and smoked meat, with his favorite being pulled pork. He wasn¡¯t a good hunter, but Sir Salim handled that whenever we camped for the night. He¡¯d set off and return an hourter with properly butchered meat, and Benedict would nurse the smoker throughout the night. That meant a delicious breakfast was awaiting us when morning arrived. That also had another benefit. Benedict would tire himself at night and sleep during the travel, but Renata foundfort in that. She always had her head on his shoulder if she could help it. And... I guess Benedict being ¡®vulnerable¡¯ and relying on her support or showing ¡®weakness,¡¯ if you¡¯d call it that, and I wouldn¡¯t, somehow turned the gears in her heart?


    Maybe it didn¡¯t make the most sense, but this world was chaotic. It was a mess.


    Sir Salim didn¡¯t mind cooking in my ce. After learning we were traveling, he spent that day acquiring supplies to make all his favorite dishes that would, hopefully, be a favorite of others. He made hummus as a mid-afternoon snack and baked his own bread. Laika¡¯s tail swooshed as she watched the preparation. She and her sister didn¡¯t react much, but I knew they enjoyed it.


    On our third night of traveling, Sir Salim readied a dish called mansaf.


    ¡°Do you know much about it?¡± he asked. We crowded around the campfire and watched the cooking process.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s made with fermented and dried yogurt. Greggie would know, though. He practically lives in the kitchen,¡± I replied.


    ¡°That¡¯s a recent addition. Apparently, the dish evolved greatly centuries after my time. The mansaf I know has threeponents. The bread, the meat, and the rified butter. We used to use khobz al-shrak. I believe Greggie said the name has changed to markouk bread. But he told me about adding rice and yogurt, which is called jameed. Instead of boiling the meat, we¡¯re to cook it in itto give it a more ¡®robust¡¯ vor. He¡¯s a good man, Greggie is. His culinary knowledge is unnatural.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call it unnatural, but he¡¯s an amazing chef. He¡¯s cooked for a lot of famous and powerful people.¡±


    ¡°Unnatural is not always a bad thing, Shiku,¡± said Sir Salim as he topped ayer of tbread with rice. Nearby, the jameed¡ªthe yogurt part of the dish¡ªwas being turned into a creamy sauce. Benedict was sorting the nuts that would garnish it¡ªanother new addition in the 1960s. ¡°Food, for example. Our world has many different cultures. For someone like me? The food you eat is unnatural, but it is delicious all the same.¡±


    ¡°Should I embrace the unnatural?¡±


    ¡°I believe there is a bnce. Leaning too far in either direction could lead you down the road less traveled-- a path that has seen few footprints for a reason. But that reason? It remains to be seen if it¡¯s good or bad. Only you can decide that.¡±


    ¡°...¡± Sir Salim had wisdom in spades. He always had something to say, even if it was cryptic.


    The food was ready a littleter. ¡°Mansaf is often eaten with your hand. The left should be behind your back while the right does all the work. But we can disregard that little tradition forfort,¡± he said, serving our meal.


    It smelled heavenly. And there was a lot¡ªmy entire te was filled. And the taste...


    <i>Why... Why couldn¡¯t I have any memories like this? That¡¯s another thing...that man...</i>


    I didn¡¯t want to think about my father. I shook my head to rid the thoughts and focused on what mattered.


    Benedict ensured Renata was eating before taking his bite. I did the same for my maids. Their ears perked up, and their tails slowly wagged. It was a hit with them. After eating, Renata stood and walked to the riverbank with Benedict. We couldn¡¯t see our destination from here, but Sir Salim said it was over that ridge.


    ¡°We should rest early and wake up with energy,¡± he said, pointing at our tents. ¡°Do not worry about cleaning. I shall handle it.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Thank you. Are you two sleepy? Ready for bed?¡± Laika and Leika followed me to my sleeping bag. They immediatelyid down beside me and took an arm. The two looked at me and just stared¡ªblinking every few seconds, but it had been long since I heard them speak more than two or three words. And I missed their voices.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get through this,¡± I whispered. ¡°It¡¯ll be okay. I¡¯ll protect you. So... Please...¡± I couldn¡¯t finish that sentence because I didn¡¯t know how to. Laika yawned and rested her head against my shoulder. Her sister did the same. Their soft breathing soon reached my ears. They felt sofortable near me. To them? I was one of the only people they could trust.


    The feeling was mutual. I couldn¡¯t depend on Tokko or Mia. Or Meruria. Or anyone else. Lori and Ann, along with Que¡¯s team, were an exception. And maybe one or two others. Everyone else?


    They could die. I didn¡¯t care about them. They didn¡¯t give two shits about us, so why would I waste time worrying about them?


    That was something I didn¡¯t understand. Meruria fostered an unhealthy rtionship with most of us, but why?


    I kept thinking about Shuuta and wondered how things would¡¯ve changed had Meruria been someone with gold in her heart. Why not show care? Why promise him a chance to reach Soul Evolution if you would take it back the next day? Why send Remy to do...that?


    Why take the road of darkness and choose hate when a littlepassion would¡¯ve gone a long way?


    Our world was devoid of that, but why did that extend to this one? Meruria didn¡¯t strike me as someone who would make careless mistakes. Everything she did had a purpose or reason. So, her ugly nature and disgusting personality benefited her. But how? And why?


    <i>I wish I knew. I wish I understood more. </i>


    My thoughts were aimless as I drifted off to sleep. The quiet cackling campfire provided a rxing ambiance to lull me away to a ce where...I didn¡¯t have to worry about my concerns. My dreams were where I was the happiest. But I couldn¡¯t always return there. That would mean refusing to ept my reality. And... And I wasn¡¯t at that point.


    Not yet, but I never wanted to be that far gone where I chose to look at a fake reality rather than face what was real.


    But...


    Maybe this world had ns to batter me like a tornado ravaging a town. It was eroding me... Was it a test?


    <i>If it is a test... What are the limits to its cruelty?</i>


    <hr>


    We eventually arrived in the early morning. The fields surrounding the town were dull and sad. We were summoned in early spring, and it was nowte autumn. Cridia was more tropical, but Northern Uquenia seemed to be experiencing a rainy season. Water wasn¡¯t an issue. There was enough sunlight.


    Perhaps the ground was oversaturated? Too much water was detrimental. I didn¡¯t see an irrigation system. Cridia had implemented one and almost tripled its grain production. They had one before, but the improvements couldn¡¯t be denied.


    ¡°Where do we begin?¡± Benedict asked. He stretched his thick arms and scratched his bald head.


    ¡°The vige elder,¡± replied Sir Salim. ¡°Let us make proper introductions.¡± He looked at the onlookers. Most were famished. A few were deathly skinny. ¡°I doubt they were aware of ouring.¡±


    Aronza Vige seemed big enough. I saw a dozen houses near the field and another 30 or 40 inside the vige. It didn¡¯t have walls, but the Aronza River curved around the north and headed west, giving some natural defenses against bandits. The only way to cross was to wade through the river. Unless you wanted to travel out of the way to and bridge.


    Sir Salim stopped the wagon and asked for directions. People seemed hesitant until we told them we came on Lord Meruria¡¯s orders. It didn¡¯t change their perception, but people talked. Rumors spread as hushed murmurs as we got the directions we needed.


    The elder¡¯s house was little more than a shack. The overall buildings were made from hardened y and straw.


    The elder was outside to greet us. He was hunched over and used a cane for support.


    ¡°Greetings, sir,¡± Sir Salim said. He exined why we were here.


    ¡°Is that so, eh? Yes, monsters have been an issue around this time. But they don¡¯t cross over the river. They fight amongst themselves, and we send foragers to carve their meat after they had their pickings.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not responsible for the farming fields? We saw their state during our travels,¡± I replied.


    ¡°The rainy season is a curse. It¡¯s always been one. Things usually return to normal after winter. Lord Geron doesn¡¯t bother us out here, but we don¡¯t get no help. But we make it through.¡± He raised his cane and waved at the houses. ¡°We survive. We unite and endure it. The monster meat sustains us if we ration it.¡±


    ¡°I see. And what about the dungeon?¡±


    ¡°We ain¡¯t got no use for it. The river¡¯s too dangerous to cross at this time of year. Thend bridge isn''t worth the detour. We bunker down and hold out for the calmer season.¡±


    ¡°Forgive me for stating the obvious, but have you tried building one closer?¡±


    ¡°Aye, that we did. Happened about¡­ Six years ago? Maybe seven or eight? A rampaging horn croc crossed and killed ten of our kinfolk. It¡¯s mighty hard to level up around these parts when surrounded by powerful monsters. It left us after getting a full belly, and we destroyed the bridge. We ain¡¯t taking that risk again.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± I wondered if there was a connection between the rain and rampaging monsters. There had to be. It was a logical deduction.


    ¡°Well, if you¡¯re staying here, I¡¯d best show you to an inn. Don¡¯t let anyone say Aronza Vige ain¡¯t hospitable.¡± The elder turned around and walked, leading us on a tour. "We ain''t got much, but we ain''t rude, either." People were poor, but they seemed content. More food wouldn¡¯t hurt, but it seemed like a rxing ce to live. I sensed a quaint feeling of camaraderie. The inhabitants¡ªhuman and beastfolk¡ªworked together to survive.


    I was envious of this simplicity...so did that make me awful?

 Intermission – Shiku – Heartbreaking Realization – Part Two

    Intermission ¨C Shiku ¨C Heartbreaking Realization ¨C Part Two


    The inn wascking in multiple ways. They only served half a portion of breakfast as the only meal¡ªwe declined since we had already eaten¡ªand our shared room had no beds.


    It was lovely all the same. The elderly proprietors were charming and nice. They let us stay for free since we were here on business. Sir Salim didn¡¯t like that. He paid triple the regr fee and promised to help however he could.


    We immediately set off to work. Benedict went to the river with Renata and scouted, and I departed to the fields to start an investigation. Sir Salim crossed the river and scouted the monsters, and we didn¡¯t return until night had arrived. After a thin dinner of bread and porridge, we gathered in our room and shared what we learned.


    ¡°The water seemed fine,¡± said Benedict softly as he rubbed Renata¡¯s hand. She was asleep, with her head leaning against his broad shoulder. ¡°Renata would know more than me, but the river didn¡¯t seem... ''agitated.¡¯ It¡¯s also potable. I saw a few vigers filling buckets. She finally said something, though. She wandered into the river and floated on her back. She just... She looked so peaceful, just staring at the sky... And then Renata cried and apologized to everyone in a low whisper.I hope she¡¯ll be better tomorrow. Maybe my prayers will be answered in the morning.¡±


    ¡°I hope so too,¡± I said, moving onto my report. ¡°I¡¯m not a gardener or farmer, but the soil seemed fine. Maybe it''s a bit oversaturated. It rained for an hour or two, and the droplets didn¡¯t hurt, either. I¡¯m wondering if it¡¯s a PH issue.¡±


    ¡°PH?¡± asked Sir Salim.


    ¡°It¡¯s a scale to measure acidity. Regr drinking water is a 7¡ªright in the middle. nts need between a 5 and 6. I saw a few kids catch rain in their mouths.¡±


    ¡°Did you try it?¡± asked Benedict.


    ¡°I did. And it¡¯s like you said. The water didn¡¯t have a funny taste.¡± Laika and Leika were using myp as a pillow. I rubbed their heads and scratched their ears. During my investigation, they never left my side for a moment.


    ¡°Is mana the problem? I heard too much can have negative effects.¡±


    Sir Salim took Benedict¡¯s suggestion and used [Mana Perception]. He looked out the window with a magic circle covering his right eye.


    ¡°That could be it,¡± he said. "The rain clouds are oversaturated with magical molecules. And the soil''s glimmering like twinkling starlight. The monsters near the dungeon were aggressive. More so than usual.¡±


    "Did you discover anything strange?" I asked.


    "Nothing out of the ordinary, but I didn''t venture too deep. Don''t worry. I didn''t waste the ones I killed. I gave them to the butchers."


    ¡°If this was that easy to figure out, why hadn¡¯t Lord Geron done so?¡± asked Benedict.


    ¡°The elder didn¡¯t seem to care when we told him of the war. Lord Geron didn¡¯t try recruiting men from the vige, so maybe he¡¯s given up on it? We can¡¯t really ask him,¡± I replied. ¡°[Mana Perception] is difficult to learn. I wonder if you need it at a certain level?¡±


    ¡°Your hypothesis is correct,¡± Sir Salim replied. He brushed his thick beard, used a lower-level version of the skill, and confirmed nothing strange. He returned to the maxed version and gazed, brainstorming whatever came to his mind. "The dungeon may emit mana into the atmosphere during the spring and summer. I see a steady glow across the river, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s our culprit. The vige has survived thus far without many issues, so it may not be a bad omen. Rather, it may not be our culprit."


    ¡°We can¡¯t leave it like this.¡±


    ¡°I agree, Shiku. Let us convene with the elder in the morning. Of course, the problem may lie in the weather.¡±


    ¡°You mean cloud patterns?¡±


    Sir Salim nodded.


    "The problem''s source could be hundreds of miles away. Weck concrete information to solve the mystery, so we still have work to do."


    ¡°I have a question.¡± We looked at Benedict. ¡°If the rain is oversaturated with mana, and we drank it, are we in trouble? We¡¯re Soul Warriors, so I¡¯d assume not. However, the vigers are just vigers. They don¡¯t have the same innate resistances we do.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re correct. Mana can be infused in anything, and the elements are no exception. But mana is all around us. It¡¯s in the air we breathe, and it¡¯s in the water we drink. It¡¯s in the food we consume, too. That deepens the mystery. It¡¯s a paradox. If the rain is responsible, the vige should not exist. Yet it does, so the rain can¡¯t be the problem. In that regard,what else could it be?¡± Sir Salim spoke like a philosopher. ¡°We are missing something. The answer could be clear. Or it could be sped in a hazy fog. I suggest we get ready for bed. Tomorrow may be long.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I replied. Theck of beds didn¡¯t difort me. I was used to sleeping on the floor or against a wall, so I took thetter and let my maids rest peacefully on myp.


    I closed my eyes, and darkness soon followed...


    <hr>


    Morning arrived and brought an answered prayer. We were gathered around a table Sir Salim retrieved from a storage skill.


    ¡°It was so dark,¡± Renata said, whispering. She held her wrist to stop it from trembling. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to leave. I mean, how could I? Here... The outside is scary. I don¡¯t like it. I wished I could just run away from it all. If I stopped focusing... The crimson returns. The heat arrives. I had to... It¡¯s hard to exin. I had to focus on being alone. Inside? I knew I was choosing a dead fantasy over a harmful reality. Even so? I didn¡¯t want to leave.¡± Her mind moved a thousand miles a second. She wasn¡¯t logical in her recollection, but no one could me her.


    <i>The important thing is that she¡¯s here.</i>


    ¡°I guess things changed when I ate your food, Sir Salim. I felt warmth in my stomach. It didn¡¯t make the crimson and heat disappear, but it...made me feel better. Thenthe azure came. I think it was when Benny took me to the river. Suddenly, the darkness I¡¯de to cherish turned frigid. Water filled everywhere, and I wasn¡¯t scared when it enveloped me. I felt...free? I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s the right word, but I love the water. I love to fish. I love everything about the ocean.¡±


    Renata paused to collect her thoughts before continuing.


    ¡°I can¡¯t exin why¡ª I just do. And... I swam to the surface. Not to escape what I love. I used it to help me return to the real world. I can¡¯t keep running away, can I? I know...what happened. I know what I did. I can¡¯t take it away. I can say it was an ident until the end of my life, but I¡¯m still responsible because I¡¯m at fault for letting that magic get out of control. Sir Salim? Thank you for knocking me out. You saved our lives. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m a coward. Really, I am. I just wanted to run away, and--¡±


    ¡°Do not apologize,¡± Sir Salim said, cutting her off. ¡°You have done nothing wrong.¡± Renata softly smiled at our team leader. ¡°It is a joy to see you smile once again.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s good to be back. Umm¡­ What¡­all did I miss?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± I began, summarizing the past few weeks.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Renata looked away and bit her lips. She squinched her nose and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to do my missions for me, Shiku. I¡¯ll repay you. I don¡¯t know how, but I will. Laika¡­ Leika¡­ That¡¯s awful.¡± She slid closer and carefully rubbed their heads¡ªthey were still asleep on myp.¡°It¡¯s probably the same with them,¡± whispered Renata. ¡°I don¡¯t know for sure, but they¡¯re trapped. And they don¡¯t want to wake up. It¡¯s like two different personalities are there. The one they have, and one created to handle the trauma. I want to help them.¡±


    ¡°Then can I ask a favor?¡± The spearfisher nodded. ¡°Can you look after them? Sir Salim, I think I want to travel to thend bridge. You leapt across theke yesterday, so I¡¯ll go the long way to verify the monsters¡¯ aggro range.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea,¡± said Sir Salim. Renata¡¯s stomach growled. ¡°Let¡¯s discuss our ns during breakfast.¡±


    I¡¯d been smelling something delicious for a while. Gently, I awoke my maids. They slowly blinked at Renata before turning to me. ¡°Are you hungry? It¡¯s time to eat.¡±


    Together, we descended to the lobby and saw the innkeepers had prepared food on a table in the dining hall. The inn was small¡ªmuch like the rest of the houses. ¡°It¡¯s thanks to your hunting, my lord,¡± said the elderly man. ¡°Please, enjoy it.¡±


    The horn croc filets were crispy and tender. The vor wasn¡¯t anything exotic¡ªjust salt and pepper since other seasonings weren¡¯t readily avable in the remote parts of this world¡ªbut it was baked with care. It was the same with ss. Only a few houses here had windows. The others had curtains or a nket over a hole.


    ¡°Thank you. It looks incredible.¡± We ate after Sir Salim said his prayer.


    ¡°If the famine makes it harder to grow produce. And the monsters are too tough to kill¡­ Why not turn to the river for food?¡±


    ¡°I can answer that,ssie,¡± said the vige elder, who walked in. ¡°You¡¯re not the first to suggest that. And you won¡¯t be thest. Animals have levels. That includes fish. I¡¯m afraid they¡¯re too strong to be reeled in by our kinfolk. We¡¯re surrounded by the strong with no way to level up outside of leaving the vige. Aronza¡¯s been good to us. We¡¯re almost solitary, I suppose. We don¡¯t leave without a good reason. And sometimes, even that ain¡¯t good enough.¡±


    ¡°The fish¡¯s average level is 30. Even the smallest is five feet long,¡± said Sir Salim. ¡°I used wind magic to blow a few out of the river yesterday, and not one weighed less than seventy pounds.¡±


    ¡°Seventy, ye say? That¡¯s about twenty pounds heavier than ourst attempt. They must be feeding good,¡± added the elder. ¡°Fishing implies they¡¯re alive. Maybe it¡¯s one thing if they¡¯re dead, so exin how we are supposed to do that.¡±


    ¡°I would say spearfishing. That''s my specialty, Mr. Elder. That¡¯s not enough if the thrower cannot urately track their prey¡­ So what about fish traps? We can spread them across the river. They¡¯d be constructed so the fish could enter, and the gate behind them would close. It¡¯ll trap them.¡±


    ¡°Sorry. I can¡¯t approve.¡± The elder vetoed the idea. ¡°What if a monster uses it as a bridge? We can¡¯t have a repeat of that incident.¡±


    ¡°I can stand guard. I can¡­ Ah, that¡¯s it. Benny, you think you can make something?¡± Renata retrieved a notebook and pen and drew a design. ¡°It¡¯ll span 1/3rd the river. It¡¯s shaped like a semi-circle. These ps can be pushed in, andthesetches prevent the fish from leaving. I remember seeing a tree, so we can use that to make a pulley.¡±


    ¡°I sense your hesitation, elder,¡± said Sir Salim. ¡°I shall stand guard as well. I promise on my wife and child that no monster shall cross over.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯ve seen your strength. And you have the face of an honest man, my lord¡­ Aye, very well. We¡¯ll do it your way. And if it works, forgive me for my hesitation, girlie. We aren¡¯t used to changes. Our status quo is what we know, and we thrive on it. Aronza Vige hardly gets anyone new every once in a blue moon.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of the blue moon, elder. I know that¡¯s amon saying¡­¡± Sir Salim segued into his concerns about the dungeon and oversaturated clouds, along with the soil harboring far more mana than it should have.


    ¡°The dungeon? We¡¯ve always thought it was possible. We and the vigeck the means to investigate. The clouds, though? I can¡¯t recall anyone considering it. Then again, I¡¯m far from the first elder.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any historians? Any written records of past elders that may have noticed something?¡±


    ¡°Aye, we have a few older than me that¡¯s still kicking around. Can¡¯t say their minds are all there, but you can speak to em¡¯ if you want. Maybe you can make sense of their ramblings.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Aye, your thanks are wasted on me, my lord. I won¡¯t interrupt your breakfast any more than necessary. I¡¯ll be waiting at my house.¡± The elder bid us farewell and left, and we returned to our food.


    ¡°Seems like we have our tasks,¡± said Benedict.


    ¡°We do. Shiku, travel along the river to thend bridge. Pinpoint the range if there is one. Benedict, I have metal you can use to create the fish trap.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I had to craft. Let¡¯s hope my muscles are up for it.¡±


    ¡°Laika, I¡¯m sorry. You and your sister can¡¯te with me.¡±


    My maids¡¯ eyes widened like I¡¯d just told them to drop dead. Leika hyperventted and grabbed her heart. Sweat profusely drenched her shivering face.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t abandonment. I promise I¡¯ll never leave you. Renata will spend time with you while I help the vige, okay?¡± I took their hands and held them to my heart. I didn¡¯t know why that calmed them, but it did.


    <i>Maybe it¡¯s physical touch in general?</i>


    ¡°So, can you two be strong for me? I promise you can sleep on myp tonight.¡± Laika looked at her sister. They didn¡¯t nod. Instead, theyheld each other¡¯s hands and relied on their sisterly bond for support.


    We finished breakfast and prepared to leave. I kissed my maids on the forehead and hugged them before heading out the door.


    I really cared for them. They were so important to me in a thousand ways. I didn¡¯t have many links to this world¡ªI hated this damned reality¡ªbut Laika and Leika? I¡¯d never betray them or their trust in me. Ande hell or hot water? I¡¯d ensure they¡¯d recover from this.


    <hr>


    I didn¡¯t fight any monsters while walking along the river. Thend bridge was aptly named, andthe beasts I saw across it stared me down. They never attempted to crossover. I doubt they were afraid of me because their eyes were feverish--like they were in a berserk-like state¡ªsomething I confirmed after focusing on their names.


    The horn croc was Lv. 56. That red-eyed rhino with four horns was Lv. 67.


    Why didn¡¯t they run across the bridge?


    Could it have been the rain? It was still a heavy downpour. The thick drops battered my umbre like a man bashing his fists against a wall even though it was drizzling when I left.


    If the rain antagonized the monsters, then it did the same for the fish, right? They swam through the river, and I confirmed seeing the berserk status effect. Fish couldn¡¯t survive onnd. The bridge was a natural way for the monsters to cross.


    Yet...they didn¡¯t. They were hesitating.


    Why?


    The answer could lie in the dungeon. Or it could¡¯ve been somewhere else, and the rain clouds merely transferred whatever was at work from far away.


    We knew it worked in a cycle¡ªthat was it. The specifics were still a mystery.


    I walked past the bridge for another hour before turning back. It was midday by then, and I readied my weapon. A fight wasn¡¯t in the n. It was a precaution as I picked up a few rocks.


    ¡°Huph!¡± I drew back my arm andunched them to the still-waiting monsters¡­and nothing happened. Four smacked the horn croc in the face, but the beast shrugged it off. I knew about redirected aggression and thought the theory would apply here. If I pissed them off, and they couldn¡¯t release their anger on me, would they attack each other?


    Well, the answer was no. Ten more tossester¡­and nothing.


    Even the most well-trained animals only needed to forget their training for a second and allow natural instinct to take over. I¡¯ve seen it happen a few times in my world. This felt different. It was¡­artificial? The monsters almost feltpelled to ignore each other, but the elder said the monsters warred amongst themselves. That was how they got meat for the famine season.


    ¡°So¡­ Why aren¡¯t you killing each other? Is it me? You¡¯re¡­what, so focused on mauling me that you forget about each other?¡± I asked aloud to myself. I crouched and tried to make sense of this phenomenon, yet nothing came to mind.


    The answer was probably in the dungeon, so we¡¯d have to head there to solve this issue.


    ¡°This info¡¯s good enough. We can work with it¡­¡±


    <i>I might as well return to the vige. It¡¯ll be dusk when I¡¯ll arrive.</i>


    <hr>


    As I calcted, it was a cool dusk when I saw the vige¡¯s outline on the horizon. I picked up the pace and ran the rest of the way until sensing something was off¡­ Where were the guards? Even a ce like this had ¡®warriors¡¯ stationed at the entrance and exit-- if only to give them something to do.


    Things were odd, but I didn¡¯t sense danger. I walked through the empty roads until I overheard¡­cheering? Or was it the sound of a group in awe? I turned to the right and ran to the riverbank.


    ¡°Do it again, girlie!¡± I didn¡¯t know who spoke. I jumped on a cart and looked over the crowd, eventually spotting Renata.She stood on a dock that wasn¡¯t there before today. She raised her arms and manifested a glowing harpoon. Renata aimed, focused, and threw it like a rocket, piercing a fat tuna-like fish as it jumped from the water.


    The weapon returned to her hands, prey attached, and she jumped for joy while the onlookers were amazed.


    I walked over, and Renata turned to me. ¡°Shiku! Shiku! Guess what?! It¡¯s my Soul Weapon!¡± She proudly showed it off and bouncer in ce. Laika and Leika were watching with neutral expressions, and they ran to my side after Renata called my name. They buried their faces in my chest and wrapped their arms around me, refusing to let me go.


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing,¡± I said, rubbing their heads. ¡°I¡¯m happy for you. What¡¯s with the dock? Who built it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I wanted to show you. Come on, follow me!¡± She ran off, and I followed her to another group of vigers. ¡°Excuse me? Can you make a path?¡±


    ¡°Eh? Ah, sorry about that, Harpoon Missy. It ain¡¯t like we see the work of a mastersmith every day,¡± said a man with one eye. ¡°Oi! Give thed some space, yeah? His friend is back!¡± The gathered crowd parted, and I saw Benedict. He...


    ¡°Is that...?¡±


    ¡°Yep. It is,¡± he replied, holding a hammer. He looked up and removed his safety helmet, and I¡¯d never seen a brighter smile on his face. The tools surrounding his workshop were crude iron. He was tinkering with what looked like a gun with a reel. ¡°This is my Soul Weapon. I don¡¯t know how to exin it. It just came to me after I made that fish trap. Ah, look, Shiku!¡± He held his invention and clicked a button. Suddenly, the nearby spool of wire wound around the base, and the tip was a sharp, glimmering point that reflected the bright moonlight.


    ¡°You¡¯re here just in time to test it out. This is the fourth version. The previous ones¡­ They weren''t that good. But this? I have faith in this one!¡± He vaulted over his workshop. It vanished and returned to his soul. If it worked like Sir Salim, then he could summon it anywhere. And recreating it, if destroyed, was possible, too.


    We followed him to the dock he¡¯d constructed. Benedict took aim and pulled the trigger, piercing a fat fish through the stomach. The crowd was marveled. It thrashed wildly and was still writhing when he pressed the button to reel it in.


    That got the onlookers cheering.


    He handed it to Renata, who mercy killed it. ¡°That¡¯s a harpoon gun. Anyone, big or small, tall or weak, can fish with it. There¡¯s no level requirement. The difficult part is aiming, but that can be taught or mitigated if I had a sight,¡± said Benedict. ¡°You don¡¯t have to lose to a fish. The gun can reel in 200 lbs without breaking. So¡­¡± Benedict smiled and looked positively delighted. ¡°The river¡¯s home to a ton of fish. You don¡¯t need to risk starvation once the rainy season hits. The annual famine? It can be sidestepped. If it¡¯s still too daunting, I can add a support stake to keep it steady.¡±


    ¡°Could you teach me how to use that,ddie?¡±


    ¡°Oi, I¡¯d like to try.¡±


    ¡°Me too. It seems fun. And I¡¯m tired of going to bed hungry. I hate this time of year.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Alright, break it up now,¡± said the elder. He hobbled to the group¡¯s front. ¡°All this excitement and hoo can wait til tomorrow, can¡¯t it? It¡¯ste. I¡¯m sure our esteemed guests are tired from today¡¯s stress. Aye, what do you say,d andss? Are ye willing to teach these old dogs a few new tricks?¡±


    Benedict and Renata nodded and smiled. ¡°Definitely. Anyone who wants to learn can meet us here tomorrow morning.¡± She walked to the dock and grabbed a rope. Renata followed it to a nearby tree and started pulling. She struggled until Benedict and I assisted. The semi-circle fish cages Benedict had constructed came to the shore.


    There must¡¯ve been at least 30 fish. One could feed a family for a few days. And this was one haul with only a few cages.


    ¡°See? The trap worked!¡± Renata bounced on her heels. I hadn¡¯t seen her this excited or happy in¡­I couldn¡¯t remember. Maybe ever? Especially not sinceing to this awful world. ¡°Hmm¡­ Benny, do you think we¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªcan make a machine to automatically pull it in? Yeah. I was thinking that. It''ll take a day or two to get it down. I¡¯m still testing the extent of my Soul Weapon. Guess I should call it my Soul Workshop, huh? I thought it would be a hammer.¡±


    ¡°I did, too. Again, congrattions, you two. That¡¯s amazing,¡± I said. ¡°Is Sir Salim at the inn?¡±


    ¡°Yes. He¡¯s looking over notes he got from the historians. Are you heading there?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°What about you two?¡±


    ¡°I¡­think I want to sleep outside tonight. Next to the dock, I mean. I want to drift off to the river. And Benny? Do you want to join me?¡±


    ¡°I do.¡± He slowly intertwined his fingers in hers. We watched as the butchers grabbed the cages and dragged them away. The crowd followed, and I returned to the inn with my maids.


    The streets were filled with excitement. The vigers weren¡¯t heading to bed early¡ªnot when fresh fish was on the menu. Ate dinner never hurt. And after we solved this mystery and departed Aronza Vige?


    I hoped¡­ I really, truly hoped the vige would improve.


    Poverty sucked. Hunger pangs felt atrocious. No one¡ªno man, woman, or child should ever have to go to sleep hungry. This world was awful and cruel. Maybe we could shine a light of hope? Helping others?


    ¡°Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,¡± I whispered, reciting the golden rule. I wasn¡¯t religious¡ªfar from it¡ªespecially after being summoned here.


    <i>I helped throw Shuuta into the void. Isn¡¯t that the fate awaiting me? No amount of good deeds can make up for that. I can try, but it¡¯ll never be enough.</i>


    <hr>


    ¡°I take it you¡¯ve been by the newly added dock?¡± asked Sir Salim as I entered our room. His spear¡¯s tip held a flickering me that softly illuminated his surroundings.


    ¡°Yes. Seems I¡¯m the straggler, huh? I¡¯m the only one without a Soul Weapon.¡±


    ¡°Does that difort you?¡±


    ¡°No. I thought it would,¡± I said, sitting at the table. Laika and Leika rested their heads on my shoulders. ¡°But I¡¯m not dismayed or disheartened.¡±


    ¡°The poison of envy doesn¡¯t taint your blood?¡±


    ¡°No. Not really. I¡¯m happy. I really am. When I see how much Renata¡¯s smiling? Or how confident Benedict looks? I don¡¯t think I can be jealous even if I tried. But maybe that says something else about me. Something I¡¯d rather not get into.¡±


    ¡°Mm¡­ I sense uncertainty. But that¡¯s fine. What have you learned?¡±


    ¡°Thend bridge almost reminds me of an invisible fence. The monsters I saw wouldn¡¯t cross. I tried to tempt them with rocks, but they only stared.¡±


    ¡°Did you see their eyes?¡±


    ¡°I did. They were red. Why can¡¯t they cross? If thend bridge is a fence, then it must be the end. The vige should be well within it. They¡¯re strong enough to wade through the river, so why do they need a bridge? Could there be something in the water?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s possible, but it can¡¯t be poisonous. This vige would have long been extinct if the water was harmful.¡±


    ¡°How did your meeting go?¡±


    ¡°Sadly, it bore no fruit,¡± replied Sir Salim. He looked out the window and sighed. ¡°The only solution is to delve into the dungeon and discover what secret, if any, it holds. I¡¯m certain it has been conquered in the past, but I did not find any records within the writings given to me.¡±


    ¡°When are we leaving?¡±


    ¡°Within the week. We cannot know what we will find, so preparations must be made. But it shall be us. Renata and Benedict shall remain here and help the vige. That extends, of course, to Laika and Leika.¡±


    ¡°Renata¡¯s Soul Weapon boosts her damage against aquatic monsters, but she¡¯s not cut out for fighting,¡± I admitted. Laika and Leika shuddered. They weren¡¯t well enough to do much of anything. Their reaction almost felt like it came from their subconsciousness. They heard something about me leaving and reacted appropriately.


    <i>If Renata¡¯s right, my maids are trapped in their minds. They don¡¯t want to confront reality. It¡¯s like they¡¯re on autopilot or something. Can I free them? What can I do?</i>


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Sir Salim stood and retrieved his spear.


    ¡°To the dock. I¡¯ll tell those two about our n. Stay here and get some rest.¡± He gestured to the two sisters. ¡°Talk with them again. Let your words be the guiding me they¡¯re desperately seeking. I have a busy schedule, so I won¡¯t return before morning. Renata and Benedict have much to discuss with the other, so use this time however you feel it is necessary, my friend.¡±


    Sir Salim smiled. The door quietly closed when he left, and I was alone.


    No.


    Not alone.


    I¡¯d never be alone. Not when I was surrounded by the ones I cherished. I sighed andid down. Laika and Leika followed and used my shoulders as pillows. Those gorgeous, slightly dim eyes looked upon me. A faint smile crept across their lips.


    ¡°It was a night like this after the incident. I felt something shake the bed, and you two were straddling my legs in your nightgowns. I don¡¯t know if what we did was a mistake. You weren¡¯t in the right state of mind. But¡­ I guess that says a lot about me, right? I¡­didn¡¯t try to stop you. Or if I did, it wasn¡¯t much. Maybe if this was a fairy tale, what we experienced would¡¯ve been enough to wake you. Maybe that¡¯s what I secretly hoped.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The two remained silent, and a piece of hope buried in my heart perished with it.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t fight back. Maybe I wanted to make love with you two. Meruria suggested it when we met. And I¡¯m a guy. Even if I liked girly outfits and¡­dressing pretty, I have urges. I couldn¡¯t deny them that night. And I still think about it.¡± Even now? The events reyed like a movie. I still remember the thumping in my chest. My heart had beat out of control when they held my hands to their cheeks. Or when they slowly undressed. Or when they wanted me to touch them all over as they rubbed their wettest spot against my thighs.


    And when they stripped and used their tongues to lick me¡­


    And the weight I felt when Laika straddled me, making me experience a blissful warmth I¡¯d never experienced before. Or how Leika shuddered slightly when Laika helped her gyrate her hips when it was her turn.


    I wasn¡¯t the biggest. I knew I was smaller than average¡ªeverything about my body screamed ¡®petite.¡¯


    We weren¡¯t faking our feelings. Those expressions and noises couldn¡¯t be fabricated.


    Objectively? It was a mistake. Yet I never wanted to consider it one.


    <i>I didn¡¯t pull out. I don¡¯t know the chances, but what if they¡¯re pregnant? Do I even deserve to be a father?</i>


    Before I knew it¡­


    I was crying.


    My sight was blurry because all I could think about was <i>him.</i>


    <i>Does it even matter what I feel? When he felt worse? When he had more to fear? When he faced the end? And I was a part of his demise?</i>


    ¡°Damn it¡­¡± I cursed and tried to bite my lips¡ªit didn¡¯t matter the source, I just wanted to feel¡­


    Something.


    Pain, I guess. Pain that he probably felt.


    It didn¡¯t hurt because I couldn''t bite myself. Instead, my lips were upied by Leika¡¯s love. And then Laika gave me a kiss. They propped themselves up and grabbed my hands, then held them to their heart.


    The two cried with me.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m feeling so pathetic whenyou two need me. More than¡­ No, I won¡¯t finish that. We¡¯re about to make a mistake. Is it one? Can it be one when it feels so right?¡± I couldn¡¯t ignore the pressure between my legs. My body desired this. And my heart fell to the whims of my growing lust and a faint hope that no longer sparkled.


    Slowly, Laika and Leika moved my hands to their breasts as I leaned up. We kissed passionately until we yearned for oxygen, but our mes burned bright. Air was second nature when I wanted nothing more than to hold their bodies against me¡­


    <i>Miracles don¡¯t exist. If they do. Please¡­ Please let this be one.</i>

 Intermission – Shiku – Heartbreaking Realization – Part Three

    Intermission ¨C Shiku ¨C Heartbreaking Realization ¨C Part Three


    It was still dark when I woke up in a haze of exhaustion.


    <i>That¡¯s right. We did itst night. Did... Did we fall asleep like this? I was on my back in the middle, right? I didn¡¯t have my face buried in Laika¡¯s chest.</i>


    ¡°Good morning, Lord Shiku.¡±


    My heart stopped. I looked up and saw Laika¡¯s gentle face. Her glistening eyes looked down, and she had the prettiest smile. It wasn¡¯t just her... I was also being hugged from behind, and I met Leika¡¯s soft gaze when I nced over my shoulder.


    ¡°Good morning, my lord,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°I¡­ Laika! Leika!¡± I immediately sat up and wrapped my arms around them. The tears wouldn¡¯t stop.


    <i>It¡¯s a miracle¡­ It¡¯s really a miracle!!!</i>


    ¡°We¡¯re sorry¡­ We¡¯re so sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop that! You¡¯ve done nothing to apologize for! I¡¯m just happy you¡¯re here! It¡¯s been so long¡­since I¡¯ve heard you say my name¡­ Thank you¡­ Thank you¡­¡±


    I didn¡¯t want to let them go. I just didn¡¯t. Not when they had returned to me. It had been so long since I saw those fluffy ears twitch. Or those furry tails wag with anything less than euphoric glee.


    ¡°We must, Lord Shiku. We¡­ We were trapped. After learning the fate of our family, we closed ourselves off. We didn¡¯t want to think anymore,¡± said Laika. ¡°Father¡¯s tried for so long to get our family back into Lord Meruria¡¯s good graces. We were ted when we were told to serve a Soul Warrior. However¡­ The Barkwoods are no more.¡±


    ¡°Reality¡¯s scary. It¡¯s ufortable and uneasy. My sister and I wanted to¡­stop thinking. Why should we embrace what¡¯s trying to hurt us when we could just¡­stop?¡± asked Leika.


    <i>That¡¯s just like what Renata said. It¡¯s almost eerily simr, yet it doesn¡¯t matter. They¡¯re back.</i>


    ¡°The darkness wasfortable. I had my sister. And we had each other. We could live without pain, and our bodies would act on our unconscious desires. It sounds odd, Lord Shiku, but it made sense to us,¡± argued Laika.


    ¡°Until we felt something warmth. It was like a beacon or lighthouse that cast a glimmering shadow on our desired darkness. However... We couldn¡¯t remain there. It wasn¡¯t fair to you. And I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t care because we were afraid of getting hurt. Leika and I are thest of our names. And we¡¯re¡­not exemry models of what a Barkwood should be. We don¡¯t think like that anymore. Not when we have someone like you, Lord Shiku. You never gave up on us. You never abandoned us. You¡¯ve always been there¡­when we needed you the most. When you had all the right to sell us and get someone more worthy to attend to you. You stood by us. And¡­ And¡­¡±


    ¡°Please, let us remain with you, Lord Shiku. Please¡­ We¡­ We love you so much.¡±


    <i>Love, huh? I¡­ That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been feeling. Love for them and love for my team.</i>


    ¡°We¡¯ll never be apart,¡± I whispered. ¡°I never, ever thought about getting rid of you. You two have my heart, so let me have yours. I love you.¡±


    ¡°Lord Shiku¡­¡± Laika sniffled. Leika whimpered. They jumped towards me, knocking us to the ground. They cried into my chest as I rubbed their trembling backs. We shared our happy tears until the morning sun shone warmly through the window.


    And even then¡­


    I never wanted to let them go.


    <i>There¡¯s only one thing to do, right? It¡¯s what a man must do to take responsibility. I¡­ Even if I feel this happiness is beyond someone like me, I¡¯ll make them happy.</i>


    ¡°Eh? Lord Shiku, what¡­¡± The sisters were stunned as I stepped back and kneeled.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a ring,¡± I said, taking their hands. ¡°And the environment isn¡¯t right. I don¡¯t want to dy it. Laika, Leika? I wasn¡¯t happy in my world. I hated it. It¡¯s an ugly, horrible ce that denied me the right to be who I wanted. And I thought the same was here. No, I still think it. There¡¯s a difference, though. And that¡¯s you. You¡¯re in my life. I¡­ I never thought I¡¯d feel this way about anyone.¡± My voice quivered like an uneven ramp. And you two make this world worth living in. So¡­ Will you¡­ Will you two marry me? And allow me to be your husband? I promise¡­ I swear... I¡¯ll do everything to make you two the happiest in the world.¡±


    <hr>


    Benedict, Renata, and Sir Salim were waiting downstairs. They sat around a table and discussed business, only turning their heads when they heard footsteps. The water-loving girl¡¯s jaw dropped upon seeing Laika and Leika. She ran over, almost falling, and scrambled as she hugged the two. ¡°I knew it,¡± she said, crying with a smile. ¡°I know you¡¯de back!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve missed you, Lady Renata,¡± said Laika. Her voice shared a weakness with her sister. ¡°It warms our hearts to see you again. And you as well, Lord Benedict and Sir Salim.¡±


    We walked to the table and sat. Leika¡¯s ears and tail kept wagging.


    ¡°You two seem to be in cheery spirits.¡±


    ¡°Of course we are, Lord Benedict. How could we not be ted when our spouse''s love flows through us?¡±


    ¡°Spouse?!¡± coughed Renata. ¡°Leika, does that¡­¡±


    ¡°Indeed! Our darling husband asked for our hand in marriage, and we agreed! And¡­ Sister, should we start thinking of baby names?¡±


    ¡°Baby?!¡± The steel-minded Sir Salim was caught off guard.


    ¡°Afterst night¡­¡± Laika blushed. ¡°It is still too soon to tell, but we may be nurturing Lord Shiku¡¯s children.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing! I can¡¯t even begin to say how happy I am for you!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Lady Renata! Umm¡­ I know¡­we¡­perhaps didn¡¯t treat you¡­the best. Please forgive us. We may have been short with our words. And we¡¯re sorry. We really are.¡±


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s water under the bridge.¡± She held their hands and couldn¡¯t stop a few years from trailing her cheeks. ¡°Oh, you must let me be a bridesmaid at the wedding!¡±


    ¡°Bridesmaid?¡± Laika confusingly looked at her sister. ¡°We¡¯re unfamiliar with that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s from our world. When two people are married, they¡¯re apanied by a small group. For the groom, it¡¯s the best man and the groomsman. For the bride, it¡¯s the maid of honor and bridesmaid.¡±


    ¡°Does this world have something simr?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it does. The Barkwoods have their own ceremony. Our estate used to have a tree in the garden. It¡¯s been there since Lord Sajun ruled Cridia. When a Barkwood is proposed to, the husband and wife are given twigs from the tree to care for and nourish until the wedding day. The twigs are wrapped together and buried after being announced as husband and wife. I¡¯m certain the tree is no more, though. I doubt it survived the...¡±


    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not your fault,¡± interrupted Laika. ¡°Leika and I have thought about it. We were alone in the darkness. We had time to ept what happened. We loved our father and mother. We¡­ We will want to bring pride to the Barkwood name. So, we¡¯ll live. My sister and I won¡¯t give up. We''ll begin anew with our husband! Ceremonies never meant much to our father. We can¡¯t remember thest time someone took a twig from the tree. He used to say the world is full of beginnings. I remember his smile when he heard the news from Lord Meruria. He said a new age was beginning for the family.¡±


    ¡°Hehe! That was all our father talked about for months. Mother used to roll her eyes, but she couldn¡¯t hide her joy. No one could. Has¡­there been a funeral?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Lord Meruria spoke a few days after the incident, and that¡¯s it. I''ll request permission to visit your estate when we return from the mission.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. We can say our goodbyes. I want to introduce our husband-to-be to our ancestors.¡± Laika fluttered her eyes. She kissed me on the cheeks and giggled like a schoolgirl.


    ¡°Now, I know we are ted, but let us return to the topic,¡± said Sir Salim. ¡°Business first, and then pleasure. Shiku, do you recall our conversation?¡±


    ¡°About the dungeon?¡± He nodded. ¡°We¡¯re to leave within the week. Is that still the n?¡±


    ¡°It is. I¡¯ve begun preparations. We¡¯ll act sooner if something happens.¡±


    ¡°Are you anticipating anything, Sir Salim?¡± asked Laika.


    ¡°No, Shiku. Remember my teachings. It¡¯s better to prepare for everything than to let foolish bravery catch you unaware.¡±


    <hr>


    It was¡­not so much mncholy as a spark of¡­stress-free living as the week rolled by. It took a day or two for it to really hit me.


    I was getting married. It was months away-- if not years-- and the two precious beauties standing by me would be mywfully wedded wives to hold, cherish, and support in sickness and health. Just looking at them¡­


    It made me happy to be alive even though I was afraid. Not because I fell in love. The fear originated from what the future probably held.


    I¡­was going to be a father. It wasn¡¯t set in stone, but after what we did the past seven nights¡­


    It¡¯d be a miracle if they <i>weren¡¯t </i>pregnant.


    Benedict had used his Soul Weapon to construct a floating cabin attached to the dock. His workshop gave him tools¡ªa few I hadn¡¯t heard of. The nearby trees were perfect for boats, so he repurposed them to give him and Renata a little privacy since their romance was sparking.


    During dinner, Leika¡¯s yful side emerged as she teased Renata about her ¡®future husband,¡¯ which couldn¡¯t be denied. I was positive those two had already gone all the way.


    Sir Salim often stayed out. He bunked at the elder¡¯s house to investigate his documents. Our leader searched non-stop for even the dullest glimmer of an answer and came up with nothing after a week of intense sleuthing.


    That wasn¡¯t the best oue. We were Soul Warriors¡ªSir Salim was Lord Meruria¡¯s strongest 5-Star if you measured by fighting experience and level. Overconfidence could kill a mighty dragon, and we weren¡¯t fools. Throughout the week, I went on expeditions around the dungeon to scout around its entrance. The monsters weren¡¯t an issue to our mentor or me after adjusting to their tempo. The silver lining was their berserk status. It ironically made them more predictable.


    They didn¡¯t think. They only had one rule¡ªnever cross the boundary¡ªalbeit we didn¡¯t know what that boundary was other than some invisible circle that presumably radiated from the dungeon.


    You could goad them into doing what you wanted, which made entrapping them easy.


    Our temporary home had undergone a noticeable, positive change. Benedict¡¯s smithing services had enriched Aronza Vige like never before. Tools that had grown old and brittle saw a new lease on life. The rusted ingots in a nearby shed had been cleaned and strengthened, and Benedict used those to make additional harpoon guns. When he wasn¡¯t doing that, he was making hoes, scythes, and other farming equipment for when the rainy season ended.


    Renata progressed a ton, too. She learned to duplicate her harpoons on the third day. And she acquired six or seven new forms on the fourth. One was a trident with six prongs. Another was a two-headed harpoon with fangs. The third was a multi-headed trident with interlocking webbed daggers that encased whatever it hit in strings.


    Renata quickly became a local celebrity due to her friendliness. The children loved to watch her hunt. I often found her handing out wooden harpoons to anyone who wished to try. More than expected showed up, which was nice. Perhaps it was ironic, but most vigers couldn¡¯t swim. They were taught to stay away from the river and only ventured far enough to get water since being swept away meant certain death. Renata, however, changed that and used her magic to calm the rapids enough to hold swimming sses, which were a popr hit.


    She was almost unrecognizable. Really, she was. I was so happy for her, too.


    <hr>


    ¡°It seems tomorrow is the day, Lord Shiku,¡± whispered Laika. Her sweet voice was a melody to my ears. Our room still had no beds, but we didn¡¯t need them when I was the pillow.


    ¡°Are you worried about me?¡±


    ¡°I think you know the answer. I know you¡¯ll be fine. You and Sir Salim will return safely to us,¡± answered Leika.


    I took their hands and held them to my cheeks. Their eyes glossed with affection. ¡°You¡¯ve been spending time with Renata. Are you having fun?¡±


    ¡°We are. She¡¯s teaching us how to prepare fish using methods from your world, Lord Shiku! Any woman worth her love must be able to handle herself in the kitchen using all techniques!¡± Laika smirked and puffed out her bountiful chest as she rubbed her soft, womanly assets against my bare skin. ¡°I can scale, batter, and sh fry a fish in ten minutes!¡±


    ¡°Very impressive. Once we¡¯re married¡­ You can¡¯t be my maids.¡±


    ¡°We know, Lord Shiku. My sister and I eagerly anticipate the day we can remove these uniforms and introduce ourselves as your wives! Until then, we must settle for being your betrothed.¡±


    "I wouldn¡¯t say it like that, Leika.¡±


    ¡°You know what I mean. Being betrothed to someone who makes your heart beat like nothing else isn¡¯t aint. Yet wouldn¡¯t you like to say, ¡®I¡¯m Laika, Lord Shiku¡¯s beloved wife,¡¯ and not ¡®I¡¯m to be married to Lord Shiku in the future¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to say, ¡®I¡¯m Laika, Lord Shiku¡¯s beloved wife, and these are our beautiful children?¡¯¡±


    ¡°It would! That¡¯s a big improvement, Leika. And Lord Shiku can say, ¡®These are my beautiful wives, Laika and Leika!¡¯¡±


    ¡°I¡­can¡¯t wait for the future. I used to fear it. And maybe I still do. I¡¯m worried I won¡¯t be a good husband. Or a good father. My father¡­¡± I didn¡¯t have to say it. Laika and Leika knew what I had endured. I never wanted to be that monster. I never wanted to abuse my children because I couldn¡¯t ept what they liked. Or made my children kill to ¡®make them feel like a man.¡¯


    ¡°You aren¡¯t him, Lord Shiku. And you will never be him. Your father did not see the kindness you radiate.¡± Laika rubbed her cheeks against mine. Leika did the same, their tails wagging faster than ever. A faint crimson warmed their faces as heat grew in my crotch. We were naked¡ªlying on a nket they had sewn from unused fabric. ¡°His treatment of you is something we will never ept. And we know the man you hold inside. You¡¯re a sweetheart, Lord Shiku. You¡¯re handsome and pretty. And your hobbies your father disliked? We don¡¯t mind it. I¡­think I want to see you live as the man you want to be.¡±


    ¡°I agree with my sister,¡± said Leika. ¡°Don¡¯t deny who you want to be. Don¡¯t be afraid to open up to us about anything you want, Lord Shiku. If I may be bold¡­ I think it might be fun to go shopping together for clothes and essories and ribbons we can share.¡±


    ¡°But <i>he</i> isn¡¯t here.¡± The topic changed to <i>him</i>. Any confidence I felt¡­ died. Weakness overtook me. ¡°I¡­ You didn¡¯t see the look in his eyes.¡±


    ¡°You had no choice. The order came from Lord Meruria. Refusal would¡¯ve made her cast punishment upon you. Your feelings prove your kind nature.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t close to him. I didn¡¯t know who Shuuta was¡­ My mind always wanders and circles back to him. I have this baggage, Laika. Leika, I killed him. I can¡¯t paint it any other way. I know it was orders. I know I had no choice.¡±


    <i>That¡¯s what I tell myself, right? I¡¯m just following orders.</i>


    ¡°How¡­ How can I get over it? Can I get over it? It¡¯s been months. And¡­ I¡¯m¡­ Just so afraid¡­ That¡­ I¡¯ll¡­¡± It was hard to see. My voice was choked and sputtering.


    ¡°You stood by us when we needed it the most. So, let us help you. Share your worries with us, Lord Shiku. Speak your mind, and we shall listen. Ask for assistance, and we shall provide it for the one we cherish above all else.¡±


    And¡­


    I did¡­


    This wouldn¡¯t be thest time I let my thoughts about <i>him</i> overflow. But to get it off my chest¡­


    It felt good. I knew I had to get over it. One way or another¡­ I couldn¡¯t let Lord Meruria¡¯s forced order taint me from the happiness I found.


    I didn¡¯t know if it helped, though. I didn¡¯t want the night to end on a sour note. And neither did my future wives. It wasn''t right. Why stain our new lives with the glimmering shade of regret when we should¡¯ve been happy?


    Slowly, their hands went down my body, rubbing my chest, stomach, and thighs, and stopped at¡­<i>that</i>.


    ¡°Let us enjoy another night together, Lord Shiku. Let us wish you a safe return since you have two very eager wives-to-be waiting on you. Leika?¡± Laika extended her hand. Leika took it, and¡­


    <i>How many times have I been inside her? This feeling will never get old.</i>


    I leaned up and hugged her. ¡°I love you, Leika.¡±


    ¡°I love you, Lord Shiku.¡±


    We disyed our adoration until midnight¡­and I swore¡­


    I swore¡­ This happiness I felt? I¡¯d learn from it. And I¡¯d replicate it for the many years ahead of us.


    <hr>


    The morning of our departure reared its anticipatory head. Renata, Benedict, a few vigers, and my future wives wished us well as we left for the dungeon. We hopped across the river and jogged to the entrance. It was a decrepit building that seemed suitable for a horror house. Neglectful cracks lined the stone walls as flickering torches guided us down the stairs into the lobby. I was surprised... Information about the dungeon was scarce, but we knew it was aquatic. We didn''t expect it to go that deep underground. It held flowing rivers and sluice gates that needed to be opened and closed to progress.


    Raising and lowering the water level was vital for progression. Multiple parties were allowed within the dungeon, somunication had to be prioritized to prevent a friendly face from being swept away by the powerful currents.


    The ce reminded me of a sewer-filled aqueduct. It was cramped and narrow, soggy and moist. Water constantly rained from above, and the monsters were in a frenzy. They weren¡¯t anything problematic to Sir Salim and me. We carved our way through without issues until my mentor sensed my heart¡¯s worries.


    ¡°You still cannot ept your happiness?¡± he asked after we rested for a break in a hidden room on the third basement. Water leaked from the crusty pipes and noisily dripped like an irritating itch.


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s something I¡¯ve debated against myself. I talked with Laika and Leika about itst night. It¡¯s not fair to them. I know I must get over it.¡± I was sure Sir Salim knew the details about Tokko and Shuuta, so I told him my past. ¡°I watched the rigged trial. And I helped throw him into the void. I know I had no choice. Lord Meruria¡¯s¡­presence was overbearing. It felt like I¡¯d have done anything she asked. Sir Salim¡­ How do I rid myself of cowardice? I can still feel it. It¡¯s Tokko. The inadequacy prevented me from standing up to him. He used to see me for me. Or that¡¯s what I thought since that¡¯s not true anymore. I showed him what I thought society needed to see me. I... I don¡¯t like¡­being like this. I was so afraid of being who I wanted that I didn¡¯t want Tokko to leave me. So, I clung to him.¡±


    ¡°Your life has been hard,¡± Sir Salim said. ¡°Forced to kill criminals¡­ Suffering abuse while hiding who you wish to be¡­¡± Then my stomach churned. ¡°The path ahead does not illuminate with what you seek. This world isn¡¯t one to showcase kindness. It does not freely hand it out. Instead, you must grasp and fight for it. You must use this world¡¯s rule of might is right and carve your ce. You have two lovelydies awaiting your safe return, my friend. I need not say anymore, so I¡¯ll end it here. Never underestimate the value of a woman¡¯s wisdom. You have allies and help wherever you look. Others aren¡¯t lucky to have as many blessings as you do.¡±


    ¡°Blessings?¡±


    ¡°Is that not the right word?¡±


    ¡°No¡ªit might be. You¡¯re right. I do have things to be thankful for. You know¡­ Before this¡­ When I confronted Tokko in his office¡­ I thought I was going to die. He¡¯s the type to remove a diseased arm before allowing it to heal. So, I was afraid for Renata. In our world¡­ You had to be useful. You had to bring something to the table. In theory, there weren¡¯t any free rides. You were solely judged on your merit and nothing else. So¡­ Finishing Renata¡¯s missions went against that. He summoned his weapons, you know.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I was¡­this close to dying Sir Salim.¡± I made a pinching motion with my thumb and index. ¡°But he spared me. And if I¡¯m honest? I¡­don¡¯t know why. I really don¡¯t. I¡¯m d I¡¯m alive. It¡¯s like you said. I have something to fight for. I never had that before.¡±


    ¡°Then the fear you sense is normal. Everyone is afraid of losing what they hold dear to their heart. For someone who had nothing and obtained something? The new feeling can be difficult to understand.¡± Sir Salim looked at the campfire and rested a hand on his spear. He came from a different culture. His concerns differed from mine. There were over 500 years between us, yet he empathized with me. That kindness was severelycking in this world.


    <i>I¡¯m d he was chosen to be our mentor.</i>


    I¡¯d kept my true self hidden for so long that this¡­mess of a man I was felt like the one buried beneath the skin and muscle.


    ¡°You don¡¯t¡­think it¡¯s strange for a man to want to wear a dress? Or put on make-up?¡±


    ¡°Rephrase it. Why should someone be hysterical when they see an individual partaking in a hobby that does not interfere with their life? I wish I could say I have always felt that way, but that would be a lie. And I don¡¯t want to lie to myrades. Had we met when I was younger, I would¡¯ve turned my nose and judged you. I¡¯ve grown during my time here. I¡¯ve matured after enduring more hardships than a man from our world would ever experience. I see things for what they are, not what I thought my bias should see them as. Do what makes you happy, my friend. And don¡¯t let anyone tell you otherwise.¡±


    ¡°That makes me feel better. Thank you, Sir Salim.¡±


    Sir Salim nodded, and we ended the night in silence.


    Morning arrived, and we broke bread and had water before continuing. Breakfast felt more refreshing than usual. My worries were there¡ªbut I wasn¡¯t letting them chain me. That wasn¡¯t to say I was¡­epting of my sins. I¡¯d probably never get over them. I believed I had heard a saying.


    <i>What happened to me wasn¡¯t my fault, yet it¡¯s my responsibility to heal it. That¡¯s what I must do. And I won¡¯t do it alone.</i><b></b>

 Intermission – Shiku – Heartbreaking Realization – Part Four

    Intermission ¨C Shiku ¨C Heartbreaking Realization ¨C Part Four


    Two dayster, after getting trapped behind a puzzle where you had to equalize two underground reservoirs using pipes and flood control barriers... We arrived at the boss''s door.


    It cried a deep growl as it opened, revealing a deep, blue crystal that hovered in the middle. Malicious red tendrilstched into the ground and ceiling like a deadly web. And there was a hole above it. We cautiously approached and looked up. Sir Salim used [Mana Perception] and verified something he feared.


    A catastrophic amount of mana was flooding upwards. Sir Salim couldn¡¯t see it from our inn, so he assumed we had traveled quite some distance during the dungeon trip. This ce was more monumental than we were led to believe. Aronza Vige¡¯s historians didn¡¯t have much info. Few people visited this section of Uquenia because of the higher-level monsters.


    I surmised the mana filled the atmosphere and became diluted over time. The rainy season often brought wind, and the mana soaked into the clouds, which always led to Aronza Vige. The mana-filled rain would enrage the monsters, which made them leave the dungeon. They couldn¡¯t cross thend bridge because perhaps that was where the dungeon ended?


    However, what if they never left the dungeon? What if everything above and outside was considered part of it?


    The monsters entered the vige when that other bridge was built because Aronza Vige was within the dungeon''s range. If you drew a circle with the dungeon in the middle, the vige would be in it. Thend bridge had to be on the edge, just a smidge outside.


    That was my hypothesis, anyway, after having a few more days to think on it.


    <i>That doesn¡¯t exin the river. How does that y into it?</i> <i>Why can''t the monsters swim through it? What are they afraid of?</i>


    Sir Salim raised his spear, and the crystal shed. The tendrils pulsed different colors and spawned monsters. The mana surging skyward became visible to me¡ªsomeone without [Mana Perception]¡ªand the crimson glow illuminated the room and eliminated all shadows as the ground warmed. It was like walking on a red lightbulb.


    A fight began. Sir Salim had trained me during our descent. I flourished my staff and fought defensively, using the horn crocs¡¯ weight against them. The water buffalo rhinos couldn¡¯t match my speed as I weaved between them. Their anger was their downfall¡ªI waited for one to charge before dashing away, and I left them to damage each other. Sir Salim focused on the crystal. It had birthed a dozen more energy vines and attacked without rest, but he was experienced.


    ¡°[Flourish Beam]!¡± My mentor¡¯s spear switched to a giant rose. The stem pierced the ground and wrapped him in iron-like leaves. The attacks it endured built up in the petals, where itunched a devastating attack, turning the damage he would¡¯ve sustained upon the crystal.


    The beam pierced through. The horn crocs surrounding me ceased moving. The remaining monsters violently convulsed as if something buried deep within was about to erupt.


    A portal to the lobby appeared, yet the boss didn¡¯t drop anything. Everything felt strange. We didn¡¯t get any title or notification forpleting the dungeon.


    ¡°Something isn¡¯t right¡­¡± Sir Salim redoubled the grip on his spear and turned it into Wind sh¡ªits fastest form.


    A dull siren filled the room. The destroyed crystal regained its luster and slowly spun.


    We watched without knowing what to do. Sir Salim tried to attack it. He sent barreling gusts of razor-sharp winds to swarm it, but the crystal pulsed. ck tendrils rampaged around the room, crackled like lightning, and pierced my shoulders.


    ¡°Shiku!!!!¡± Sir Salim shouted my name as we were picked up. The crystal mmed us into the walls and ceiling before throwing us through the portal.


    Wended with a thud. My mentor healed my wounds as the ground shook. The dungeon cried¡ªalmost moaning in despair. The ceiling started copsing. The trembling only became stronger. Sir Salim grabbed my arm and dashed, covering us in wind as we barely escaped. The foreboding building marking the dungeon¡¯s entrance exploded. The force sent us flying. We tumbled on the ground, slid through dew-soaked grass, and finally stopped.


    ¡°Are you okay?!¡±


    ¡°Y¡ªYeah. I¡¯m fine.¡± Sir Salim let me go. A piercing beam of red mana shot into the distant sky and exploded, sending scattering fragments down as if they were shooting stars.


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡± I looked at the sky and saw Tokko and Mia. Her staff glimmered a soft light as they descended. The angelic wings protruding from their backs¡ªfrom flight magic¡ª vanished.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡±


    ¡°You solved the mystery of the dungeon. Well done. Now it¡¯s time to see if Renata has what it takes.¡±


    ¡°What the hell are you talking about?! Stop speaking in riddles!¡±


    ¡°Riddles? Oh, you disappoint me more and more.¡± Tokko frowned.


    ¡°It really is pathetic, Shiku,¡± said Mia. She ran her gloved hand through her brown hair and slowly shook her head. ¡°You¡¯ve softened and changed. It¡¯s disappointing¡­¡± Mia raised her staff, and a white light epassed us.


    <hr>


    Suddenly, I was thirty feet above Aronza Vige on a magical tform made of crystalized light.


    Sir Salim stood near me. A momentter, Renata, Benedict, and my future wives appeared. ¡°Lord Shiku!¡± they cried, grabbing my arms. ¡°What¡¯s happening?!¡±


    ¡°What the hell is going on?!¡± Renata eximed, water dripping off her body. She must¡¯ve been in the river. ¡°There was that explosion! And¡ª"


    Tokko appeared in a sh of light and gestured to the vige below us. We saw people gathering near the elder¡¯s house, but I doubt they saw us. ¡°Aronza Vige used to have another name. Centuries ago, this area was called the Land of Challenge. The dungeon¡¯s always been here. The monsters have always been ferocious. Brave souls traveled far and wide to test their might against these bloodthirsty foes. Aronza Vige is the product of the people who settled down and nted their roots.Their history has been lost to time. No one here remembers the truth.¡±


    ¡°Yet we could not think of a better ce to test your resolve,¡± added Mia. ¡°Renata, you were trapped in your mind. You refused to face reality and desired to wilt away like a flower left out in the sun. That didn¡¯t happen, did it? You broke the confines of your sheltered prison and even acquired your Soul Weapon.¡±


    ¡°How did¡­you know that?¡± asked Renata.


    ¡°Because we¡¯ve been watching. And that was the n. Haven¡¯t you guessed it by now? This was the reason we dispatched you to Aronza Vige. It was to challenge yourself. That extends to you two.¡± Mia pointed to my future wives. ¡°You experienced the same treatment as Renata¡ªwhich was given to you by our glorious Lord Meruria. Thefortable darkness was preferable to living a life of pain, yet here you are. You¡¯re conscious. You¡¯re alert. You¡¯re choosing to fight against the world¡¯s cruel injustice and embrace the yearning to be someone better than you were the day before.¡±


    ¡°Lord Meruria¡­did that?¡±Laika asked.


    ¡°She did. And congrattions, puppies. You two passed. That''s partially true for you, Renata. There¡¯s a second mountain you must conquer before this mission can bepleted. Another triumph you must grasp with your own two hands.¡±


    ¡°The next task is rted to the mysteries surrounding Aronza Vige,¡± said Tokko. He crossed his arms and lectured us. ¡°The problems facing this vige lie in a paradox. The rainy season overexcites the crystal. It then shoots mana into the sky, where the clouds absorb the energy. It returns to thends below as mana-filled droplets. Too much can ruin a field. The soil is battered incessantly and bes ruined for months¡ªthat''s the mystery behind the famine. The runoff collects into Aronza River, which connects to the dungeon, where the mana feeds into the crystal. After the crystal is excited, the magical energy is released into the atmosphere, and the cycle continues. It will never end. The most you can do is dy it. Yet that often causes more problems. You can see it, can¡¯t you? Monsters will spawn where the crystal fragments fall.¡±


    Mia finished Tokko¡¯s lecture. ¡°The mana flowing through the river is like an invisible fence. The monsters cannot wade through it because it''s not technically part of the dungeon.So, the only option is to travel over it. How fortunate for Aronza Vige that thend bridge is where the dungeon''s influence ends. However, if the crystal fragmentsnd across the river while still inside the dungeon¡¯s perimeter...¡±


    ¡°You knew this¡ª¡±


    Tokko interrupted me. ¡°We did, Shiku. You and Sir Salim shattered the crystal. The monsters are out of control. They¡¯re hungry, so once they spawn, I presume they¡¯ll head for the closest food source.¡±


    ¡°The... The vige!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Your task, Renata, is to wipe out the monsters and prevent Aronza from being destroyed. Do that, and you¡¯ll pass. You¡¯ll be re-epted into Lord Meruria¡¯s good graces. Your te will be wiped clean, and you may start anew.


    ¡°One person alone can¡¯t do this!¡± Benedict argued. ¡°There are too many monsters! And they¡¯re too strong!¡±


    ¡°She must,¡± Mia added, her smugness irritated me. ¡°It¡¯s as we¡¯ve said. We¡¯ve been watching. We know you taught those children how to fish. You instructed that young widow on how to prepare filets for grilling. You looked after those babies while the tired mothers rested their weary eyes. You have a connection to Aronza, Renata. You love this vige because it healed you. And now you must fight to protect it. Draw upon your strength and be its defender. You have approximately three minutes before the first batch of monsters arrive.¡± Mia snapped her finger, and Renata fell to the ground. Shended with a thud and vomited. Her trident flickered in and out of existence.


    ¡°YOU CAN DO IT!!¡± Benedict screamed. ¡°RENATA!!!!!¡±


    The step the curly-haired girl took was small, yet the following one wasrger. Soon, she ran through the vige¡¯s central street and hastily exined things to the elder. The vigers returned home to bunker down, and Renata marched to the front line. She jumped onto a roof and crouched.


    A crystal fragmentnded about four hundred feet away.


    A monster was born amid the explosion. It had eight legs, like a mythological horse owned by a Nordic god. It reared and growled, sending electric sparks around its body.


    ¡°You can¡¯t expect her to fight that thing alone!¡± Benedict argued. ¡°Just look at it! It¡¯s--¡±


    ¡°Lord Meruria¡¯s Soul Warrior must be capable of this much. A person can develop tremendous strength when faced with disaster. They will use every ounce of power to protect what is close to them. However, when that something is new and responsible for pulling you out of the darkness? That¡¯s when resolve is at its strongest,¡± said Tokko.


    Renata focused and channeled mana through her Soul Weapon. I didn¡¯t know what skill she used, but the shaft pulsed a deep brown as it switched forms. Falling rock petals danced off the earthen tip. Sheunched it towards her enemy, skewering it through the front two legs. It reared in pain and summoned a hail of lightning. Renata dodged it. She stumbled and faltered, yet her determination was there. She raced to the horse and stomped the ground, sending a line of rocky pirs to unbnce her foe. Her trident appeared in her hands, and she swiftly engaged her opponent.


    Its lightning scratched her face. It cut her clothes and made her bleed, but Renata emerged victorious after skewering it through the chest. A jet of water exploded from the monster¡¯s back, sending a spray of bloody mist across the soaked ground.


    And then the first wave arrived. Renata was swift. She covered her body in a glimmering water barrier and fought like no tomorrow. Herbat prowess was beautiful.


    ¡°I knew she could do it!¡±


    The excitement was short-lived.


    Another barrage of falling fragmentsnded inside the vige, destroying a dozen homes. More of those electric horses appeared to the south. Soon, multiple waves all marched like hell for Aronza Vige.


    Renata couldn¡¯t handle it. She flew into a rage and hurried back to the vige, where she witnessed a horn croc skewer the elder before tearing into his corpse. A water rhino did the same to a group of huddled children.


    The screams were loud. They were heart-wrenchingly brutal. Renata froze. She shook like a frightened baby.


    I had to act.


    Benedict and I shouted her name and tried to jump off the tform, but¡­


    ¡°GAH!!!¡±


    ¡°What are you doing?! Let me go!¡± I screamed at Sir Salim. He caught my arm and threw me to the ground. He rested his knee on the back of my neck.


    ¡°Sir Salim?!¡± Laika growled and used support magic on me, but it didn¡¯t work. Leika charged and punched him. Mia waved her staff, and my fianc¨¦s copsed to the ground, unconscious.


    ¡°¡­¡± He didn¡¯t reply. His shameful look said it all. I looked at Benedict. Tokko¡¯s tower shields enclosed him from all sides.


    ¡°What are you doing?! Please, Sir Salim... LET ME GO!!!!¡± I pleaded with him, but he agonizingly shook his head. I screamed and struggled, and Tokkoughed. He crouched and revealed a startling truth after telling Sir Salim to remove his armor.


    I had never seen his bare chest. It was broad and rugged and bore a deep scar across his sternum. ¡°It¡¯s a type of ve seal. It embeds deep in the heart and connects to the soul. Effectively, it binds the user to the target. A portion of strength flows to the ve¡¯s master. Lord Meruria has passed control to me for this mission. Salim tried to escape in the past. It didn¡¯t work, and he was punished by hunting and killing the ones who had gotten away. And now? He¡¯s a loyal hound in our service. Increase your grip, dog. Shatter Shiku¡¯s wrist. Punish him for going against direct orders.¡±


    <i>Snap!</i>


    ¡°GAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!¡±


    Benedict struggled. He fought like hell against those tower shields pinning him in ce. Mia smacked him with her staff and told him to calm down.


    ¡°MAKE IT STOP!!!! I DON¡¯T WANT THIS!!! BENNY!!!!¡± Renata¡¯s screams drowned mine. We looked and saw a red mist¡­


    [Blood Boil].


    She dropped to her knees and tore at her cheeks and hair. ¡°STOP IT!!!! STOP IT!!!!¡±


    ¡°Renata!!!!!¡±


    ¡°Do we have our answer?¡±


    ¡°I believe we do,¡± Mia replied. My vision was hazy. Sir Salim kept increasing the pressure on my broken wrist. It became difficult to breathe from his knee. I vaguely saw Mia use a spell to knock Renata unconscious. She was teleported to us, and Mia raised her staff as a faint speck fluttered to the vige¡¯s center.


    It touched the ground...and everything was gone in a blindingly bright explosion that decimated...everything. The crater left behind... The scale was maddening. How...could so much be wiped away so...easily?


    ¡°That is the cost of failure, Renata,¡± she said, her voice cold. ¡°You could notplete your task. Your mission goes unresolved. Their deaths are on your hands, and you only have yourself to me.¡±


    The pain became too much, and everything went ck.


    <hr>


    I next awoke on my knees inside a sealed room. Lord Meruria, Tokko, and Mia stood near a table. Renata was on it, her shirt undone.


    ¡°Failure is as failure does. You¡¯re worth more to me alive than dead. I won¡¯t sacrifice you to the void¡­ [Blood Boil] is certainly an efficient spell. That¡¯s your only use unless you can convince me you¡¯re worth more, but that time hase and passed. You had your chance, and you squandered it.¡±


    Lord Meruria held a glowing scalpel as she cut into Renata¡¯s bare chest.


    My ally screamed and kicked her arms and legs. It was futile since magical restraints bound her to the table. ¡°There¡­ The seal is done. You¡¯re mine, my dear. Your strength shall be mine. Your power will be mine. Your life? Hopes? Desires? They shall be mine to control¡­ me your failures for this¡­ All you had to do was exceed my standards. It wasn¡¯t hard. Since you cannot be trusted¡ªyour feelings are not what I desire¡­ I shall im ownership over them. Be happy knowing I hold the reigns to your soul¡­¡±


    Tokko grabbed Renata¡¯s arms and tossed her like trash to the floor. Shended near the firece, the warm glow illuminating a trail of blood descending to her stomach.


    One by one, the same happened to Benedict and my future wives, who were unconscious, and then it was my turn.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this,¡± I pleaded. It was difficult to talk¡ªmy throat felt stuffed with sawdust. My eyes thickened with tears. ¡°Tokko¡­ I loved you¡­ I saw you as my hero¡­ I wanted to be you¡­ You were what I wished to be. Please, don¡¯t do this¡­¡± Tokko didn¡¯t reply. ¡°Don¡¯t¡ª GGGGAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!¡±


    That scalpel cut into my chest, and the agony was excruciatingly painful.


    ¡°Mmnn... This is your punishment for failing me,¡± said Lord Meruria. She paused for a second before continuing. "You pledged yourself to the Barkwood daughters, but answer me this, Shiku... The love you feel... Is it organic? Is it genuine? Or...¡± Lord Meruria¡¯s face twisted into a sadistic snarl. ¡°Or is it a product of my tampering? What if I told you I had nned to permanently engrave those feelings onto your soul had the mission been sessful? Marriage and fatherhood would¡¯ve been your due reward for meeting my standards. Now¡­ Am I speaking the truth? Or am I lying? What is real, Shiku? What is the truth? Who can you turn to if you cannot trust yourself?¡±


    <i>No... That can¡¯t be true! I love Laika and Leika because I do! No one made me love them! No one... No...one...</i>


    <i>Right?</i>


    I didn¡¯t remember thest thing I saw before the pain was too much to keep my eyes open¡­but it was probably Shuuta¡¯sughing face¡­


    Out of everyone¡­ He¡¯d be the happiest to see me like this¡­

 Chapter Ninety-Five: Sharpening Resolve – Part One

    Chapter Ny-Five: Sharpening Resolve ¨C Part One


    While not at all initially rted, Meruria concluded that this newly discovered Lyudm Vredi Springfield¡ªa fusion of two forests, which shouldn¡¯t have been possible, and the High Elf of Liberation, a woman who used weapons of iron and firesalts whilemanding a great lion of mes¡ª must have been one and the same.


    The whispers reached Meruria¡¯s ears shortly after the war concluded, but she didn¡¯t dispatch us to find her until after Shiku¡¯s team was sent to Aronza Vige.


    Until then, we were ordered to help keep the peace since even a fool wouldn¡¯t expect life to be smooth sailing after annexation.


    Remy tagged along as our escort to prevent us from having any ¡®cute ideas about running away¡¯ since we were leaving the Western Continent to find Lord Aetos of Aetos Vige. Meruria said he¡¯d know where to find our target because he had ties to thete Vredi Forest.


    We learned about the devastation that destroyed Ria on the boat ride from Remy. Apparently, a powerful fire spirit went on a rampage, ruined the city, killed the Bellerophon soldiers stationed there, and wounded a tree called the Eagle Yew.


    Before that, Holy Lord Gloria apparently shut down the nearby dungeon because one of her Soul Warriors was killed? I didn¡¯t know why Remy told us this. I didn¡¯t understand the pros of intentionally crippling a major source of ie either since Ria dwindled in poprity immediately after. The citizens who could leave abandoned the ce likea sinking ship.


    I honestly didn¡¯t care.


    Seeing the bare Eagle Yew from hundreds of miles away was a heart-stopping sight. Melusine said there wasn¡¯t anything like this in her time, but the closestparison was probably thete Vredi Forest. It was perhaps the most famous location in the world 1,000 years ago because its leadership stood as the cornerstone to stop the Dark Lord of Tyranny. Susize Vredi was the most powerful Soul Warrior of her time. And Aetos was her loyal Great Eagle, who became a Spirit Lord after his death.


    We couldn¡¯tnd near Ria, so Remy docked the ship in a little cove about a week¡¯s travel from Aetos Vige. We had to hike through rough terrain and brace a few ash storms. Apparently, there was arge field of ash¡ªabout as wide as a desert¡ªthat appeared because of an ancient volcano exploding in the past. It took up much of Dirge¡¯s central region and was popted by orphaned me and earth spirits who relied on it for mana.


    Melusine knew of the volcano, but that was about it. It had erupted after her kingdom was transformed into a dungeon.


    Three days before reaching our destination, we saw the remains of a caravan smothered in ash and mes as bandits besieged the survivors. Remy yawned and walked away to do something else, but Melusine nearly lost herself. She looked at the towering Eagle Yew and fought with the intensity of the curse that had once imed her.


    Perhaps she was fond of the Eagle Yew because it was directly connected to something from her time. She flew into the caravan¡¯s remains and used her ice to encapste the attackers, then shattered them to a thousand pieces with a snap of her finger.


    She shouted at them¡ªshe bared her feelings. Her voice was still heard hours after the bandits had died. Since Remy wasn¡¯t here, we spent the days helping the survivors. Elly sang and put on the show for the children, Greggie cooked with some supplies Mary¡¯s monsters had in storage, and Keeth worked hard to repair the damage to the wagons.


    Melusine went ahead of us on the morning of our arrival as we packed up camp. When we caught up with her at the vige, we were surprised to see her engrossed in a conversation with a purple-haired fairy maid with two holstered revolvers. The two chatted like old friends. Mary said she¡¯d never seen Melusine act so naturally.


    It was a fraction of an instant. Tilde¡¯s smilepletely vanished uponying eyes on us.


    An ufortable dread flooded my heart, and it waster exacerbated when we learned Tilde¡¯s Master was the one we searched for.


    But why did I feel like that? I knew this world and its inhabitants wouldn¡¯t ever give me a break. I knew it was always plotting behind its back toe up with another way to fuck me over as if I was a whipping girl.


    In this case, I figured Lyudm Vredi Springfield would¡¯ve been the next one to emotionally rake me over the coals. However...


    She wasn¡¯t like that. When I imagined a High Elf, I presumed them to be snobby, bitchy, and tense¡ªthose who looked at others as inferior species since they weren¡¯t affected by time.


    But no.


    She was kind. Her eyes were soft. Those tears that fell from her eyes when she yed the flute near the grave felt genuine. Even those firearms and spear on her back seemed like tools of peace and not war.


    And that spirit¡­ She also had a pistol attached to her hip. It seemed like guns were abundant around her, which wasn¡¯t something I had experienced sinceing here.


    Or ever, really.


    Lord Springfield readily weed us into her extravagant mansion and had her maid prepare tea while we sat at the exquisite table in the dining hall. The small talk was pleasurable, and she verified the rumors I mentioned. But when it came to why we were here, she apologized and said she had business to attend to.


    ¡°I¡¯ll return before too long. Until then, please make yourselves at home,¡± she said, standing up. Tris and Tilde followed her out through the front door. Niva, Primrose, and Surtr remained behind to keep uspany.


    It was probably my imagination, but...


    Was Lord Springfield¡­shivering?


    <hr>


    ¡°Surtr is telling them about the mansion and its former inhabitants,¡± Tris announced after we left. ¡°Melusine is nervous around him, and Elly and Ami are acting friendly with Niva and Primrose.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Master... We can¡¯t just keep walking into the forest. I know you already know what you must face. I¡¯m sorry if this hurts, but I''m neglecting my duties if I didn¡¯t bring it up.¡± Tilde grabbed my arm and anchored her feet. She hugged me, and we fell to the dying grass under a rotting tree.


    I didn¡¯t want to hear it.


    I wanted to rip my ears off and throw them away.


    When we encountered Team Que, Tris used [Deduction] to learn their skills, then applied it again to everything they had¡­


    Including their journals¡­


    Their hidden, darkest secrets were known to her. Que kept hers in a spacial spell. A useless gesture since its contents were still analyzed by my Fragment of Wisdom andmunicated through Tilde via waypoint messaging only she could see.


    It took all I had¡­to not show any emotion. I had felt like a stiff robot when I spoke and created an excuse to run away to handle my feelings.


    ¡°You know Meruria rigged it all. She made the bell ring. She¡­ She¡¯s a right bitch, Master. But Que truly wanted to save you. She still thinks about Shuuta Fenton. Greggie and Keeth considered you their friend. Meruria¡¯s trying to make them regret speaking up for Shuuta. Elly says she¡¯ll never feel that way. They¡ª¡±


    ¡°Please¡­ I don¡¯t wish to hear it. Just...shut up, please... Stop talking... If you say it... It... It means...¡±


    ¡°I know. It¡¯s for your own sake.¡±


    ¡°My anger is what kept me going. My desire for revenge? I need it. It¡¯s¡­ Losing it... I just can¡¯t,¡± I replied. I hugged my fairy harder.


    ¡°That¡¯s not true! You still have a target! You still have Meruria. She needs to die¡ªshe will die. There is no redeeming what she and the other sons of bitches did! I want to see Tokko, Mia, Shiku, Damon, and Will suffer for what they did to you! You will stand tall over their corpses! And you will kill them! Your revenge still burns, Master! But¡­¡±


    Deep down?


    I knew Tilde spoke the truth.


    I knew Que and the others had done all they could.


    I knew everything was organized by that goddamn bitch¡­


    But I couldn¡¯t ept it.


    I just couldn¡¯t.


    I had lived for so long with revenge as my only goal. I had thought of a thousand ways to make them suffer for what had happened to me!


    Especially Que¡­ I hated her the most.


    But it wasn¡¯t fair to her.


    And a part of me didn¡¯t care. I wanted to rake Que''s mind over the coals and drive her insane. I yearned to use her skeletons in the closet to destroy her psyche. Tris was so sure that she could drive her to suicide within the week, if not by tonight.


    ¡°Please, Master¡­ Don¡¯t¡­go down this path.¡± Tilde whimpered. ¡°I¡¯ve seen this happen before. I know what¡¯s awaiting you. Revenge on someone who doesn¡¯t deserve it¡­ That¡¯s a dangerous road. Those idiots from the monster train incident are one thing. Oswell¡¯s group is another. They were nning to turn Niva in. Atrix fucked up. But Que? Greggie? Keeth and the others? They¡¯re victims. Meruria controlled the narrative from the beginning. They¡¯re still her ythings¡ªeven now."


    ¡°My lord?¡± Tris kneeled and gently held my hands. ¡°I believe it is possible to turn Que and her allies against Meruria.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°They were never shown an ounce of gentleness from Meruria or her cohorts, so it must be given from you. Using [Status Cloak] will prevent her from feeling their mana. It will be as if they suddenly faded from the world. A 5-Star Soul Warrior is not something she can carelessly afford to lose. I deduce Remy is someone important to her. They must be powerful to make Que wary of her."


    But I didn¡¯t want to be genuinely kind. I merely intended it for it to be a ploy. When the time was right¡ªwhen Que''s team would be at their weakest and needed my help the most¡­ I¡¯d show my true nature. I¡¯d reveal myself to be the one they had thrown away like garbage and leave them to die.


    I¡¯d watch their suffering andugh.


    And I¡¯d eat their corpses. I¡¯d grow stronger from their power and use that to brutalize Meruria.


    I couldn¡¯t do that if I forgave them. I never wanted to. Tilde¡­ She <i>knew </i>how much I despised them! She experienced what I felt when she scanned my memories upon our first meeting.


    And I knew she wouldn¡¯t bring this up lightly. She desired the best for me.


    Tris did, too.


    Tilde continued, saying she had heard rumors of Meruria¡¯s nature. When she received my memories, she immediately wondered if that bitch had rigged it. Bringing it up then wouldn¡¯t have helped. Likewise, Tris had theorized the same. And again, she let me keep my hatred because she didn¡¯t want me to consider a hypothetical without any definitive proof.


    And now?


    We had it.


    As for potential ns? Tris had two. She started with the one least likely to work.


    ¡°We continue with our original intention and have Quemit suicide. Assimting her power won¡¯t be enough to remove Lady Sekh¡¯s curse from her essence, but the strength will give you an edge against Meruria. Remy is an unknown we know nothing about. There is no guarantee we could kill her even if you assimte Team Que. It is not advisable to kill Remy without Lady Sekh¡¯s assistance should she show up earlier, although I cannot deduce how much she will even the ying field. Likewise, I''m unsure if Aetos will provide assistance. He''ll likely be severely weakened after the transnt process."


    ¡°You¡¯ll gain power, but it won¡¯t be readily avable,¡± said Tilde. ¡°Your body needs to adjust. Noelia was weaker than dog shit, so you got very little from assimting her. But adapting to a 5-Star of Que¡¯s strength? That¡¯ll take time we don''t know if we have."


    ¡°Alliance is our greatest opportunity,¡± Tris continued. ¡°We must convince Que and her allies to join us. We must deprive Meruria of her Soul Warriors via the loyalty system¡¯s [Status Cloak]. She will be forced to act if it urs within Dirge and away from the vige. A war between Cridia and Dirge isn¡¯t out of the question. Likewise, we can also inform Gloria of this unintended arrival and use your unique authority as Lyudm Vredi Springfield to control the narrative. The Lord Conference ising soon. Lord Enele may allow us to attend since Sera will most likely participate. Remy still poses a threat in this scenario, however. I cannot theorize anymore without additional information."


    ¡°Listen to me, Master. Listen more carefully than you¡¯ve done before.¡± Tilde¡¯s voice turned stern. She grabbed my face and made me look at her. ¡°If the end goal is strictly Meruria¡¯s death and revenge on the ones who deserve your vengeance, then you know which option has the greatest chance of sess. But let¡¯s say you go through with the original n. Tris makes Que off herself inside the vige, and you eat her. Meruria will notice, so what will she do? We don¡¯t know this Remy, but she¡¯s gotta be strong. She¡¯ll bemanded to investigate, and she may attack what you¡¯vee to cherish. Meruria will probably me her missing Soul Warriors on Gloria and Aetos. Don¡¯t put it past that bitch to misconstrue events to make her out to be the victim, so that¡¯ll paint this vige as a target. And for what? Your efforts at transnting the Eagle Yew will have been for naught. Because it¡¯ll be caught in the crossfire. Because you acted too hastily."


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Will¡­I be betraying myself?¡± My voice was cold. I was sure I had known of this possibility back then.


    I didn¡¯t want to ept it.


    ¡°Never. Only a fool would choose the first option.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t a head maid supposed to support her Master?¡±


    ¡°Dummy. That¡¯s what I¡¯m doing.¡± Tilde wiped my tears. ¡°I¡¯ve lived a long time. I¡¯ve seen a million storylines end a million different ways. I¡¯m trying to stop you from making a mistake because I¡¯ve experienced something simr. Here''s something you gotta understand. You don¡¯t have to ever tell them the truth. Master, you can forever remain as Lyudm Vredi Springfield. I overheard your conversation with Primmy on the boat ride. Let Michael and Shuuta rest and live for the happiness they couldn''t obtain. You know what you must do.¡±


    ¡°Tris, do you hate them?¡±


    ¡°¡­ I do, my lord. I may be logical, but I cannot hide my distaste for Que even after knowing the truth. I still think of her to be a coward and a fool. She should¡¯ve done much more, and I doubt I will ever stop feeling that way. I can push aside those emotions and look at them as allies in the eventual sh against Meruria, but I despise them as much as you. It sickens me to share space with them. I¡­¡± Tris stopped for a moment. ¡°At this point in time? I wish the worst for them. I feel like they do not deserve to be alive."


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Tilde bit her lips. She looked ufortable and reluctantly nodded. ¡°Okay, Master. If their deaths are what you want after you¡¯re standing above Meruria¡¯s corpse... I won¡¯t stop you¡ªthat¡¯s my promise to you as your head maid. So, endure it for now. Don¡¯t lose sight of your goal. That¡¯s all I¡¯m asking you. Can you do that for me?¡±


    I still shivered.


    I was still hesitant. If I were alone and had ess to what I knew?


    I wouldn¡¯t have changed the n. I¡¯d still have made their lives a living hell. Even if I needed to make a clone of an assistant and have them y Tris¡¯s former role¡­


    I¡¯d have done it even if it meant lessening my chances against Meruria¡­because I hated them so goddamn much.


    So¡­what did that say about me?


    Really¡­ That was the kind of monster I had be. I wanted to see that bitch and her team die more than use their help in the battle against Meruria.


    Tris and Tilde kept me grounded. They were my rock¡ªmy anchor¡ªmy¡­humanity. Just... How far would I have fallen if I didn''t have them?


    ¡°It¡¯ll be okay, Master. Just¡­ Go with the flow, okay? It¡¯ll be ufortable, but this is the right way to progress. You don¡¯t have to go it alone. Your favorite Fragment of Wisdom and the cutest fairy in the world will be there to help ya.¡± I asked about Sekh. I was most afraid of letting her down. ¡°Come on, you know she¡¯ll understand.¡±


    ¡°She won¡¯t be mad at me?¡±


    ¡°Nope, she won¡¯t.¡± Tilde rubbed my back and reassured me. ¡°Believe me, Master. She won¡¯t be upset.¡±


    <hr>


    When Lord Springfield returned with Tris and Tilde, she apologized for leaving us alone for so long. She said something important hade up that she couldn''t ignore. She knew we had something to ask her. She directed me to Tris--her advisor. All matters had to go through her.


    ¡°Then let us take this outside,¡± Tris said. I followed her and Surtr to the backyard, and the atmosphere grew tense and thick.


    But why? Was it our surroundings?


    What was most likely once vibrant, beautiful, and colorful flower fields were nothing more than various shades of gray, brown, and ck¡ªmost likely due to Lord Aetos¡¯s slow decline.


    But it was still enchanting in a macabre type of way.


    Surtrid in the middle and watched me with unblinking eyes, yet the mes creating his body never spread.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you perhaps nervous?¡± Tris suddenly asked, breaking the silence. She plucked a dead flower and watched it crumble into dust between her fingertips. ¡°It¡¯s been thirty seconds, yet you haven¡¯t spoken. Are you unwell? What bothers you?"


    <i>Does she really care? Is this another trick? My stomach feels like it''s churning butter.</i>


    I briefly told her why we came to Aetos Vige and our role in repelling the bandits, then concluded with a request from our summoner. ¡°Lord Meruria wishes to meet with Lord Springfield.¡±


    ¡°A meeting? I did not expect rumors of the High Elf of Liberation to have reached so far in a short time. However, I wonder why she sent her Soul Warriors instead of a proper messenger.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re aware of who we are?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I am. If I¡¯m not mistaken, you lost allies to an attack from Uquenia." Tris listed the names of people I didn''t care for. I was d most of them had died. ¡°After annexation, I would have thought her Soul Warriors would¡¯ve been required to establish a long-term peace.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re quite informed.¡±


    ¡°I am. Information is the key to battle.¡± She stopped for a moment. ¡°While my lord is open to the prospect of meeting Lord Meruria¡­¡± Tris stopped speaking and carefully chose her words. ¡°There are concerns to address and conflicts to handle.¡±


    ¡°Such as?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you know the unsavory rumors surrounding your summoner. Why, in some cases, we have heard people call her a ¡®self-indulgent wench.¡¯ Her personality is said to be as charming as a snake''s venom with the odor of a skunk.¡±


    A small smile appeared on my face. And I couldn¡¯t hold in the inopportune giggle. ¡°Forgive me,¡± I said. ¡°But no one¡¯s referred to Lord Meruria that way.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± She raised an eyebrow. ¡°I take it you aren¡¯t the biggest fan of your summoner?¡±


    It felt like that was a throwaway question. But I answered it all the same.


    ¡°You seem like someone who values honesty, so I will be blunt. Yes. We despise our summoner. We¡¯ve always detested Lord Meruria. And she¡¯s aware of it. She used her trickery to force us to believe the worst about ourselves, and for that, we cannot ever forgive her. Yet she holds chains across our necks like ves. We cannot disobey an order from her.¡±


    ¡°Is it appropriate to speak so negatively of your lord behind her back?


    ¡°She expects it from us. To not do so would raise her suspicion.¡±


    ¡°How very interesting¡­¡±


    I asked about any other concerns, and Tris mentioned Lord Springfield needed to transnt Lord Aetos to ensure his survival since he held the key to healing Lord Springfield¡¯s ally, who was at death¡¯s door. A monster called Sathtshas would need to perish for the supplies it safeguarded. That was a task given to her by Seraphina Vredi, sister to Susize Vredi, who had gotten assistance from Lord Enele.


    ¡°You¡¯ve met him?¡± I asked after pledging my team¡¯s assistance.


    ¡°Indeed. Lord Enele arbitrated the Heptarchis at Orchta some time ago. That is where my lord forged a forgotten link to the past for the first time in a thousand years. But how do you know him?¡±


    I told her about the chimera he saved us from. ¡°We would¡¯ve died without his intervention,¡± I said. ¡°There was¡­nothing we could do. That was the start of our journey, but we were so outssed that it felt like a hill we couldn¡¯t climb¡ªno matter how hard we tried.¡±


    ¡°Do you still feel that way?¡±


    ¡°I¡­do. And I don¡¯t. The Que from the past can¡¯tpare to who I am, so I would like to implicitly answer that, should we fight again, we¡¯d win. My team and I are more familiar with this world and how it operates.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ But what about the chimera? The monster¡ªhow did you feel about it?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Encountering a chimera is rare, you see. Not many can im to have met one. Even fewer survive. They are, after all, hunted by Bellerophon. And as someone who specializes in information gathering and analysis for the benefit of my lord, I value first-hand experience more than second-hand gossip.Hmm¡­ Allow me to rify my query. Do you harbor a hatred for all chimera based on the actions of one? Can that define your bias for an entire species?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a statistical impossibility for all chimera to share the same mindset. They''re monsters, but we¡¯ve met friendly beasts on our travels. It¡¯s probably akin to finding a ck swan, but there must be a chimera that can go against their gluttonous instinct.¡±


    ¡°And is that how you truly feel?¡±


    ¡°What are you implying?¡±


    ¡°Can you truly look at a chimera and not feel an intrinsic desire to ughter them? It¡¯s unlikely you hail from a world like this, and a few months isn¡¯t long enough to wholly adapt, let alone recover from such harrowing trauma.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re correct. My world wasn''t anything like this, but it still bore its fair share of monsters. If I do meet a friendly chimera, would I believe it? Would my fear take over my body and act before my mind? I consider it a blessing that my team and I haven¡¯t encountered another one.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure about that? Did your summoner not allow you to join Bellerophon and acquire a [Detect Chimerism] skill orb?¡±


    ¡°She did not. We¡¯re¡­the ones she sends on errands. We¡¯re the lowest rung. If she says jump, we say how high.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ That¡¯s why I don¡¯t want my lord to meet her. How can I be sure that she will treat Lord Springfield with the respect and honor she deserves if she treats her Soul Warriors like this?¡±


    ¡°I wish I could assail your fears, but I cannot. Lord Meruria will probably disrespect Lord Springfield on purpose. I don¡¯t put that below her.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Forgive me, but I cannot yet decide until after Lord Aetos has been transnted. You have given me much to consider, and I thank you. Shall we return to the mansion? I¡¯ll prepare us some refreshments.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, smiling. ¡°That sounds lovely.¡±


    She escorted me into the mansion, where I saw Lord Springfield talking to Keeth and Greggie about her guns.


    Tris said our discussion was intriguing and thought-provoking as she passed out cups of tea. Lord Springfield apparently didn¡¯t like to talk business in front of everyone, which was understandable. Or perhaps it was a test? Tris was bright. Her words had been carefully chosen for a specific reason, but I was sure I¡¯d win in a debate. The final decision was with her lord, so¡­


    <i>How long has it been since I¡¯ve been tested like this? It feels nice¡­ I¡¯ve missed it¡­</i>


    That Shadow Que who taunted my nightmares¡­ Did she have to emerge? We weren¡¯t in Cridia. Remy was elsewhere.


    Aetos Vige was lovely¡ªit held a radiance that couldn¡¯t be seen elsewhere, even on the cusp of death. The spirits and beastfolk seemed charming. When we arrived, the elder had greeted and weed us as visitors and friends because we knew Melusine. The Crystal Fairies were an endangered species, if not totally extinct, but Aello knew of them via tales passed down throughout the vige.


    Lord Aetos didn¡¯t attack us. He probably realized we had wiped out bandits and highwaymen along the way here, so we weren¡¯t inherently his enemy.


    Lord Springfield and her retinue were heartwarmingly kind and gentle from first nce alone.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re new to the vige, why don¡¯t you stay here? I don¡¯t wish to brag, but the beds are quitefortable. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll agree with the amenities it offers,¡± said Lord Springfield.


    ¡°That¡¯s a marvelous idea, my lord! Tilde, let us get the rooms ready.¡± Tris skipped to the fairy, grabbed her hand, and left, but she gave me a smile before they had turned the corner. I was the only one looking at her¡­


    Just what¡­did that entail?

 Chapter Ninety-Five: Sharpening Resolve – Part Two

    Chapter Ny-Five: Sharpening Resolve ¨C Part Two


    Tris¡¯s genuine show of kindness to Elly and the others happened whether or not Lord Springfield was present.


    The cynical part of me wondered if it was all an act. The world would forgive me for thinking like that¡­considering the hell I endured sinceing here.


    Over the rest of the day, she left a few times to handle business in the vige with Niva and Primrose. The former was soft-spoken and skittish, and thetter struck me as the type of spirit that didn¡¯t quite know what to say to strangers. A yellow slime named Lei was often around them. Lord Springfield said they had adopted it thest time they came here.


    My team often had the mansion to ourselves. Mary mentioned something she had admitted to us on the boat ride here.


    She said she felt like a homunculus pretending to be human¡ªsomeone without any sense of direction. She had no purpose. She didn''t have an innate desire or me to guide her heart.


    Mary really had nothing except us and an overwhelming case of Imposter Syndrome.


    It didn¡¯t feel like she could do anything right. She knew she had friends in us, but that didn¡¯t ount for anything when her birth was¡­what it was.


    Mary had said she felt odd at the kindness Lord Springfield and her entourage had shown her. Elly and Ami said something simr, and Greggie was astounded by the depths of Lord Springfield¡¯s knowledge of firearms. He said he felt at genuine ease for the first time in months¡ªa sentiment everyone agreed with.


    Even me¡­ I felt a sense of safety¡­that I couldn¡¯t feel elsewhere. The sensation was foreign. It was almost enough to make me vomit because my body didn¡¯t recognize it.


    It differed from what I felt after revealing the truth to my friends.


    Elly gushed about Surtr. It was no secret she wanted to ride a lion in a concert, but the blue-haired idol had refused to even bring that up. She knew it would be disrespectful, yet that didn¡¯t stop her from dreaming. ¡°He¡¯s just like a big house cat. He licks his cute paws and rubs his fluffy head¡­ Oh, and you totally see those teefers when he yawns! Kyaaa!!! I just wanna rub my face against his belly and use him like a pillow!!¡± she excitedly said, rocking back and forth like an excited schoolgirl. ¡°I wanna touch his murder mittens! His paws are bigger than my head!¡±


    Ami thought Surtr was intimidating. Melusine echoed that and added she felt something that made her heart slow to a crawl when she looked at him. It was something about that fire, she said, that surged an urge of weakness in her. She needed Mary¡¯sforting touch to calm down.


    Tilde, the pleasant fairy maid, was the one we discussed next. She often mentioned the past during their talks and kept embarrassing Melusine by saying how honorable and just she was as a queen. Lord Springfield found it intriguing and had asked for a few more stories. She fully believed in the Melusine¡¯s past¡ªpartly because she was also 1,000 years old.


    She had even visited Melusine¡¯s kingdom long ago and urately brought up even the tiniest details Melusine had forgotten about. The shine in her pink eyes could have blinded a lightbulb from how happy she was to have two more people who knew about the life she once led.


    Melusine didn¡¯t know how Tilde survived a thousand years. Likewise, our Crystal Fairy said she couldn¡¯t tell Tilde the truth.


    It was a mutual mystery.


    That reminiscing also eased Melusine¡¯s heart. She was still ufortable around the lion. He was 8-feet tall, so he dwarfed everyone here.


    I merely wondered what kind of power he held.


    Or what about Tris? What strength did she carry? I didn¡¯t detect anything concerning¡ª


    <i>Now that I think about it¡­ I didn¡¯t feel anything from Lord Springfield or Tris. Or even Tilde. It''s like their mana doesn''t exist. Not even I can harbor that type of precise control.</i>


    ¡°What¡¯s that look for?¡± Elly poked Keeth¡¯s cheeks. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen that serious stare. Are you thinking about a new project?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± he replied. ¡°It¡¯s about Niva¡¯s prosthetics. I¡­ I think I have an idea of how to improve them.¡±¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not talking about a nerve mesh, are you?¡± I asked. ¡°We don¡¯t have any.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t,¡± he added. ¡°What if I can use my ability on more than materials and mana? Let¡¯s say we encounter someone with a cut. Is it possible for me to ¡®mold¡¯ their skin over the wound like an organic bandage? If so, can I directly link someone¡¯s nerves to their prosthetic by replicating a nerve mesh? The mesh creates artificial nerves, soif I can extend the biological ones¡­¡±


    ¡°Is such a thing even possible?¡± Melusine asked.


    "It was in our world. Science and healthcare have advanced so much that prosthetics are controlled as if they were your genuine limbs. Nerve mesh aplishes something simr, except it''s rudimentary and doesn''t involve electrodes intercepting thoughts from the brain. Thosemands are given to the prosthetic''s microchips, which send instructions to the artificial muscle fibers to mimic human movement."


    "I..."


    "Ha... I think that exnation went over her head, Qutie," said Elly.


    "Ah, sorry about that. It''s obtuse when you look at the science. It''s almost magic when you hear it exined like that."


    ¡°I¡¯ve never tried to use it on skin before. I don¡¯t know how to approach Lord Springfield with my idea," said Keeth, getting us back on track.


    ¡°Wanna test it on me?¡± Ami suddenly asked. ¡°I can cut my hand. If it doesn¡¯t work, Qutie can heal me. Right?¡± Elly¡¯s face was apprehensive. She relented when I swapped to my strongest healing tome. ¡°I wanna help Niva. I wanna see her do all the things we take for granted.¡±


    ¡°Here,¡± said Mary. She tossed her storage monster from her mana sphere and retrieved a towel. Amiid her hand on it, and Mary took a knife, making the cut.


    Keeth¡¯s hands glowed as he touched Ami¡¯s dark skin, and she winced. Keeth said the feeling differed. He didn¡¯t mean to hurt her, ¡°I¡¯m okay. Go on. Continue. I can take it,¡± she said.


    A few minutester¡­


    ¡°No way¡­¡± Elly was astonished.


    Keeth had done it¡ªnot how he intended. He ¡®extracted¡¯ the topmostyer of Ami¡¯s skin, leaving behind a discolored square. He stretched and folded it to strengthen it, thenid it over the cut. Keeth gently pressed the skin in and moved his shivering hands away. Sweat beamed down his head. His mana had dropped substantially. ¡°Does it hurt?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ Not anymore.¡± Ami touched where the cut had been. ¡°The part where you took it doesn¡¯t feel different.¡±


    ¡°There exists a necromantic skill called [Fleshcrafting],¡± said Melusine. ¡°It works simr to what you¡¯ve just done.¡±


    ¡°Do you think I can use it on nerves?¡±


    ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know,¡± I said. ¡°Bringing it up won''t be a mistake, I think. Lord Springfield¡¯s lived for 1,000 years, so if anyone would know, it¡¯d be her.¡±


    ¡°Qutie, can you heal Niva¡¯s arms and legs? Can you bring them back? Your healing magic is super powerful.¡±


    ¡°I could if the loss was recent,¡± I answered Ami.


    ¡°I somehow doubt that,¡± said Mary. ¡°Niva seems like she¡¯s used to them.¡±


    ¡°The girl does hold some mastery over them,¡± added Melusine, her voice soft and low. ¡°It¡¯s most likely been too long. I¡¯m certain there are spells to bring them back, but we don¡¯t know them.¡±


    <i>Is that a failure on my part? I wish I had more healing tomes.</i>


    <hr>


    Tris prepared dinner after Lord Springfield and her entourage returned. The topic turned to us, and after talking, Lord Springfield retrieved her flute and yed a melody as Elly sang. The idol danced, and Melusine and Tilde joined in before supper was served.


    ¡°So¡­ You use dancing to exercise?¡± Lord Springfield asked during dinner. We all had steak and potatoes. As a High Elf, she couldn¡¯t have meat, so she ate a te of greens and a bowl of corn.


    ¡°Totally. The best way to stay in shape is to move. And why not do something extra fun?¡± Elly replied. ¡°We also work out in the mornings. Push-ups, sit-ups, that type of thing."


    ¡°Even Soul Warriors need to train their bodies,¡± I added.


    "Master? Remember the stuff you made on the boat? Can I¡ª"


    ¡°I was thinking the same thing. It¡¯s fine. Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Sweet! Thank you!¡±


    After dinner, Tilde took us to a wide-open room on the second floor. Lord Springfield raised her flute to her lips and yed a soft melody as¡­a wooden gym materialized? It¡­ honestly looked like what you¡¯d find inside an actual gym¡ªfilled with strength machines, dumbbells, barbells, weight tes, and even a treadmill!


    ¡°Another surprise, Master?!¡±


    ¡°You can thank Tris for the inspiration behind [Wooden Gym]. Yes. We could¡¯ve told you, but your expression was worth it.¡±


    ¡°Awesome! Anyway¡­ Ta-da!!! It¡¯s my own gym! You guys are free to use it, right?¡± Tilde looked at her Master. She covered her mouth and lightlyughed.


    Tilde, Ami, Elly, Greggie, and Melusine enjoyed an evening workout with Niva and Primrose.


    The prosthetics-wearing girl put her all into it and asked for help to improve her form, which Ami dly offered. She assisted Primrose, too, although a spirit like her technically didn¡¯t need to strengthen her body via this method.


    I guess she didn¡¯t want to be left out.


    Everyone else returned to the living room. ¡°I¡¯m aware of spell crafting, but I¡¯ve never encountered anything like that.¡±


    ¡°Imagination is crucial, Que, in magic. It is not enough to ask the mana. It¡¯s about giving the mana the inventive qualities to do what you require of it. Precision is important. Too much, however, will dilute your request. Even still, being too broad will inte the mana cost. [Wooden Gym] consists of over a dozen individual spells linked together. It enables one to keep the scope within a predetermined limit while allowing the addition or removal of individual spells with minimal issues. Its modr nature is its benefit."


    ¡°How very interesting¡­ Oh, Lord Springfield?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I have a proposal. It¡¯s about Niva and her prosthetics¡­¡± I brought up Keeth¡¯s suggestion.


    Lord Springfield was taken aback, and she was more surprised than anything. ¡°Is such a thing really possible?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t wish to make any promises, but my initial experiments were sessful,¡± added Keeth. ¡°I grafted Ami¡¯s skin to cover a small cut like an organic bandage, so the theory¡¯s sound.¡±


    ¡°The overall nerve structure of humans, elves, ogres, oni, and beastfolk are mostly simr when ounting for their limbs. It differs when you add horns, tails, wings, or scales, but I have already produced a nerve schematic.¡± Tris summoned a book from nowhere and showed various drawings of Niva¡¯s central and peripheral nervous systems. ¡°As I¡¯ve said, information is my forte,¡± added the Lionfolk when she saw my expression.


    This woman¡­felt like she had an answer for everything. Just how far did her knowledge extend? I knew books and education in this world didn¡¯te close to our world, so her sharp mind was almost on the border of frightening.


    ¡°For this to work, the nerves must be pulled into pathways we drill in the prosthetics and ensure they¡¯re properly connected. Luckily, Niva still has biological limbs we can reference. My lord, shall I go to Enap¡¯s workshop and request the appropriate tools?¡±


    ¡°A moment. Keeth.¡±


    ¡°Ye¡ªYes, Lord Springfield?¡± Lord Springfield¡¯s eyes turned stern.


    ¡°While I thank you for offering to do this, you must know that this has not been done before. At least, not that I am aware of. Mythril is not something I have a lot of. If this doesn¡¯t work¡­¡±


    ¡°We have the necessary materials to recreate what Niva already has. I will pay Enap double and apologize to him for ruining his work. I cannot lie and give you a guarantee that this will work, but I have faith in my abilities. Lord Springfield, modeling¡­is all I¡¯ve ever known. If there¡¯s one thing in this world that I can be proud of, it¡¯s the sole skill given to me by my Soul Crystal. Please permit me to try.¡±


    Lord Springfield remained silent. She possibly pondered the chances and internally argued if the risks were worth it. I didn¡¯t know how many Soul Warriors she had met or if she had any negative experiences with them. I did, however, know that Niva was important to her. If she wasn¡¯t, then why did she call her M? Nicknames were exclusive for those you were close to.


    ¡°Very well. The final decision lies with Niva. I shall ask her tonight, and we shall continue this discussion in the morning. If she agrees, Tris will offer her assistance. She¡¯s far more knowledgeable than I, so heed her words well.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Lord Springfield.¡±


    I told her I knew spells to induce general anesthesia, and she asked if I could control their strength, and I nodded. That seemed to impress her.


    From there, the topic switched to her firearms and her fascination with them because Lord Springfield didn¡¯t wish to speak about herself at this time.


    A curious thought entered my mind.


    Her guns¡­ Their names were the same as the ones in the world we came from.


    And Greggie and Keeth had said speaking to her was familiar. It was the first time they felt something simr.


    Shuuta was dead. There was no way he reincarnated as Lord Springfield.


    The void destroyed his soul.


    Why did I get this odd feeling? Miracles didn¡¯t exist. Even if they did, why would one bless me? And Shuuta would hate me. I¡¯d failed him in that trial.


    Will had once said he wanted to reverse engineer the void with his unique skills and recreate Shuuta, but that wouldn¡¯t happen. His new family had died in the Junsa attack, and he¡¯d been a walking zombie ever since. He wasn¡¯t vocal. He barely even walked without Lilith¡¯s assistance and had given up on life, much to Meruria¡¯s distaste.


    I still hated him. I¡¯d never forgive him. Nothing would ever, ever change that.


    <hr>


    When the sunset came, Lord Springfield suggested we rest up for the night, so we went to the rooms prepared for us. The ce was beautiful. It eclipsed Meruria''s mansion for us because I felt something... warm and longing within the bed and furniture.


    After rxing for a few minutes, I took to the desk and wrote in my journal, penning my thoughts about the day.


    <i>¡­I¡¯m afraid of the two of them meeting. Lord Springfield embodies kindness¡ªRemy harbors an ugly soul. Their personalities would sh like water on a grease fire. It feels like a fight would be inevitable.</i>


    <i>Remy¡¯s undoubtedly the stronger of the two, yetI don¡¯t think Lord Springfield¡¯s weak since she¡¯s over 1,000 years old.A fight would end with Aetos Vige, the Eagle Yew, and surrounding forests being destroyed.</i>


    <i>That would raise concerns with Holy Lord Gloria. Another war would be on the horizon since we¡¯re here without her acknowledgment.</i>


    <i>With Remy being absent, this does feel like a vacation. I don¡¯t have to constantly be on edge since Lord Springfield and her allies aren¡¯t what I had expected.</i>


    <i>It still feels weird being treated with even a modicum of respect. I really enjoyed my conversation with Tris and wished it would¡¯ve continued.</i>


    <i>Was it a mistake to speak so negatively about Meruria? She expects it from us, right? I¡¯m sure she realized this was likely, so she had to have ounted for it. Maybe that¡¯s why Remy¡¯s here?</i>


    <i>Then again, rumors about Meruria were well known. It seems Tris harbors distaste for her, so lying about Meruria¡¯s ¡®greatness¡¯ would have put her on guard.</i>


    <i>Maybe the best case would be Lord Springfield refusing after Remy shows up. She could bring up the rumors and exin that they¡¯re the reason why she declines to meet Meruria. It¡¯d be nice to have that thrown back into their ugly faces. I doubt Remy would do anything to her.</i>


    <i>On the boat ride, Remy had said Vredis were like an endangered species. Very few, if any, males were alive, but that didn¡¯t matter. You couldn¡¯t give birth to High Elves with the Vredi surname if Vredi Forest was destroyed. Lord Springfield was unique in her twost names, which made her special. She knew Lord Enele and another surviving Vredi, so powerful forces were protecting her, plus whoever she had from the Springfield Forest.</i>


    <i>I hope Niva agrees to the operation. Since she¡¯s a mage, having feelings in her limbs would grant her greater mastery over mana. She would only grow from here as a spirit summoner.</i>


    <i>Will tonight be any different? Will the nightmares continue toe?</i>


    <i>Shadow Que¡­ I should be thankful that monster only chases me at night. I prefer that to the Fake Que. The one who was always around the corner.</i>


    <i>Maybe¡­ Can I trick myself? That would be okay, right?</i>


    <i>I could pretend Lord Springfield is actually Shuuta, then infer that kindness ising from him.</i>


    <i>No. That¡¯s dumb.</i>


    <i>Still... It won¡¯t hurt to try, right?</i>


    I wanted to write more, but¡­


    I was just tired. And exhausted. The day hadn¡¯t gone like I had thought it would.


    I entered the bathroom after closing and storing my diary.


    The faucet worked like the ones from our world, and I had a bath ready in a few minutes.


    Rxation came to me quicker than I thought. The warmth ravaged me like an angry barbarian, striking my tense shoulders and killing the tightness surrounding my neck.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ Something is going to happen,¡± I whispered, lifting a hand up. Water dripped from my fingers. ¡°It always does¡­ How childish do I have to be to even consider the possibility that¡­we can break free from Meruria? Even if it¡¯s a non-existent future¡­ I can still dream about it, right?¡±


    I was afraid of how things would progress once we left. Fake Que would re-emerge. She¡¯d rear her ugly head and be a sacrifice to save me from doing something truly horrific.


    I sighed and rxed until the water turned cold, then put my clothes back on. I had nightgowns and sleeping attire, exceptI had never worn them. I preferred to sleep in my equipment, although¡­


    I didn¡¯t appear in my nightmare when I closed my eyes.


    It wasn¡¯t paradise.


    It was¡­nothing.


    Empty void. No color. No sound. Just me¡­drifting through a vast expanse of¡­


    Nothingness.


    And I had never felt anything soforting before¡­


    If I had to lie to myself¡­to sleep like this¡­


    Then I¡¯d lie to myself every night.


    <hr>


    Tilde had said it wouldn¡¯t be easy to reconfigure my mind to not think about revenge when I saw them. It was a lengthy process¡­ One that didn¡¯t feel right.


    I felt <i>something</i> every time I saw them¡­because even an idiot would¡¯ve realized they wouldn¡¯t have been the only ones to have changed.


    Greggie had lost so much weight that he lookedpletely different. His face had hardened from the bullshit Meruria forced him to endure.


    He appeared more confident, and that extended to Keeth more than anything. Before this, he never would¡¯ve taken the initiative and mentioned an insane project like fusing nerves to mythril prosthetics-- much less look at someone like me in the eye with that expression of hardened determination.


    Elly seemed wiser and less bubbly. Tris deduced she was romantically involved with Keeth when we were out of the mansion based on their non-verbal actions toward each other. Ami was just as bubbly and full of smiles, if not more so.


    Que¡­


    I kept reading her diary. Her raw emotions¡­ I had felt them. The pain she suffered¡­ The brutal, visceral descriptions of the horrid nightmares¡­ The opposing Que that was birthed from the senseless murders Meruria and Remy forced on her¡ªthe one who held her regrets¡­


    Even if she had substituted that Fake Que for this Shadow Que who only haunted her dreams¡­


    She didn¡¯t kill herself. She had thought about it more than I could count, yet she never went through with it.


    Her prowess as a mage was¡­just incredible. Tris, however, saw a weakness. If someone used a debuff to prevent her from speaking, then she¡¯d be fucked unless she used magic circles. Tilde said most enemies worth their salt would have ways to counter that through water magic or arrows.


    Mary¡¯s secret¡­ That teacher had written why she failed to stand up to Damon and Tokko on the ne.


    She regretted it. She had felt like she didn¡¯t belong to anything because of the circumstances behind her birth. Her life was decided from the beginning. Something was off, though. Tris¡¯s [Deduction] picked up on everything, except Mary¡¯s detailed biological report didn¡¯t show anything resembling advanced aging. Her telomeres weren¡¯t shortening faster than Que¡¯s. And there should¡¯ve been some remnants of those pills before that chimera had devoured them.


    I knew Meruria had used [Conferment] on Mary from Que¡¯s diary. Tris¡¯s [Deduction] should¡¯ve picked up what she altered if it ¡®injured¡¯ any part of Mary¡¯s body.


    And it didn¡¯t. Unless [Conferment] could be masked, Mary was healthy without any underlying issues.


    I...


    I had difficulty following the script Tris had written for me before I needed to screw off and vent my unsettling emotions. It wasn¡¯t just to give Que and her team a chance to discuss things when we weren¡¯t there.


    I couldn¡¯t take it.


    And I knew what that said about me.


    It waste at night, and I was in the master bedroom with the others. Niva formed a woond shield from her staff¡¯s tip and blocked the water droplets I flicked in her direction. Lei jiggled in Primrose¡¯s arm, cheering on his best friend.


    We talked about Keeth¡¯s proposition, and Tris said it would work. She confirmed the mechanics,pared the theorized operation to how a real nerve mesh worked-- as detailed in Murag''s tomes-- and concluded Keeth''s surgery was more efficient since Niva''s genuine nerves wouldn''t have to go through an ''interpreter,'' if that made sense.


    ¡°Anyways,¡± I said. ¡°The operation is up to you.¡±


    ¡°I want to do it. I think it¡¯ll help me break those blockades you talked about earlier.¡±


    ¡°Niva¡¯s correct. She uses her staff as a tool to channel her spells. Mythril is known to be mana conductive. It¡¯s often used for elemental enchantments, which may be increased once she can use her prosthetics as biological limbs.¡±


    ¡°That gives me a few ideas¡­ M, if this works the way I think it will¡­ I think you¡¯re going to be really surprised.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait.¡±


    The topic shifted to my feelings. Niva hugged me and said she knew how ufortable I probably felt. Primrose joined. She wanted to help, but she didn¡¯t know what to say.


    That was fine. Having this support made it easier¡­


    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s time to depart for the Spiritual Grove?¡± asked Primrose.


    ¡°Oh, yeah. Aetos said he¡¯d help us.¡± Niva looked at me. ¡°What about you? We can stay here, M.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll be fine. You two should head out.¡±


    ¡°Okay. If you say so.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t overwork yourself, okay? You had a strenuous workout, and now you¡¯re doing this when you have that surgery tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Primrose and I have thought about that. We want to take it easy and ease into things, then we can increase the tempo after the procedure¡¯s finished. I mean, after the recovery period.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Oh, and be sure to get some good sleep.¡±


    ¡°We will. Good night, M. We¡¯ll see you in the morning, okay? We love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you too. Good night.¡± Primrose left with her summoner, and I copsed to the bed, sighing.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­just a big coward, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Your favorite fairy won¡¯t allow her favorite Master to talk herself down like that!¡± Tilde hopped on the bed andy beside me. ¡°You did good. Better than anyone could¡¯ve asked for. It¡¯ll get easier with time. I know how you feel. I really do. Remember what I said. You will never, ever, ever have to reveal the truth to them. And I think that¡¯s for the best. Maybe something will happen to change that, so let¡¯s leave that problem to future you, okay? Focus on the now, Master.¡±


    ¡°Is it? Tilde, I wish they had wanted me to die. I wished their diaries held dark secrets¡­about being happy a useless sack of shit like me had gotten what they deserved. Then I¡¯d be free to end their lives¡­ I¡¯d be free to put them through hell. So¡­why? Why did they¡­have to care so much about a¡ª¡±


    ¡°Stop it. Just stop, Master!¡±


    ¡°Just say it. Say it¡¯s okay for me to kill them. Just lie to me¡­¡± I leaned up and summoned my shotgun¡­ Just what kind of look did I have in my eyes? ¡°I can lead them out of the vige. Please, lie and say I can kill them. That it won¡¯t change me¡­ I can¡¯t keep acting like this. Tris, you¡¯re smart. I know you can help me use their strength better than them. I know you¡¯ve already analyzed them from head to toe. So that¡¯s another reason to kill them now. I don¡¯t need their help. Besides, I¡¯ve killed thousands. Innocents died in the Atrix Revolution. Their blood dirties my hands. So what¡¯s seven more? Seven more lives that don¡¯t matter¡­ They¡¯re going to die anyway. I can poison them. Or burn them. Or¡­ Hey, Tris? You cane up with surefire ways to kill them, right? I know you have a few dozen¡ª"


    Tilde snatched my gun and threw it away. My fairy forced me to look at her¡­


    I had made her cry.


    I felt like shit.


    Why the hell couldn¡¯t I¡­just¡­


    I wanted to forget this.


    I wanted to flood my mind with something else¡ªanything else. Just¡­anything to distract me from what I didn¡¯t want to endure.


    I swooped her in my arms andid her on the bed. She was startled, but she shook her head when I unbuttoned her clothes and moved my hands away from her bare breasts. ¡°Not like this¡­¡±


    ¡°I need something to distract me. Tilde¡­ Please¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, Master. What you¡¯re doing is unhealthy. You¡¯ll still feel worse than shit in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Then what am I supposed to do?!¡± I stomped away. ¡°I hate this feeling! I can''t handle it! I¡ªI¡­¡± I turned to the mirror¡­


    <i>They</i> were staring at me¡­


    The fools I used to be.


    The ones who were dead.


    Vines erupted from my wrist, and shards of ss rained upon the dresser.


    Tris ran in front of me and hugged me. Tilde flew from behind and wrapped her arms around my stomach.


    I just wanted to shut my mind off. How could I do that when Tilde¡¯s whimpering reminded me of my cowardliness? I let them take me to bed, and they swarmed me from both sides.


    They wouldn¡¯t let me be alone.


    ¡°How¡­much time needs to pass¡­¡± My voice was muffled in Tris¡¯s chest.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way to tell. I¡­can¡¯t understand for you, Master. I wish I could. There¡¯s never an easy way out of this.¡±


    Tris¡¯s furry, fluffy tail slithered between her legs and up my clothes, warming my thighs. ¡°No one here will judge you, my lord. Speak freely. Sometimes... The mind must hear something verbally before a query can be processed."


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Tilde¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ Please don¡¯t hate me¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll never hate you. Not in a million years¡­ I swear on it¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so lost. I thought I had killed the part that held any feelings for them. Kindness¡­ It hurts. It¡¯s tearing my heart into pieces. Why am I¡­feeling so...dull? The thought disgusts me after knowing the truth.¡±


    ¡°Let it out, Master¡­ Just let it out.¡± Tilde¡¯s soothing voice just hurt me even more.


    ¡°Sekh would hate me--¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even start down that path! Just don¡¯t!¡± Tilde raised her voice.


    It didn¡¯t have to be like that. Surtr¡¯s wise words filled my mind. He was more than just a fragment of Sekh¡¯s incredible mana. He knew what she would say¡­ He knew what actions she would take¡­


    Hating me? That would never happen. Surtr staked his pride on it.


    Tilde said she wouldn¡¯t.


    Tris maxed her processing and entered a two-hour cooldown, concluding with a single answer after looking at all the variables¡­


    Sekh. Wouldn¡¯t. Hate. Me.


    Surtr suggested asking Ichiha and the others via the lions¡¯ telepathic connection, but they had¡­other things to focus on.


    No. They¡¯d make time for me because I was family, except what could they say that I didn¡¯t already know?


    Surtr and Tris echoed what I needed to hear until after I had fallen asleep.


    And Sekh was there...


    Waiting for me in my dreams...


    It wasn¡¯t pleasant¡­ The part of me that dreaded the worst had taken root.


    I knew...Surtr¡¯s words were truthful.


    I knew Tilde was right.


    I felt Tris¡¯s heartfelt answer¡­


    But¡­


    My mind¡­was so afraid¡­and that fed the Sekh I feared the most¡­


    <hr>


    ¡°Damn it¡­¡± Tilde paced the room like an expectant father worrying about his wife in the final moments ofbor. Three nails on her left hand had been chewed on, and the fourth faced a simr fate. She thought long and hard about what to do.


    She knew what had just happened was possible, but the reaction was strong.


    Tris watched the fairy from the bed¡¯sfort. She hugged her lord from behind and never considered severing that physical connection.


    ¡°What¡­ Can we do that? Will it? No¡­ That¡¯ll make things worse¡­ Shit¡­¡± Tilde had to rectify things before they spiraled out of control. At this point, her Master was liable to ignore her advice and make a mistake.


    ¡°Look, it¡¯s not like I don¡¯t understand her,¡± she said, exasperated. She leaned against the couch and crossed her legs before hovering in ce. ¡°Come on, Tilde. Think¡­ Think¡­ Think¡­¡± The fairy closed her eyes¡­and it came to her. ¡°That¡¯s it¡­ Hey, Tris. I have a way out of this. I need your help, okay? Can you make a script¡ª¡±


    ¡°No.¡± The reply was sharp. And Tilde didn¡¯t expect it. ¡°No,¡± repeated Tris. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about what you said. There are some things our lord must endure on her own. There are obstacles she must climb alone. As much as it pains me¡­ This may be one of them. I share her feelings. At this moment in time? I wish the traitors dead. I¡¯ve imagined pushing Que to the brink of insanity by using my waypoints to make her think she¡¯s suffering from delirium. It will be so easy to paint her room full of burnt corpses. Yet I know¡­that if we want to raise our chances of fulfilling our lord¡¯s revenge¡­ We must acquire Team Que¡¯s support. Meruria¡¯s the end goal. She¡¯s the target. She must die. All paths must lead to desecrating her corpse.¡±


    ¡°And you think this is it? I¡­¡± Tilde rubbed her arm and looked ufortable.


    "I¡¯ve thought about our problem. Our lord¡¯s afraid that allying with Team Que will dull her edge. That¡¯s her biggest fear. She wishes to sharpen it with their deaths. I agree that it must be honed, but it muste from another way.¡±


    ¡°That other way is why I need that script. Tris, I¡¯ve concluded the same.¡±


    ¡°Do you think our lord to be so weak that she can¡¯t handle this?¡± Tris suddenly asked. She caught the fairy off guard by using her argument against her. ¡°Our Lord has a choice to make when she wakes. If she decides to end Que¡¯s life, I will ept it and work tirelessly to devise her death so that it does not risk Aetos Vige. Remy is an unknown, yet even she shall fall to the might our lord wields. We have trump cards, Tilde. A secret weapon not even she is aware of.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t mean¡­¡±


    ¡°I do. And now that I¡¯ve evolved? The risk is 0. I hold the bargaining chips. I grasp the reigns. I decide the terms, not it. Even a primordial spirit of ancient emotions will make a deal with the devil and agree to unagreeable demands to be spared an unyielding hell. Do not tell our lord. I never n to use that <i>thing </i>if it can be helped, and her mind cannot be upied by unnecessary worries.¡± Tris rubbed her lord¡¯s soft hair and kissed her head. ¡°I have the utmost faith in her. And I will follow whatever path she chooses. I expect you to do the same, Tilde. We can advise our lord¡ªthat is all. She must make the choices, and we must see them through. Do not forget where your loyalty lies.¡±


    ¡°You still hate them that much?¡±


    ¡°As of now? Yes. I do.¡±


    ¡°The surgery won¡¯t change your opinion?¡±


    ¡°Why would it? Keeth is replicating a nerve mesh. It¡¯s not a matter of if we find one. It¡¯s when. It¡¯s elerating the inevitable. If nothing else, I am confident I could create one should we discover a nerve mesh''s construction method. Even still...I cannot deny a spark of happiness. Niva¡¯s close to obtaining what was so cruelly stolen away far sooner than I anticipated. I¡­am filled with something strange that is not ufortable. The most ignorant are the most stubborn, clinging to their beliefs because new information shes with their internal biases. What I know to be true, what I wish to be true, what I think to be true, and what I feel¡­ I must investigate further.¡±


    <i>You¡¯re growing well. I¡¯m so proud of you, Little Miss AI.</i>


    ¡°I¡­ Okay, Tris. Okay. You win.¡± Tilde flew to the bed and hugged her Master from the front. Together, she and Tris supported the one they loved. ¡°You know best, right?¡± The fairy smiled.


    ¡°Believe in our lord, Tilde. Or believe in the me who believes in her.¡±


    ¡°Okay, now you¡¯re just being cocky.¡±


    Tris cracked a grin. ¡°I wonder where I learned that from? It couldn¡¯t have been from this scious fairy.¡±


    ¡°Oh, now you can make jokes?¡±


    ¡°And I can also lighten the atmosphere.¡± The tension was gone¡ªjust like that. And Tilde felt¡­confident.

 Chapter Ninety-Five: Sharpening Resolve – Part Three

    Chapter Ny-Five: Sharpening Resolve ¨C Part Three


    The nightmares didn¡¯te, and I had a decent night¡¯s rest for the first time sinceing here. That feeling¡­I had forgotten it¡­ It was foreign¡ªnot ufortable.


    Something smelled delicious, so I walked downstairs to find a bountiful disy of gorgeous deliciousness and asked the chef what had happened.


    Greggie had worked for two hours to make a beautiful, High Elf-friendly breakfast. He had gotten the idea from Tris during his early morning workout with Elly and Ami.


    The master of the house didn¡¯t descend for another thirty minutes. I partly wondered if she wanted to believe what her nose had smelled since she was utterly shocked by what she saw.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± Lord Springfield shed a few tears as she pinched a vegetarian dip between bread and ate it. ¡°Delicious¡­ It¡¯s incredible...¡± She turned to her allies and told them to try it.


    "Aha! Greggie can make yummy things without his Soul Warrior abilities," said Ami, patting him on the back. "His abilities really make his food a home run."


    "It''s filled with mana to increase your magic capabilities,¡± he said, taking off the apron and chef¡¯s hat.


    So, breakfast was a hit. Niva, however, couldn¡¯t eat anything because of the impending surgery. Lord Springfield wasn¡¯t upset when I told her the risks of general anesthesia.


    ¡°Umm¡­ How long will it take?¡± asked the powder blue cyclops with light purple scales. Niva''s [Mana Perception] eye stared at us with unwavering bravery.


    ¡°At least three hours, not including preparation,¡± replied Tris, who had pulled out documents concerning the optimal path her nerves needed to follow. Primrose removed Niva''s prosthetics, and Tris used illusion magic. "You must use your abilities to create corridors along these paths to the specified thickness."


    I understand." Keeth activated his skill and touched the prosthetic foot, although it would take a while since he needed to be extremely precise. Keeth measured the light beams Tris had madewith a ruler and found them even more punctilious.


    "I think I''ll go for a little walk around the vige," said Lord Springfield.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea! Master, I¡¯lle get ya when it¡¯s time.¡± Tilde shed a wink.


    ¡°Que?¡± Lord Springfield looked my way. ¡°Care to apany me?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind,¡± I replied, nodding. We left the mansion, walked to the vige square, and encountered Lei. The slime was ying with a few spirits and happily bounced over. It curled around Lord Springfield¡¯s legs and danced on her head before wobbling away.


    It was cute.


    From there, we walked into the forest and wandered around. Lord Springfield was mostly silent- like she didn''t know what to say. ¡°What does forgiveness mean to you?¡± she suddenly asked.


    I reflected for a moment, considering the weight of her question. "Forgiveness, to me, is a release from resentment¡¯s burden. It¡¯s a choice to let go of the hurt and embrace understanding."


    ¡°At what point is forgiveness possible?¡±


    "When one is ready to acknowledge the pain, understand the motives, and open their heart to the possibility of healing, even in the face of past wrongs."


    ¡°Is that what you believe?¡±


    ¡°To me, there are different levels to forgiveness. I can forgive someone for adding milk to my coffee when I didn¡¯t want it. Or if someone pushes me because they weren¡¯t looking? I can shrug that off. Some things can¡¯t be forgiven, though.¡±


    "I see... Theorize this hypothetical. In the ancient Vredi Forest, picture a High Elf, neither beautiful nor smart, longing for a life of her choosing. Her family''s cruelty led to a harrowing existence¡ªsold, beaten, discarded. Could you forgive them?"


    "No."


    ¡°Consider another scenario: A High Elf, condemned to death, faced emunication and a ndestine experiment. Her peers, manipted by a biased, despicable queen, deemed her unworthy of life for a crime she nevermitted¡ªfor refusing to live how the world wished for her to live even after fate had intervened. Upon awakening, bitterness consumed her. The air around her crackled with the acrid scent of despair, and the taste of betrayal lingered on her tongue. Initially driven by a thirst for revenge against those who orchestrated her fate, she uncovered the truth¡ªa maniption of her peers¡¯ judgments by those in power.¡±


    Lord Springfield¡¯s gaze stretched across the deste expanse of mncholic decay. Her eyes, mirrors of the haunted forest, fixated on the dead ins before her. The skeletal remains of trees, now mere silhouettes of their former selves, stood as monuments to the passage of time and the relentless grip of decay.


    As the wind whispered through the lifeless branches, ament for the vibrant past, Lord Springfield¡¯s tears mingled with the echoes of the forest¡¯s demise. Each drop seemed to carry the weight of lost vitality, tracing down her cheeks like liquid sorrow. The leaves, now brittle and lifeless, drifted downward in a macabre dance¡ªsymbols of a once-thriving ecosystem now reduced to a haunting, silent symphony of deterioration.


    Her story and Shuuta¡¯s were too alike to be a coincidence...


    <i>No. Lord Springfield can¡¯t be him. It¡¯s impossible. Miracles don¡¯t exist. They never did. It must be a coincidence¡­ If it¡¯s not, then Shuuta would¡¯ve killed us¡­ Besides, bribery, trickery, and maniption have existed since the beginning. History repeats in a cycle. Mistakes and events of the past will alwayse around.</i>


    ¡°What should the High Elf do with that anger when it has been all she had ever known? When it was the guiding light in the fleeting fathom of darkness that kept her sane? The taste of bitterness lingers on her tongue as a constant reminder of her betrayed trust. When the power she now wields can be traced to that defining moment to let wrath into her heart? When that desire beget the strongest ally in the world to join her cause? The weight of her decisions presses on her shoulders, a tangible burden she carries through the decaying forest. Is it not deserved? Does knowing the truth eonster¡­equate to everything she felt being a lie? The air, thick with the scent of decay, seems to stifle her as she grapples with the shattered illusions of her past. When something is¡­all you have ever known¡­how does the High Elf face the truth when she doesn¡¯t want to believe it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a daunting process, for sure. The High Elf must navigate thebyrinth of her emotions, transcending the anger that once defined her, to forge a new understanding and emerge from the shadows of deception. The crunch of brittle leaves beneath her every step mirrors the fragility of her resolve. That is easier said than done.¡±


    ¡°Does it make her a coward if she wants to choose deception over reality?¡±


    ¡°Possibly. It¡¯s a defense mechanism that exists to protect her. The truth can be frightening. Even if the High Elf¡¯s peers¡¯ actions were manipted by a higher being, the emotions were true to her. The distant howl of the wind seems to echo the turmoil within her. Those emotions cannot be denied. To deny them would mean betraying who you used to be. One¡¯s ego can be fragile. It is what defines us. It¡¯s our ¡®self.¡¯ However, I¡­believe the High Elf would need to ept it eventually. She can still rely on her prior bias to help her, but I believe that¡¯s all it can do¡ªbe a source of inspiration that dwindles every time it is used.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Lord Springfield remained quiet and lost in deep thought.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you were wronged,¡± I added.


    Lord Springfield chuckled. ¡°Is it that obvious? I was never one for subtlety. I¡¯m not as smart as I appear to be. I¡¯m not as wise as the other High Elves. I feel...like I was never meant to be what I am. I try to fit in. I try to be what others perceive me to be. Tell me. How do you live as something you have no experience in? A thousand years is a blink to an elf like me, yet when you were trapped within a dark stasis for most of it... I feel more like an oni...¡± Lord Springfield¡¯s eyes glimmered like sparkles as she spoke about her adopted family. This Ichiha was a wonderful woman. Kokan sounded like a devoted father with a big heart. Irisa... If she was even ten percent as friendly as Lord Springfield made her out to be, I¡¯d like to meet her and her positiveness. Erin sounded just adorable.


    Tilde, Tris, and a Lionfolk named Sekh had been with her since the beginning. Sekh was severely injured, but Lord Aetos promised to heal her after the transnt.


    ¡°It seems like your anger has led them into your life. Even if the hatred was born from false premises, the bonds you¡¯ve forged with them cannot be anything less than resolute. I can tell from your words that you care for them very much.¡±


    ¡°I do. Without my loved ones... I fear...I would¡¯ve be something the world would recoil from. It¡¯s ironic. If I had this power back then... I wouldn¡¯t have endured that hell. Yet I wouldn¡¯t have met the ones I¡¯vee to cherish. The suffering... It may sound weird, but without it? I wouldn¡¯t be here. You probably wouldn¡¯t be conversing with me. Tris is adept at reading between the lines. She holds more wisdom than even the wisest High Elves-- the ones who can trace their memories back to 10,000 years. You¡¯ve suffered at the hands of your summoner. Forgive me for asking this... Do you ever see a series of events that...would have made you appreciate what you endured? Is the pain you¡¯re now experiencing worth it for this hypothetical future that may note to pass?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve been forced tomit unspeakable acts against my will to protect those I care about. I can still see their crying faces... I still hear their cries and moans...and smell the burning flesh of lives that shouldn¡¯t have been snuffed out. Those vivid images will never leave me for as long as I draw breath.¡±


    <i>Why am I being so open with her? It¡­feels right.</i>


    ¡°Another question. Do you think you can forgive yourself?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that can happen,¡± I confessed. If Lord Springfield was being this open...I had to do the same. ¡°I will state that I¡¯m d I¡¯m here. Last night... The nightmares didn¡¯te. It¡¯s been over 230 days since we were summoned, and not a single night has been free from mental anguish until now.¡±


    Lord Springfield retrieved her flute and yed a naturalistic melody. Fragments of light broke from her skin and danced to the ground, where the dead grass returned to life. It spread to the trees, which regained their luster. I didn¡¯t need [Mana Perception] to know this was an illusion. ¡°If only you could¡¯ve seen it in its prime. It was truly a forest without an equal. Yet I still don¡¯t know why it was burned down. Aetos Vige is a mere recreation. A copy cannot be as true as the original... I know that...more than anyone.¡± Lord Springfield¡¯s voice continued to flow as she yed.


    ¡°In my eyes...¡± I chose my words carefully. ¡°You depended on your anger to endure the darkness, but you¡¯re not in there anymore. You don¡¯t need it to remain sane or focused. It may still be your greatest source of strength, exceptyou don¡¯t need to let it define you.¡±


    Lord Springfield smiled softly and said, ¡°Thank you for listening to me. It means a lot. I was at a lossst night, but dawn seems to be approaching."


    <i>She really is a kind-hearted soul...</i>


    ¡°May I ask one more question?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯ll forgive me for my intrusion¡­ Your nightmares¡­ How do you handle them?¡± Lord Springfield exined that she feared Sekh would hate her since they had shared a mutual revenge for the same group of people. However, now that new knowledge hade to light¡­ She didn¡¯t want to disappoint Sekh.


    Lord Springfield knew the worry was unfounded. Surtr was originally Sekh¡¯s spirit. He held a connection with his summoner deeper than any other spirit. Tris and Tilde knew exactly how Sekh would respond and what her actions would be. They had reassured Lord Springfieldst night, but she said the torment still came. ¡°It¡¯s taking all I have¡­ to hold it together. What can you do when you know the truth and still fear the opposite? Does that make sense?¡±


    <i>She¡¯s¡­really struggling¡­</i>


    ¡°Emotions are irrational. Fear has ways of creeping into your subconsciousness. It¡¯s never a good feeling. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m not the best person to help you, although¡­perhaps it¡¯ll help if you reminisce about the good memories you shared with her? I¡¯m willing to lend an ear if you need it, Lord Springfield. Let your past experiences¡ªthe ones you can verify¡ªoverwrite your dread. I cannot promise it will be easy. Still, I can tell you care deeply for Sekh. And I know she carries the same fondness for you.¡±


    ¡°Sekh¡­¡± Lord Springfield began and recanted a dozen stories as we walked through the forest. I remained silent and let her speak¡­ I didn¡¯t judge her for the tears she shed when Sekh almost died to save her from spiders and goblins when they were still weak¡­


    Her voice had started meek, but I loved how it grew intensively with each tale. I was d this was helping her¡­ I really was...


    <i>I hope you¡¯ll be reunited with her soon.</i>


    "I said dawn ising. Chaos will foreshadow it. I cannot forgive the ones responsible for...what happened to me. They will die. I will kill them. And I will have my revenge. My enemies will rue the day they did this to me. Standing over their corpses will be my greatest feat."


    "Your enemies, huh?" I looked out at the forest. "May your revenge be swift, Lord Springfield. Maybe... Maybe I can have mine one day. I have plenty I wish to kill."


    She smiled. "Then may yours be swift as well, Que. This world is cruel and beautiful. You can find worth in the hidden shadows, and you can find disgust front and center. Maybe I need to hear it myself. Once isn''t enough. Twice isn''t. It may be a mantra I repeat each morning to remind myself of what I''m fighting for. Lyudm Vredi Springfield will kill her enemies. And she won''t ever stop progressing towards that goal until her enemies lie bloodied and defeated at her feet. Does that make me mad?¡±


    ¡°I think it makes you determined, Lord Springfield.¡±


    ¡°Determined? I suppose so. I shall never deny the mes that kept me going in the darkest night. I will never betray them because it means betraying myself. And I can¡¯t do that. Don¡¯t I owe it to my spirit and body to fulfill their wishes? They¡¯re as much me as myself. Together, we make up Lyudm Vredi Springfield. That¡¯s an identity I¡¯vee to cherish. And I cannot splotch it with the ink of failure.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Que, I¡¯ve never been true to myself for most of my years. Maybe the presence of someone like you is what I needed. You¡¯ve heard my vow. And you¡¯ve heard my deration. If nothing else, you¡¯ve witnessed my resolve. If¡­I ever stray from my path, can I trust you, as someone who¡¯s obviously been harmed by this cruel world, to guide me back?¡±


    This stuff happened in fiction and involved helping the protagonist recover from the path of wanton vengeance. Was she asking me the opposite?


    ¡°You must think me to be crazy. Asking to be escorted back on a path filled with bodies I¡¯ll use to fertilize this bountiful nature and fuel my resolve.¡±


    ¡°Maybe if I was just summoned. My heart¡¯s be numb to death and killing. I sometimes think I¡¯m crazy. Maybe...¡± I looked up at the sky and¡­smiled. ¡°Maybe the crazy ones are the ones who survive. Maybe we have the advantage.¡±


    <i>Seriously¡­ Talking to her is¡­ It just feels so right.</i>


    ¡°Hahaha!¡± Lord Springfieldughed, and I knew the pressure weighing heavily on her heart had been eliminated. ¡°Then shall I do the same for you?¡±


    ¡°If you wouldn¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°Not at all, Que. Not at all. Shall we return to the mansion?¡± I nodded, and we left the forest, running into Tilde as she closed the door.


    She was about to fetch us. She said things were ready, and we entered and proceeded to the primary atrium to learn it had been turned into an operating room. Surtr stood on the floor above us, looking out over the balcony. We had to dress in hospital scrubs and wash our hands thoroughly before entering past the curtains.


    Niva was sitting on a white bed. Her prosthetics were on a nearby table. She looked nervous as she gripped her wooden staff.


    Keeth and Tris intelligently conversed as he crafted scalpels and other tools.


    ¡°You can still say no,¡± said Lord Springfield. ¡°This isn¡¯t something you¡¯re forced to do.¡±


    ¡°I... I¡¯m nervous. I¡¯m even scared, M. Even still... I want to go through with this! I can handle it!¡± Niva¡¯s eye shed with determinism. I saw a shiver, though. Hell, it was hard to find someone who wasn¡¯t scared the immediate moment before they went under the knife.


    ¡°Okay. Go ahead andy down. Here, I¡¯ll hold onto your staff.¡± Niva handed it to Lord Springfield, and the High Elf¡ªmy rade in craziness¡¯-- turned to me. ¡°It¡¯s your time to shine, Que.¡±


    I nodded and used a spell to guide Niva to a deep slumber. Kneeling, I focused on keeping her on the border of awake and dream¡ªleaning slightly towards thetter. To be safe and sound, I had my most powerful healing spells etched into magic circles I had carved around the bed.


    Keeth took a deep breath, looked at Lord Springfield, picked up the scalpel, and made the initial incision, starting a lengthy surgery that had never been done.


    <hr>


    It took five hours and a dozen mana potions, but the work was done.


    Niva¡¯s nerves had been stretched through the passageways Keeth had molded into the prosthetics, and although it felt like metal...


    It was undoubtedly just as sensitive as her biological limbs.


    Immediately after she woke, I used my healing magic to cure any difort, then used a spell to dull any pain she may have felt.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ M, I¡­.I can feel it¡­¡± Niva lifted her mythril arm and moved the fingers. Tears streamed from her eye. She touched her cheeks and scales, then gently took Lord Springfield¡¯s hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m d,¡± she replied, helping Niva sit. Keeth and Tris returned after Lord Springfield called for them, and those two gave her a quick medical exam. Mary offered her expertise. She had medicinal knowledge from her time in our world and brought up aspects I hadn¡¯t considered.


    We watched as Niva walked around the atrium. She was slow at first. Mythril was lighter and superior to flesh and scale, so she was lopsided¡ªeven more than before the pseudo-nerve mesh was applied.


    The Lizardfolk-cyclops proudly raised her wooden staff and channeled [Woond Shield]. The mana fluttered down its handle, fusing her weapon onto her mythril arm, where it turned brown. The spell had used both as catalysts and reced her fists.


    ¡°Is this the idea you had?¡±


    ¡°It is, M. I don¡¯t have to use the staff, though.¡± Niva¡¯s arm returned to normal. She held her weapon with her biological hand and channeled [Vine Maniption] through her prosthetic. A bunch sprouted off her forearm. A few formed a hook and stretched to the second-floor balcony. It constricted, pulling her up with it, yet it snapped like stic. Lord Springfield jumped and caught her in her arms and told her to be gentler.


    Niva meekly apologized, blushing like a slightly ripened tomato. Tilde pped her wings and said it was time to celebrate! She asked Greggie if he could cook something, and he was more than willing. This was what he loved the most. He rolled up his sleeves and said he had the perfect meal in mind. Tris, Primrose, and Tilde offered their assistance in the kitchen.


    Lord Springfield invited the rest of us to the backyard. ¡°I¡¯ve been wanting to do this for a while,¡± she said, summoning a pistol for Niva to hold. It looked like a Beretta. She went through a lecture on firearm safety and began tossing pots and pans that just¡­manifested into existence.


    She looked behind and was happy to teach us how to shoot. She had a shotgun and an automatic rifle that Greggie had mentioned was supposed to be just a prototype. I believed he said it was Italian, althoughmy knowledge of them didn¡¯t extend past knowing how they worked.


    Melusine was nervous. The recoil frightened her so much that she dropped the weapon. It ttered against the ground before Lord Springfield summoned it to her hip¡ªevery gun was linked to her mana. ¡°It can be scary, but it won¡¯t hurt you,¡± she said. Melusine was hesitant, but she tried again.


    And she apologized and said this wasn¡¯t for her, and Lord Springfield respected that. Elly recalled that she spun a fake revolver in a music video. Ami said she had gone shooting in Mexico, and Keeth had molded quite a few aftering here.


    I liked the lever-action rifle the best. Holding it¡­ Feeling how much care went into its elegant construction¡­


    I knew why Shuuta had loved them so much.


    Lord Springfield also produced ear protection, and we spent the rest of the time until dinner shooting at the objects she tossed into the air.


    A couple of her hands had silencers. I knew those were often misconstrued to entirely eliminate a gun¡¯s noise, but¡­I couldn¡¯t hear anything when she pulled the trigger. It was more silent than readying and loosening an arrow.


    Even breathing was a dozen times louder. Perhaps the trigger would¡¯ve cried if it was rusty, but it was meticulously maintained and polished to a sheen.


    <i>Meruria was lying to us about that, huh? I bet she¡¯s never told a single truth in her miserable existence.</i>


    We chatted over tea and coffee after enjoying a delicious, masterful feast until it waste. Niva said she felt sleepy and tried to wipe her eye and identally bonked herself. She followed Lord Springfield¡¯s advice and went to bed early with Primrose after beingescorted her to her bedroom.


    ¡°We received a message from Aello,¡± said Tris. ¡°Sathtshas will be recreated tomorrow morning.¡±


    We again offered our assistance. Lord Springfield returned, but she remarked that we needed to rest, so it was time to resign to our rooms. She asked me to remain, and Lord Springfield thanked me again for our talk in the forest.


    Receiving her gratitude¡­ It felt like it was above me. Acting or saying something like that would be disrespectful, so I didn''t.


    "I''m happy to discuss things with you, Lord Springfield. I believe our talk bore fruit for me, too," I replied.


    She left me with a mncholy smile. Was she perhaps thinking of her past?


    She didn¡¯t reveal much of her past before meeting Sekh, Tilde, Tris, or her adoptive family, but my mind filled the nks. I wouldn¡¯t dare dream of asking her to recant the explicit horrors and depraved fate she had endured back then.


    Lord Springfield was far too kind to recall that.


    I wrote about her and my mental picture of Sekh in my diary until the yawns couldn¡¯t be ignored. The soft, fluffy pillows called my name, and it, again, pulled me to that fathomless void.


    It wasn¡¯t dark.


    It wasn¡¯t warm.


    It was¡­just something that existed. It was neither beneficial nor harmful.

 Chapter Ninety-Five: Sharpening Resolve – Part Four

    Chapter Ny-Five: Sharpening Resolve ¨C Part Four


    I¡¯d been lying in bed for an hour with an overactive and anxious mind.


    I turned to the left. Primrose hugged me from behind¡ªshe usually did that when I struggled to fall asleep, but it didn¡¯t work. I rolled over and faced her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she whispered, rubbing my sensitive new hand.


    ¡°I can¡¯t sleep,¡± I replied. ¡°I was so tired a while ago, yet I can¡¯t settle down.¡±


    ¡°Are you worried about Lord Springfield?¡±


    "A little, I guess. She looked better after returning from her walk, but we didn¡¯t have a chance to talk that much. I was focused too much on my¡­¡± I gestured to my prosthetics. It felt so weird to have feelings in my limbs. It was unfamiliar, not ufortable.¡°Do you think she¡¯s still up?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s only one way to find out. Shall we depart for her room?¡±


    I nodded and threw on my robe after getting out of bed. I loved it so much. It was a precious gift from M-- even if it originated from those siblings who caused that monster train incident. Primrose used her magic to form a nightgown of vines around her body, and we quietly left after Lei hopped on my head.


    We¡¯d been staying in By¡¯s room, although, from what I gathered, she often slept with Murag and his other wives in Susize¡¯s master bedroom. I didn¡¯t know much about her, but M had said she was the melee powerhouse of her team. By was a former queen who had lost everything she cared for before finding reasons to live. And I was the same. For her? It was meeting Amos and bing his Soul Warrior. For me? It was meeting M and bing her friend.


    I was about to knock when Tris opened the door.


    <i>She probably saw us walking down the hall with [Skyview].</i>


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± she asked.


    ¡°We couldn¡¯t sleep. Is M awake?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not. Hmm... I sense a restless heart. Please,e in.¡±


    ¡°Is that okay? I don¡¯t want to wake her. She has to fight Sathtshas tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± said Tilde, who flew into view. ¡°Besides, you can talk to us. And we can chatabout Little Miss Sleeping Master. Hey, we have tea and cookies chilling in your storage, right?¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± Tris pped her hands. ¡°This is the perfect opportunity to have a tea party. You¡¯ve told me so much about them. I¡¯ve prepared for this!¡± Tris skipped away. Tilde smiled and beckoned us to enter. We did, and I saw M curled up on that massive bed. She used Surtr as a pillow. The lion raised his head and met my eyes, affirmatively acknowledging my presence before returning to sleep.


    M looked so peaceful...


    ¡°That¡¯s a clone,¡± said Tilde after locking the door. She pointed to a colorless slime sitting on the bed. ¡°Master gave it to us in case we needed magic. Let me guess¡­ You made a spell called [Wooden Furniture]?¡±


    ¡°You know me so well,¡± replied Tris as a table appeared. She touched it, and a tablecloth appeared. A te of cookies, a thick cheesecake, a pot of tea, a tray of cubed sugar, and a set of tes and cups followed.


    Lei hopped to the table and adorably jiggled, and we sat¡ªexcept Tilde. She grabbed a cup and reached for the pot. ¡°You don¡¯t need to do that. I can pour my own.¡±


    ¡°Would you deny me my job?¡± asked Tilde. ¡°It¡¯s a very prestigious honor, you know. Being Master¡¯s head maid, that is,¡± she said, serving the drinks and sweets with a happy bounce in her step.


    ¡°Anyway. You¡¯re more than restless. You¡¯re worried about the one we care about,¡± said Tris. She saw through me as if I were ss. I doubt I could hide anything from her.


    ¡°Yes, I am,¡± I replied, taking a sip. The tea was delicious.


    ¡°I was worried, too,¡± added Tilde, sitting down. She immediately bit into a thick chocte chip cookie. ¡°Just look at her See how calm that face is? Master was conflicted, but the paradoxes lessened by the second. Confusion still warped her mind, but she can see a brighter, bloodier tomorrow forming on the horizon. That ufortableness became moremon, but I know those feelings were reced by a warm heat in her belly. Okay, that¡¯s three examples. I can do another two.¡±


    ¡°No. That¡¯s fine. I get the point. M did look much better when she returned. So, I know she¡¯s fine. I¡¯m still worried, though. It¡¯s impossible for me to not be.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s normal. You know... I gotta say, that conversation went off the rails. Guess you were right, Tris. It¡¯s sometimes better to do it raw than follow a script.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked. ¡°What exactly did they talk about?¡±


    ¡°Okay, so it started out about forgiveness and what that means. Pretty basic, yeah? Thenit veered into one about revenge that really shocked me. Wait, you have it memorized, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Tris nodded. ¡°I do. Would you like to hear what they discussed?¡± Prim and I nodded. The slime clone split into two and jumped off the bed. One took M¡¯s shape. The other mimicked Que, and we listened to the reenactment.


    ¡°Did Lord Springfield reallyugh like that?¡± asked Primrose.


    ¡°Yep. Master sure did.¡± Tilde swirled her tea and took a sip before cutting herself a slice of cake. ¡°Que¡¯s experienced a lot of bullshit, so this is good¡­ Master¡¯s biggest fear is betraying her resolve. For her? It¡¯s her hatred towards her enemies. And today? She still bears it. Abhorrence can be a good thing. It¡¯s not always bad. Spite is a more powerful motivator than almost any other emotion. Her enemies will grovel at her feet. And she will kill them. I¡¯m not so na?ve to think everything can be forgiven. I¡¯ve lived far too long and seen way too much inexcusable bullshit. Some people deserve to die. Some deserve to be brutally tortured. Meruria and those other assholes top the list of both.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to see them dead as much as M?¡±


    ¡°I do, Niva. I really do¡­ I don¡¯t want Master to think I¡¯m going soft, either. I know how much her identity was built around revenge. And I will never, ever deny her that. Not in a million years. And only if they truly, really deserve it. Undeserved revenge can change a person. I¡¯ve seen it more than I could count. And I¡¯m trying to save Master from an unnecessary realization. Tris, do you have copies of their journals?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do. Would you like to read what we learned from Team Que¡¯s diaries?¡±


    ¡°That intrudes upon their privacy,¡± said Primrose. She nervously bit her lip. ¡°What say you, my summoner?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m lying if I said I wasn¡¯t curious. It feels wrong, exceptwe can¡¯t shy away. We have to know all we can if we want to help M. Information is important.¡± I looked at Tris. ¡°You taught me that.¡±


    ¡°Information is a powerful tool that can alter the tide of battle. ¡®The opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.¡¯ That¡¯s a quote from my lord¡¯s world. It¡¯s from an ancient book about warfare and strategy. And I wholeheartedly agree with it, although I am biased due to my nature as a Fragment of Wisdom.¡± Tris touched the table and produced two notebooks. Primrose and I flipped through them.


    I already knew a little bit, but this was the first time I was reading it in clear detail.


    ¡°They suffered so much,¡± whispered Primrose.


    ¡°They did. Que¡¯s darkness rivaled Master¡¯s. And the way she eloquently guided the conversation¡­ She doesn¡¯t realize how hard that was. Now? Now, she¡¯ll have Que¡¯s assistance. We can safely count her as an ally once she learns who Master¡¯s enemies are.¡±


    ¡°I admit the woman has power; however, do you see the fatal w she holds? Que cannot cast without speaking. Being silenced is a death sentence. It makes her powerless,¡± added Tris.


    ¡°It says she can use magic circles,¡± I said.¡°That doesn¡¯t require speaking.¡±


    ¡°What good are they when they can removed with water?¡± asked Tris. ¡°Or any other liquid? Or destroyed with earth magic? Or sent scattering with wind magic? Magic circles are difficult to prepare on the fly. They¡¯re better suited forying traps.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know much about using them,¡± I admitted, looking at my metal arm. I palmed my cup and felt its warmth.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I don¡¯t think you¡¯re the magic circle kinda gal,¡± said Tilde. She pointed at my prosthetics. ¡°That¡¯s your secret weapon. So, let¡¯s say you¡¯re fighting. Someone knocks away your staff. They think they have the upper hand, so you turn your arm into a wooden spear and fight back. Or if you need to get away, you can turn your feet into springs and hop away.¡±


    ¡°Springs?¡± I imagined it and shook my head. ¡°I think that¡¯s too advanced for me.¡±


    ¡°Maybe. Aetos is the perfect teacher. You¡¯re in good hands. Ah! Here¡¯s a tip, Niva. Have your dream be your ultimate goal. And then create milestones. They can be anything¡ªmajor or minor. Oh, you gottahave micro aplishments you know you can reach to keep you motivated. That dopamine rush can¡¯t be underestimated.¡±


    <i>Dopamine? I don¡¯t know what that is.</i>


    ¡°My goal is to be a Dragonfolk and summon a dragon spirit. For the milestones? I want to be strong. And to return to Barbil.¡±


    ¡°To see your family?¡± inquired Tris.


    ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t know if they¡¯re alive. I hope they are, except Barbil¡¯s a brutal country. It¡¯s always so cold and harsh. I also want to find who gave me my abilities. I¡¯m only here because they granted me the power to summon spirits. I think it''s the closure I''m after. Nothing is set in stone until I visit and end that part of my life."


    ¡°Those are certainly major goals. Do you have anything more minor?¡± asked Tilde. ¡°Something within reach?¡±


    ¡°I guess mastering my prosthetics?¡± I raised my mythril arm and formed a fist. It felt just like flesh and blood.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ What about something sooner?¡± Tris looked at me. ¡°I¡¯m developing potential ns to induce conflict between Gloria and Meruria. Most involve meeting Dirge¡¯s Holy Lord, which means traveling to the capital. Niva, do you desire vengeance on her and the Mesalitos family?¡±


    ¡°I¡­do. I hate Gloria. And I hate that family. I despise them all.¡± My reply was blunt. M wasn¡¯t the only one who wanted revenge. I had a list of people I wanted to kill. ¡°I¡¯ll never forgive her for handing me off to Noelia. I¡¯ve thought about it a lot¡ªabout what I¡¯d do if I saw them. I want to say I¡¯ll stand up to them, but I¡¯d be lying to myself. That was before I found my resolve when M attended the Heptarchis, though. I want to look at Gloria and proim I¡¯m not a failure. And I want to be there for her final moments. Well, that¡¯s¡­ I know I¡¯m not strong enough to fight at M¡¯s side. I want to get there at some point. I¡¯m not selfish enough to demand to be present when I know I¡¯ll be a liability. She can¡¯t focus on fighting while protecting someone like me.¡±


    ¡°The capital¡¯s where the Barys are at. You know, the family Erines from? Rather, the one that disowned her mother? What about Gloria¡¯s Soul Warriors? We can¡¯t forget about them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s easy, Tilde.¡± Tris looked at M. ¡°If they stand in opposition to her wishes and desires, then they must die. I¡¯ve calcted our fighting strength. It will grow tremendously when Lady Sekh returns to us. And we mustn¡¯t forget about Sera, either. Words can sway the tide of history. A little lie here or truth there can decide the fate of a kingdom. Dirge¡¯s continued existence precariously hangs in the bnce of a carefully guided conversation beholden to the whims of my lord.¡±


    ¡°You can see that far ahead?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I cannot see the future, but I¡¯ve analyzed the avable information. I¡¯ve hypothesized various futures. Some will not happen, likeunching a full-scale attack on Dirge¡¯s capital without offering an olive branch. Others involve replicating what urred in Atrix and having Gloria suffer the wrath of her people, albeit deserved or undeserved.¡±


    ¡°Undeserved?¡± I was confused until she mentioned the city-state that attacked Plymoise.


    ¡°I¡¯ve learned much from organizing Atrix¡¯s rebellion, and should it be necessary, I¡¯ve no doubt I can do it more efficiently. Atrix deserved it. I don¡¯t know how the people in the capital see Gloria. I believe you called it ¡®gaslighting,¡¯ Tilde, to induce paranoia. It will not be hard, except I am not leaning towards that. I would if it had the best chance of seeding. Yet I believe, with what I currently know, that arranging conflict between my lord¡¯s enemies provides the best chance of aplishing her revenge. That assumes, of course, we can get Team Que on board.¡±


    ¡°And that doesn¡¯t seem that far-fetched,¡± added Tilde. ¡°Seriously, Masterid out the groundwork with that conversation. I think her collective unconscious subtly influenced her, and I don¡¯t think she¡¯s aware of it. I know, deep down, that she wants to be their friend. I mean¡­ If Master had it her way, Que would be dead. She¡¯d be hanging from a noose. Elly and the others are weak. They wouldn¡¯t survive the night. So that means no Keeth. No Keeth means no surgery. And no surgery means¡­¡± She gestured to my prosthetics.


    ¡°¡­¡± I didn¡¯t know how to respond. Tilde continued.


    ¡°The surgery was the first thing I thought of when Tris informed me about Keeth¡¯s abilities. That¡¯s why I urged Master to practice patience. I didn¡¯t bring it up because I wasn¡¯t sure it was possible. Or if Keeth would do it. I knew the opportunity would¡¯ve left the building had Que died. So, I was stoked when he brought the idea up before I was forced to. It meant I was right.¡±


    ¡°Are we overlooking something?¡± asked Primrose. ¡°What are we to do about Melusine? Sekh¡­cursed her kingdom, yes? I¡¯m almost certain she recalls how she looks.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s also an issue I¡¯m working on it. I hate lying to her, but I¡¯m with Master now. My loyalty lies with her, not the Crystal Queen of Faedornia. Let¡¯s say 1,000 years is a long time. People often forget details. Maybe the queen¡¯s misremembering you-know-who as a Lionfolk when she¡¯s always been something else? I¡¯m a link to the past she thought was gone. If nothing else¡­ She trusts me. That¡¯s my advantage.¡±


    ¡°Will that n work with Sera?¡±


    ¡°I wish, Niva, but it won¡¯t. Melusine¡¯s met Sekh once or twice. And I think she wore a cloak. The queen was also busy dealing with the curse rather than joining the fight. Sera was on the front lines¡ªmore than once. Sekh¡¯s image is engraved in her mind. The armor isn¡¯t our only choice-- it¡¯s our best option.¡±


    ¡°Why not use [Conferment]? Can¡¯t it help?¡±


    ¡°It can,¡± replied Tris. ¡°Except thates with risks. Memory tampering may work, but to ensure that they nevere back? The cost is too high. It may also permanently damage the target¡¯s mind. Sera may be pivotal in the fight against Meruria, so I cannot suggest that option to my lord. I¡¯ve considered using it to turn Lady Sekh into a Cheetafolk or Leopardfolk, but that carries its own risk. Evolution changes the body. And it is not always for the better. Disaster awaits if the mind and soul refuse to harmonize with the new self. Murag¡¯s tomes mentioned a few examples. Verdant of Plymoise spoke of another during the trip to Atrix. It¡¯s rare, yet body dysmorphia is a risk we cannot take.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ We¡¯re left with one option?¡±


    ¡°As of now, Primrose, we are. Unless I or my lord deem the risks necessary. Unnecessary use of [Conferment] must wait until Lady Sekh has returned.¡±


    The talking simmered. Silence reigned supreme for about a minute before I broke it. ¡°Will I ever fight side-by-side with her?¡±


    ¡°Uhh¡­ You already do? You¡¯re here with her.¡±


    ¡°I know that, Tilde. I mean in a real battle. She has Sekh, Surtr, and¡ª¡±


    ¡°And you have a spirit created by the most powerful Great Eagle, who turned into a Spirit Lord after death. Primmy, darling, youe from a prestigious pedigree. I hope you realize that.¡± Tilde yfully winked.


    Primrose blushed and nervouslyughed. ¡°That¡¯s¡­too much pressure on me¡­¡±


    ¡°Pressure or not¡ªit¡¯s true. Seriously, fighting isn¡¯t all about fighting. Your presence does way more than you think. Master considers you a best friend, Niva. Hell, in her eyes, you¡¯d been by her side for a long time.¡±


    ¡°I¡ªI guess that¡¯s right. I¡­ I want to help more. I want to train more.¡±


    ¡°And you can¡¯t rush that. Focus on the basics. Start with the fundamentals. Work your way up. And remember, you¡¯re not doing it alone.¡±


    ¡°I know¡­ I know that, Tilde.¡±


    ¡°Hey, look it at from this side. You¡¯re destined to be stronger than me.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± I asked. How could that have possibly been true?


    ¡°I know this world¡¯s skill system better than anyone else. I know its ins and outs, and I possess insight into its quirks and qualities. Except I¡¯m not a fighter at my core. I¡¯ll throw hands to protect what I love, but I¡¯ll never be like Sekh. I¡¯ll never cast an ice beam to freeze the clouds. Or I¡¯ll never make an icy guillotine from frozen mes.Master will always be the better shot. I¡¯m¡­a supporter, I guess. That¡¯s my role, and it¡¯s one I ept. You don¡¯t see the potential we do.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still confused,¡± I honestly replied.


    ¡°Just, you know, you can evolve. I can¡¯t. I¡¯m the Tilde you¡¯ll see when my story ends. Do you know what I see when I look at you two? I see a dragon waiting to spread her wings,manding a legion of draconic spirits that answered her call because she¡¯s so goddamn badass. I see a Spirit Lord of Woond with the power of an ancient, legendary forest behind every footstep. I see the two that will stand beside the Transcendent Dark Lord as equals¡ªtwo she cannot imagine life without.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ really think we can do that?¡± Primrose voice quivered. I was afraid mine would do the same if I spoke. She gripped my hand, and her fingers felt weak.


    "Yep. I do. Tris does. And Master thinks the same. Remember what I said about your pedigree?¡± Tilde shed a bright smile. ¡°Ah,no pressure or anything. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m asking you two to live up to some insane degree that most can¡¯t even dream about.¡±


    <i>No pressure... Hearing her say it so casually¡­ It makes me feel like I can do it. And I will do it. I will realize my potential. I won¡¯t let anyone down. Not now, and not ever again.</i>


    ¡°Anyway, I sense a restful heart. You¡¯re considering Tilde¡¯s words, yet you aren¡¯t shying away from her challenge,¡± said Tris.¡°You¡¯re thinking you can do this. You¡¯re ready to prove yourself.¡±


    ¡°You can read me like a book.¡±


    ¡°Does it frighten you?¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s not scary. I¡¯m¡­d I have someone like you looking after me, Tris.¡±


    <i>If I was the old me, I¡¯d say I wasn¡¯t deserving of it. I won¡¯t think like that anymore. That¡¯s the old Niva.</i>


    ¡°Yep. Little Miss Tris is kinda like the group¡¯s mom. She¡¯s a mother hen looking after her chickies!¡±


    ¡°Says the great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great and ancient fairy.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m like wine. I get finer with age, baby. And nothing¡¯s more finer than me. Go on. Try and find something older.¡±


    Tris disyed a [Skyview] window of the ground and proudly answered. ¡°The. I¡¯m certain you¡¯re not that old.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I could be. You never know. I might be an alien from another. One that''s older than this one.¡±


    ¡°The wind, then? Winds can be found on any with an atmosphere.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an aspect of nature. What if the wind originated from me?¡±


    ¡°Are you a wind goddess?¡± Primrose went along with the joke.


    ¡°Just wait until I get me some wind magic. I¡¯ll send a gust to tickle your neck, Primmy.¡±


    ¡°Then shall I reply in turn?¡± Primrose used a non-damaging version of [Razor Wind] that couldn¡¯t cut a leaf. It encircled Tilde¡¯s head and fluttered her pretty hair.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ The breeze feels kinda good. Almost like¡­it¡¯s asking to return to being a part of me?¡± Sheughed and yawned. Then I yawned. And Primrose couldn¡¯t stave off her sleepiness. ¡°It is gettingte, so let¡¯s end things here. We totally have to do this again! And maybe this tea party will have a new face? It might be far too soon, though.¡±


    Tris put a hand on the table and stored everything, then walked Primrose and me to the door. ¡°Thanks again.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee, Niva. Please do not hesitate to knock. You¡¯re a close friend. I wish to see you and Primrose smile for many more decades!¡± She wished us good night and closed the door, although I looked up and waved because I knew she was watching.


    The bed seemingly called our name when we locked our door behind us. Almost immediately, I felt drowsy after touching the pillow.


    ¡°Hmm? This¡­ Father is¡­attempting to open the mana link. I should ept, right?¡± Primrose gripped my arm out of support, not fear. Why would she be afraid? Our rtionship with Aetos was better than ever.


    I nodded, and¡­our surroundings changed in the blink of an eye.


    Why were we in the Spiritual Grove? And why did it look wless? You couldn''t find a blemish in this beautiful ce even if you''d searched for a hundred years. From the rolling fields of grass to the ponds in the distance... And to the tall, imposing snow-covered mountains on the horizon¡­


    ¡°We are in the world of dreams.¡± I looked up and saw a light. It shed and turned into an eagle we were familiar with.


    ¡°Dreams? So we¡¯re asleep, Father?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve brought you here because I wish to continue your training. I can only do this because the transnt will rejuvenate the mana I¡¯m expending. Also, forgive me, but I overheard your conversation with Tilde and Tris. Your potential shines bright, my daughter. You hold the power of this great forest and the Eagle Yew within your core. And you, Niva. I agree with the maid¡¯s future and imagine you as a strong, proud Dragonfolk. s, as you are now, neither can wield what you¡¯re truly capable of.¡±


    ¡°Are we going to train every night?¡±


    ¡°Only if you agree. Understand that this cannot always be done. This technique bes unstable if we are too far apart.¡±


    ¡°Primrose?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ Thank you, Father. My summoner, let¡¯s do this!¡± Primrose formed a fist and smiled. She created her staff and tossed it to me.


    I caught it. ¡°Thank you, Aetos! We¡¯re ready to begin!¡±

 Chapter Ninety-Six: Her Long-Awaited Return – Part One

    Chapter Ny-Six: Her Long-Awaited Return ¨C Part One


    After gathering in front of the mansion the following morning, we followed Lord Springfield and her team into the forest for three hours until we came to a towering stone temple. It reminded me of a tremendously tall ziggurat. The structure stood in the center of the grand forest surrounding Aetos Vige, although death eclipsed it from all sides. The once green and vibrant colors were dull browns and diseased cks. Life was fading. And quickly. I estimated Aetos Vige didn¡¯t have a month or two left before it was the centerfold for a wave of decay and death.


    Instead of slowly climbing the thousands of stairs, Lord Springfield yed a song on her flute and manifested a pair of ck wings with pulsing crimson veins. She held Tris and flew to the top of the walls. Tilde followed, and Niva and Primrose jumped on Surtr¡¯s back. The lion roared and jumped,nding on solid tforms of mes to leap even higher.


    The spirit summoner used her mythril prosthetics as if they were always a part of her. Her control was more masterful thanst night.


    It was honestly amazing. I was so happy for Niva.


    I cast a spell to grant me and my team wings, and we followed them.


    ¡°Tris, set the limit to 60,¡± said Lord Springfield when we gentlynded on the wide walls. Her voice was a touch colder for the uing fight.


    ¡°A limit of 51 or higher means breaking the emotional linkage. I do not rmend it.¡±


    ¡°Then keep it at 50. Surtr?¡±


    ¡°I am prepared,¡± growled the lion.


    ¡°Umm¡­ What¡­are you talking about¡­?¡± Elly asked. She and I peeked over the wall.


    Sathtshas¡ªthe great boss of this massive forest dungeon¡ªreigned supreme.


    It was Lv. 94 snake with the features of a nt. Its mouth opened horizontally and vertically to reveal thousands of sharp teeth, and hundreds of great, thick vines sprouted from its body to suck in nourishment from the surroundings.


    Although it couldn¡¯t regain any of its HP if life surrounding it had died, that didn¡¯t mean the battle would be easy. Lord Springfield said Sathtshas has never tasted defeat. It was designed to almost be unkible unless the situation called for it. Even these unfavorable conditions that benefited the challenge couldn¡¯t be taken for granted since this was Lord Aetos¡¯s oldest creation.


    ¡°Lord Springfield, what¡¯s the n? How should we assist you?¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t. I don¡¯t foresee requiring your help. Still, I ask that you jump in if I struggle.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re fighting that thing alone?¡± Ami eximed. ¡°It¡¯s super big!¡±


    ¡°Bigger isn¡¯t always better,¡± replied Lord Springfield.


    She turned to the edge. Suddenly, her body was engulfed in mes. Her clothes vanished and were reced by armor crafted of molten magma and obsidian. A pair of ethereal, crimson dragon wings appeared on her back. A tail and draconic horns grew momentster.


    She¡­had turned into a Dragonfolk?!


    She stepped off the ledge and floated to the ground. Every p of her wings sprayed a thick wave of me immediately below her, which melted the floor without prejudice. Sathtshas took note of the intruder and roared. It reared up and sprayed a deadly mist from the vines sprouting from its body.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­going to be me one day, Primrose,¡± Niva whispered. ¡°I will evolve into one¡­ I must do it¡­¡±


    ¡°Please watch and observe the strength my lord carries within her.¡± Tris smiled and held a hand to her heart. Surtr roared and red his ming body, further frightening Melusine by an almost unnoticeable degree.


    Mary detected it. I saw her grip her fingers out of my peripheral vision.


    I turned to the fight. The mist had swallowed everything in the arena, yet it didn¡¯t affect Lord Springfield. She merely raised a hand and summoned her spear, Kronto. It was supposed to be ck, except its shaft glimmered with fire.


    Lord Springfield flourished it around her body and stabbed the tip into the ground¡­


    A dozen magic circles filled the area. ming sprouts¡ªpirs of unimaginable power formed. They roared to life and rampaged like tornadoes, eventuallybining into a magnificent cyclone of fire that burned even the air.


    It filled the entire arena.


    The pressure was staggering. Elly and Ami couldn¡¯t remain standing. Niva and Primrose had to grab onto Surtr, and Greggie stabbed his sword into the ground and held Keeth¡¯s arm to prevent them from falling off.


    Only Tris was unaffected. Her eyes glistened by the disy of power.


    The whooshing wind was too loud. And the heat was otherworldly. Elly said something, but we couldn¡¯t hear her. The ming cyclone was much too thick for me to get even a step closer. It was the same consistency as moltenva.


    Suddenly, it faded. Sathtshas was almost uninjured. Its body held only a few charred spots. The arena was ruined, scorched, and burned. Only the wall we stood on remained intact.


    Kronto vanished, and an that Italian rifle appeared in its ce. Lord Springfield took flight and dodged the vines that tried to stab her. Her weapon kept altering its appearance, bing a living me. She shouldered, took aim, and released controlled bursts. Some sent out a salvo of fireballs that blew up upon impact.


    ¡°Why is she still using fire? It doesn¡¯t work.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a show of force, Ami,¡± I said. ¡°Lord Springfield wishes to defeat Sathtshas with the element it heavily resists.¡±


    Tris nodded. ¡°My lord feels wary about her power.¡±


    <i>This must be the strength her anger granted her¡­ Lord Springfield probably wishes to see if it still dwells within her.</i>


    The onught of vines caught up with her. They grasped her legs and tossed her to the ground, and her rifle switched for Kronto. At thest second, there were sharp cracks of thunder, and Lord Springfield teleported to safety a dozen meters away. She grinned and pped her wings, spewing moltenva behind her before rushing in. She met a vine with her spear, dodged under tendrils, ducked away from swipes, and parried gusts of wind and acid that tried to overwhelm her. A surge of fire mana bnced on the tip of her spear. She tried to break her foe¡¯s hide and send the mes inside the wound to ravage its innards whenever possible. She had to watch out for that frightful mouth. Sathtshas was far quicker than it appeared to be.


    ¡°She¡¯s¡­holding her own?¡± Keeth whispered. Tris bragged about her lord. She rushed to the right, and then crimson lightning surged around her body as she flew skyward. After focusing, a duplicate Kronto made of fire appeared in her other hand, and the sparks surged around her body.


    That was [Elemental Conjuration Magic]. I could do something simr¡ª


    <i>Wait... No, is she...</i>


    Lord Springfield¡­


    I just realized she hadn¡¯t chanted a single time.


    Lord Springfield held her spears out and dove¡ªstriking like lightning as she punctured through Sathtshas¡¯s body. A spew of blood spurted from the injury, but the High Elf remained inside¡­until we saw the beginnings of a raging inferno under its skin. Another vortex of mes burned a hole out, and Lord Springfield took flight and used its cylindrical wind to soar so high into the sky that we couldn¡¯t see her.


    Sathtshas stomped around the arena. It rampaged into the melted parts and roared, its vines growing angrier. It couldn¡¯t reach its opponent, so it settled for spitting controlled bursts of poison and wind that broke the sound barrier¡ªthe sudden sonic booms were proof. A ball of green mana collected inside its mouth. The air rumbled.


    Another strike of lightning caused Lord Springfield to appear. She skewered Sathtshas again.


    Then another Lord Springfield appeared.


    And another. And another. And another.


    ¡°Surtr. Would you mind?¡± Surtr stood and roared, creating a ming barrier around us. ¡°Que, Elly. I highly advise you to assist Surtr. Use any avable magic or skill to increase our group¡¯s resistance to fire and heat.¡±


    We did¡ªI didn¡¯t understand why until I saw the sun¡­


    No, it¡­


    ¡°[Sunfire Inferno].¡± Tris said two words, and I audibly gulped. Ami clung to Greggie, and Elly held Keeth¡¯s hand. Melusine and Mary grabbed each other, and I stared with more amazement than fright.


    That¡­was the power of the sun¡­


    And it slowly descended. Sathtshas looked up and readied tounch its own powerful spell, but the wooden puppets of Lord Springfields had engaged it inbat. They kept it busy, howeverthe vines proved too much. They pierced their foes and threw them into its mouth, where they disintegrated.


    Their job was over. When Lord Springfield was close enough to the ground, I saw her hold an old-fashioned lever-action rifle above her head. The trigger was pulled, and the weapon looked more ferocious and intense than anything else. It looked like someone had taken a slice of the sun and pressed it into a gun-shaped mold.


    ¡°She¡¯s¡­smiling?¡± Lord Springfield silently slung her arm down, and the ¡®sun¡¯ followed.


    Sathtshas roared, curled its body, and jumped. The energy in its mouth unleashed a spiral beam of tightly condensed air and poison that tried to burrow into the miniature sun.


    She released the trigger, and the ''sun'' mmed into Sathtshas, exploding with so much force the temple was blown away. Everything was just...vaporized. Nothing except a ming field inside a deep, burnt crater was left behind.


    We emerged unscathed because I had made a temporary air bridge below us. The barriers barely held.


    It was destruction¡ªno, a mercy, right? The nature surrounding us had died. The grass and trees held very little life. Controlled fires were often used to regenerate the earth, allowing vital nutrients to re-enter the soil. That created a new habitat for nts and animals to thrive. An untrained eye would¡¯ve perceived the destruction as heinous, yet it was anything but.


    And even then, Sathtshas was alive. Its HP was practically empty. Lord Springfieldnded near its heavily charred body and held a hand to its hide. Slowly, mes spread from her fingertips, eventually covering its body. Its vines weakly attacked its enemy, but she merely held them.


    Why was it so beautiful?


    Lord Springfield really held respect for all things, didn¡¯t she? Sathtshas cried. Eventually, the vines tried to hug Lord Springfield, but at that point, most of its body had dissolved into ash. A sudden breeze flew by, scattering them to the wild yonder, where they would probablynd amongst the scorched ground.


    The chest that appeared contained thest materials needed to transnt Lord Aetos. Lord Springfield gathered them, and then Inded the air bridge on the ground, where we walked to meet her.


    ¡°The power is still here... I didn¡¯t betray it¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course, you haven¡¯t,¡± said the lion.


    ¡°How do Ipare to Sekh?


    ¡°Your control iscking. You do not hold the precision that mydy harbors, although I was very impressed by your strength!¡± Surtr roared and shot a beam of shadow-colored mes surrounded by ice into the sky. ¡°I¡¯m sure you know how scarcely you can freely wield this power without consequence. You cannot hope to always rely on it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know. I¡¯ll get to that point one day.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, but let the pride flow through you, Lord Springfield. Embrace it.¡± Surtr roared once more in approval.


    ¡°That was amazing!¡± Primrose hopped to Lord Springfield¡¯s side and held her hand. Niva couldn¡¯t contain her excitement, and Tris and Tilde congratted her on the excellent fight.


    We did the same. Anyone would have after seeing that power in person.


    I stillpared her to Remy. Even with that draconic install, Remy¡¯s power over manipting localized time fields, her portals, and her teleportations were too much of an advantage. Her speed and unpredictability made her impossible to deal with.


    <hr>


    After returning to the mansion, Surtr and I departed for the Spiritual Grove to deliver the materials to Aetos. And I couldn¡¯t stop focusing on the conversation I had with Que. It yed like a broke. Record in my mind because it¡­wasn¡¯t something I had nned.


    I just started talking¡­and talking¡­and talking¡­and was proud it led where it did. It was an unexpected surprise about revenge and craziness that really worked out. I seriously felt so much more confident. I wasn¡¯t betraying myself. I really wasn¡¯t. I still held that deeply rooted hatred for my enemies, and they would grovel at my feet before I killed them like the pathetic mongrels they were.


    The one difference?


    Que would be standing beside me. She harbored dark thoughts of her own¡ªthey even rivaled mine. And our talk all but assured me I¡¯d have her assistance when the time came. She was powerful despite her ring weakness. And her magical abilities would be a boon.


    And talking about the fun times I had with Sekh helped a lot.


    There were problems, however.


    Melusine knew about the Dark Lord of Tyranny. An investigation into Elly¡¯s diary revealed that Lord Enele and a spirit named Kaiho knew of her. Tilde could handle that, though. She was gaslighting Melusine into misremembering the Dark Lord of Tyranny as something other than a Lionfolk.


    After Sekh returned to us¡­


    What did I want to do?


    I had intended to return to Irisa and help deal with the iing drama between Mom¡¯s family and Dad before resuming my revenge, but meeting Que had put new offers on the table...


    Tris¡¯s initial analysis of the current data suggested a potential n to double-cross Gloria by orchestrating a war between her and Meruria. After all, Meruria¡¯s Soul Warriors were here without Gloria¡¯s permission. I could use [Status Cloak] to hide their mana signatures, then have Gloria send a message detailing she had captured and entrapped the ¡®rats¡¯ Meruria had lost by using clones to masquerade as them. Still, I couldn''t be hasty using [Status Cloak]. People had to pledge their loyalty to me to ess its benefits. Would Que and her team do that? Que probably would¡ªespecially after our talk. Would I have to reveal myself as Shuuta to convince the others?


    Honestly? Revealing [Status Cloak] to them was too risky. Tris was devoting extra processing time to determine if it was worth it. We couldn¡¯t do anything without exhausting every possible angle dozens of times.


    <i>They could defect and join me in the fight against her.</i>


    Lord Enele was another option. I now knew the history between him and Meruria. She probably had something to do with Sajun¡¯s death. If she had thrown him into the void, it made sense why he was looking for something with void scars across its soul. Did he perhaps want to obtain proof of Meruria¡¯s meddling in something she shouldn¡¯t be doing? Why not use [Truth Field] to force it out of her?


    Clues were still missing.


    However, I couldn¡¯t do anything because of Remy¡ªthe mysterious variable.


    Elly had written that she liked to appear at the most inopportune times. And what better time would be after the transnt? Remy was probably watching from somewhere.


    Que thought she was stronger than me. That was why I showed off [Ira Ignis]. She was bound to write in her journal, so I wanted her topare me to her. Maybe she¡¯d write a list of Remy¡¯s abilities? Tris could develop a n then.


    She kept searching, but Tris hadn¡¯t found a match since learning the name, so I didn¡¯t know who and where she was. Judging from Que¡¯s journal, Remy was apparently my opposite.


    <i>Just who the hell are you, Remy¡­</i>

 Chapter Ninety-Six: Her Long-Awaited Return – Part Two

    Chapter Ny-Six: Her Long-Awaited Return ¨C Part Two


    Aetos awaited me in the Spiritual Grove. Iid out the glowing pot made from spirit mana and a crystalized droplet of highly concentrated water mana gathered from that overgrown snake. The prep involved gently moving the soil from the ss box to the nt while ensuring the water droplet rested at the bottom.


    That work was left to a clone while I tested the abilities gained from assimting Sathtshas. I already had decent control over my vines, soit was now masterful. Twenty sprouted from each hand and intermingled,bining to form a perfect outline of a tall tower only found in France.


    The monster held an innate resistance to mes¡ªuseless since I already had immunity to fire and ice via the Essence of Wrath. Sathtshas could jab its vines into the ground and use the energy it absorbed from nature to heal itself. And it was a master of poison and air, so now I could manufacture sharp air gusts inside my vines andunch them.


    And its mouth¡­ Its gaping jaw soon formed in ce of my fist. Seeing so many teeth¡­ I only imagined the possibilities.


    The best use would be to have it ¡®act¡¯ as my ¡®spirit¡¯ the same way I did the snake boss back in Parthina. I could use a sizable chunk of biomass to make a clone take its form. That seemed like the best way because it gave Tris a method of fighting. She couldn¡¯t purposely cause harm, so directing my clones while acting as theirmander?


    Information was her specialty. It was the perfect role for her.


    I asked what would happen after the transnt.


    ¡°The Eagle Yew will fade. Not immediately, mind you. It will be given many more years of life without needing to sustain me.¡±


    ¡°And the spirits?


    ¡°They will be contracted to me.¡±


    ¡°Do you have enough mana?¡±


    ¡°Do not worry. They will return to their cores. Aello has a device to store them, and together, we shall search for a new home to nt my roots. That shall mark the beginning of a new Eagle Yew.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d¡­ Hey, why not use this chance to make amends with Sera? She could find the perfect spot.¡±


    ¡°I have given it some thought. Perhaps a reunion is what needs to happen.¡± Aetos said he couldn¡¯t approve of Sera remaining headstrong in the past. It was a serious point of contention. The great Spirit Lord sighed uncharacteristically. ¡°If it¡­brings her happiness¡­then I suppose¡­it¡¯s eptable. I do miss her¡­ Mydy¡­ There is not a day that goes by that I do not think of her and her spouses. And her father, the Great King¡­ I was saddened to hear his suicide¡­ the younger princess has suffered much. My stubbornness shouldn¡¯t add to it.¡±


    ¡°The lions can deliver a message since Sera¡¯s still traveling with my family. It¡¯ll have to be after we leave, of course. Can¡¯t risk having her see Sekh.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not wrong. I doubt Seraphina would listen to reason. She has more reasons than I to hate the one you love.¡± Aetos gave me some advice. In short, even with my Divine Skill, Sekh and I, in our current state, couldn¡¯t win a fight against Sera. Team Que¡¯s assistance wouldn¡¯t help much, either. Sera had devoted herself to training and vowed to be the next vanguard to stand against the Dark Lord of Tyranny should she ever return.


    The topic then turned to Team Que.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been watching,¡± said Aetos. ¡°The shadow cast upon your eyes has left. I was ready to give you advice.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d do that?¡± I asked, standing up.


    The pot had ceased glowing, and Aetos said that was normal. The soil glimmered brightly, though. The beauty didn¡¯tpare to the ugly decay surrounding us. ¡°Why not? You were clearly troubled. You have cared for the vige and forest, so I wished to ease your heart.¡±


    ¡°Because you care? Or do you just want me to use the life force I¡¯ll gain from assimting my enemies to end Sekh¡¯s curse?¡±


    ¡°Would you believe me if I said it was both?


    ¡°At this point? Yeah. I would, Aetos. I would. I can see a clearer path. I¡¯ll work with Que to remove the bigger problem. Meruria must die. And she will die. And I¡¯ll use her life force to remove the curse we despise. That¡¯s my vow.¡±


    ¡°It will not be broken. Nheless, permit me to advise you anyway.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t refuse your wisdom.¡±


    ¡°Reina¡¯s heart once harbored simr hatred due to the actions of the lord she used to serve. That created walls mydy and Sir Murag devoted time to destroying. However, Reina was stubborn. She refused to change. She was adamantly repulsed by their efforts until they stopped. That¡¯s when she realized she harbored affection for them. That¡¯s when the walls shattered, and she faced a truth she didn¡¯t want to admit. Embracing what she thought she didn¡¯t need lifted her life to a new tier of happiness.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s happening to you is not dissimr. And although you¡¯ve discovered your path and navigated yourplex feelings, I ask that you look upon the five that make you when you need help. For you are not only surrounded by what you can touch. When problems arise¡­ Recall what Reina felt. Delve into Yaekira¡¯s memories. Experience Sir Murag¡¯s wisdom. Find sce in By¡¯s queenly past. And mydy, the First Princess of Vredi Forest¡­ Let their actions guide you to the future you desire. Do not let foolish pride interfere.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I can ess them on demand.¡± I sighed and scratched my head. ¡°I had to be with Sera to peer at the ones when she hung out with you and Susize. And be near the ypen to see those other ones. I can¡¯t control when they¡¯ll show up. They just¡­kind of sh in my mind.¡±


    ¡°Is that a limitation of your abilities, chimera? Or does the fault lie with your psyche?¡±


    ¡°What are you getting at?¡±


    ¡°What are memories but another aspect that can be imed by assimtion? Your inability to do so shines a light on yourcking grasp for your chimeric nature.¡±


    ¡°Aetos is correct. Chimera can turn memories tangible and digest them, my lord. However, I do not know the practicing theorem behind it. I¡¯ve no doubt we¡¯ll discover it together in time, however!¡± Tris¡¯s positiveness was infectious.


    ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯m a little confused about,¡± I said, changing the subject. ¡°It¡¯s about Bellerophon. Why did you permit them in the vige if you hate them so much? Two agents were here when I first arrived.¡±


    ¡°To deny Bellerophon would be acquiring their ire. However, my distaste for them stems from recency bias. To im that I have always hated them is a lie, for I used to believe they did a service for the world to rid it of your kind.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve changed your stance on that?¡±


    ¡°I have, chimera. Is it not the mark of a fool to remain stone-hearted in their beliefs when they acquire information that challenges their proclivity?¡±


    ¡°Is that a shot at me?¡± I raised an eyebrow. Aetos almost¡­ughed?


    <i>I¡¯m d he can chuckle. It means things are progressing well.</i>


    ¡°Call it what you will. Take it how you want.¡±


    ¡°So, where do we go from here?¡± I asked, sitting against Surtr. Tris joined me, and I softly rubbed my lion¡¯s head, enjoying his deep, low purrs.


    Aetos spread his wings. ¡°My core will take a half-day to manifest. Return at twilight and nt it into the soil you¡¯ve prepared.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s part one. What about part two? You know, Sekh?¡±


    ¡°Manifesting my core will permit me to use thest bastion of my grand power to shape a Yggdrasil Drop.¡±


    ¡°Yggdrasil¡­Drop? Ah, Murag wrote about it. My lord, that¡¯s a shard of specialized healing mana.¡±


    ¡°Tris is correct. Merely ce it on the Dark Lord of Tyranny¡¯s tongue, and her body will recover from any wound.¡±


    ¡°The wounded eagle speaks the truth. I approve of the healing method, Lord Springfield,¡± growled Surtr.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you use it on yourself?¡±


    ¡°Because creating it means to use thest embers of my life. It is not a technique that can be done even as often as once a decade. Even in my prime, using it almost certainly means trading my life for another.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± said Tris. ¡°The physical and spiritual essence will fade, but your core remains. And once that¡¯s transnted, you will be born anew?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The process will give me a tremendous boost of spirit mana to replenish what will be spent creating it.¡±


    ¡°What about your memories?¡±


    ¡°Do not fret over me, chimera. I will still be Aetos, the Great Eagle of Vredi Forest, and the Spirit Lord of Nature. Think of it as the technique the Dark Lord of Tyranny used to escape her crystal. It¡¯s a form of self-reincarnation.¡±


    I looked at my hands¡­and they trembled with anticipatory excitement.


    ¡°This is wonderful, my lord! Lady Sekh is so close to returning to us!¡± Tris interlocked her fingers with mine. She was as happy, if not more so, than me.


    Aetos bid us farewell since he had to prepare his core, so we left his Spiritual Grove and returned to the mansion.


    <hr>


    The house was empty because everyone was in the backyard. Greggie was grilling some squash and other veggies on a grill. Ami and Melusine were dancing with Elly and Tilde amongst the wilted flowers. Some would think it morbid, but I knew the flowers appreciated it. Yes, they were gone¡ªfaded¡ªdecayed. Even in death? At least someone found happiness and joy.


    In a way, the flowers were still making the world a slightly better ce, for a selfish reason, even after they were gone.


    ¡°Wee back, Master!¡± Tilde fell to her knees and took a breather. ¡°So, how was it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll happen tonight.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful news, Lord Springfield,¡± said Que. She turned away from Niva, and I surmised she was helping her with magic.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± answered Niva when I asked. She wiped the sweat from her brow and stood. Her smile was as bright as the sun. She wiggled her mythril fingers and formed a fist, and I loved how determined she looked.


    ¡°I figured you¡¯d be hungry after that battle, so I have some food ready for you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s kind of you, Greggie.¡±


    It appeared I had arrived right on time, so it was time to eat. We took the food inside to the dining room and enjoyed ate breakfast. It was a little past 10 AM. ¡°You¡¯re getting better.¡±


    ¡°Aetos re-opened the link with Primrose. It¡¯s hard for him to do much in his condition, sohe tutored us in our dreamsst night. I don¡¯t know how it works since we were asleep. It felt like I¡¯ve never lost my limbs when we woke up.¡±


    "Dream training is a real thing here? That''s amazing. Back in our world, I used to have lucid dreams where I could dance freely. The funny part was, I''d end up falling out of bed because I''d move in my sleep just like I did in the dream,¡± said Elly. ¡°It never really made me a better dancer. I wonder if that¡¯s a skill I can learn¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, the food¡¯s amazing, Greggie!¡± Ami gave a glowing review. She was already on her second te.


    ¡°It is delicious, but that brings me to a favor I¡¯d like to ask you, Greggie.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m all ears, Lord Springfield,¡± said the chef, biting into a thick, juicy tomato sandwich.


    ¡°It¡¯s about what I wish to have after the transnt is sessful. Think of it as a festival¡ªa celebration to mark the end of an era while ushering in the next with good tidings.¡±


    ¡°Oooh, that sounds like a lot of fun.¡±


    ¡°I agree with Tilde. It sounds lovely, my lord.¡±


    ¡°I know it¡¯s being asked at thest minute, so forgive me for springing it upon you. I¡¯d like to ask that you assist in the preparation.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be delighted to cook for you all. Unfortunately, there¡¯s a problem. I¡¯m unfamiliar with many of the vigers¡¯ diets. I¡¯ll have to gather information.¡±


    ¡°What you seek is here.¡± Tris produced a folder andid it on the table. ¡°It contains every viger¡¯s dietary restriction based on their species or races with additional notes for their favorite food or snack.¡±


    ¡°Your resourcefulness for information gathering never fails to amaze me, Tris. You¡¯re prepared for everything, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Tris puffed out her chest with pride at Que¡¯spliment. ¡°As such. Someone like myself must remain on top of things at any given moment. Surprises are oft an ill omen.¡±


    Greggie took the folder and perused it. ¡°Incredible¡­ Wait, so thest page is¡­¡±


    ¡°Correct. Thest page contains a sufficient breakdown of the raw ingredients we have avable to use."


    "When would you want to have it?¡±


    ¡°Obviously not right away. It¡¯s far too soon. Seraphina Vredi must be in attendance, too. Perhaps a week from now? Maybe two? I would like to invite my family. Is that enough time for that many people?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lord Springfield. It¡¯s more than enough.¡±


    ¡°I see that look, Greggie. You¡¯re readying to go, aren¡¯t you?¡± asked Ami. The girl still had that perpetual smile.


    <i>Ami still has trouble with thenguage.</i>


    ¡°I am. There¡¯s a lot to prep. I¡¯ll do my best, Lord Springfield. I promise you won¡¯t be disappointed.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve no doubt you¡¯ll exceed my expectations, Greggie.¡± And with that, ourte meal came to an end. Niva wanted to do more training, so I went with her, Tris, Tilde, Surtr, Keeth, and Que to the backyard. Ami and Elly tagged along. Mary went with Melusine to their room to rest. The former monarch felt faint. It was probably the mes I used. The Essence of Wrath''s mes weren''t Sekh''s, but I couldn''t deny the memories that probably rushed through her head. Surtr''s fiery fur probably unnerved her, too.


    Greggie brainstormed ideas at the kitchen table.


    Niva skipped out the backdoor and jumped around, falling to the flowers. She wiggled her toes and deftly moved her fingers before using [Vine Maniption] on her prosthetics to propel herself to her feet. It was a cool trick¡ªand proof she was quickly mastering them. I was sure arge part was Aetos¡¯s guiding hand, except that didn¡¯t detract from her hard work.


    Que and I began tossing pots and pans for Niva to use as targets. She couldn¡¯t wrap her magic around her biological hand like she could the mythril one, butunched vines from her metal fingers before switching to [Razor Wind]. The spells were sharper and more defined, cutting through four or five targets without losing their edge. She could also defend while attacking if she used her staff to cast [Woond Shield].


    Niva had her mythril leg and feet. She surprised us as sheunched a micro-tornado of piercing wind, destroying fifteen pots in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to ask, but where are theseing from?¡± Elly pointed at my never-ending supply of cookware.


    ¡°It¡¯s magic. Think of it as simr to [Wooden Gym].¡±


    The trainingsted for about an hour before Niva was tired. She yawned and rubbed her eyes, so Primrose took her to their room to rest and recover mana. Everyone else left to get clean and wash up, but Que asked me to stay in the living room. She was a worrywart and wanted to know what would happen to Aetos. She also desired to see him transnted without a problem, so I told her what Aetos said until Tilde interrupted us.


    ¡°Hey?! Master?! Can yae up here?¡± I heard her shout. ¡°I gotta talk to you about something! Oh, and bring Tris!¡±


    ¡°It seems I¡¯m needed,¡± I said, standing. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to cut this short.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for apologies, Lord Springfield.¡± Que smiled and stretched her arms. ¡°I think I¡¯ll return to my room and rest until tonight. A bath sounds wonderful.¡±


    ¡°Enjoy it all you want, Que.¡± I gently grabbed Tris¡¯s hand and headed upstairs until we came to my room.


    I could only imagine what I¡¯d find on the other side. Yes, I could use [Skyview], but where was the fun in that?


    ¡°You better close those eyes, Master! And no peeking, okay?¡± Tilde asked, her voice slightly muffled.


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you want,¡± I replied. With an anticipatory hand, I opened the door and entered the room, with Tris closing it softly behind me.


    She led me to the bed, I sat, and Tilde told me to open them.


    And I did¡­


    And she was stark naked.


    My fairy shed a pose and did a little twirl before posing. "Not that I don''t enjoy this...but what are you doing?"


    "Are you that dense? I''m obviously trying to seduce you!" Tilde shook her hips. She turned around, thrust out her ass, and kept dancing. "Tonight''s the big night. Before you and Sekh go at it for a few days, I wanna get onest taste of my Master.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure this is okay? What about before?¡±


    ¡°You weren¡¯t in your right mind. Drowning one emotion with another is unhealthy. Even if I was in the mood and let you continue,¡± Tilde whispered. ¡°You would¡¯ve hated it. To you... Sex is more about recing something ufortable. It¡¯s about carving a deeper understanding of trust that evolves the more you do it with someone you love. And I know you love me. I love my Master a lot! It¡¯s a head maid¡¯s task to look for her, ya know.¡± Her eyes fluttered when she met mine.


    I loved her smile.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°And I know you well enough. You couldn¡¯t have gotten it up. You were forcing yourself to do it¡­ And when the time would¡¯vee¡­ I didn¡¯t want the obvious to happen. You lived too long with erectile dysfunction that I didn¡¯t want to make you remember.¡±


    ¡°You made the right choice. You¡¯re always thinking so far ahead.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my job.¡±


    ¡°I love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you too!¡±


    ¡°And I can¡¯t forget about you.¡± I turned to Tris and took her hand. I kissed and ced it against my cheek. I loved the longing she held in her beautiful eyes¡­


    ¡°My heart feels like it will leap from my chest,¡± Tris whispered. ¡°I love you, my lord.¡±


    ¡°I love you too,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Yeah. We all love each other. Master?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± I looked at Tilde. Her expression was¡­deathly serious.


    ¡°You can¡¯t ever, ever, ever forget about¡­your promise of the Century of Tilde! Hehe!! Now... I have so much nned.¡± Tilde stood and skipped ahead a foot or two before turning and striking a pose. Then she started belly dancing. ¡°Wanna see what Elly taught me? Don¡¯t be afraid to join, Tris.¡±


    ¡°You can do this as well?¡± Tris nodded and said she had studied the idol¡¯s moves. She joined Tilde, copying her exact movements, and I was treated to a very special show with a very steamy encore¡­


    <hr>


    ¡°Forgive me. While I had intended to ask you to attend the transnt to witness a once-in-a-lifetime event, it is too dangerous. As such, only Surtr and Tris will be apanying me,¡± I said after an early dinner. The cusp of twilight filtered in through the grand windows, casting an obscure glow across the Eagle Yew¡¯s horizon.


    Tilde hummed and flew as she cleared the table and poured coffee and tea. She was all smiles from our emotional delve into each other¡¯s bodies.


    Even her skin appeared glowing, prompting Elly to ask what lotion she was using in a small whisper. Tilde just smiled and pointed to me, and I believed the realization hit the idol like a speeding truck because she blushed.


    ¡°That¡¯s understandable,¡± replied Que. She and the rest wished me luck and told me to be safe. Meanwhile, she would continue to assist Niva, who was happy and thanked her for the help.


    We strolled into the Spiritual Grove, and I couldn¡¯t have been happier to see Aetos. His spirit core wasrger than Prim¡¯s. It was profusely damaged, though. Thick ck cracks spiraled from the center. A golden raindrop hovered near it.


    <i>Sekh¡­ You¡¯re almost back. Just hold on for a little bit longer.</i>


    ¡°As agreed, chimera,¡± Aetos said, straining his voice. The eagle''s core and the Yggdrasil Drop approached me, and I grabbed both. ¡°Merely nt it within the pot¡­and I shall¡ª¡± Aetos groaned. His great eagle form shuddered as he cried and dissolved into energy, which surged into the shrinking core.


    It was barely bigger than my fist.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± I whispered. ¡°I¡¯ll hold my end of the deal. Hang on, Aetos.¡±


    I kneeled and gently lowered his core into the soil. The Spiritual Grove violently shook. Shockwaves spread across the sky. The pot suddenly shed green and shot incredible energy into the sky, where it exploded like a firecracker. The trembling vanished as quickly as it began. A baby eagle appeared in the raining nature mana, and a tiny sapling sprouted from the pot.


    Asckluster as it was¡­it was beautiful¡­ Tris dried my eyes with a handkerchief.


    ¡°I¡¯m about to start the process.¡±


    Aetos flew and perched on the lid. He couldn¡¯t leave its immediate surroundings.


    ¡°Go ahead, my lord. Lady Sekh¡¯s been waiting long enough, hasn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°She has.¡±


    I touched a hand to the ground. And there¡­


    Sekh was¡­inside that icy coffin. She¡¯d be there for too long. Those wounds were¡­hurting my heart.


    Notanymore.


    ¡°With the power of [Conferment], I use my authority as the Transcendent Dark Lord to cast out the curse inside the Dark Lord of Tyranny¡­¡± I raised my hand to the sky.


    Grey mana gathered around my palm.


    That wasn¡¯t enough.


    I needed more.


    Anything less would end in failure.


    The air shook, but it was worse than when Aetos went to his new home. Angry sparks shot out like lightning from the orb I held as it steadily grew more erratic. Tendrils of destructive mana mercilessly attacked the ground, then exploded, shooting high in the sky. It seemed impossible, but it broke the ''ceiling'' of the Spiritual Grove and left behind gaping bowels of nothingness.


    The wind picked up like a hurricane.


    Sekh¡¯s love¡­ Her devotion¡­ Her everything¡­


    I¡¯d sacrifice it all for her. I¡¯d endure hell itself a million times over if it meant I could hold her in my arms for just one more second.


    ¡°RRRAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!¡±


    ¡°NOT YET, LORD SPRINGFIELD!!!! KEEP STRONG!!!¡± Surtr roared.


    It rose into the sky, growing continuously as the destructive behavior doubled.


    At this point, the sky looked apocalyptic. The ground resembled a violent battlefield from a world war.


    I held my wrist with my other hand and screamed.


    And then¡­


    A pir of mana appeared, centered on my raised palm.


    And all the coalesced energy mmed. It tightened, constricted, and kept shrinking.


    The ground below me splintered. Every pulse of energy sent to my palm caused another earthquake.


    I felt my legs break. My arms screamed. My back shattered.


    But this didn¡¯t stop me.


    ¡°RRRRAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!¡±


    I pushed back.


    I forced my legs to straighten.


    I fought against the oppressive force and grasped the power. I willed it toe under my control because¡­


    It was mine. I was its ruler. I was its lord. I couldn¡¯t betray or defy my life.


    I gathered it all and forced it to my will, condensing it into a mere orb to show I had conquered it. This was the key to freeing Sekh from her brutal destiny.


    That goddamn curse¡­


    I would break it¡­


    <i>There!</i>


    The tremendous orb shuddered, and the rampaging destruction immediately halted as the incredible life force shrunk to the size of a golf ball.


    The damage inflicted began to heal itself slowly. Without needing to support Aetos, the Eagle Yew and Spiritual Grove still had many years left¡ªeven ounting for the mana to repair the previously sustained decay.


    ¡°You¡¯re up, Surtr,¡± I said, looking at what had taken so much to get under control. It was a gentle toss. The grey orb shattered when it hit the coffin, creating a soft, calming pir of mana. It stretched to the infinite sky.


    It felt warm and inviting¡ªnothing like before I had tamed it.


    Surtr loudly roared, creating a cyclone of [Abyssal Iceme]. It centered on Sekh¡¯s coffin.


    I merely walked into the mouth of the inferno, waited for the coffin to shatter, and popped the Yggdrasil Drop into my mouth.


    <i>Snap!</i>


    The ice cracked like ss and was kidnapped by the swirling oxymoronic vortex.


    Oh, Sekh was so beautiful...


    I took her in my arms, tilted her head back, and kissed her.


    It was delicious. Sekh''s lips hadn¡¯t lost an ounce of softness. A golden glow enveloped her body, healing her injuries in a sh.


    ¡°Rrrgn¡­ Mmmn¡­¡± Sekh subtly moved, her tail slowly returning to life. Her eyes twitched partly before opening, and those two silver beauties looked at me.


    ¡°Wee back, Sekh. I¡¯m sorry it took so long. I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t do it sooner. But you¡¯re back, Sekh¡­ You¡¯re back, and I¡¯ve missed you¡­so much¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re crying¡­¡± Sekh ced a hand on my cheek and wiped my eyes dry.


    Oh, how I¡¯ve longed to feel her bare touch. Her eyes softened¡­and I couldn''t help but take her lips twice more.


    ¡°I love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you too¡­¡±

 Chapter 96.5: The Head Maid’s Lewd Game (R-18)

    Chapter 96.5: The Head Maid¡¯s Lewd Game (R-18)


    ¡°Do ya know how hard I trained for this? This isn¡¯t easy.¡± Tris and Tilde¡¯s generous breasts bounced freely. They mesmerized me. They danced like beautiful autumn leaves scattering to the ground in a simple breeze and ended with them kneeling. A light mist of salty sweat clung to the fairy¡¯s soft skin.


    I pped for them. ¡°That was amazing!¡±


    ¡°Hehe! I¡¯m so d you liked it!¡± Tilde flew and sat beside me, with Tris taking the other side. ¡°But I can¡¯t exactly seduce you when your clothes are still on.¡± She rubbed my thighs and moved her hand to my crotch, feeling my growing erection.


    She dropped to the ground and rubbed her face against my crotch. ¡°Don¡¯t ya see how big it¡¯s getting? It¡¯s saying¡­¡¯let me out! I wanna see Tilde and Tris!¡¯¡±


    ¡°Is that how my penis sounds? It has my cute maid¡¯s voice?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ I mean, you could add vocal cords to it and really make it speak, ya know? Tris, make our Master a littlefortable.¡± Tris touched my body and stashed my clothing in our storage.


    ¡°¡¯Come on!¡¯¡± Tilde used my cock like a puppet. ¡°¡¯I wanna wake up! I¡¯m a lion that wants to roar! And I wanna stick it in my cute head maid and drive her wild¡­ Like super wild! So much that she loses her mind¡ª¡¯


    <i>Bonk!</i>


    ¡°Bwha?!¡±


    I lightly bonked her on the head with my penis. She exaggeratedly fell to her back.


    ¡°I thought you were about to say something important.¡±


    ¡°Uhh¡­ There¡¯s nothing more important than loving your lovers, ya know.¡± She flew to her feet, put her hands on her hips, and shook a finger at me. ¡°That¡¯s why we''re gonna get weird, ¡®kay? It¡¯s all part of my n to ensure you¡¯re skilled enough to drive Little Miss Tyranny buck wild. It¡¯s been a day or two. I just don¡¯t want you to be rusty because you gotta be on you¡¯re A-game when it¡¯s time for my exclusive 100 years.¡±


    <i>Ah, I see how it is. Fine, guess I y along.</i>


    ¡°Okay. How is my favorite fairy going to do that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just your favorite fairy, Master. But it¡¯s also your little Fragment of Wisdom. Think of her as my beloved, sexy assistant.¡±


    In short, Tilde was going to dance, and Tris would jerk me off. If I came, she¡¯d take my orgasm in her mouth, kiss Tilde, then she would give me a handjob while Tris worked her moves.


    ¡°Uhh¡­¡±


    ¡°I know, it¡¯s the smartest n, like ever, right?¡±


    ¡°Yep. It sure is.¡± Tilde smiled. Tris kneeled in front of me and carefully held my cock with both hands in a gentle grip. She lightly parted her lips.


    I cupped a hand around her cheek and stuck my thumb inside. Tilde had once told me this type of thing was sensual because teeth were sharp and dangerous, but Tris let my thumb explore her mouth.


    ¡°And¡­ Let¡¯s go!¡± Tilde jumped, and the ¡®game,¡¯ or whatever it was, began.


    It was hard. The situation was just so erotic, and that wet, slimy tongue licked my finger as if it was a cock.


    I climaxed after about a minute. Tris deep-throated me and collected it all, then, without missing a beat, she danced to Tilde, passionately swapped her my semen to swallow, and took her ce while my fairy kneeled and smothered my dick with her breasts.


    My thick, white seed dripped lewdly from her lips. She opened her mouth, and Tilde received my fingers. My other hand petted her soft hair as I watched Tris¡¯s erotic dance.


    She was natural. She worked her hips and raised her arms, never making a misstep.


    Tris turned around and wiggled her ass, then covered her chest with her hands and naughtily smiled. Her cute grin rocked my world, and I climaxed when she stuck out her tongue. Tilde didn¡¯t take it in her mouth, but I flooded her breasts. She kissed the tip, then went to Tris. The two hugged and made out, dancing together while rubbing their breasts against each other.


    Tris went my way, but she turned around and sat on myp. ¡°Let¡¯s kick it up a notch,¡± she whispered. I grabbed her legs and spread them, then slowly investigated her pussy. My penis¡¯s tip was so utterly soaked by how wet she was, and I felt her tighten with each passing second.


    Tilde bit her lips. She worked her hands through her semen-covered boobs and licked her fingers clean before focusing a little more on masturbation.


    It was a lewd dance that had delved more into depravity. The sheen of Tilde''s sweat just made her all the more alluring. I tried to match her rhythm by thrusting into Tris whenever Tilde moved.


    Tris loved it. My mind had nothing but her sweet moans. She arched her back and sealed my lips when we climaxed together. A dozen thick ropes steadily pumped into her. A white waterfall cascaded down her thighs when she stood.


    Tilde took her ce. She straddled me while looking my way, but I turned her around and fucked her how I did Tris.


    ¡°Eh? But¡ªYou¡¯re¡ªDancing¡ªWhy¡ªWait¡ªIt¡¯s too¡ªsoon!!!¡±


    Tris¡­never walked away. She kneeled and licked the spot where I was furiously pounding into Tilde. Her tonguepped the excessive juices and wayward semen, then she kissed my balls and gave them affectionate love.


    I leaned back and grabbed two big handfuls of my favorite fairy¡¯s delicious breasts. It drove Tilde wild when I yed with them like putty, but she went off the deep end when I transfigured a pair of mouths to suck her erect nipples.


    ¡°I¡¯m cumming!!!! Maaaaasterrrr!!!!¡± Tilde¡¯s nubile body shivered as she tried to close her legs, but Tris kept them open. Her face became drenched in lewd liquids as I shot my love deep into her.


    ¡°Aaaahhhhhhhh~~~~¡±


    My penis slipped out. Tris cleaned it, then turned her tongue to the semen dripping from Tilde.


    ¡°I think she deserves a little taste.¡±


    <i>I concur, my lord</i>.


    Tris crawled on Tilde¡¯s body and held her head gently while opening her mouth. The thick semen dripped onto her tongue. But my Fragment of Wisdom wasn¡¯t done. She pressed her lips to Tilde¡¯s and ensured she swallowed everyst drop.


    ¡°So,¡± I whispered, hugging her tightly as we sat up¡ªwith her still in myp. ¡°Am I as good as I once was?¡±


    ¡°I¡ªI guess you¡¯re good enough,¡± Tilde eventually said. She forced those words through her moans since I still had my mouth palms on her nipples.


    ¡°What?¡± I feigned ignorance. ¡°I still need to prove it more?¡±


    ¡°What? I¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you heard it correctly, my lord.¡± Tris kneeled on the bed and pointed to the pillow. ¡°Please continue to provide her with more evidence of your sexual mastery to ensure you¡¯re ready for Lady Sekh.¡±


    I turned Tilde around and saw a hint of lewd regret. She bit her lips. ¡°Ah¡ªYou¡ªYou know what? Elly was¡­ Yeah, she was asking how to use the stove, so¡ª"


    ¡°I¡¯m not letting my cute fairy go. Not after she seduced me. Isn¡¯t it a head maid¡¯s duty to tend to her Master?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­use my words against me, you bully!¡±


    ¡°Oh? But I have you to thank for that.¡± I brought us to the bed and gently sat Tilde on her stomach. She looked over her shoulder and wasn¡¯t ready for my kiss.¡°Consider this a prelude to your century.¡± I rubbed my hands down her back after transfiguring them into tongues to taste her salty, delicious sweat. Then they went around her stomach and up to her breasts as I plunged it in.


    Tilde couldn¡¯t help but moan. She pushed her ass further against my crotch.


    Tris cheered me on. She happily watched and pped along to the rhythm, then congratted me whenever I climaxed.


    She¡­ She really, really loved to watch. She¡¯d probably have a front-row seat when Sekh and I made up for lost time.


    Knowing Tilde¡­ She¡¯d probably prepare pompoms or something equally bonkers.


    <i>Having an audience like that turns me on more.</i>


    I turned Tilde on her back and grabbed her sides while ramming my hips after the tenth round. Her breasts greedily devoured my attention in how they bounced. I loved the way her skin had these little ripples. She tightened with every thrust and went wild when I leaned close, tightly hugged her, and proimed my love.


    ¡°I love you! I love you!!! Maaaaasterrrr!!!¡± When Tilde wasn¡¯t wing my back, she gripped the bedsheets for dear life or locked her legs around my waist.


    But I always passionately intertwined our fingers while kissing her whenever we climaxed. I ensured we always came together.


    Tilde, however, didn¡¯t have the stamina. By the sixteenth round, she was begging for mercy.


    ¡°I guess this is a good stopping point. Say,¡± I whispered, lying beside Tilde as my slime cleaned up the smelly, lewd mess. I didn¡¯t want to stop touching her ¡°But you don''t want to nap alone, do you? Care to let me join? I can''t get enough of you, Tilde."


    ¡°As¡­ As long as you hold me tightly¡­ And say that you love me¡­ And I might just let you do that after forgiving you for the pounding you gave me¡­ It¡¯s seriously not fair¡­ You¡¯re just so good at this¡­ Shit, I don¡¯t even know how to think straight anymore¡­ I can still feel you moving inside me¡­ I think my body¡¯s addicted¡­¡± Tilde whispered, her face still sweaty, but I loved her smell and lustful, lewd expression.


    If nothing else¡­


    She was thoroughly satisfied.


    I did as she asked. She softly smiled at my touch, cried a few tears at my heartfelt love, and buried her head under my neck when I slipped it in.


    ¡°Just know that you¡¯re going to experience that for 36,500 days whenever we get to the Century of Tilde,¡± I joked. ¡°All day. Every day. Morning til dusk. Dusk til morning¡­¡±


    Tilde lightly shivered from imagining such a scene.


    ¡°Enjoy your slumber, you two,¡± Tris said when she pulled the covers over us, her beautiful body still bare. ¡°I shall awaken you when it¡¯s time for dinner. Please rest up for Lady Sekh¡¯s return.¡±


    I closed my eyes and nuzzled closer to my favorite, cutest fairy in the whole wide world.

 Chapter Ninety-Seven: The Dark Lord of Tyranny’s Roar – Part One (Illustrations!)

    Chapter Ny-Seven: The Dark Lord of Tyranny¡¯s Roar ¨C Part One (Illustrations!)


    I thought I had died.


    After overpowering the Essence of Wrath, I merely waited for death to take me. My body was pushed to the edge. [Tyrannical Renewal] had no limit, but overuse would mean certain death.


    I recall the world getting colder when the curse came to collect its price. The feeling of my skin fading away and turning into nothingness... Myst thought was of Irisa helping mey down amid Ria¡¯s deste destruction.


    After my vision ckened, I couldn¡¯t hear or see. The sense of touch, taste, and smell had no ce for a corpse.


    I then felt an unbreakable coldness surround me. The vivid darkness that had swallowed me turned to ice resembling [Abyssal Iceme].


    An inhumane voice shattered the frigidness, and I found myself floating amid nothingness with a body free of wounds. The crystalline-like fragments encircled me until they formed an arena.


    And there¡­


    Standing on the other end¡­


    ¡­was the curse given form. Its shape altered every second. A dozen mouths and a thousand teeth chattered,ughed, and crackled, filling the waiting battlefield with indecipherable nonsense.


    I knew what it said.


    <i>You can¡¯t run away from me that easily.</i>


    <i>Death won¡¯t save you from your destiny.</i>


    <i>Submit to me and fulfill your duty. Reduce this pathetic world to a frozen hellscape.</i>


    I looked at the roof of ice above me and figured the lions must¡¯ve done something. I was close to death, except¡­


    I hadn¡¯t perished. Not yet.


    There was a chance¡­for me to see my liege.


    And like hell would I let it go.


    ¡°You won¡¯t ever take me,¡± I said, forming a mace, shield, and armor from [Abyssal Iceme]. The familiar sensation chilled and warmed my bones. Being surrounded by proof of my power rxed me.


    <i>You¡¯ve already let me in. You cannot hope to defeat me.</i>


    The curseughed, the noise vibrating the ice. It shattered, revealing the curse around us. It stared from an infinite number of eyes and ears. I felt it creeping up my legs and touch my lips. Its breath molested my stomach, but I burned my mes and ice and charged into battle with my mace raised. Its abyss-colored mes leaked behind me, creating a fiery moat.


    Time didn¡¯t exist here as it did on the outside. I knew I was in the depths of my soul. The curse merely was trying to assume direct control. The encroaching surroundings from the curse¡¯s manifestation made that all too clear.


    If I didn¡¯t focus, it would creep closer and take that much more.


    My soul was mine. It once felt the full brunt of the power I wielded with my Divine Armament.


    So, there wasn¡¯t a need to conserve any energy.


    I fought without holding anything back.


    A single moment felt like a year.


    A century felt like an eternity.


    A thousand lifetimes passed me, but I never let up the assault for a second. Even when it hade so far as to surround me in its hatred and reduced my space to a mere ten meters, my mes never died. I burned them to infinity and crafted ayer of ice, then fought with the intensity the Dark Lord of Tyranny was feared for.


    But the curse never retreated.


    It never once thought about giving up now that I had let it in.


    Suddenly, the curse surrounding me vanished, leaving the one I faced behind. Its uneven form looked scared.


    Frightened, even.


    It didn¡¯t like my taunts. The damn thing shuddered and morphed into me, wielding my mes and ice.


    The curse was me, after all.


    And I was it.


    Its atmosphere altered. [Abyssal Iceme] surged around its body, crafted my equipment, and rushed forward.


    I did the same, and we shed.


    Each strike sent a wave of icy destruction scattering to the far-reach. Each block forced a torrent of mes to shoot into the sky.


    It copied everything I did.


    And another moment passed.


    And another¡­and another.


    These weren¡¯t mere moments.


    They were eons.


    The battle waged for infinity, and it served me well to train what I had only recently reacquired. The armor became sleeker and refined. The shield became brutal and frightening, and my projected mace regained its former luster and shine that foreshadowed the tyranny I was known for.


    It didn¡¯tpare to my Divine Armament.


    At some point, I was faster, if only by a heartbeat.


    I was stronger, if only by a feather.


    The curse couldn¡¯t replicate what I had grown into during our fight. It only copied what I had used to be.


    Ahh¡­ Pressing the advantage¡­ Seeing that fake drown in brimstone pleased me so very much.


    It never screamed or begged. It had too much pride to do so. Even after I crucified it in ice and drove my shield into its chest, it promptly stood and returned to battle.


    Eventually, vivid recreations of the Dark Lord of Tyranny yed around us like those movies <i>she</i> had told me about. They depicted me at my worst¡ªwhen the curse had been in full effect. Children and women...cut from belly to crotch... ming crows feasting on festering insides like a ripe buffet...


    And there I was... Laughing... Taunting that king for trying to go against me...while I threw his rtives¡¯ heads at his crucified, barely alive body.


    And there I was¡­wading through that bloody river that had turned crimson from the ten thousand corpses I had those ves throw in¡­


    And¡­there I was¡­ Carving¡­cutting¡­snarling at the shattered fire spirit I had tormented with [Tyranny Control]¡­ The shattered cores of all he had loved and cherished pulled him into the depths of madness¡­ And I had been the conductor to guide him to that despair¡­


    I¡­had been the catalyst for Mt. Kindle to explode, giving rise to the brutal Asnds that now monopolized much of Dirge¡¯s central region. So many died¡­ So many had their heart filled with fear of the unknown as ash choked them all¡­ The skies were blocked out by thick, heavy clouds¡­


    Everything¡­that perished¡­fell by my actions¡­


    But that didn¡¯t stop me.


    I knew my sins more than anyone. I knew the monster I had been. I...couldn¡¯t make excuses. That...was me. Yes, the curse had been inmand, but the curse targeted me, and logic dictated that it was my fault. Everything the Dark Lord of Tyranny had done came from my inability to kill myself when I was a child.


    Like I had done so many times in the past¡­


    The curse soon altered its tactics. Itughed and altered those moving pictures to show my deaths throughout the eons¡ªof me being poisoned, skewered, and starved¡ªraped and thrown to the pigs to serve as their final meals before being ughtered...


    I had lived through so many existences, and I had met so many violent, brutal ends...all because the curse wanted to taunt me with horrible imagery to make me want to destroy the world.


    I wouldn¡¯t fall for it.


    So what?


    Death was natural. I...only feared it because this curse wouldn¡¯t permit me to remain dead. I risked it all to save the one I loved because I had faith she¡¯d find a way to free me from this horrific destiny when I next awoke two or three centuries from now.


    The curse halted its attack and looked up. It smiled and transformed into a horrible beast, but it didn¡¯t do much more. I waited for it to be my surroundings. Even if it tried to entrap me from all sides, it wouldn¡¯t work. That wasn¡¯t all, though.


    A gentle gray pir of light appeared in the distant sky and descended upon the curse. It turned its infinite heads to me.


    <i>I am the shadow that binds you to the darkness. You cannot exist without me. We are one and the same, and I will have your soul. You shall fulfill your destiny and end this world¡­ Do not think that can be averted. The secret dream you carry¡­ It will never see reality. It will nevere to fruition.</i>


    I just knew what it said. Those unholy screams, murmurs, and cackles were as clear as day to my ears. And it was right. I¡­had a dream I hadn¡¯t told <i>her</i> about. Was such a happy-go-lucky future¡­even in the cards for someone as stained in death as me? Did¡­I even deserve to experience an ounce of that idealistic fate I desired?


    <i>Without me, you would have died. I am the source of your power. Do not ever forget that, ***** **********.</i>


    Thest two words were indecipherable and weren¡¯t worth replying to. It was probably a trick or a trap, and I wouldn¡¯t fall for it.


    I pointed with my mace and watched it ascend the pir of grey mana, where it dissolved into nothingness.


    And then I found myself restrained. Sharp ice formed around me, encasing me in a coffin. It felt warm, cold, and familiar.


    A cyclone of fire and ice surrounded me, and the world went ck. It filled me with a sense of longing¡­and anticipation¡­


    I knew¡­


    I knew <i>she</i> had saved me¡­ So I wasn¡¯t scared when those prior injuries returned to my body. What was there to be afraid of?


    Nothing.


    Because I had faith in <i>her</i>¡­ In the Transcendent Dark Lord.


    It was faint, but I felt a sensation around my arms. A set of lips upied mine. Something passed to my tongue, and everything was enveloped by a soft, golden glow.


    Light returned to my world¡­ The shattering of ice was heard¡­


    And there <i>she</i> was¡­


    The woman who freed me from my seal¡­and taught me what it meant to love¡­


    The woman¡­I wanted to grow old with¡­


    The one I wanted to spend my twilight with¡­


    The one¡­ The only one I had ever¡­truly loved¡­


    She was my light¡­my savior¡­and my future¡­


    <hr>


    It seemed much had happened in my absence. My liege held me tightly when the lion said it would share its knowledge. The memories flooded in, catching me up on what I had missed.


    I knew my liege had her doubts, but Surtr assisted her in my ce.


    <i>No... She wouldn¡¯t want to be called that. Not anymore.</i>


    There was also the sad, sad tale of Michael Fenton.


    <i>That¡¯s why¡­</i>


    I hugged her tighter. And tighter. And tighter. mes spiraled around us as I let my feelings take over.


    ¡°They¡¯ll die.¡±


    ¡°I know they will.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill them all.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll rip a hole to your world and enact your revenge¡­¡±


    M remained quiet. She didn¡¯t cry, but her touch was weak. She seemed so fragile, and I knew she had feared losing my respect after new information concerning her revenge hade to light.


    She didn¡¯t want me to think she had lost her edge or gone soft.


    She knew her worries shouldn¡¯t have been there. She knew it didn¡¯t make logical sense for me to hate her.


    And I wasn¡¯t mad. No. It was the opposite.


    I was proud of her growth¡ªI really was. It wasn¡¯t easy to confront the truth when you¡¯ve lived so long believing in something else.


    I had been destined for destruction. Chaos filled my mind for hundreds, maybe even thousands of reincarnations. Living without it clouding my sanity was a challenge, but she had helped me, and I shall help her in return.


    I didn¡¯t have to say anything, though. She took my actions as proof of the love I¡¯d forever hold for her.


    I didn¡¯t want to let go, but there were things to do.


    I turned to Tris. She took off her hat and held it to her chest. Her blue eyes shimmered with that smiling expression as her lion-like ears twitched. ¡°Wee back¡­ You¡¯ve been greatly missed. Umm¡­ Please¡­forgive me for this!¡± She suddenly hugged me.


    ¡°Congrattions on your evolution,¡± I whispered, rubbing her soft, blond hair. ¡°I¡¯m d I can finally touch you.¡±


    Tris wiped her teary eyes, returned her hat to her head, and I looked at the proud lion.


    ¡°You¡¯ve done well, Surtr. The name suits you.¡±


    ¡°It was my pleasure, mydy!¡± Surtr roared, sending an orb of darkened fire from his tail into the sky. It exploded¡ªhis way of weing me back.


    ¡°You deserve a reward.¡± I held a hand to his face and deposited more of mana. Surtr¡¯s body shed vividly, and a being formed from my excessive strength achieved evolution.


    He was no longer constrained to being a mere lion¡­


    No, that was one form he could take.


    ¡°What is¡­¡± The Lionfolk I stared at was the same Surtr. He stood tall, proud, and imposing, exuding an aura of raw power and confidence I had expected of him. This new form had a lean, muscr build entuated by the borate and ornate attire I had made for him with my mes and ice.


    His long, wild hair flowed past his shoulders, blending into shades of red or blue¡ªdepending on if he desired to channel ice or fire. It took a second for those crimson eyes to acknowledge what I had done, and then they glowed with a mix of cunning, danger, and a desire to ughter our enemies.


    His facial features had sharpened, giving him a more menacing and regal appearance. He seemed like a king in his own right.


    The attire I had crafted for him with my mes and ice was magnificent. A long, flowing coat draped over his form, its edges flickering with the fiery intensity of moltenva one moment, then shimmering like the purest ice the next. The coat¡¯s deep ck fabric was adorned with intricate patterns of crimson and blue, swirling like living mes and frost around his frame.


    The furred shoulders of the coat added to his already intimidating silhouette, making him appearrger than life. Beneath it, his armored vest fit him like a second skin¡ªdark, polished, and etched with the same elemental motifs. His wed gauntlets gleamed under the light, each finger tipped with razor-sharp, deadly ws that promised swift and brutal retribution to any who dared challenge him.


    His legs were encased in dark, flexible pants, perfect for the quick, agile movements he was capable of. The sturdy yet sleek boots carried the same fiery and icy patterns,pleting the fearsome ensemble.


    He may have had a few wrinkles scattered across his brow, making him look wiser and older, but he had not gotten an ounce weaker.


    No¡ªit was the opposite. The Surtr of yesterday was like a malnourished, sick cub when youpared him to the mighty warrior standing before me.


    ¡°Ah...¡± Surtr was speechless. He looked himself over and kneeled. ¡°Thank you, mydy!¡±


    ¡°Stand and rise, Surtr.¡±


    ¡°At once!¡± Surtr roared, sending a plume of fire erupting from his mouth.


    ¡°And Aetos¡­ You¡¯ve shrunk since thest time I saw you.¡± I turned to the pot and saw a baby eagle perching.


    ¡°I cannot say the same for you, Dark Lord of Tyranny. Did you enjoy your nap?¡±


    ¡°You could say that. Thank you, eagle, for waking me.¡± Thanking someone who hated me¡­ The feeling felt odd. Aetos¡¯s face was just as surprised¡ªhe couldn¡¯t believe what had escaped my lips.


    I told M what happened to me. She smiled when I said I was much stronger than before precise control. Dispelling the curse I had let in ¡®technically¡¯ weakened me, but my precise control was like me in my prime. I¡¯d be within throwing distance of my apex if I had my mace.


    ¡°Even if I knew, I wouldn¡¯t tell you,¡± Aetos answered after I asked. ¡°Only Lord Amos knows. He hasn''t been seen in centuries. We presume he has died. If you cannot detect your mace, assume he had sessfully sealed it.¡±


    ¡°Your mace cer. Let¡¯s return to the mansion. Tilde and the others are waiting. We must decide how to proceed, but we won¡¯t rush into anything. And there¡¯s much to discuss about how to handle Sera.¡±


    Seraphina Vredi¡­


    No one alive from 1,000 years ago hated me more than her, and here she was...indirectly responsible for healing my wounds.


    <i>How ironic¡­</i>


    Friendship was an impossibility. Seraphina''s anger would probably supersede any desire to help break the curse binding me.


    I recalled her being emotional and haughty like that. If she had been really training since my imprisonment, then she held the power to end my life.


    ¡­


    <i>How will we navigate this issue?</i>


    ¡°M?¡±


    ¡°Ye-- Wait, M?¡± She did a double take.


    ¡°The memories Surtr gave me. You wanted Niva to stand beside you, yes? And not behind? You desire the same for me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± M embraced me and said she regretted it when I used [Tyranny Control] to bind my will to hermand. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I was thinking, but I wish I could take it back... I love you.¡±


    I was hasty and foolish in doing that. It was a mistake only visible in hindsight, but we couldn''t do anything about the mark of my most feared skill staining my belly. It was set in stone, and not even I could shatter it. I doubt anything could, and we had to live with it. And there was really only one thing I could say...


    ¡°I love you too, M.¡±


    The informality made my heart feel funny. I wasn¡¯t used to this casualness, but it felt...


    It just felt right.


    There were a lot of things I wished I had done differently. Looking back on who I used to be? I¡­didn¡¯t know if I liked that woman. I was her¡ªyes¡ªbut after spending so long fighting the curse inside my soul, I felt¡­different. More mature or experienced, you could say. And hindsight was making me see all my errors¡ªlike trying to force sexual gratification on M to establish the initial link of [Tyranny Control] when we had just met.


    <i>Just¡­why in the hell did I do that? What was I thinking? Then again¡­ That was me at the time. And who I am now? Yes, I¡¯m different, but it¡¯s growth. It¡¯s proof the curse doesn¡¯t define me. I will not let it take me.</i>


    M and I held hands. Her touch was familiar, warm, and enchanting. Our fingers intertwining¡­reminded me of our first time. I never wanted to go without this feeling for even a day. ¡°I have a gift for you, Sekh,¡± she said. A tunic, skirt, and boots appeared in her hands. ¡°They¡¯re sewn from my crystal-d webbing. And they¡¯re immune to fire and ice. I¡¯ve been working on it in secret.¡±


    The outfit perfectly hugged my body. The crystal fragments sparkled, and the crimson and azure fit well. I smiled and twirled, feeling¡­so giddy¡­like butterflies were about to rise through my stomach.


    ¡°There¡¯s something else.¡± M produced a ruby ne.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± I whispered. The jewel sparkled with gorgeous luster, reflected by the clear webbing reinforcing it.


    I could make it better. The cor... It was still around my neck¡ªproof that I was enved by M, so...if I did this...


    ¡°Sekh, what...¡± Her eyes widened as I grabbed the ne, and she finally understood when the cor vanished. And in its ce sat my most prized possession...


    ¡°The cor¡¯s gone. There¡¯s no need for it, is there? This...¡± I softly smiled and held M¡¯s hands. ¡°This is all I need. If I have it... As long as it¡¯s there... I can feel you around me, M... It symbolizes your love. It''s not a reminder of [Tyranny Control].¡±


    ¡°It looks stunning on you, Sekh. I¡¯m d it turned out so well. Oh, I can¡¯t¡ª¡±


    Suddenly, the Spiritual Grove violently shook, and M demanded an answer. ¡°The Eagle Yew is under siege!¡± cried the eagle. ¡°It became enveloped in spirit mana during the transnt process! The ones relentlessly attacking the vige must¡¯ve waited until now.¡±


    Aetos didn¡¯t know who they were. While they appeared to be mere bandits, their skills, spells, numbers, and tactics suggested the opposite. Bandits wouldn¡¯t have known magic to forcibly induce decay and rot upon the Eagle Yew. They wouldn¡¯t have readied catapults and trebuchets and loaded them with expensive poison designed to rot mana-infused wood.


    No.


    Bandits would rely on their numbers and brutality. And they¡¯d run away upon being shown a greater force.


    These cretins kept returning after sustaining dozens of losses. They were determined to capture the vige¡¯s spirit, enve the inhabitants, steal Aetos¡¯s core, or see the eagle die.


    ¡°Those petnt fools¡­¡± M cursed. ¡°How dare they¡­ How dare they¡­¡± She clenched a fist.


    ¡°The coffin was cramped, M. I feel like stretching my legs,¡± I said, a hint of ire dding my tone. I did not desire this interruption.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°I am. I will make our enemies regreting between our reunion. And you, eagle. Do not worry. I will protect you, the vige, and the Eagle Yew, for is it not the least I can do for saving my life? Let me show you my improved mastery of the power that once brought the world to a screeching halt.¡±


    <i>No, Sekh. Stop speaking like that. You¡­need to change.</i>


    [Abyssal Iceme] surged around my body, casting me in armor.


    The clothing was unaffected. Its quality was sublime. The jewel was unharmed.


    ¡°Surtr, let us go. I¡¯m sure you desire to test your new strength. We will not spare these ingrates.¡±


    ¡°At once, mydy!¡± Surtr stood and formed a massive axe. The handle was fire, and the de was ice. ¡°They will rue the day they were born!¡±


    Aetos made a portal, and the Spiritual Grove shook violently once more. The world went dark as my mes illuminated our surroundings.


    ¡°They blocked the Eagle Yew¡¯s spirit mana?!¡± Aetos gasped, my fire glimmering in his feathers. He panicked and tried to force a reconnection.


    It didn¡¯t work.


    ¡°Have you fallen so much to lose yourself, eagle? This is nothing I cannot handle.¡± I took a breath and enmed my armor while holding my hand out. ¡°With the power of [Conferment], I use my authority as the Dark Lord of Tyranny¡­¡±

 Chapter Ninety-Seven: The Dark Lord of Tyranny’s Roar – Part Two (Important Update)

    Chapter Ny-Seven: The Dark Lord of Tyranny¡¯s Roar ¨C Part Two (Important Update)


    ¡°Hey, Tilde?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­ Just¡­what kind of person is Sekh?¡± asked Elly as we sat in the backyard, looking up at the Eagle Yew. Primrose had said the tree would harbor a mystic glow once the transnt wasplete, so we anxiously waited for it to sparkle.


    ¡°Mmnn¡­¡± Tilde stretched her wings and crossed her legs. ¡°Well, she¡¯s been with Master the longest. She¡¯s¡­kinda stoic? I dunno if that¡¯s the right word, but she¡¯s¡­ She¡¯s sometimes archaic, I guess. She¡¯s kinda ¡®brash¡¯ with her words and probably hasn¡¯t totally adjusted to her newfound happiness.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what do you mean by newfound?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Let¡¯s say she was locked up for a long time. She only really experienced true freedom when Master freed her. They¡­are more alike than they are different.¡± Tilde was unusually stuck for words. She couldn¡¯t readily approach the topic as ¡®jokingly¡¯ as she had conversed about other things.


    ¡°Freed? Like a ve?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not wrong, Ami,¡± replied Tilde. ¡°Sekh is still a ve in some ways, although none of her would ever think her to be one. She¡¯s super powerful, you know. A flick of an eyebrow, and she could roast me like a marshmallow.¡± Suddenly, Tilde giggled as she changed topics. ¡°Haha, I used to tease the shit out of her. I¡¯ll tell you¡ªour bickering was legendary. Ahh, but that was the old Tilde. This is the new one. Guess I should show her how much I''ve matured.¡±


    ¡°Sekh¡¯s really kind,¡± added Niva, who waved her staff to warm up her joints for an evening workout. ¡°I was in bad shape when we met. I¡­was close to dying, but she helped look after me. She changed my bandages and rubbed medicine on me.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yeah. She did that. Hey, Niva? Don¡¯t worry. I know Sekh¡¯s gonna be proud when she sees you. You¡¯ve changed a whole lot¡ª and for the better¡ªsince she¡¯s taken her nap.¡±


    ¡°Nap? But I thought she was hurt?¡± asked Ami.


    ¡°Well, she is. She¡¯s asleep via magic to help keep her alive inside a coffin of ice. Think of it like¡­suspended hibernation in cryostasis. We can¡¯t break her out without her dying from her wounds, but we can¡¯t heal her without breaking her. So, it¡¯s a paradox. Lord Aetos can use his powerful magic to heal Little Miss Sekh in a sh.¡± Tilde snapped for extra emphasis. ¡°Ah, we just have to wait, huh? Guess patience is a virtue and all that.¡±


    Greggie emerged with a tray of sweets, and we spent a few minutes happily enjoying this after-dinner dessert¡­


    Until¡­


    <i>It</i> happened.


    <hr>


    It was startling how fast life could transition into a nightmare. One moment, we gazed at the Eagle Yew¡¯s mystical glow¡ªproof the transnt wasplete. Elly was cheering. Ami was jumping. Primrose cried and hugged Niva, who patted her back¡­


    And then a barrage of spells came out of nowhere. Ice, fire, wind, poison, and gas bombarded the massive tree. The earth shook and rumbled as if the Eagle Yew groaned in pain. And another salvo appeared without dy.


    We dropped what we were doing and ran to the vige. Melusine took to the skies to create an icy barrier, yet her good intentions were futile.


    ¡°Why¡ªWHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?! STOP THIS!!!¡± Elly shouted. She helplessly watched a thunderous bolt of lighting fire m into the tree, carving off an 80-meter chunk of wood that violently fell to the ground, destroying precious homes.


    Aello wasn¡¯t anywhere to be found. The slimes and other inhabitants were scared and panicking. Things couldn¡¯t remain like this.


    ¡°Elly, handle the healing. Gather everyone in the graveyard. Keeth, go with her and use your skills to reinforce what you can. Mary, scout with your birds. Greggie, you and Ami are with me.¡± The orders came quickly. I had more experience in handling stuff like this.


    Elly and I buffed our attack, speed, defense, and magic, and then she sang a song about reuniting. Her voice was thrown across the entire vige, spreading far and wide, reaching everyone¡¯s ears.


    ¡°You¡¯re not fighting alone,¡± Tilde said, drawing her guns. Her, Primrose, and Niva followed after us. Lei had hopped on Niva¡¯s head. We ran to the vige¡¯s entrance, charged through the forest...and encountered roughly sixty people waiting in formation after the tree line. Magic continued to be fired by the mages at the back.


    They dressed like bandits, but the enemies were too trained to be hoodlums. Even their equipment was falsely made to look like hand-me-downs.


    I had killed hundreds of thugs. None pushed around catapults or hefted trebuchets on wagons. They were too heavy. Ferrying the ammo added another expense.


    These guys had to be professionals.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing?! Stop this!¡± I shouted, switching to Melded Elements, a tome focusing onbination magic. The book hovered and opened, casting an eerie glow around my eyes. Greggie readied his shield, and Ami raised her fists.


    A powerful spark appeared from the back. The bolt was tremendous, and it flew like lightning, striking the Eagle Yew.


    Immediately, the glow it held vanished. A foreboding feeling crawled into my stomach. After using [Mana Perception], I realized the thick mana radiating from their bodies meant they were at least Lv. 70. Perhaps even higher.


    I looked at the Eagle Yew and saw nothing but monochrome. The mana powering the Spiritual Grove was cut. Lord Springfield couldn¡¯t leave.


    ¡°I guess the report was true. A halfbreed with prosthetics, a whorish woond spirit, and a fairy maid wielding a firearm,¡± said a voice. I turned to the gathered soldiers and saw a heavily armored man with an intricately detailed polearm.


    That had to be the leader.


    ¡°Listen up! There¡¯s a High Elf inside the tree! She¡¯s ripe for the taking!l¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t let you hurt her, you¡ª¡±


    Suddenly¡­


    Tildeughed, cutting me off. ¡°If you know that, then you must know her name. Are you even aware of how much a Vredi means to the world? Touch a single hair on her head, and you¡¯ll make an enemy of the world¡¯s strongest¡­ Your lives are already forfeit. You¡¯re dumber than shit if you think your little trick has trapped her.¡±


    ¡°A Vredi?¡± Uncertain murmurs spread across nervous faces. No one had told the ignorant fools about their target¡¯s identity.


    But the man was a trained leader. He regained control by tempting them with money. The loot from this score, he said, would be enough for them to retire. They wouldn¡¯t ever have to do this kind of work ever again.


    The alluring scent of gold worked wonders for those who looked with their greedy little hearts.


    ¡°Tough words, little fairy, but you won¡¯t scare us. And you¡­¡± The man wore an angled, closed helmet, but I felt him narrow his gaze on my tome. ¡°That¡¯s a Soul Weapon, isn¡¯t it? I don¡¯t know who your lord is, but it isn¡¯t Gloria. You¡¯re not supposed to be here, are you? This is a severe vition. How could you attack one of Dirge¡¯s holiest sights with a Vredi? You are aware of this vige¡¯s importance, are you not?¡±


    ¡°Is that the route you¡¯re going with? It¡¯s terribly clich¨¦, isn¡¯t it?¡± I replied. ¡°Framing Lord Springfield and I for your destructive acts won¡¯t work.¡±


    ¡°Lord Springfield? So the High Elf of Liberation is in there? Thank you for confirming the rumors. The Lord Conference isn¡¯t far away, so what would they think when I capture and hand you to Gloria?¡±


    ¡°You can try, but you¡¯re going to die. You won¡¯t leave here alive.¡± My hands tingled. My lips curled into a smile. My blood ran hot.


    It was happening again¡­


    The feeling of taking a life¡­


    Preparing forbat¡­excited me¡­


    <i>I¡¯m so fucked up¡­</i>


    ¡°You¡¯re not making any sense, dumbass. The world would turn upside down for a Vredi. No one with a brain would even get 1,000 miles near you. Rumors leak. They always do. It¡¯s impossible to keep a secret if more than one is alive. Alcohol can loosen even the tightest lips. A Vredi would never dream of harming the eagle inside that tree.¡±


    ¡°Who says she¡¯s going to be sold, fairy? Would she not make more money if I rented her holes to anyone who¡¯d pay? They say a High Elf never loses her tightness. She¡¯ll be as fresh as a virgin every time.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see if that rumor is true once I get my hands on her.¡± A Scalefolk licked his lips and extended his sharp ws. They matched the yellow scales dancing across his bare chest.


    ¡°SHUT UP!¡± The cries came from Niva. ¡°I WON¡¯T EVER LET MILA SUFFER WHAT I WENT THROUGH!!!!¡± She raised her staff, but Tilde covered her mouth before the chant happened. She whispered something, but it only made Niva growl more ferocious. Her glowing eye became brighter Primrose bared her teeth. I saw nature mana radiate from her limbs, but she didn¡¯t do anything after a stern look from Tilde.


    Lei made itself more imposing, doing its best to look like Surtr, but the yellow slime failed to capture the lion¡¯s ferocity.


    ¡°Oh, feel free to try, halfbreed. There¡¯s nothing you and that spirit can do that¡¯ll harm me. You¡¯re too weak. Too pathetic."


    ¡°You¡¯re strong¡­ About Lv. 72, I¡¯d say?¡± Tilde asked, turning around. She held a scowl and looked directly at the leader. ¡°There aren¡¯t many in this areaparable to your strength. You remind me of a hunter, but¡­ Ah! That¡¯s it, isn¡¯t it? You¡¯re with Hymn, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    I¡¯d never heard of Hymn. The man slightly flinched. Tilde exined and said there was a guild called the Hunter¡¯s Division in Dirge. It specialized in hunting monsters¡ªnothing else¡ªso it differed from the bounty hunting guild or the adventurer¡¯s guild.


    However, there was a hidden sect called Hymn that specialized in hunting people. They would kidnap unique, interesting individuals, register their blood on a trackingpass, and allow people to bid on the right to track them. For targets outside Dirge, Hymn would contract the local bandits and provide them with money and equipment.


    Tilde deduced this group was probablymissioned by a rogue member amongst the upper echelon.


    ¡°Oh? You make up for your weakness with knowledge. It doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ll still rip off your wings before I sell you.¡±


    ¡°Are you willing to risk the wrath of the Dark Lord of Justice? What about Seraphina Vredi? My Master has a close rtionship with them. If you want to survive, you can always turn back. You¡¯ll live for at least another minute.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but that won¡¯t happen.¡± The man raised his polearm. The tip crackled with mana. ¡°This little incident has already been covered up. Wouldn¡¯t do much for our rep if we ran. Talking tough is cute, but it won¡¯t help.¡±


    <i>Covered up? So¡ª</i>


    Tilde aimed her guns, but she didn¡¯t fire. She wasn¡¯t scared.


    <i>She¡¯s probably trying to get more info. We learned a lot from her questioning.</i>


    Suddenly, two archers jumped, letting loose a pair of arrows as someone shouted a spell called [Gravity Drop]. Tilde reacted, shooting both out of the air.


    <i>Bang! Bang!</i>


    But her bullets immediately dropped to the ground. I activated [Mana Perception] again and saw purple light around her guns. She struggled to lift them.


    ¡°[Woond Shield]!¡± Niva raised her staff, creating a protective barrier around the fairy.


    The fight was on after the arrows were lodged inside it.


    ¡°[UNDINE SHO¡ª]¡± My time flipped to a page. I prepared to cast, but my voice was silenced by a purple pulse that spread across the field.


    It was like my vocal cords were cut. But there stood a robed man holding a purple orb. [Mana Perception] confirmed the link from him, the crystal, and myself.


    ¡°Only a fool would allow a mage unrestricted ess to their greatest weapon. We, however, are not inexperienced,¡± said the leader. ¡°Tactics shall always reign supreme over raw power. And don¡¯t kick yourself because you didn¡¯t cast a spell immediately. We knew that was possible and had the orb prepared beforewe began the assault. There¡¯s nothing you could¡¯ve done to surprise us. Surrender and ept your fate. Or don¡¯t. My men could use the training. You don¡¯t often get to fight Soul Warriors.¡±


    ¡°Que!¡± Greggie ran in front and deflected an arrow. ¡°Get it together! Use your magic circles!¡± He parried four more projectiles. Ami jumped off his shoulders and leapt into the air, raised a fist, and punched the ground, creating a shockwave. It knocked down the approaching ten soldiers, but another barrage of arrows came our way. Ami dodged effortlessly under them and built aura, her jacket¡¯s tail fluttering behind her. The projectiles kepting, and Ami kept avoiding them. When it filled, she gathered the energy around her hands and prepared an attack.


    ¡°[Support Reversal]!¡± A mage from the back raised his jewel-tipped staff. A wave of light spread across the battlefield.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡± Greggie groaned. I looked at the buffs underneath my soul energy¡­and they had turned to debuffs.


    Instantly, I felt sluggish. I saw the same strain in my allies¡¯ faces.


    But even worse, the powerful, staggering beneficial magic from two Soul Warriors was forcibly given to that mage, who used a second spell to share them amongst his allies.


    Another round of debuffs came like clockwork, severely weakening us even more.


    It was percentage-based and affected us more than Tilde and the others.


    Ami slowed for just long enough for an arrow to grace her cheeks. Her aura drained. A family of sharpened vines burst through the ground, stabbing her feet. She cursed and jumped a second toote as Greggie raised his sword far slower than he had done in recent memory.


    We were still Soul Warriors at our core. But it felt like lead had filled our shoes while swimming through a swamp of thickened msses.


    These bastards were really prepared for almost everything.


    I knew I could ughter them all in a single spell. I just needed my voice. I¡¯d coat the ground with their innards and truly show them despair.


    I had kneeled and tried to draw a magic circle in the dirt.


    ¡°MOVE!!!¡± Tilde shouted, and I didn¡¯t know if it was to me or Niva. But I kicked away, barely avoiding an arrow that would¡¯ve pierced my knee.


    It left a small crater¡­


    <i>No! Focus!</i>


    Tilde, Niva, and Primrose groaned, and a slime cried out, followed by someone shouting Lei¡¯s name. I heard gunfire and screams, but I couldn''t look at them.


    ¡°GUHHH!!!¡±


    ¡°GREGGIE!!¡± Six sickening thuds echoed. Four men had rushed past Ami and had gotten to Greggie. Ami returned and fought, but another barrage of arrows came my way. I didn¡¯t have the time to focus. They wouldn¡¯t let me.


    I heard our enemies exim at their newfound strength. ¡°These damn cheaters are so lucky to have this power at theirmand! Maybe we should keep one alive as a pet to buff us? A man could get used to feeling like they can take on the world!¡±


    We were surrounded in an instant, fighting back-to-back. More mages continued tounch their enhanced spells on the Eagle Yew as the siege weapons they brought unleashed their bombs against the tree. Their explosions rumbled the ground.


    An arrow hit true and pierced my shoulder, nearly tearing my arm from my body. I groaned and clenched my teeth.


    But this could work. Blood was a substitute.


    I bloodied my right finger, then drew on my left palm.


    <i>Come on! Come on! Come on!</i>


    ¡°Using blood? Cute, but you¡¯re not the first to try that.¡± I was almost done when an arrow exploded above, drenching me in a waterfall of water.


    The blood washed away. Even worse, the water had hydrophobic properties. ¡°That¡¯s an anti-mage staple, Soul Warrior,¡± taunted the leader while I silently cursed. No matter how much blood I used, it refused to stick to my skin. A constant barrage of arrows didn¡¯t allow me to remain in ce long enough to draw on the ground. I barely avoided them as it was.


    My increased physical abilities as a Soul Warrior were there¡­


    But just barely.


    I tried to make a magic circle with my feet as I avoided the arrows, but water magic ruined my work.


    If I killed that orb-wielding man¡­


    I could destroy this group.


    Dread consumed my mind.


    Not for me. But for my friends.


    Greggie continued to struggle. He pushed away the attackers and used lighting on his sword to disarm them. Ami had dodged enough to use her aura. She dded it around her hands and punched the ground, sending a shockwave of explosive energy that severely injured four enemies. They were quickly brought to safety while my friends rejoined me.


    They heaved heavily, but they held on. They had grown much since Meruria teleported us to that dungeon. Our enemies were probably as strong as a 1-Star Soul Warrior, but they didn¡¯t overpower us.


    Lord Springfield¡¯s entourage, though¡­


    I was too busy dodging to look at them, but Tilde screamed for her wings.


    Someone eximed Niva must¡¯ve had a nerve mesh attached to her prosthetics, and her cries followed.


    Primrose cursed, her voice barely audible over the whooshing of her razor-sharp wind, but I saw a ck sh.


    Someone had thrown a demon core, and a towering hell nt roared. Its barbed wire-like vines probably pierced Primrose¡¯s limbs and restrained her for others to hack at her core since someone said the webbing protecting it was too durable.


    And Lei¡­


    I never knew slimes could make that pained noise.


    Eighty percent of the enemies hadn¡¯t even joined the fight. That bastard with the polearm was the strongest.


    I felt my teeth chip from the anger.


    Six enemies approached us. Things didn¡¯t look good.


    Ami and Greggie had tried multiple times to intervene and help Tilde and the others, but they were always stopped.


    They couldn¡¯t just get close enough, and even if they did?


    What could we do to help? They¡¯d be surrounded in an instant. Or the ones standing around would join the fight.


    <i>Shit¡­ SHIT!!!!!</i>


    ¡°That¡¯s enough,ds! Just look at the tree! It¡¯s doomed.¡± The polearm-wielding man thrust out his weapon. He ordered 30 soldiers to enter the vige.


    That was the equivalent of 30 1-Star Soul Warriors¡­


    We didn¡¯t stand a chance in hell of catching up, but Greggie and Ami ran interference. They were fighting so hard and just had to try.


    I had to do the same.


    Turning around, I quickly drew a magic circle in the dirt. Six arrows lodged in my back. I felt four pierce my kidneys. One ruptured my spleen, the tip poking through my stomach. Blood spewed from my lips, but I kept my finger moving. The circle had to be done. I summoned ten tomes to shelter me from another rain arrow and vomited my stomach¡¯s content to helpplete it.


    <i>There!</i>


    I made the final touch. The magic circle shed violently andshed at my fellow Soul Warriors, wrapping them in a barrier as I wiped my lips.


    It would¡¯ve taken longer to make an offensive spell or one to wipe our debuffs away. The designs for those were too intricate to do under pressure.


    The barrier deflected enough strikes for Greggie to kill four, but he retreated after it shattered.


    He couldn¡¯t have made it to Tilde. Neither could Ami. She had only filled her aura by about half, which wasn¡¯t enough to turn the tide of battle.


    By then, I had a dozen more arrows in my back. The tips were barbed¡ªpulling them out wasn¡¯t an option. Intensive heat enmed my entire body. Insignificant movement pinched the skin, exacerbating the wounds.


    Ami slid and looked me over. She growled and tried to help me stand.


    My eyes kept darting back to Tilde and the others. Their screams¡­pained my heart. Niva¡¯s worried anguish¡­ There were too many bodies blocking me from seeing what they were enduring.


    Was that a blessing or a curse?


    I didn¡¯t have time or the strength to use my body for another magic circle.


    Another four rushed me. Greggie and Ami ran to meet them. They each fought two, blocking and ducking. Dodging did so much. They didn¡¯t have their Soul Weapons. I did. I had that goddamn thing. But what good did it do?!


    <i>Fuck! Fuck!</i>


    ¡°Just go for it,¡± Greggie said after he retreated. He held his shield and steadied it. ¡°I¡¯ll protect you. You can get us out of here.¡±


    Ami joined him. Blood leaked from her hands, but she still turned to me with that smile she was known for.


    I nodded, turned around, and constructed another one. Footsteps rumbled against the ground. The screams¡­got louder. Dread reced the blood in my veins, but I couldn¡¯t let it stop me.


    Not even when Greggie was locked inbat. Or when Ami was thrown to the ground by a gravity spell. They were risking their bodies to grant me this chance.


    And I had to do it.


    Even if this killed me¡­


    I couldn¡¯t¡­let Tilde and others die!


    And then¡­


    It happened. From the corner of my eyes¡­ There was a whimsical glow, a bright sh, and the Eagle Yew¡­


    It was shimmering like the brightest star in the darkest skies.


    <hr>


    ¡°Hmm? That¡¯s not supposed to happen.¡± The enemy leader demanded another spell to cut the mana flow, but an overwhelming pressure silenced him.


    An ufortable, heavy sensation radiated across thend. It was suffocating. I couldn¡¯t breathe.


    Pirs of ckened mes and ice appeared deep in the forest, spreading high above the tree line. Crystalline chunks ascended them, and they exploded like fireworks, sending four meteor-like objects scattering to the southeast.


    Everyone had stopped and just stared.


    No one¡­could move. Even the ones attacking Lord Springfield¡¯s allies had turned away and gazed at the startling sight as if some unknown force forbade them to look away.


    It was genuinely terrifying.


    And then I saw her breech the forest line as hundreds of gunshots echoed in the darkness behind her.


    A silver-eyed Lionfolk wielding a shield almost as tall as her, with a mace made from the same demonic mes and ice as the knightly armor sping her body.


    There was another Lionfolk behind her. He was taller, wearing sleeker armor that burned with red and blue mes, but his azure and crimson axe was ferocious. His broad shoulders supported his lean, muscr build, but his hair, ears, and tail looked covered in mes. Was it¡­Surtr? The mysterious, partly aged man grinned like no other.


    The woman left behind ckened ming pirs that surged a hundred feet high. Even the ground could not support her overwhelming power because every step caused thend to cry. Fissures erupted from the crater and snaked like abyrinth all around us.


    She kept walking and raised her mace at the orb-holding mage. ¡°Kill yourself,¡± she said, her voice cold like an arcane blizzard. ¡°Imand it.¡±


    I forced my head to turn. The mage cried crimson tears. He shattered the orb and used its sharp, crystalline pieces to slit his throat. His face held a crazed expression. It was so silent we heard his death gurgles and the sound of blood spurting like a geyser.


    ¡°Give us an arena,¡± shemanded. ¡°I don¡¯t wish to be interrupted.¡±


    The man bared his ming fangs and jumped high, using a sprout of ckened mes to elerate his ascent. He raised his axe with both hands, gathered ice and fire around the edge, and mmed it hard into the ground when he fell. A line of fire erupted to the left. Ice the right. They encircled our enemies, trapping them in a hollow cyclone of opposing elements. It was so opaque I couldn¡¯t see inside, but I hoped those bastards were suffering.


    The man roared and sat, keeping one hand on his axe while he watched the arena with hungry eyes.


    The oppressive atmosphere vanished, and I didn¡¯t miss this opportunity.


    Immediately, I switched tomes, used my buffs, debuffs, and wiped away the strengths and weaknesses that damn mage had stolen from and given us. Greggie and Ami were rejuvenated as their wounds were healed. The strength we normally carried resurged throughout our bodies.


    The same beneficial effects had targeted Tilde and the others, but I couldn¡¯t dispel the buffs of those inside that arena. I didn¡¯t know why, but they were untargetable.


    A hundred vines pierced from the ground and skewered the enemies surrounding them. Blood rained like curtains and obscured Niva as she slowly stood.


    Something was off¡­


    And then it hit me.


    Her prosthetics weren¡¯t there. Our enemies had ripped them off.


    That meant her nerves were severed¡ªthe blood leaking down her arm and leg proved that¡ªand the pain was equivalent to having her actual limbs viscerally yanked off.


    Niva had used her magic to construct wooden recements, but they weren¡¯t fitting right without a ¡®base¡¯ to mimic. But she never backed down, though it must¡¯ve been excruciatingly agonizing.


    Her body must¡¯ve been screaming at her.


    Her willpower was admirable to move in the face of this overwhelming power.


    <i>Bang! Bang!</i>


    Gunshots roared from Tilde¡¯s revolvers as she jabbed the barrels into the eye sockets of two men grasping her torn wings. Her maid uniform was disheveled and dirty. Blood oozed from her back as she screamed.


    The hell nt skewering Primrose retracted its vines and leapt back, but the spirit conjured a whooshing wave of razor-sharp wind that curled around the demon, carving offrge chunks. It roared and deflected the spell. Primrose reversed it with additional gusts of wind and eviscerated the ones torturing Lei while drawing and shooting her pistol at the retreating yellow Scalefolk¡ª the one Niva had gotten pissed at.


    He took two shots to the back, and Niva rushed him after transforming her wooden arm into a deadly spike. She rammed it through his stomach. Her glowing eye increased in intensity, yet she didn¡¯t stop until exhaustion swallowed her.


    He dropped dead, and Niva wailed as she fell to her knees. I used [Mana Perception], and the mana was fading fast. A secondter, her conjured limbs shed in and out of existence.


    I saw the nerves Keeth had stretched¡­ They dangled like limp noodles¡ªfreely exposed to the elements.


    Primrose hurried and supported her summoner, cradling her gently in her arms as she helped hery down. Lei bounced over and whined.


    The arrows lodged in my back were there. I switched to a psychokinesis tome and used [Telekinesis] to rip them out before using a healing tome.


    My back felt hot and sticky. Warm crimson oozed down to my body, but the pain simmered. Even if it didn¡¯t, I would¡¯ve pushed through as I ran to Tilde and the others. That Lionfolk followed.


    A fairy had thousands of nerve endings in their wings. I honestly didn¡¯t know how Tilde was conscious. She went to one knee and bit her lips hard enough to bleed. Her whole body shivered. She painfully squirmed with every breath and struggled to stand.


    I tended to their difort while yearning to do more. It wouldn¡¯t be hard to regenerate Tilde¡¯s wings¡ªit would just take time. Niva would need further specialized care to pack her nerves into her body. Keeth¡¯s maniption had altered their ¡®healed¡¯ position to be within the mythril prosthetics, so she¡¯d need surgery.


    The woman approached Primrose and Niva. Her weapon and shield vanished when she kneeled. ¡°Forgive me for not arriving sooner,¡± she said, putting her hands to their heads.


    ¡°You¡¯re here¡­ You¡¯re really here¡­¡± Niva weakly whispered. She struggled to raise her remaining arm. The woman gently cradled it betwixt her armored palms.


    ¡°I am. You two have done more than enough. It¡¯s okay to rest.¡± Niva smiled¡­and her wooden limbs vanished. Consciousness left her. ¡°I¡¯m proud of you, Niva. It¡¯s hard to believe you¡¯re the same woman we nearly found dead. I know you¡¯ve been working hard, and it¡¯s admirable. And you too.¡± The woman turned to Primrose. She slightly flinched. ¡°I know you tried to heal me when I was in the coffin. You endured burns to your hands, yet you never stopped. Let our bickering end, Primrose. Let us start anew as friends.¡±


    Primrose couldn¡¯t reply. She was crying too much. ¡°And Lei. I¡¯ve never met a slime braver than you.¡± Lei trembled, and its blubbery, trembling body ''deted¡¯ out of relief. "Rest easy, little one. You deserve that much."


    The woman stood, looked at Tilde, and frowned at the missing wings. "I never thought a rude, little cretin like you would ever mature into someone I should respect.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s high praise from you, Big Tits¡ªahh, sorry, force of habit¡­ I should call you Sekh, huh? It¡¯s the name our Master gave you, after all. And I can¡¯t be jealous¡­ I¡¯m kinda busty now, you know? You better watch out¡­¡±


    <i>That¡¯s Sekh? Incredible¡­</i>


    ¡°I¡¯m d that haughty personality is still somewhere in there. It looks like you need help.¡± Sekh looked at the ¡®arena.¡¯


    ¡°They¡­ They tore my wings¡­¡± Tilde sniffled, letting loose a torrent of emotions. She struck me as the woman who remained strong for too long before it all came crashing out, but she exined what had happened.


    Sekh hugged Tilde. ¡°You know the power I wield. Take sce in knowing that they will suffer immensely for what they did to you. M¡¯s head maid must have her rest. It¡¯s time for you to take a break. Leave it to me, Tilde.¡±


    ¡°So... It¡¯s M, now? That¡¯s...good...¡± Tilde¡¯s purple eyes quivered as strength faded from her body. They closed, and she became unconscious. Sekh gently guided the fairy to the ground andid her on her side. Then she stood, formed her shield and mace, and turned around.


    ¡°Que.¡±


    ¡°Ye¡ªYes?!¡±


    ¡°Use your magic to put them asleep. Begin healing Tilde.¡±


    ¡°What about¡ª¡±


    ¡°Your power isn¡¯t needed here.¡± Sekh coldly interrupted Greggie. ¡°You and the other shall return to the vige with Niva, Lei, and Primrose. Meet with Lord Springfield and tell her what happened. Wait for orders and follow them.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it¡ª¡±


    ¡°Do not question me, human.¡± Her tone was frigid and ferociouspletely different from how she spoke to her friends. ¡°I am not in the mood to be trifled with.¡±


    I told them it was okay while I used sleeping magic, which instantly took effect. Greggie gently lifted the spirit and her summoner. Ami swooped Lei in her arms, and they ran towards the sound of fighting and gunshots.


    I kneeled and focused on Tilde after swapping to the appropriate tome. Sparkling white mana collected around her wing stumps.


    Being near Sekh was difficult. I couldn¡¯t breathe. The pressure she radiated was unlike anything I¡¯d ever felt. Just what was she? How was she this powerful? And why did it seem like this wasn¡¯t her limit?


    ¡°I¡¯m disappointed. How could you not n for anyone to take advantage of your weakness? What a sorry, pathetic excuse of a Soul Warrior. Have you gotten by so far by relying on your overwhelming power? You¡¯re a na?ve fool. Look at what happened.¡±


    ¡°I know! Okay?! I know it!¡± I shouted. My hands trembled. The tome shuddered as if it had a neurological disorder. ¡°I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Excuses are for the weak.¡± Sekh scoffed. ¡°Focus on atoning for your failure, and do not ever dare to take this world lightly. You¡¯ve experienced what inadequacy will bring. Take this lesson to heart. Don¡¯t forget the shame inming your bones. Deal with the ufortableness and strive to ovee it.¡±


    <i>Is she¡­trying to help me? Why did her voice soften?</i>


    ¡°But¡ª¡± Sekh walked away. She red her power with every step. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± I cried. ¡°The ones inside the mes have strengthparable to a 1-Star Soul Warrior. Please, let me dispel--¡±


    ¡°That is unneeded,¡± replied Sekh. ¡°This will not even be enough to warm my blood. Focus on your task and remove your worry about me from your mind.¡±


    The man with the axe wished her a ferocious, bloody battle as she effortlessly walked through the raging arena.


    The fire and ice cyclone became slightly transparent. Sekh stared them down. Her pose suggested she wasn¡¯t afraid. I couldn¡¯t hear what she said, but it didn¡¯t take long for the fear to be evident on the enemy leader¡¯s face. Seeing it twist to an expression of horror made me feel good.


    I turned to Tilde and focused, but the screaming began. And the cries. The apologies. The endless wails of pathetic cowards begging for forgiveness. The sickening thuds of mace mming into flesh, shield bashing skulls, the meaty scent of burnt flesh, and an icy wind of terrible frigidness reminded me of Melusine''s kingdom and the curse that befell it¡­


    She wasn¡¯t fighting¡­


    She was toying with them¡­


    Nothing they did¡­posed an ounce of challenge.


    How strong was she...to cast those powerful spells and mighty abilities without speaking?

 Chapter Ninety-Eight: Uneasy Prelude

    Chapter Ny-Eight: Uneasy Prelude


    A couple of days had passed since M departed for Aetos Vige. I didn¡¯t expect Seraphina and Lord Enele to show up that soon, and I thought I¡¯d be a nervous wreck. M¡¯s past... Well, it was unique. She wasn¡¯t a true Vredi, so I feared blurting something out and ruining everything.


    But no.


    That didn¡¯t happen. Something...odd just welled up in my stomach, and I chatted with her like an old friend. She cared a lot for M. To Seraphina, my sisterly chimera was someone she had thought was dead since she told me very few Vredis were alive.


    It hurt my heart, though. Dad, Mom, and Erin knew we were deceiving Seraphina, but M had been disying more elf-like qualities. She once told me that Susize¡¯s memories shed through her mind, so maybe it wouldn''t be a lie if this continued? Could it turn into the truth? M confided and said she felt a sistership forming between them. M needed that. Life had been hard on her. She needed a lot of breaks. The truth didn¡¯t need to get out, right? If it meant the world would flow better¡ªthat feelings wouldn¡¯t be hurt and hearts wouldn¡¯t shatter, then I believed a few lies were good.


    Lord Enele got along great with Dad. Those two loved to discuss nearly anything, from the weather to religion, food, philosophy, abstract ideals¡­


    Lord Enele was also the perfect gentleman even though he was almost bigger than Dad, if not a little more muscr. He apologized for thecking justice system when he discovered why Grandma and Grandpa had cut ties with us. He offered his help in rifying the truth since he held a spell to detect lies.


    It would hurt¡­bringing up the memories, I mean. Dad would have to recant his abuse at Karen¡¯s hands and her obsession with him. Erin would be reminded of her birth¡¯s circumstances. She realized that. But I was her big sister!


    M might¡¯ve been older than me on a technicality that didn¡¯t count, but I had about 76 years on Erin!


    I had to protect her, so I upied her mind by helping her clean her horns at night, and Sera used illusion magic to make them sparkle like shiny, colorful lights.


    However, she didn¡¯t just spend time with us. She saw how stiff Chax and Ginnie were since they were interacting with a mystical High Elf from an extinct forest, but Sera asked to be treated like they treated M, and it became easier for them after that.


    Our caravan had already traveled a lot of Parthina and bypassed four city-states. The horses Sera summoned with [Recollection Projection] needed her mana, and she had a tremendous amount. Sustaining them was child¡¯s y whenpared to Susize and her spouses. She wanted them to meet us, even though they were static beings.


    The knowledge they acquired wasn¡¯t saved. Sera had said she had a list a mile long of everything she told them every time she wanted to meet them again.


    Only a few days had passed, but we were no closer to finding Grandma and Grandpa. The viges we stopped at didn¡¯t have much info, but Lord Enele and Sera said they wouldn¡¯t leave until we were reunited. It was a promise they made to M, after all.


    <hr>


    We had set up camp for the evening, and Dad was roasting veggies over a campfire that Sera had collected. Lord Enele happily chatted with Erin as he cooked her a delicious steak, and Chax and Ginnie were training.


    Kengu and Longtooth were sleeping by the fire, but Mom¡¯s and Dad¡¯s lions rarely left their bracelets.


    ¡°Do you want the pepper sauce?¡± asked Lord Enele, his deep voice asforting as a precious childhood toy.


    ¡°Yes, please!¡± Erin¡¯s tail wagged so adorably. She stared at the thick cut of meat. Her eyes sparkled as the fat dripped, sizzling on the open me.


    ¡°What do you think M is doing?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Can you not ask her through the lions?¡±


    ¡°We can,¡± I answered Sera. ¡°Kengu did that earlier. M was busy fighting a monster. I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s still doing it, or if she¡¯s done. Maybe she¡¯s asleep.¡±


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re referring to Sathtshas?¡± inquired Lord Enele.


    ¡°That¡¯s the first monster Lord Aetos created when the world epted his forest as a dungeon. A nt snake¡¯s natural weakness is fire, but he made it nearly immune to mes weaker than a Holy or Dark Lord,¡± answered Sera.


    If I knew M...


    She would use mes against it because Sekh would¡¯ve done it. She''d probably treat it as a test or something.


    Sera asked about Sekh a little more as the dinner preparation continued. After she stored the dirty tes in some magic spell, she retrieved a bag of sweet nuts as a desert and passed them around before continuing a story about Vredi Forest.


    But then her ears twitched. Sera readied her staff. Powerful mana swirled around her body, extinguishing the campfire. She pointed to the skies, and we saw four meteorites of mes that¡­looked so familiar¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s her¡­ It¡¯s Sekh!!¡± I cried. Our lions roared in unison, and Lord Enele convinced Sera to lower her guard. The iing mes mmed into our lions and encased them in tall pirs.


    When they faded¡­our lions¡­were Lionfolk.


    ¡°Longtooth¡­ Is that¡­you?¡± Erin asked, approaching a teenage girl.


    ¡°It is, Erin¡­¡± Longtooth¡¯s long hair and tail were made of fire. Her voice was sweet and kind. A ne of a piece of frozen me shaped like a lion¡¯s fang rested on her neck, and her blouse and skirt were suddenly reced by armor befitting her speedy, agile fighting style.


    ¡°Ourdy has been healed. She has blessed us with an evolution,¡± added Kengu. She was taller than Longtooth but shorter than Mom¡¯s and Dad¡¯s lions, who returned to their lion form and rested inside the bracelets almost immediately.


    Kengu¡¯s hair was like mine, but she was also muscr. A pair of crystal blue ice gauntlets sped around her forearms. She hugged me, saying that she had always wished to do this.


    ¡°Then the transnt was a sess?¡± Sera asked, reigniting the campfire.


    ¡°Yes, it has. Although¡­¡± Longtooth stopped speaking. ¡°Communication has ceased¡­ They are currently not responding.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­fine, right?¡± I looked at Dad.


    ¡°M¡¯s been away from Sekh for a while. I¡¯m sure the reunion is just emotional.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re right. Everything¡¯s fine.¡±


    <i>It must be¡­ I know¡­</i>


    <hr>


    It was probably an hourter, and I couldn¡¯t focus. I was too worried about M because there was still no word. I had crawled into my sleeping bag to take a small nap. Kengu joined me, assuring me non-stop that Sekh was stronger than ever. The lions¡¯ evolutions were proof of that.


    We also talked about the challenge I had set for myself. Tris had helped me with the ns because I didn¡¯t understand the mechanics behind that item, but they were done.


    I studied them all the time. I even passed the test Tris had prepared, so that guaranteed I had the technical knowledge!


    It would probably take a good while to craft it. I didn¡¯t know where to find the materials, furnace, or equipment to forge it.


    <i>Would it be wrong to ask Lord Enele for help? He''s a nice guy, so he''d say yes, right?</i>


    ¡°Oh? Irisa, I¡¯m getting a message from Surtr. Let us go for a walk.¡±


    I notified Dad., who told me to be careful.


    <i>Should I wake up Erin? No¡­ I should let her sleep. She trained with Longtooth, so she¡¯s exhausted.</i>


    We were near a forest, so I walked into it until Kengu connected my mind with M¡¯s voice via Surtr.


    <i>It¡¯s about time! You¡¯ve kept me waiting all night!</i>


    I expected a witty reply, but¡­


    <i>The situation has changed, Irisa.</i>


    I couldn¡¯t believe it when she said the vige was attacked. Or that the girl who argued for her survival when M was Shuuta had shown up with her team.


    She didn¡¯t hate them anymore after discovering the truth in their diaries. Meruria was even more of an awful woman than I had thought.


    <i>The attackers ripped Tilde¡¯s wings, but they¡¯re being healed. Niva lost her prosthetics, but I have someone fixing them.</i>


    My heart shattered. M said the enemies were from a secret organization called Hymn. It was under Holy Lord Gloria¡¯s control. That same group had once kidnapped Niva and registered her blood within a trackingpass. She eventually fell into Noelia¡¯s hands and suffered abuse.


    No one knew how many had been forcibly registered and bided on like cattle by sick bastards who wanted to hunt them.


    <i>I will kill them, Irisa. Gloria needs to pay. Hymn will be destroyed. I will ravage them to the ground.</i>


    <i>Juste back, M! Please! Why can¡¯t you leave this to Sera or Lord Enele?!</i>


    <i>I need Sera¡¯s help with this. She¡¯s stronger than me, but I am a Vredi, Irisa. Aetos Vige is under my protection. I love this ce. I feel more like a genuine High Elf with every passing day, but I know I¡¯m just a mere copy. Yet my emotions¡­are so real to me. Please, don¡¯t hate me.</i>


    <i>I don¡¯t hate you, M. But I¡¯m worried. I''m scared.</i>


    <i>The quicker Sera arrives, the sooner I can return. She holds more authority than I do and can make things right. I must be with her, though. When that¡¯s done¡­ I want to return to my family since that¡¯s where I belong. Sekh misses her family.</i>


    <i>We miss her too... Okay. I¡¯ll tell Sera. You better be excited to meet your Grandma and Grandpa!</i>


    <i>I am. I¡¯ve been dreaming about it. I¡¯ll talk to youter, okay?</i>


    <i>Okay.</i>


    <i>We love you.</i>


    <i>We love you too, M¡­</i>


    Kengu canceled the connection. She held me close while I cried and rubbed my back.


    ¡°I know how you must feel,¡± said Kengu. ¡°But that woman is a 5-Star Soul Warrior. Her prowess as a mage is remarkable. Tilde and Niva will be okay.¡±


    ¡°You promise?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Irisa. I promise.¡± She hugged me until I wasn¡¯t crying, then we left the forest and returned to camp. I still felt ufortable butterflies in my stomach. M was unimaginably strong. Sekh was stronger. Sera? Even more so. M nned to disguise Sekh, but the three could handle this.Especially when they had Tris with them toe up with a n.


    Kengu told their lions what M had said while I spoke about the attack. Fury shed across Sera¡¯s eyes. It felt like the skies were about to shatter until Lord Enele calmed her.


    ¡°How awful¡­¡± Mom whispered.


    ¡°It¡¯s despicable,¡± added Dad.


    ¡°M¡¯s waiting for you in the vige,¡± I said. I ensured my family knew Tilde and Niva were okay. Erin whimpered. Chax and Ginnie were concerned, but they knew M¡¯s strength.


    ¡°Return and confirm the truth,¡± Lord Enele said. ¡°Do what you must to protect the vige. Leave the escort to me. Get in contact should you need an Arbitrator. I can have one dispatched from Aquanis.¡±


    Sera used a spell to summon a copy of Aetos. His grand wings were awesome as she leapt to his back. ¡°I will not lose another Vredi, Lord Enele,¡± growled Sera. ¡°I will not forgive this transgression lightly.¡±


    ¡°I know you won¡¯t, but the Lord Conference is happening soon. Keep that in mind and wager the consequences of a Vredi openly warring with a Divine Country.¡±


    Sera must¡¯ve been feeling vengeful¡­ She probably felt what M experienced. Sera thanked Lord Enele and said something in Ancient Elvish. She raised her staff. She and the eagle were gone, but their destination wasn¡¯t Aetos Vige. The transnt had erased her saved coordinates, so she had to teleport to Plymoise¡ªthe closest city¡ªand fly across the ocean. At her top speed? It¡¯d take about two hours.


    Kengu shared that information with Surtr as the conversation turned to what would probably happen.


    ¡°Will M have to fight in another war?¡± Erin asked. Her exhaustion had been reced by anxious worry. She wouldn¡¯t let go of Longtooth¡¯s hand. ¡°It¡¯s not fair that this keeps happening to her.


    ¡°It really isn¡¯t. But M said she knows her ce is with us,¡± I said. ¡°She says her happiness is here. M wants to experience it together with us."


    Mom smiled. Lord Enele retrieved a letter containing a new report concerning Grandma¡¯s and Grandpa¡¯s location. He had his informants looking for them, and they were telepathicallymunicating with him via messenger turtle spirits.


    <hr>


    ¡°What¡­do you think Lord Springfield is doing?¡± Greggie asked. He fidgeted in thefortable seat and kept gripping his sword. His nervousness was evident.


    ¡°She¡¯s¡­ probably¡­torturing them. You said you saw corpses with gunshot wounds to the head when you returned with the lion woman, right? That''s...execution style."


    I nodded at Elly. ¡°Yes. Lord Springfield took the survivors to the Spiritual Grove with Sekh and Surtr. She told us to return.¡±


    It didn¡¯t take long to heal Tilde¡¯s wings, but I didn¡¯t know when she would wake up. Nor did I know what lingering phantom effects she¡¯d suffer from. She was in Lord Springfield¡¯s room with Niva and Lei. Primrose and Melusine looked after them. Tris was in the atrium with Keeth and Enap as they worked on Niva¡¯s recement prosthetics. Mary was there offering her knowledge. They wanted to create a failsafe to prevent the nerves from being torn if they were ripped off again.


    I didn¡¯t know how many had died, but we saw more corpses than we werefortable with after returning to the vige.


    <i>Even one¡¯s too much¡­</i>


    ¡°Qutie, what are we gonna do?¡± Ami whined. ¡°Are we¡­gonna help Lord Springfield? Lord Gloria is behind this, right? The bad guys are from her organization.¡±


    ¡°Remy isn¡¯t here, so the choice falls to me. I won¡¯t decide anything without the team''s input.¡±


    This attack was a shit show that revealed me as the weakest link. It seemed like the enemies knew how to counter us. Did they know we were here from the beginning? They sounded partly surprised, but why were they so prepared to take me out of the fight?


    Sekh was right.


    This¡­wouldn¡¯t have happened if I knew how to cast without speaking. It shouldn¡¯t have been that hard for someone with cheat skills like mine!


    I felt guilty for what happened.


    Lord Springfield probably hated me¡­


    What good was a Soul Warrior when they were caught unprepared for something they should¡¯ve had counters for?


    <hr>


    ¡°STOP!!!! PLEASE, STOP!!!! We told you what¡ªAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!¡±


    Torturous cries reached my ear after I ended the link with Kengu. Turning around, I saw twenty suspended individuals impaled on Clone!Sathtshas¡¯s vines.


    Fifteen were dead. It felt so euphoric to end these miserable lives because this was personal.


    ¡°Stop¡­ You keep saying that word, but do you know what it means?¡± I asked. If my Wrath wasn¡¯t at 0¡­there was no telling what I would¡¯ve done. I had to have a cool mind. ¡°When my fairy asked you to stop tearing her wings¡­ Did you do it?¡±


    ¡°He did not.¡± Sekh used a ming knife to y off another piece of flesh from the incinerated leg, eliciting another ear-piercing scream.


    It was almost time to move to the other one.


    Surtr stood behind her in his lion form and hungrily licked his lips. He¡¯d already devoured a few limbs.


    ¡°Did you stop when you tried to steal my friend¡¯s prosthetics?¡±


    ¡°No, my lord,¡± said Clone!Tris.


    The man¡¯s tormented wails filled the Spiritual Grove when Surtr ate his arms. His scales couldn¡¯t stand up to his teeth.


    ¡°Did your group stop¡­when that centaur begged you for mercy?¡±


    That was the first thing we saw after leaving the Spiritual Grove¡ªan elderly centaur pleading for mercy as a bandit pierced his frightened heart, killing him instantly¡ªa mere fraction before my shotgun exploded his head.


    <i>If I had...only been a moment quicker...</i>


    ¡°No¡­ Chimera, they did not. They butchered them.¡± Aetos watched from his little pot. He hated these fools. He believed they deserved death.


    We agreed.


    ¡°You attacked something I love. You destroyed a precious link¡­ The lives you stole¡­ The dryad who perished¡­ The ones you senselessly killed out of malicious greed¡­¡±


    ¡°IT WASN¡¯T ME!!! IT WASN¡¯T!!!! I DIDN¡¯T HAVE A CHOICE!!!!¡±


    ¡°Oh, but you did. You still do.¡± I shot the squirming woman near him. Thick vines had tightly constricted her and the others¡¯ necksto prevent them from screaming until their turn. But they also interspersed through their bodies, piercing their flesh, erupting from necks. A slow-acting poison worked to increase their sensitivity, multiplying the difort. ¡°Just like I had a choice to spare her life. I didn¡¯t, but I could¡¯ve. You had the freedom to grant mercy, but no. You didn¡¯t. Just like I didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Hymn! It¡¯s Gloria! It¡¯s them!!! That¡¯s it!!! That¡¯s¡ª¡±


    <i>Bang!</i>


    I shot him in the head, sighed, and used Sathtshas to assimte that corpse while moving down the line.


    <i>The children survived¡­ That¡¯s the one blessing in this disaster. I didn¡¯t fail them¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­</i>


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s all we can reasonably hope to extract from these vile whelps,¡± said Clone!Tris. ¡°We have verbal proof of a suspect ming it on Gloria and Hymn. Recording crystals exist. I can replicate the use of one with my abilities when we confront Gloria with a truth she cannot deny.¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± added Sekh. ¡°Unless you wish to--¡±


    ¡°No! Absolutely not!¡± Aetos shouted. He vanished, reappearing near us. ¡°That which the world rightfully feared the most will never be used in my domain! Not now! Not ever!¡±


    ¡°I suppose I should¡¯ve expected that. Yet I want you toknow this, eagle. I am not keen to use it as freely as I once did, but should [Tyranny Control] be required for whatever reason? It will be used¡ªregardless of your feelings about it.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t. I will never let it be cast in my sight.¡±


    ¡°...so you say. We¡¯ll see if you still feel that way in the future.¡±


    ¡°I promise I will. This is more than a warning. It¡¯s a threat.Use it, and I¡¯ll inform Seraphina of the truth. You cannot stand to her power.¡±


    ¡°My death would be the world¡¯s worst mistake.¡±


    ¡°Who says anything about dying? She has trained so hard to vanguard against the Dark Lord of Tyranny. You, the chimera, that lion, those Soul Warriors... The power of all cannot hope to match her.¡±


    <i>Bang! Bang! Bang!</i>


    I killed the remaining prisoners, ending the debate. ¡°We don¡¯t have time for this. Sera will be here in two hours. Aetos, stop clinging fearfully to the past. Sekh wouldn¡¯t let the power get to her head. She¡¯s not the same Dark Lord of Tyranny.¡±


    ¡°So you im,¡± replied the eagle.


    ¡°Just be ready to have your reunion. Start practicing what you want to say. You probably won¡¯t get a second chance. Regardless, that bitch Gloria¡¯s behind this. Even if it¡¯s some rogue leadership that acted without her order, it¡¯s still her goddamn organization. Gloria will pay¡­ I swear she¡¯ll pay¡­¡±


    <i>Sera¡¯s our quickest way of handling this. Her authority, status, and power can force a meeting. I¡¯ll follow her lead from there.</i>


    Clone!Sathtshas devoured the corpses. We were about to leave the Spiritual Grove when Clone!Tris reminded me about something. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. Want to do the honors?¡± I asked Tris.


    "We have something for you,¡± said Clone!Tris, producing the armor we had made together. Sekh¡¯s eyes teared as she touched the scorched surface, her hands brushingthe fang-like knuckles. She admired the lion-like aspects on the helmet and pauldrons. ¡°it¡¯s called Lionheart, Lady Sekh. It instills the ferocity a lion is said to harbor. I wish it was made from a material stronger than iron. I fear it won¡¯t hold up to your strength.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, Tris. It¡¯s...amazing.¡± Sekh hugged Clone!Tris and thanked her. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful. And you too, M. This is another one of my priceless treasures. I won¡¯t break--¡±


    ¡°Come on, Sekh,¡± I gently interrupted her, rubbing her head. ¡°Remember when I made you that mace and shield? Before we killed Noelia? Tris and I honestly expect you to break it. She¡¯ll learn from the ws, and the next incarnation of Lionheart will be even better.


    ¡°A-- That¡¯s right. You said something like that, didn¡¯t you? I won¡¯t try to break it on purpose, M. How can I when it¡¯s a precious gift from you? Is this my disguise?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I know it sucks, but whenever Sera¡¯s around...¡±


    ¡°I understand. It¡¯s not a problem.¡± Sekh said she acquired a skill to store armor and weapons in a unique space¡ªmuch like how Tilde stored her clothes, so she equipped the armor in a snap.


    It fit her¡ªlike a glove. Better yet, once on, you couldn¡¯t tell the gender or physical features of the person wearing it. Sekh¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t as...¡®hardened¡¯ as it used to be as the Dark Lord of Tyranny, so it was unlikely that Sera would recognize her by that.


    Sekh removed the armor and gave us a hug.


    ¡°I love you two.¡±


    ¡°We love you, too,¡± Tris and I replied. We each grabbed Sekh¡¯s hand and left the Spiritual Grove¡­ It was time to confront reality.


    Aello was waiting for us with the wooden puppets I had made. They helped gather the dead, dug the graves, and tended to the crying children. I followed her to the graveyard¡¯s opposite side. The odd device Aello had wrapped around her neck held the core of every spirit that relied on the Eagle Yew.


    The vige¡¯s non-spirit poption had fallen by more than half, and they were¡­trying to endure. But it was hard¡­ So terribly hard¡­


    It wasn¡¯t right. I shouldn¡¯t have been looking at the dozens of graves¡­ The Mandragorafolk¡­ The centaurs¡­ The Snailfolks¡­


    They didn¡¯t deserve to be lying lifelessly in those graves.


    And I cried¡­for the ones who perished.


    It wasn¡¯t fair.


    ¡°Sera is on her way,¡± I told her, wiping her tears. ¡°Can we dy the funeral until then?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± said the harpy, her tone low and heavy. She heard me sniffling and touched my head with a wing. Then Aello did the same for Sekh, who had shed tears for the losses. The Dark Lord of Tyranny, as feared by the world, didn¡¯t exist anymore. I knew Sekhwished she could¡¯ve done more to save them. We all did.


    Sera knew Aetos Vige had suffered losses. She would probably be hard on herself and me everything on her cowardice and inability to confront Aetos about her reliance on the past.


    I hoped¡­the two could ovee it.


    I really, really did.


    <hr>


    ¡°Umm¡­¡± Elly twitched in her chair after Lord Springfield returned with Surtr and Sekh. She had gone to her room to check on Tilde and Niva, who hadn¡¯t woken up. Tris, Keeth, and Mary were still in the infirmary.


    ¡°Yes? Anything to say?¡± asked Sekh. She wasn¡¯t in her ming armor, but her presence was just as intimidating. Those silver eyes were like piercing daggers. She just gave off this oppressive atmosphere. That ruby ne only added to her powerful image.


    <i>I suppose that¡¯s normal when you¡¯re strong like her.</i>


    ¡°You were really hurt, right?¡±


    Sekh nodded. ¡°Does that matter?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t, I guess, but I¡¯m d you¡¯re better.¡±


    ¡°Why? I don¡¯t know you. We¡¯re strangers.¡±


    ¡°Because Lord Springfield talked a lot about you,¡± I added, telling her about the stories we had heard. ¡°She always had a smile when your name came up.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Sekh didn¡¯t reply. Her ears twitched, and she turned to the kitchen. Greggie had finished preparing a meal. Ami was helping him bring it out.


    He said he heard Lionfolk loved steak, so the savory aroma of the grilled dish wafted through the air. ¡°You probably haven¡¯t had anything to eat, so you must be hungry. I hope you enjoy this. It¡¯s filled with mana to increase your physical abilities. Those are cord greens saut¨¦ed in butter and bacon fat.¡± He exined what a cr¨¨me br?l¨¦e was after pointing to a bowl. ¡°Sugar¡¯s good for energy after a fight.¡±


    Sekh wordlessly stared at the tes. She...almost seemed to fight against an urge to incinerate the food.


    Until her stomach rumbled. She finally grabbed her silverware and dug in. It was faint, but her ears just slightly twitched. That tail had been so dead, but it wagged for a moment. Greggie asked how it was, but Sekh kept eating. She ignored him like he didn¡¯t exist.


    That was the highestpliment a chef could get. Ami patted him on the back and smiled.


    ¡°¡­ Forgive me, but I wish to check on the vige.¡± Melusine briskly walked away. Mary apologized before chasing after her.


    Melusine had been acting skittish since I told her about Sekh. The Dark Lord of Tyranny was said to be a Lionfolk, but this wasn¡¯t her. Even if the ice was familiar, it was just a coincidence.


    But was she really a Lionfolk? Tilde didn¡¯t think so. She had slyly brought it up a few times when she told stories of the past and said she was another type of beastfolk. One she couldn¡¯t remember, but the Lionfolk who gave that crystal to Melusine when she was queen was someone else entirely.


    ¡°I have good news to share,¡± said Lord Springfield when she returned a few minutester. ¡°Keeth¡¯s making the final adjustments on Niva¡¯s new prosthetics. It should be done before dawn. The surgery willeter.¡±


    ¡°Greggie. The meal¡­was delicious. Thank you,¡± Sekh said, altering the subject.


    <i>Is it just me, or were those words stiff? I¡¯m getting this¡­odd feeling¡­ But what is it?</i>


    She held Lord Springfield¡¯s hand when she sat. The two gazed at each other longingly¡ªlike separated lovers who had been apart far too long. Although that was the truth, I suppose.


    ¡°Aww¡­ You two look so adorable!¡± said Elly. ¡°I¡¯m so d I got to see you two reunite!¡±


    ¡°Really? Adorable?¡± Lord Springfield turned to Sekh and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m¡­happy that you all were here to see this. I wish it had been under better circumstances. Greggie, I¡¯m afraid the celebration will be dyed. I¡¯m unsure of when or if it¡¯ll be held.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Lord Springfield. It¡¯s understandable. Especially given the¡­ situation. A good meal can heal the heart, but some wounds require time.¡±


    ¡°What are your ns going forward, Lord Springfield?¡± I asked. My tone was shaky. I couldn¡¯t help but think she thought the worst of me because I had failed. A woman of her power should¡¯ve spared the niceties.


    The shame trembled in my bones and joints.


    ¡°Seraphina Vredi should arrive in approximately two-to-three hours,¡± answered Tris, speaking for her lord. She held a perfect posture¡ªas always. ¡°Discussion on how to best proceed should be postponed until after the funeral. However, that begs the question of what your team will do. Involving yourself in a quarrel against Holy Lord Gloria will be seen as an act of aggression if she discovers your presence. Can your Holy Lord support another war so soon after the sh with Uquenia? Many of her Soul Warriors perished in the initial st that ravaged Junsa. I cannot deny the chances that someone affiliated with my lord¡¯s enemy is on their way here at this very moment.¡±


    ¡°I understand that. But Remy isn¡¯t here. Until she shows up, I must make the decisions. Our orders were to arrange a meeting between Lord Meruria and Lord Springfield.¡± I bit my lips and looked at my teammates.


    ¡°I see,¡± Tris said. Her expression suggested she didn¡¯t want me tomit to anything I might regret. She was right. Doing this¡­ Helping Lord Springfield would mean war if we were caught or identified.


    I didn¡¯t have a way tomunicate with Meruria. Remy did, but that bitch was AWOL. Where the hell was she when something like this was going down?! It seemed like Lord Springfield wanted to say something else. She briefly looked at Tris, who subtly shook her head.


    ¡°Umm¡­ Niva and Tilde. Are they okay?¡± Ami asked, breaking the growing silence.


    ¡°Their vitals are steady, so they aren¡¯t in danger of dying. I¡¯m afraid Niva¡¯s progress will be set back. Tilde may need therapy to fly again. Que.¡±


    ¡°Y¡ªYes?!¡± I didn¡¯t know it until she said my name, but my eyes were teary.


    <i>I was wondering why everything seemed foggy.</i>


    Lord Springfield¡¯s expression glistened in the salty, watery haze. Sheasked me to follow her and Sekh. I walked with them to the backyard¡ªa once vibrant flower field surrounded by death and decay. Life would return¡ªespecially since the Eagle Yew was thriving again¡ª but I didn¡¯t know when that would happen.


    <i>This area must¡¯ve been pretty in its prime. Especially on nights like tonight when the full moon was out.</i>


    ¡°You must think me to be upset or disappointed,¡± she said, never letting go of Sekh¡¯s hand.


    ¡°I¡­¡± I nervously rubbed my arm. ¡°I wasn¡¯t ready. The enemies knew my strengths and had counters to everything. I was overconfident because I¡¯m from another world. Your allies nearly fatally suffered for my mistakes. Forgive me for being blunt, but I don¡¯t know why¡­¡±


    ¡°Why you¡¯re alive?¡±


    ¡°Huh¡ª¡± I was taken aback --- how did she know that. My surprise froze my lips as Lord Springfield continued.


    ¡°You did your best. Yes, you¡¯re a 5-Star Soul Warrior, but you¡¯re not a goddess. You can bleed, Que. Just like everyone else. I won¡¯t lie. I expected more, and I was upset. But my friends are still alive to see tomorrow. They aren¡¯t joining the cycle of reincarnation any time soon.¡±


    ¡°Learn from this failure. Take it to heart and never forget what you¡¯re feeling,¡± added Sekh.


    ¡°Sera¡¯s a much more capable mage than myself. I¡¯m certain she won¡¯t mind tutoring you once the circumstances have changed. You did, after all, shed blood to defend Aetos Vige. That makes you a hero in our eyes.You and your team risked your lives for a ce I love. I cannot thank you enough. The Eagle Yew, Que, thank you.¡± She raised her arm towards that inspiring tree.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± I was crying. I could¡¯ve hidden it before, but the tears rushed down my cheeks as I dropped to my knees. Lord Springfield kneeled and handed me a handkerchief.


    ¡°My words cannot ease your ailing heart¡ªonly you can do that¡ªonly you can find forgiveness within yourself.¡±


    Lord Springfield''s eptance¡­her words¡­ This¡­generosity¡­


    God, it was too much for me. She held a hand to my shoulder while I sobbed, spilling my emotions like an overturned water tank.


    <i>I¡¯m so d she doesn¡¯t hate me¡­ Why¡­ Why couldn¡¯t she have been our summoner? Why did it have to be Meruria? Why her?! Why?! Whywhywhywhywhywhy?!?!?!?! It¡¯s not fair!</i>


    It took a few minutes to calm down¡ªlonger to stop crying. Lord Springfield asked if I felt better, and I nodded. ¡°Failure isn¡¯t something I handle well,¡± I admitted. ¡°Disappointment falls under that broad category. Thank you for speaking with me.¡±


    ¡°I should say the same. Our prior conversation still echoes in my mind. I¡­hope that whatever happens, Que, we can remain friends. If I¡¯m being honest? I¡¯ve enjoyed our time together. Niva¡¯s appreciative of it, too. Keeth¡¯s handiwork is incredible. You might even call it a genuine miracle. Tilde¡¯s been showing me the dances she¡¯s learning from Elly. You should see her smile. It¡¯s gorgeous. I never want to see her face without it.¡±


    The more Lord Springfield talked¡­


    The more my heart cried. Because she was too good for a rotten bitch like Meruria. I didn¡¯t want them to meet. I didn¡¯t want her to ruin Lord Springfield¡¯s life like she did ours!


    But what could I do?


    Really¡­


    What¡­could I do?


    I returned with those two as a knock echoed at the door.


    Why did my heart feel uneasy?

 Chapter Ninety-Nine: Vengeance Unleashed – Part One

    Chapter Ny-Nine: Vengeance Unleashed ¨C Part One


    I didn¡¯t lie.


    Intense loathing and dissatisfaction filled my mind when I learned what happened to Niva and Tilde. Much of that was directed towards Que since she was obviously powerful. A mere orb of silence was enough to cripple the woman who made a hurricane to destroy a sandstorm?


    She had fought for the vige, spilling blood to defend it.


    Not just her¡ªbut all of them. They risked it all, fighting against circumstances almost designed to counter them¡­


    Something weird was happening. Things felt like they didn''t fit or they fit too well. It didn¡¯t feel natural¡ªno, it felt artificial¡­almost like¡­something was on purpose? The feeling was difficult to exin. It was abstract. I didn¡¯t understand it other than a growing knot in my stomach.


    As I returned to the living room¡­


    Another oddity urred.


    Someone knocked on the door, but the noise seemed to echo around us¡ªlike someone was rapping their knuckles against the tables.


    I asked Tris who it was, but she hesitated before answering.


    <i>No one.</i>


    <i>Knock! Knock! Knock!</i>


    I heard the noise again.


    <i>No one''s within 200 feet of the mansion, my lord. I do not detect illusion magic or invisibility potions.</i>


    There was nothing.


    No one was there. Yet someone was knocking.


    Logically, someone had to be there.


    ¡°Tris?¡± I called her name, but she didn¡¯t reply. She started shivering. Sekh grabbed her hands, and the two followed me when I went to the door. Que tagged along. Her expression had changed¡ªshe was mentally preparing for a fight.


    Maybe she sensed something was off.


    The knocks that shouldn¡¯t exist continued toe.


    ¡°Don¡¯t open it¡­ My lord, I¡­ Don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t know what¡¯s behind it¡­ I don¡¯t¡­¡±


    Sekh reassured Tris as I grabbed the knob. The door swung open¡­revealing the woman who had raped me when I was still known as Shuuta Fenton.


    She was standing¡­right there¡­under the moon¡¯s glow¡­like a beacon of evil¡­


    But she wasn¡¯t showing on the map.


    That was impossible...


    I couldn¡¯t breathe.


    I couldn¡¯t focus.


    My body screamed a thousand warning signs as the memories I didn¡¯t want to relieve shed to the forefront of my mind. The feeling of nails digging deep into my body¡­ The way her fingers wrapped around my neck¡­


    The beatings¡­ The thrashing¡­


    <i>Thump!</i>


    I thought I was about to scream, but something stopped me. I turned around because Tris had dropped to her knees. Her eyes twitched uncontrobly. She seized up before copsing like someone had cut her strings.


    She went limp. Sekh dashed to catch her.


    Surtr rounded the corner as a lion, his fangs alit with mes. He never blinked after fixating his gaze on her. The others rushed behind him. Primrose barged past everyone to supportme. I needed herforting touch because¡­ Because I was still locked. Fear circted throughout my body like blood¡ªthat awful night was the only thing that filled my vision.


    ¡°Wow. Guess I have a few fans here, huh? Good to meet ya, Lord Springyfield. Hello! Hullo! Hallo!"


    "Remy!" Que barked. ¡°Please, it¡¯s Lord Springfield! What did you do to Tris?¡±


    <i>This¡­</i>


    <i>This is Remy?</i>


    ¡°Aww, don¡¯t start ming me for shit I wasn¡¯t involved with, Cutie Qutie!¡±


    I was still frozen in trepidation.


    I couldn¡¯t move.


    <i>Activating Emergency Response Protocol: Wrath Induction</i>


    The robotic, monotone voice Tris had in her first evolution filled my mind. The cylinder representing my Wrath turned to 1 as a ming belt wrapped around my skin¡ªbeneath my clothes.


    Only then could I move without feeling like this bitch was about to repeat that night.


    I immediately picked up Tris. Primrose never left my side or let Remy out of her gaze. The woond spirit¡¯s eyes were piercing-- Aetos was watching.


    ¡°Eh? I don¡¯t get so much as a hello after I walked all this way to get here.¡± Remy tried to step into the mansion.


    ¡°You did not get permission to enter.¡± Sekh¡¯s voice was cold. She narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you own this house. Why do I care what a cub whispers to a wolf?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see if you keep that same tune when this cub incinerates you.¡± Sekh equipped her abyssal iceme armor. Her mace manifested itself in a fiery, icy explosion. Surtr roared louder than ever, shaking the mansion¡¯s foundation, shattering almost every window.


    Remy just¡­smiled. She hopped back a few feet and started juggling daggers.


    Que ran between the two. ¡°Please, we don¡¯t need to fight! Stop it!¡±


    ¡°Fighting? Don¡¯t ya know this is how people like us greet each other? Isn¡¯t that right¡­? You smell of blood. I bet you¡¯ve killed way more than me. That''s not an easy feat.¡±


    Sekh kept quiet. She looked at Surtr. Her armor vanished, and she ushered me to our room.


    <hr>


    ¡°That¡¯s her¡­ That¡¯s the one¡­ That¡¯s the goddamn bitch¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t think straight.


    I was in my room, pondering against the wall after gentlyying Tris between Tilde and Niva. Those two still showed no signs of waking up. Tilde¡¯s wings were back, but they were glossy. Leiforted the three with his blubbery body.


    Sekh tightly hugged me to stop my trembling.


    I rambled for another few minutes until Sekh calmed me. She made me sit on the foot of the bed, held my shoulders, and told me to breathe. Panicking wouldn¡¯t solve anything. We needed to go through what had happened.


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Sekh breathed with me. Primrose squeezed my hands.


    <i>In and out¡­</i>


    <i>In and out¡­</i>


    I opened a window to my Divine Skill. The Essence of Wrath¡¯s ming blood had flooded the floating metal tform. She continued to stab at her body, breaking her infinitely regenerating horns while begging for it to stop.


    I sent my spirit into it. On the outside, Sekh was still watching the window I disyed on the wall.


    ¡°PLEASE!!!!! I¡¯M SORRY!!! LORD SPRINGFIELD, PLEASE FORGIVE ME!!!!¡± The EoW scrambled towards me. ¡°MAKE IT STOP!!! MAKE IT STOP!!!!!¡± I kicked the bitch away and demanded an exnation.


    ¡°Allow me to answer that.¡± A prismatic orb of rainbow energy shed into existence. Its voice was stiff, robotic, and monotone.


    ¡°Tris?¡±


    ¡°I am the emergency backup of the entity that was given that designation. The primary unit is undergoing system maintenance to repair illogical errors that should not have urred.¡±


    Tris had said something about that back on the boat to Plymoise¡ªabout 5% of her wasprised of a core backup.


    ¡°Is she okay? Will she get better?¡±


    ¡°Affirmative.¡±


    "What happened? I don''t get it?"


    "The one called Tris has linked the Essence of Wrath¡¯s mes to my activation should you desire assistance when she was indisposed."


    In this case, it was just enough to make me move.


    She had really thought of it all.


    The EoW mmed her head to the metal floor. It shattered with each blow, spewing harmless mes over me. She tried to speak, but it was garbled nonsense amid a chorus of screams.


    I returned to my body. The backup appeared.


    ¡°Be strong, M,¡± whispered Sekh¡¯s sweet voice. ¡°I have not forgotten my promise. Your enemies shall fall. I shall ughter them.¡±


    Remy¡¯s eventual fate remained the sameeven though she was undetectable by [Deduction] or [Skyview]. Surtr told me that disgusting blemish was eating me out of house and home¡ªmocking the mansion¡ª while treating Que¡¯s team like ves.


    The bitch was going to die, but¡­


    How?


    What could we do?


    ¡°I asked Father,¡± Primrose whispered, her voice trembling slightly. ¡°Remy has a reputation for being Meruria¡¯s most puzzling warrior. Her abilities are a mystery. Only a few people know about them. He¡¯s heard rumors of her being a master of teleportation and [Time Magic].¡±


    ¡°That lines up with Team Que¡¯s diaries.¡±


    ¡°Could [Conferment] be used?¡± asked Primrose. ¡°To seal away her magic?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It might not affect Remy since Tris¡¯s other abilities don¡¯t work on her. But it must. I practically unlocked the goddamn thing for everyone else.¡±


    ¡°Do you think we can count on Que¡¯s assistance?¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I answered Sekh. ¡°Remy has a grip on her¡ªalmost like an invisible leash. I know she hates those two, but Que has her team to look after. She won¡¯t flip sides without a guarantee. Although¡­ Perhaps I could use her guilt if I reveal myself as Shuuta?¡±


    <i>What about Aetos? No, M. That¡¯s dumb. He¡¯s weaker than a newborn pig. A stiff breeze could knock his pot over. He¡¯d need decades¡ªno, centuries, to return to his prime. What if we worked together? Will Team Que, myself, Sekh, and Surtr be enough? Even if [Conferment] works, will it help us? Just how much lifeforce will it take to affect someone like her?</i>


    Sekh bared her teeth, annoyance stered across her brow. ¡°I desire my mace more than ever,¡± she said after I rubbed her hand. She sat on the bed and uncharacteristically sighed. ¡°So much power is stored within. All our problems would be solved if I had it. No one¡ªnot even the Dark Lord of Justice could stand opposition to us at that point.¡± She paused for a moment, showcasing strain across her brow. ¡°There¡¯s¡ª¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m shutting that shit down,¡± I sternly said. ¡°You¡¯re not using the curse to get the upper hand. I won¡¯t lose you, Sekh. Not again. My vengeance is important, but what does it mean if you¡¯re not there to stand beside me as we taunt enemies¡¯ brutalized corpses? We started this journey together, so we¡¯ll finish it together.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no better ce I¡¯d rather be than by your side, M.¡± Sekh faintly smiled. ¡°I won¡¯t bring it up again.¡± I softly gripped her fingers. ¡°That leaves us with one option. The Second Princess of Vredi Forest.¡±


    ¡°Sera would believe anything I say,¡± I said. ¡°If I told her Remy had abused me¡­ She¡¯d use her full might to smite her from this world. Sera would turn that anger towards Meruria if I asked.¡±


    <i>She¡¯s just so powerful. If nothing else, she could incarnate recollected projections of Amos¡¯s Soul Warriors to kill Remy.</i>


    ¡°I selfishly wish to deny her help.¡± Sekh gently clenched my fists. ¡°Yet my desire to kill Remy does not eclipse the yearning to witness her end. If she dies, yes?¡± I nodded. Sekh then smirked. ¡°Meruria and the others. I won¡¯t let them get away from me.¡±


    Suddenly, a deep voice reverberated around my mind.


    <i>Mydy, Lord Springfield.</i>


    <i>What is it, Surtr?</i>


    <i>The target is iming boredom will kill her. She desires to leave. I do not think she¡¯ll remain for much longer.</i>


    That could be a problem. Sera still had about an hour before she arrived¡ªmaybe ten minutes could be shaved if she pushed the recollected projected Aetos to the limit while knocking back mana potions like a drunk uncle.


    <i>Where will the fight happen? What will be the backdrop? It can¡¯t be the vige because Que theorized a fight between us would destroy the forest. It could potentially take out the Eagle Yew. Even if that¡¯s unlikely¡­ It¡¯s a surefire, foregone conclusion if we added Sekh¡¯s, Surtr¡¯s, and Que¡¯s might. Leaving everything to Sera? That¡¯s still risky because Remy¡¯s unpredictable. Think, M. Think! What¡¯s the move? What¡¯s the y?</i>


    ¡°Mmnn¡­ Nnrg¡­¡± I saw movement in my peripheral vision. It was slight, but Tris nudged her fingers. We rushed to her side, held her hands, and anxiously waited until she opened her eyes. Minutes passed, but it felt like an eternity mixed with unsavory, anxious fumes.


    I never¡­ever wanted to feel that again.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I whispered. ¡°Tris? Can you hear me? Are you okay? Are you hurt?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.., my lord.¡± Her voice was softer than usual¡ªweaker, too. ¡°Forgive¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll stop you right there. No forgiveness is needed,¡± said Sekh. She knew what I wanted to say.


    Tris got right down to business.


    ¡°I refused to stop processing the data. The illogical errors have been handled, but they aren¡¯t solved. I cannot understand orpute the paradox presented to me. There are two paths we can take, my lord, that will see your revenge fulfilled.¡±


    <i>Crunching the data during repair? This workaholic doesn¡¯t know what taking a break means.</i>


    Tris looked me in the eyes, refusing to nce away as she told me her ns.


    ¡°I¡­can¡¯t do that,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s too risky-- too dangerous.¡± I never thought I¡¯d say this about Tris, but I wanted to shout at her for being so stupid to suggest such ns¡ªespecially when I gave her explicit orders to <i>not</i> die.


    Still, she wanted to entrust the help of that goddamn body-snatching traitor?


    ¡°That¡­ That thing must die.¡± I felt Tris¡¯s conviction through her unsteady, waving voice. ¡°I have constantly scanned¡­since we arrived. I have not found a trace of bandits or other raiders within an area that I deemed severe enough to warrant immediate execution. I detected them at the moment of the attack, so they must''ve been teleported in from a non-indexed area. Remy, however, does not show up. I can only conclude that she can mask herself from appearing on [Skyview]. That should be impossible, yet it is only the exnation. She... She cannot be allowed to live."


    ¡°Are you suggesting she¡¯s behind the attack?¡±


    ¡°I cannot be certain, but the circumstantial evidence points me in that direction. Meruria can alter emotions and perceptions. We know she has experimented with the void. I surmise her power can be made portable and used by others. If we do not do this now, I fear the chance will be missed. Sera¡¯s power will even the odds, but Remy may vanish before she arrives if she detects her presence. Furthermore, if Sera participates in the fight, we will lose the opportunity to get the answers we desire¡­ Your chimerism cannot be known to her.¡±


    Sekh and I shared a look. I started to speak, but Tris uncharacteristically interrupted me.


    ¡°I know your distaste, my lord. Perhaps we won¡¯t need those ns once I acquire more information. But if they be necessary, we must¡­prepare ourselves to do everything we can to ensure victory¡­ For this n, and for your ultimate goal¡­ This is the time to act. This opportunity cannot be squandered... I¡¯m afraid¡­it will not return.¡± Tris¡¯s voice trailed off.


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°Why the hesitation?¡± I heard Aetos¡¯s voice. A momentter, a baby eagle spirit flew through a tiny portal and perched on the bed.


    ¡°Father?¡± gasped Primrose.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t dumb. You know damn well why I¡¯m¡­ Look, I just saved this vige, and now I¡¯m being forced to put it ALL at risk?


    ¡°Who says that is required of you?¡±


    ¡°What? Where else would we fight? I could¡ª"


    ¡°Answer me. Tell me who told you that you must endanger the vige.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I havee bearing a message from the Eagle Yew.¡± Aetos waved a tiny wing towards the window. ¡°It wishes to repay you. Thus, it has agreed to serve as your battleground. The Spiritual Grove is not yet within the Spirit Realm, yet it is not within the Mortal Realm, either. It is unlikely that your sh will inflictsting effects upon the vige.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°Please, my lord,¡± Tris begged me. ¡°Please¡­ She must die. She cannot be allowed to live. I¡¯ve thought it over a thousand times¡ª¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve never steered me wrong before, Tris.¡± I embraced her. ¡°You¡¯ve always been there. I know¡­ I know you wouldn¡¯t have suggested this if you didn¡¯t think our victory was assured. So, I¡¯ll trust your ns. Please, Tris¡­ Help me¡­ Help me kill her.¡±


    ¡°I will, my lord. I¡¯ve been dreaming of this day¡­for when they will finally feel your vengeance...for when the consequences of their actions foreshadow their death.¡±


    ¡°She will die, M. Remy¡¯s death will mark the start of your revenge. This will not be the end,¡± Sekh said, her voice afortable pir I needed to rely on.


    ¡°The page hath been written.¡± Aetos pped a wing. ¡°Very well. The Eagle Yew is awaiting. Do not disappoint the faith it holds in you.¡± The eagle vanished in a whimsy sparkle, leaving us alone.


    I took a moment to collect myself. Primrose grabbed my hand. She didn¡¯t want to let go. Lei mimicked her actions and jumped into my arms. ¡°Lord Springfield¡ª¡±


    ¡°Stay here, okay?¡± My voice was soft.


    ¡°Please, let me¡ª¡±


    ¡°Let you go so you can take a fatal blow for me? No. I can¡¯t allow that. The same goes for you, Lei.¡±


    Primrose suddenly punched her knee, wishing she was stronger. She only stopped when Sekh restrained and eased her worries. Slowly, Sekh let the woond spirit go once she had calmed.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t die¡­ I¡¯m scared.¡± The spirit whimpered, catching Lei.


    ¡°I won¡¯t die. I¡¯ll never die. You can count on that. I love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you too.¡±


    Prim and Lei tried to see us off with smiles¡ªbut it didn¡¯t work.


    Those teary eyes¡­ wouldn''t be thest time they¡¯d see us off. I knew the future held a lot of happy moments for us. The kind that made you so merry that you were almost forced to cry from happiness.


    This would not be my end.


    It wouldn¡¯t.


    It just wouldn''t.


    <hr>


    We walked downstairs, where that gross bitch was pigging out on a turkey leg. Greggie and Elly were cleaning her mess. Surtr kept staring. Que pleaded with her, but Remy wasn¡¯t listening.


    ¡°Ah, ready to see Lord Meruria, Lord Field of Springs?"


    ¡°We need to talk,¡± I said. I needed the ming belt around my stomach to keep me going. I was d it was under my clothes. Tris didn''t look at Remy. She spoke with Elly and Ami, who were worried about her. Melusine had her back turned. She looked nervous around Sekh, who never let her eyes wander from our enemy.


    ¡°Good. I was getting tired of waiting. It¡¯smon courtesy to show a guest some hospitality when she arrives. Greggie, handle the mess, will ya? Que¡ª¡±


    ¡°She will being with us.¡±


    ¡°Is that such a good idea? I know she¡¯s from another world. She¡¯s supposed to be smart, butour discussion might go over her head.¡±


    ¡°I have made myself clear. Que, you will follow us. Everyone else, could you watch over my allies? Greggie, can you prepare a meal if they awake?¡±


    I received a series of nods.


    We departed the mansion under Remy''s final moonlight. She would never see another one.


    <hr>


    <b>[Que¡¯s PoV]</b>


    Remy marveled at the ethereal beauty of the Spiritual Grove. "Woooooow¡­ So, this is the first time I¡¯ve seen the inside of a ce like this." She gazed around with wide-eyed wonder. "So, this is technically located inside the Spirit Realm? Heeeyyyy!!! Lord Aeeetoossss!!!¡¯ Where are you!!!??"


    Lord Aetos remained silent, choosing not to respond to her enthusiastic call.


    "The silent treatment, huh? I figured. He¡¯s said to be a shy little birdie. Anyway, why did wee here? I heard rumors of Hymn being active around these parts, and... Yeah, from what I¡¯ve seen of the graveyard... I¡¯m guessing they showed up? Sorry about that. Did they mean a lot to you?"


    ¡°Yes. They did. I failed to protect them.¡± Lord Springfield rubbed Surtr¡¯s head.


    "Lord Meruria can help you with that, you know. She¡¯s the strongest, most beautiful Holy Lord to have ever lived, and she will be a valuable ally when you wage war on Gloria."


    ¡°Do I need her assistance? Crushing Dirge won¡¯t be hard. The ns are already set in motion. They¡¯ll activate before dawn.¡±


    ¡°Care to tell a curious wolf about your intentions?¡±


    "No. I don¡¯t have a reason. There¡¯s nothing your lord can offer me. I¡¯m aware of her reputation. I¡¯ve no need to concern myself with a wretch like her."


    ¡°Petty insults reveal the true depth of one''s character,¡± replied Remy, her tail whipping like lightning.


    ¡°I never considered myself to be anything but who I am,¡± retorted Lord Springfield.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± interjected Tris, her sharp voice cutting in.


    ¡°Remy. A loyal soldier of Lord Meruria of Cridia, the fairest Holy Lord in all thend.¡±


    "No. That¡¯s not what I mean, and you know it. Who. Are. You?" Tris didn¡¯t back down.


    Remy smiled, narrowing her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m Remy. I¡¯ll always be her. I¡¯m more concerned about why you¡¯re hanging out with someone like her.¡± Remy summoned a dagger before raising it towards Sekh. The wolf licked her lips.


    A tense silence hung in the air for a few heartbeats.


    ¡°Who do you think me to be?¡± Sekh asked.


    ¡°The Dark Lord of Tyranny.¡±


    My heart sank. ¡°The¡­Dark Lord of Tyranny?! She¡¯s not¡ª¡±


    ¡°Que. You¡¯re an idiot, but you¡¯re not dumb. Think. Recall what Melsuine told you. Remember the ice that drowned her kingdom? She¡¯s responsible for it. You should¡¯ve seen the simrities to the cursed ice that queen uses and what this cub wields.¡±


    Sekh...didn¡¯t deny it.


    ¡°I smell the millions of deaths you¡¯ve caused. I don¡¯t know how you broke your seal, but Lord Meruria needs someone like you. Just think of how much power she¡¯ll gain when she has ess to [Tyranny Control.] I didn¡¯t expect you to be here, but this is a nice bonus.¡±


    ¡°I serve no lord.¡± Sekh looked at Lord Springfield. ¡°Not anymore. Meruria will die by my hands.¡±


    ¡°Oh? What has she done to deserve your ire? You¡¯re destined to destroy the world. You need to kill to aplish that. Lord Meruria will give you free reign. Just think of how many babies you can m against the wall! Or how many mothers you can butcher like pigs! Yeah, I¡¯ve read the stories. They say Amos and the other Lords conspired to remove all mention of you from history, but there are a few traces here and there if you read between the lines. Seriously. You''re an expert in depravity. Even I gagged at the atrocities you forced upon others.¡±


    No one answered.


    I couldn¡¯t believe it.


    I just couldn¡¯t. The horror I¡¯ve heard¡­ The foreboding feeling Melusine had gotten was her gut being right about Surtr being subservient to the most fearsome threat the world had ever met.


    The atmosphere was thick. Suddenly, Lord Springfield spoke. Her voice was so calm. How did she endure the pressure? The mana thickened around everyone here, like whirling vortexes of densely packed energy.


    ¡°Que. This is your chance. You stand at a crossroad. Either remain a ve to someone who turned your life upside down or join me in bringing justice to the ones who have wronged you.¡±


    ¡°Cutie Qutie won¡¯t do that, will she?¡± Remy sang. ¡°No. She owes much to Lord Meruria. She¡¯s the glue that holds her team together. Her punishment won¡¯t be exclusive to her.¡±


    Remyughed. She just chuckled like it was the funniest thing in the world.


    ¡°Seriously.¡± Her tone turned cold. ¡°I will make you suffer for a thousand years if you ever think about betraying your summoner. You have no idea what I have nned... Or what Lord Meruria specifically requested for me to do to traitors.¡±


    ¡°Que, you won¡¯t have to worry about that if she dies. You¡¯re speaking to the woman who unlocked [Conferment] for the rest of the world.¡±


    ¡°You did that? You made that awful voice appear!? WHY?!!!! I¡¯M GOING TO BE SICK!¡± Remy vomited as she dropped to her knees. She screamed...


    ...but it was all an act. Remy vanished in a puff of smoke and appeared hanging upside down on nothing. She then returned to her feet and busted outughing. ¡°Bwhaaaaaahahahah!!! Sorry, I couldn¡¯t help but pull your leg. Seriously, how important do you think you are? Yeah, you¡¯re a fusion of two forests, bute on. Immunity to time doesn¡¯t matter because a Vredi can bleed like the rest. They can die like the rest. Their minds aren¡¯t resistant to torture. They can still squeal like a bitch in heat.¡±


    ¡°Does the Transcendent Dark Lord ring a bell?¡±


    ¡°Only if you¡¯re a little kid lost in imagination. Such a thing doesn¡¯t exist.¡±


    ¡°But it does, wolf.¡±


    ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t, elf. [Conferment] was hidden behind a metaphysical lock trapped in the void. That old fool Sajun had theorized there was untapped power waiting to be excavated. He was right. The most beautiful woman in the world did what that failure couldn¡¯t! There could be more. Only the ever-powerful and righteous Holy Lord Meruria is worthy to master all the goodies!¡±


    "I suppose it doesn¡¯t matter. Believe it if you want. Or don¡¯t. Que, make your choice.¡± Lord Springfield grew four additional arms from her back. Each hand wielded a different gun.


    ¡°A chimera? I bet you can create a decoy Status Menu. That¡¯s why [Detect Chimerism] failed when I used it. I wonder how the world will react when they realize you¡¯re a false fraud. I wonder which Vredi you killed to get that body? You said you¡¯ve met Seraphina Vredi, right? Sorry, I was spying on you a while back. How will thest surviving Princess of Vredi act when she realizes you¡¯re a phony?¡±


    ¡°Since you¡¯re not that rmed... I presume you¡¯ve experienced the void too?¡±


    ¡°Right on the coin, you false elf. Don¡¯t think yourself special. A few dozen have survived being dipped in its illusive warmth and lived to tell the tale. You¡¯re looking at one of them. I guess that makes me your elder, so why don¡¯t you treat me to some goddamn coffee? How about a little respect while you¡¯re at it?¡±


    <i>Remy¡¯s teleportation makes sense if the void is responsible. Are her time abilities a result of being dipped in it? Or is that something else?</i>


    ¡°Respect? You deserve a goddamn dagger through your heart. Or maybe I¡¯ll shove a spike up your ass and pierce your throat.¡±


    ¡°Oh, wow. Easy on the hatred, there, Lord Bouncyin.¡±


    ¡°Meruria... That vile woman turned my life upside down, and you were a part of that. You raped me...¡±


    ¡°A part?¡± Remy yed dumb. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a pain to track names and faces when you live as long as we do. Who knows how many I¡¯ve raped throughout the years. You¡¯re a disgusting chimera. There¡¯s really no telling which one you were. Did you scream, though? Did I bring you to the brink of heaven? Wait, were you male or female? Either way, I probably pegged you, right? Oohh~~~ I¡¯m getting tingly down there just thinking about it... I think I¡¯ll drive myself wild... I JUST have to know!¡±


    I was disgusted. Remy was already a terrible person, but seeing...just how happy she was...and how she danced and jumped for joy...for doing...<i>those</i> things...


    ¡°Que.¡± Lord Springfield¡¯s serious voice attracted my attention. ¡°Do not stand on the wrong side of history. Would you rather remain a ve than finally fight to obtain your freedom? Remember... Remember our discussions. Remember our talks. Remember the feelings you felt. The relief? The anxiousness fading away? Recall it all. Make the right choice. Do not be my enemy."


    ¡°I...¡± Any words I wanted to say were stuck in my throat after hearing revtion after revtion.


    A chimera that could avoid being detected masquerading as a member of an extinct forest?


    The worst threat the world has ever experienced was someone she loved dearly?


    How much had Lord Springfield lied to me?


    But she had a reason...


    She hated Meruria...


    She hated Remy...


    She despised everything Cridia stood for and wanted to burn it.


    <i>If this doesn¡¯t work... If we fail to take her out...</i>


    Remy changed her tone once more. She readied her daggers and increased her mana once more. It shot into the sky like a pir of pure destruction¡ªdarker than night-- reminiscent of the void Shuuta was thrown into.

 Chapter Ninety-Nine: Vengeance Unleashed – Part Two (Illustration!)

    Chapter Ny-Nine: Vengeance Unleashed ¨C Part Two (Illustration!)


    ¡°Forgive me,¡± Que whispered with a toneden with remorse.


    She began weaving abination spell of lightning and air. The air crackled incessantly with energy around her and Remy. It exploded into a dazzling disy of raw elemental force. A sh of light appeared beside me. Que appeared through it a breathter.


    ¡°You will not regret your choice. We¡¯ll end that blight.¡±


    ¡°I trust you, Lord Springfield! I cannot live under her rule anymore!¡±


    Remy swatted away the smoke, a grin etched on her face. Sekh raised an arm, conjuring her formidable armor and mace. Surtr roared, an orb of deadly ice and mes teetered dangerously on his coiled tail.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯ve grown some courage. Now, I can do what I wish without feeling guilty. Come! Face your death, chimera! I¡¯ve been roaring for a chance to beat some goddamn sense into you, Cutie Qutie. I¡¯ll enjoy this more than you¡¯ll--¡±


    <i>Bang!</i>


    Suddenly, a gunshot echoed through the air. Behind Remy sat an arm sprouting from a small pile of slime, an inconspicuous presence until now.


    Except it didn¡¯t hit Remy¡­


    It hit me.


    I was standing where she stood. The bullet had ripped a hole in my neck. The blood viciously soiled my clothes, but the wound was healed.


    ¡°You chimeras always freak me out. Don¡¯t you know the dead should stay dead? I may be a monster dressed like a Wolffolk, but you¡¯re someone who shouldn¡¯t be alive. You¡¯ve had your chance at life, so why don¡¯t you let me return you to rest?¡± she said, lowering her voice. She suddenly swapped ces with Surtr, then switched with Sekh while continuing. ¡°This is but one taste that the void has given me.¡±


    I aimed my guns, but I didn¡¯t pull the trigger. ¡°Scared? Shoot me, and you¡¯re liable to kill someone you love. You do aim for the head, right?¡±


    <em>Her teleporting must be rted to the void, my lord. I do not detect mana emanating from her warps.</em>


    Amand came from Tris via waypoint messaging.


    Sekh used [Abyssal Iceme: Iceme Stake] when I activated [Ira Ignis]. The mana I released shed with the pir radiating from Remy, birthing a ravaging lightning storm. Suddenly, the rapist jumped back, avoiding the sharpened spike that burst from the ground.


    ¡°Distract her with¡­ Eh? Why¡¯d you get rid of it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible. You don¡¯t show up on [Skyview] or [Deduction], yet you can read my waypoints without being given shared ess?¡± Tris¡¯s voice trembled.


    ¡°Wait, so that¡¯s it? You¡¯re responsible for faking a Status Menu? What, are you like a humanoid personification of a collection of skills given form? I suppose that isn¡¯t out of the ordinary for the void. Lord Meruria would have a field day with you. She¡¯ll cut you open, you know. She must see what makes you tick. I hope you¡¯re okay with dissection!¡±


    No one answered Remy.


    We just had to go on the attack. This was a setback, but it wasn¡¯t a fatal miscalction.


    Sekh started it. She rushed Remy from behind and raised her mace, but Remy swapped with Que, who had a mana shield around her body. She stopped at thest moment, but Remy returned and used that opening to attack Sekh. She endured the onught via a shield of abyssal iceme while I flew in from behind with Kronto.


    Remy dropped to the ground, swapping with Surtr at thest second. Sekh¡¯s and mine strikes pierced his hide. She cursed, healing him with mes, but she made Que appear in his ce. Her arm burned to a crisp before we realized it.


    Que quickly manifested a healing tome to cure the damage, but Remy interrupted her withughter. The damn wolf stood on a tform of nothingness.


    ¡°How about we slow it down?!¡± She crossed her daggers. ¡°[Temporal Slowness].¡± White fog exploded from her body, filling the Spiritual Grove.


    Que stood still.


    We all did.


    No.


    Not all of us. Tris was unaffected. She quickly ran to me while Remy pped. ¡°The void sure is interesting, huh? Suppose a skill would be mostly immune to a spell that targets people. Since, you know, they aren¡¯t people.¡±


    We clearly heard Remy¡¯s voice.


    Tris touched me, but nothing happened. She had to fully max her processing abilities to elerate my mind to handle the slow debuff.


    It wasn¡¯t enough for my body.


    I still moved as if I was waist-deep in msses. Remy mockinglyencouraged me. When I breached the mist, I was back to where I was.


    The bitch wanted to keep me here.


    <i>There is no other choice. My lord, please permit me to remove the emotional link. The Essence of Wrath¡¯s power...We cannot survive without it.</i>


    Relying on that traitor? Already?


    Letting the emotional aspects of my trauma as Michael Fenton destroy me while granting that goddamn dragon her freedom?


    I¡­


    I¡­


    Suddenly, I heard Que scream. I looked to my right and saw her with Sekh¡¯s mace sticking out of her gut. Remy had warped those two out of the mist.


    The skin around her stomach was charcoal ck. Sekh growled. She readied a skill but swapped with Surtr, who found his mouth upied by Que¡¯s head when he was about to bite Remy.


    She hade so close to dying.


    Remy was taunting us. Tris implored me to hurry up.


    She knew how much I hated the Essence of Wrath.


    I hated her almost as much as this pet wolf.


    But I needed power.


    Things were different this time because Tris had evolved. She had ways of ensuring the Essence of Wrath would never usurp control over me again.


    She had never lied to me before.


    She wouldn¡¯t start now.


    I trusted Tris with my life. We...


    We weren¡¯t going to die here!!!


    ¡°FINE! THEN DO IT!!!!


    <i>Click!</i>


    <hr>


    It hurt.


    It hurt.


    It hurt so goddamn much. My hazy sight flickered as my intestines poured out of my stomach like a te of droppedsagna.


    Sekh had tried to attack Remy, but she swapped ces with me. Then I found my head in Surtr¡¯s mouth when he tried to bite Remy.


    I almost died. Surtr morphed into his humanoid form, raised his axe, and told me to focus on healing my injury.


    That was easier said than done. It took too long to prepare the tome, but Remy had teleported me inside the hazy mist.


    The pain increased.


    The sensitivity doubled.


    Was this the end? All sound was now muffled. The sh between Sekh, Surtr, and Remy was elerated by my mind¡¯s slowed state, but it still looked otherworldly. She had forgone warping around and took the two in meleebat. She pushed the attackers away¡ªthat irritating grin never leaving her face for a second.


    But¡­


    My surroundings became warm. Time started equalizing. The hazy mist that had terrified me so much was aglow with a gentle me that danced amongst the vapors. The source? A woman with draconic aspects.


    Except it wasn¡¯t Lord Springfield. No. She kept the same horns and wings as she had, but another stood beside her. She had scales. Her armor was like a molten rock sped by ck obsidian¡ªwith ming red hair matching her fiery crimson eyes.


    Like a true Dragonfolk¡­


    Spoiler


    [copse]


    This strange woman held a mncholic smile that almost immediately faded away¡ªmuch like the phantom dragon horde in the ming portal that dissolved behind her.


    ¡°What?! Is that one of the [Seven Deadly Sins]?!¡± Remy sounded shaken as she teleported above. She looked down at us like ants.


    I healed my wounds, recast our buffs, and then joined them.


    Lord Springfield was screaming. She wed her head, ripping her ears. They regrew like putty.


    No one¡­did anything. I had thought Tris would offer a hand or exin, but she shed a silent tear with Sekh and Surtr as everyone looked up at our target.


    ¡°Let me guess. You¡¯re the one who destroyed Ria? Not just any me spirit could damage that eagle when he¡¯s inside his domain. So, whye out now?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have to answer you, whelp.¡±


    ¡°Does your anger fuel those mes? They¡¯re dull, spirit. That¡¯s what you get for willingly enving yourself to a mere monster.¡±


    The draconic woman remained quiet. She turned to Lord Springfield, who punched her across the face before continuing to scream like a woman possessed by the devil.


    It was primal, heavy, raw, and unfiltered.


    She ate the strike like it was nothing and ignored the blood dripping from her lip. ¡°I will not let you experience the nightmares alone, Lord Springfield. Give your burden to me. You have a fight to finish.¡±


    She forcibly grabbed Lord Springfield¡¯s arm. Slowly, the screaming ceased. The self-inflicted wounds of madness healed. Flesh sprouted from nothing to rece what had been torn.


    But it cost the draconic woman her sanity. She dropped to one knee and tightly gripped her horns. Whatever mental anguish she endured¡­was probably experienced by Lord Springfield.


    ¡°This won¡¯t make up for your sins.¡±


    ¡°I know it won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll still hate you. You are to die for me. You will not be treated as anything other than a tool.¡±


    ¡°That is the fate I deserve. I don¡¯t expect you to forgive me. Just¡­ Win. Finish your fight. Destroy that repulsive wolf. Bring an end to Meruria and her rotten kingdom. You will have myplete loyalty, Lord Springfield, until the day I draw my final breath.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Sekh?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡±


    ¡°Surtr?¡±


    He just roared. His already giant axe became more inmed. The de¡¯s icy edge grew sharp spikes that leaked molten fire.


    ¡°Que?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡ª I¡¯m here!¡±


    ¡°Tris?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Good. Your bullshit slowness won¡¯t affect us anymore. Your time is nigh, wolf. I¡¯ll enjoy skinning you.¡± Lord Springfield¡¯s voice was distorted. It had an unholy, deep rumble to her words as she aimed her guns and spear towards Remy. ¡°I¡¯ll devour you¡­ Inch by inch¡­ Piece by piece¡­ Your power will be used to kill that damn wench!¡±


    She looked down at us like peasants. ¡°Try it if you can.¡± Remy bared her fangs, beckoning us with a gesture. ¡°You aren¡¯t the first chimera to desire my flesh, and you won¡¯t be thest.¡±


    <hr>


    I hated the Essence of Wrath almost as much as I despised Meruria and Remy. That damn thing had taken me at my weakest. The vile trickster had possessed my body to settle a grudge Sekh didn¡¯t even remember.


    The Essence of Wrath wasn¡¯t fully incarnated. She was temporarily assuming control over a clone. That was a loophole Tris had found. Wrath¡¯s current appearance wasn¡¯t based on anything special¡ªjust some generic Dragonfolk.


    The clone¡¯s ownership remained linked through me via Tris¡¯s unbreakable emergency backup system. We could cancel the clone at any point, which meant sending the EoW back to her Divine Skill.


    She neutralized one of Remy¡¯s most annoying spells, but that wasn''t enough. Her constant teleportation was an irritating hassle. The only way to solve it was to not worry about friendly fire.


    Que was the only one not immune to fire and ice. That was the key because we could make her heavily resistant to them via resistance spells. She caught on when I told her to remember my fight against Sathtshas. She swapped to a barrier tome to remedy that. Sekh and Surtr added to the crimson hue. Remy justughed.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t the first to try this strategy. I¡¯m alive. They aren¡¯t. I¡¯m sure you know why this won¡¯t work.¡±


    ¡°It will. You don¡¯t know it, but your demise is inching closer, you goddamn rapist.¡±


    ¡°The Dark Lord of Tyranny does not live up to her reputation. The lion is nothing. I expected more from a chimeric High Elf. The Spirit of Wrath has been neutered. What good can a humanoid personification of a void skill do if it can''t attack? Well, she has a rocking body. Did you fuck her? Is that her only use? [Skyview] and [Deduction] sound like something the void just wanted to get rid of, so they passed it off to the weakest bitch they could find. I think I¡¯ll save her forst. She can watch the rest of you die!¡±


    That would be her downfall. The goddamn idiot didn¡¯t know Tris was the strongest one here.


    No one crunched more data than her. She specialized in adaptive learning. Theories? Problems? Abstract possibilities? A million different thoughts passed through her processing center at any one time.


    She would never stop thinking. Those capabilities increased in magnitude when she focused on what she did best.


    <i>She¡¯s pushing herself hard¡­</i>


    I formed clones. They flew like annoying insects,unching sustained bolts and waves of mes towards Remy. She entrapped her body in a shield of water, covering the area in steam when they mmed against her.


    Sekh jumped off a pir of abyssal iceme and extended her mace with deadly fire. Remy swapped with Surtr, who had been preparing the same spell he used to destroy that ship in our first naval battle. Sekh¡¯s attack phased through him, and he used the increased mana to create five pentagons around Remy.


    They turned into inferno-fueled cyclones of deadly, whooshing mes when he roared. Remy shrugged it off with another water barrier, but my clones closed the distance as she leapt high for safety. They wielded elemental copies of Kronto andunched a synchronized barrage of thrusts that were absorbed by Que¡¯s shield when she appeared.


    She cursed. Her tome switched to one of living fire. ¡°[Inferno Congration]!¡± A tiny spec flew from her book as she fell to the ground, but a second tome appeared. Que cast a spell to grant her wings. She pped them, sending the crimson orb flying towards Remy. It exploded in a wave of devouring mes. Meteorites mmed into the ground and detonated, making craters all around her. Sekh was given wings by Que, and she joined us. Surtr could walk on air while a Lionfolk if he created ming tforms under his feet.


    ¡°That didn¡¯t do shit,¡± I said. Remy¡¯s eyes glowed. I saw her silhouette grin. She lifted a hand and prepared electrified gusts of wind that cut through the mes like butter. They swarmed us. We fought them off, with my clones sacrificing their lives to save Tris.


    ¡°We need more. Give it everything you¡¯ve got. You need¡ª¡± I suddenly stopped talking because everything around me had frozen.


    No.


    Time had stopped for everyone except Remy, who had teleported to my eye level.


    <i>Please, do not move a muscle¡­ Pretend you¡¯re affected by it.</i>


    She slowly walked on nothingness while raising her daggers, showcasing a raptorial snarl.


    Did she not know¡­I could see her?


    ¡°There is nothing more powerful than [Time Magic] when it¡¯s wielded by the right hands,¡± Remy sang. ¡°Unfortunately-- this sickens me¡ª[Temporal Standstill] can¡¯tpare to what Mia can do. That frightening woman is¡­truly a monster amongst monsters¡­ There is no other mage of her caliber that exists. Once I end the spell¡­ You¡¯ll wonder just what happened. You¡¯ll ask why you¡¯re missing your limbs.¡± Remy pointed at Tris, who remained near the EoW. ¡°Not even a skill born from the void can withstand my most powerful [Time Magic]. That proves her weakness, yeah? Sure, she can move while slowed, but that¡¯s not impressive.¡±


    My Fragment of Wisdom had tried to detect any trace of void-like energy by intently watching when Remy teleported. If she had been using [Teleportation Magic], she could''ve traced the mana to pinpoint Remy¡¯s location before she appeared.


    Except she wasn¡¯t.


    However, this [Time Magic] was mixed with elements of the void¡ªall of Remy¡¯s spells had been affected by it¡ªincluding [Temporal Slowness]. Thus...


    It was more visible than ever.


    Tris had, effectively, written a counter spell within our minds the millisecond Remy had activated [Temporal Standstill]. Tris said it would¡¯ve taken her longer to prepare without the Essence of Wrath¡¯s continuous countermeasures to repel [Temporal Slowness].


    I had indirectly acquired immunity to this form of [Time Magic]. The dumb wolf was preparing me for my fight against Mia! The stupid bitch didn¡¯t even know it.


    Tris said she was analyzing the void energy spewing from Remy. I couldn''t see it, but Tris exined that it was grey¡ªthe same color as the vtile orb containing the energy that should¡¯ve been released when I achieved Soul Evolution.


    That was my trump card to kill Meruria¡­ It was also my n B¡­


    Remy kept taunting me. She rubbed her daggers down my face, grinning like a madwoman as she carved a square into my cheek. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll lie to you once the limit is up. Those twins think I can erase time to remove the ¡®in-between¡¯ of two actions. Or maybe they said it¡¯s something about keeping the effect but removing the cause. It doesn¡¯t matter. I like this lie, so I¡¯ll keep it going.¡±


    <i>Hold fast, my lord. I¡¯m almost done!</i>


    <hr>


    Tris¡¯s voice suggested she was cool, calm, collected, and in control, but the truth was anything but that.


    She was in pain.


    She wouldn''t permit herself to allow an ounce of anything other than her soothing voice andforting tone to reach her lord¡¯s ears.


    Tris had pushed herself so far beyond her limit that she manually overridden her internal failsafes because she needed the spare resources even if it meant having to endure the thousands of error messagesing her way with every passing second.


    Yes, it was dangerous. If the spare processing power was enough to deduce the pattern Tris sought from the gross indulgence of the atmospheric, void-like haze, she¡¯d endure any agony or suffering.


    Because the Transcendent Dark Lord relied on her.


    However, what Remy did differed from what Tris had searched in her databanks.


    In standard magical practices, teleportation involved tapping into the mystical energy in the environment or within the spellcaster. The process followed a set of chants, gestures, or rituals that manipted mana to create a rift in space. This rift allowed the individual to traverse distances and bypass the physical space between the origin and destination.


    The mechanics behind standard teleportation often relied on the principle of linking points in space. The spellcaster established a connection between the departure and arrival locations, creating a bridge that facilitates the instantaneous transfer of the individual or object. The uracy of the teleportation depended on the caster''s skill, theplexity of the spell, and the rity of the destination in their mind.


    On the other hand, using the void for teleportation introduced a different dimension¡ªliterally. The void was a mystical, ethereal realm beyond the fabric of reality. In this method, the spellcaster tapped into the void''s energies to transcend the limitations of physical space. Instead of creating a bridge between two points, the void allowed for a direct, seamless transition from one location to another without a moment of pause.


    It was, quite literally, the same as moving as fast as the universe allowed, but that didn¡¯t mean the preparation happened at the same time. Casting a spell via thought was much faster than speaking, but your synapses needed to fire to send the signal to your brain. The same applied to void skills. Remy had to prepare the warps in her mind before triggering it.


    It always happened in a pattern-- everything did. Math and science could be traced back to the universe¡¯s beginning.


    Even something as abstract as the void had to have rules because everything did.


    If it didn¡¯t, then the vtile, unstable nature would cause it to tear itself apart, which hadn¡¯t happened since Meruria had granted Remy her powers via void maniption. Meruria had thrown Tris¡¯s lord into the void to merely regain the Holy Mana she spent to summon him, so¡­


    Tris knew that Meruria had deduced the secret mechanics behind it. So if she could do it¡­


    Couldn¡¯t a skill granted from the void do it as well?


    Logic dictated she could, but what good was logic when faced with illogical impossibilities that didn¡¯t make sense?


    Yes, the void mana was more visible than ever, but she didn¡¯t know where to start.


    That didn¡¯t mean Tris could give up. She was firing on all cylinders to think harder than ever.


    What algorithm did it follow?


    What properties did it favor?


    Tris''s body screamed in protest as she delved deeper into the void mana''s enigmatic embrace. The pain seared through her limbs. She had locked her muscles and joints to pretend to be under the spell''s effect, but she couldn''t spare the resources to turn off her pain receptors¡ªnot at this point.


    Her entire being had to focus on solving the immediate issue. Even as her mind echoed with the cacophony of error messages¡ªa relentless barrage threatening to drown her in a sea of despair.


    Yet, amid the suffering, Tris clung to thoughts that fueled her determination. Internal whispers urged her to push beyond the brink. She had to endure the torment to unravel the void''s deep secrets. Each strained breath echoed with a resolute mantra¡ªshe couldn''t afford to give in.


    <i>I can¡¯t surrender!</i>


    The words echoed in the recesses of her mind.


    <i>The Transcendent Dark Lord relies on me. I must endure, no matter how much it burns, until the very end.</i>


    The pain became a testament to hermitment, a sacrifice she willingly made for the greater cause. The void''s mysteries taunted her, but Tris, like a me resisting the encroaching darkness, refused to be extinguished.


    She pressed on, not only calcting impossible numbers but also battling the internal turmoil threatening to engulf her. With every discarded theorem, with every attempt to crack the void''s cryptic code, she embraced suffering as a necessary crucible for her determination while throwing a thousand theorems to the wayside to approach from a different angle.


    <i>I must continue.</i>


    Her determination was unwavering.


    <i>Even if it burns away everything¡ªmy strength, my sanity¡ªI can''t give up. The void must yield, and I''ll endure every searing moment until it does.</i>


    She wasn¡¯t the only one suffering. Tris knew Remy was a sadist who yed with her food. She wouldn¡¯t end someone¡¯s suffering early if there was still fun to have. Each second that Tris had failed to figure out the pattern behind Remy¡¯s warping¡­meant another dagger had pierced her lord.


    Strips of flesh were being cut off.


    Fingers were being jabbed deep into her lord¡¯s innards.


    Every moment of failure was another strike against Tris. She already felt great shame at having to use her emergency repair process. Perhaps if she had been more effective, the fight would¡¯ve been over¡ªher lord wouldn¡¯t be suffering undue torture because of hercking ability.


    Each second felt like a hundred years.


    Then a hundred and fifty.


    And then two hundred.


    She pushed more and more¡­


    ¡­until something shifted¡­inside of her¡­


    She saw it¡ªa sequence she had seen before. Instantly, she crunched the numbers and failed to predict the following 12,472 iterations, but she deduced the 12,473rd.


    It took another 12,466 before figuring out the next one, except her hard work paid off because she discovered something extraordinary. She had seen this before¡ªshe swore she had, so Tris scoured her indexed databanks until arriving at one possible answer¡­


    Thepressed mana born during her lord''s Soul Evolution. The destructive orb was held inside their storage¡ªwaiting to be used. Its power was almost unquantifiable¡ªand it was supposed to be their trump card. Ideally, Tris would want to save it for the one who deserved it, but she couldn¡¯t be selfish. She manipted the orb, triggering an explosion to unleash the tremendously gross energy. It ravaged the boundless depths of their storage. Tris immediatelypared the overflowing data to what she had just discovered¡­


    There was a match.


    No¡ªit was more than that.


    Instead of taking a predicted 12,455 iterations to urately predict the following sequence¡­


    It took 10.


    And then it took 1.


    And then 0, destroying the gap.


    Tris had done it¡­


    She had deduced the algorithm. Now? Now, it was time to reverse-engineer the mechanics behind it.


    That relief refreshed her heart like a soothing wave, but the battle was only beginning. It made the agony assaulting her body worth it.


    But there was something else slumbering underneath the trillions of error messages clouding her mind¡ªa reward¡ªjust for her¡ªfor the one who pushed past the limit engraved upon her as [Tris, Fragment of Wisdom].


    When would she realize it?


    <hr>


    Remy would¡¯ve used this spell before if she could¡¯ve. Since she didn¡¯t¡­there had to be a substantial drawback. It was limited, needed immense mana, or desired a catalyst to invoke.


    <i>I¡¯ve gotten what I need, my lord. I¡¯ll have figured out the algorithm behind her teleportation within five minutes. The orb had to be used, but its sacrifice will guarantee us victory!</i>


    <i>You¡¯re amazing! That¡¯s fine! Better to spend it here! I trust your judgment more than myself.</i>


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame,¡± Remy said, stabbing my shoulder. ¡°You talk¡­so much shit, but how can you back it up?¡±


    ¡°Like this.¡±


    Remy¡¯s face became horrified. I loved how her expression twisted. ¡°WHAT?!¡±


    A hail of bullets erupted from my stomach from the pistols and revolvers I had stashed inside. They blew a gory hole through my stomach, piercing Remy.


    She hastily teleported back and trembled, her quivering hands touching the bloody holes decorating her abdomen.


    Sekh looked at the inconsistencies and urately deduced Remy had stopped time.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! You¡¯re fucked! There¡¯s not a goddamn thing you can do!¡± I shouted. We had to press the attack. I healed my wounds. ¡°[Temporal Standstill] won¡¯t affect me anymore!¡±Tris mentally told me a new n, and I telepathically told Surtr, who informed Sekh. That was one way to avoid waypoint messaging since it waspromised. We had no way to tell Que, though.


    <i>I musttrust she¡¯ll get the idea. You¡¯re not dumb, Que. I know you¡¯ll catch on!</i>


    ¡°DON¡¯T GET SO AHEAD OF YOURSELF, YOU SHITTY CHIMERA!!!¡± Remy screamed¡ªshe was losing her cool. She retrieved a potion, bit the tip, and downed it¡ªss and all. The bullet holes were healed. Suddenly, a soft glow enveloped Remy. Was it another time spell?


    I taunted her.


    A dozen daggers manifested behind her, but they were catalysts for magic. She freely wielded spells of all the elements without speaking.


    Remy sent sentient homing water missiles and lightning-infused packed gusts of air around the Spiritual Grove. She increased her movement and spell speed by about forty percent.


    The stupid bitch didn¡¯t know overusing magic increased Tris¡¯s familiarity with deducing its secrets. The Essence of Wrath¡¯s mes manifested like a warm, crimson fog, incinerating the weaker spells. It couldn¡¯t stop the mightier spells from mming into us. Poison corroded Sekh¡¯s armor, which shattered when an explosive burst of air pushed Surtr into him. The two recovered and resumed fending off the encroaching spells.


    Que was instinctually afraid of Sekh, activating a unique effect within the [Dark Lord of Tyranny] title continually refreshed her mana.


    Remy¡¯s resources were vast, but she couldn¡¯t focus on casting, attacking, dodging, and teleporting simultaneously. That was because Que had realized she was more suited to countering our enemy¡¯s barrage with opposing spells and dispelling Remy¡¯s buffs whenever possible.


    Her teleportation didn¡¯t have a cooldown. Tris was the same if I didn¡¯t overload her processing capabilities, but everyone had mana, right? Even if she recovered faster than anything else I had fought, stopping time couldn¡¯t havee cheap.


    <i>Fuck¡­ Just how long will Tris''s cooldown be this time? I¡¯m not ready for it. No, M. Now isn¡¯t the time! Focus! Win first!</i>


    Our onught continued. We were much more liberal in our spell usage when the offense slowly turned our way.


    Our mes became hotter. A lingering heat soon filled the grove and steadily increased in temperature, which meant Remy needed to focus more on her water shields.


    Even if she had immunity to fire, she was fighting against a Dark Lord, a 5-Star Soul Warrior, the Transcendent Dark Lord, and an ancient Spirit of Wrath. Que¡¯s magic was far beyond what any normal sorceress could wield when she wasn''t ying defense.


    The Spiritual Grove looked worse than it was before the transnt. The ground below held deep craters. Rushing water filled with poison and ming infernos from powerful destructive magic had all but destroyed the idyllic beauty that used to be so abundant in Vredi Forest. Brutal earth magic from Remy¡¯s failed attempts had created building-sized spires she had tried to skewer us. Darkened clouds periodically shot out thickened bolts, but Que¡¯s gravity magic, while useless to Remy, forced the lightning to strike the barren depressions that littered every square inch.


    Aetos still hadn¡¯t made an appearance. He wouldn¡¯t until the end because n A necessitated it.


    I flew under Remy and made another nine clones. They swarmed around her as Sekh and Surtr readied abination spell. Que flew behind and offered her mana with one tome while using another she had acquired during the battle to create a me dragon.


    She had caught on to the n. A woman like her knew Sekh wouldn''t risk something like this without a goddamn good reason-- especially when the n was to overwhelm our enemy with more mes than she could handle.


    The mana-pool of a 5-Star Soul Warrior eclipsed even mine. The fiery drake roared,unching a tremendous ball of deadly mes into the sky. It exploded, sending homing, inferno missiles shaped like drakes towards Remy and her magic-casting daggers.


    There must¡¯ve been a hundred of them. Half barraged Remy, and the remaining spells assembled a mighty tornado of pure destruction.


    It rampaged without restraint¡ªits deadly power harmless to all but one.


    Remy dashed and ducked, keeping four clones at bay with her remarkable melee skill. She deflected my strikes like nothing and used barriers to push away the iing spells. She soon warped with Sekh, but I had a clone waiting below in the inferno ravaging the Spiritual Grove¡¯s ground. It sniped Remy, but she altered ces with Que a hairter, who cried when the bullet ruptured her femur.


    She tri-cast a healing spell and screamed, summoning wings that she used to fly back to Sekh and Surtr. Emotions ran rampant down her face. She heaved for air and wiped the sweat from her brow, the cor of her robe already damp as a thick swamp.


    ¡°Just how many goddamn monsters have you eaten?!¡± Remy eximed, raising her hand. She summoned a dozen sharp des of electrified wind without speaking and sent them my way since I kept her focus off those three. Four clones manifested as Sathtshas and endured the damage. I burst through their guts, covered in sticky crimson, with a snarling grin as a hundred vines ruptured from my wrist.


    Theytched deep into her skin.


    That M vanished after channeling [Thunder Surge]. The crackling lightning flowed down the vines and zapped her water shield.


    Remy groaned from the pain before cuttingherself free. She turned around to find Surtr with a pair of axes raised¡­


    Vines covered in shot out of the right one because that was yet another clone who was using [Furia cies]. The spell of [Ice Age] instantly entrapped Remy in a cier. It slowed her long enough for Surtr to cleave off her right arm. His axe¡¯s edge was enhanced by the darkest, ckest mes. It cut through the ice like butter, his roars proiming his quenching thirst to destroy my enemies.


    ¡°SHIT!!! WHY DON¡¯T YOU JUST GIVE UP?!?!?! JUST DIE ALREADY!!!!!!!¡± Remy screamed. She teleported without stopping. We couldn¡¯t track her¡ªnot yet¡ªbut she drowned an elixir that regenerated her missing limb. Meanwhile, Surtr returned to Sekh and resumed adding mana to the spell they were charging. Que stopped to make a dozenyer shield since Remy hadunched towering des of winds that were enhanced by all the elements.


    They blocked all but two and managed to sever her legs at the knees, but Que endured the pain. Adrenaline ran high as she used magic to regenerate them. Surtr jumped in front, roaring as a wall of abyssal iceme redirected the iing spells. The explosive barrage destroyed even more of the Spiritual Grove. Wind magic created a tornado, sending the dusty clouds sky high, where another roar from my lion dispersed it.


    Que¡¯s eyes¡­


    That expression¡­


    It was so raw¡­like she was almost enjoying this fight.


    Remy loudly cursed She looked at the remaining clones. She didn¡¯t know which one I was. Her eyes darted back to the still-charging spell.


    She was afraid.


    She tried [Temporal Slowness]-- a move of desperation¡ª but the EoW incinerated every dust of that time magic.


    I hated to give kudos to that traitor, but her power more than tripled my clones¡¯ strength.


    The EoW was supplying me with her seemingly infinite life force. I had a constant assimtion effect to regenerate my biomass and mana, which added to her agony.


    I was going to squeeze every ounce of usefulness from her. She was a tool. Why would you feel sad about using a hammer to strike a nail when that was its intended purpose?


    Remy¡¯s cries soon shook the Spiritual Grove even more than the deadly onught between existences powerful enough to wipe out entire countries.


    I was hidden inside the whirlwind of mes made by that dragon spell. I had been here for a while¡ªbut the dumb bitch didn¡¯t know.


    [Sunfire Inferno] was being charged¡ªmore than ever¡ªfueled by the remains of Que¡¯s powerful magic. The mana I pumped into it couldn¡¯tpare to what I had used against Sathtshas since I was at Wrath 70. The EoW had to take more of the emotional burden to grant me unrestricted ess to its strength.


    ¡°JUST WHAT IN THE HELL ARE YOU?!¡± Remy eximed when she discovered the truth. I stared down at her like the trash she was.


    ¡°Your worst nightmare. You have no idea¡­how much I¡¯ve dreamed about this moment.¡±


    Remy was finally sweating. I loved how fearful her eyes were. That expression¡­made this moment worth it.


    Slowly, I lowered my rifle¡ª[Sunfire Inferno] arrived with it. The heat radiating burned the air around us.


    Sekh was behind Remy. The spell she, Surtr, and Que had worked on was ready. Que grinned. She was out of breath, but she had enough to curse Remy. Her voice started in a low whisper, but she excavated her heart to tell that wolf what she felt.


    ¡°IT¡¯S BEEN NOTHING BUT A NIGHTMARE! YOU¡¯RE A MONSTER! A GENTLE DEATH IS MORE THAN YOU FUCKING DESERVE! I HOPE YOU BURN IN HELL!!!!¡±


    She added onest use of that me dragon spell. It curled around the building-sized orb they had worked so hard to fuel.


    They let it go¡ªsomething so heavy¡ªsomething so magnificently powerful moved with the haste of a geriatric tortoise.


    I didn¡¯t release mine.


    No.


    I knew Remy was going to teleport.


    Tris marked her location once she saw invisible distortions crackling the fabric of reality.


    <i>That</i> was when Iunched it¡ªit flew even faster than a bullet because I had remade the clones Remy had killed inside it. They flew to the spell¡¯s core to act as its propulsion.


    It sped like the devil, mming into Remy precisely when she appeared¡ªnot a moment too soon orte. The clonestched their bodiesaround her, transfiguring their flesh into monstrous beings with a hundred mouths.


    Teeth bit flesh, tearing skin asunder as skin-melting acid oozed from every orifice. The clones greedily chomped into the crimson warmth beneath Remy¡¯s atrocious exterior.


    Remy¡¯s cries were delightful.


    There was still more to handle¡ªthe attack wasn¡¯t finished.


    Sekh''s, Surtr''s and Que''s efforts would not be wasted...

 Chapter Ninety-Nine: Vengeance Unleashed – Part Three

    Chapter Ny-Nine: Vengeance Unleashed ¨C Part Three


    Surtr transformed into a lion as Sekh jumped on his back. They dashed to catch up with their spell. She readied her abyssal iceme mace and swung it like a bat, causing their part of the war effort to ram into Remy from behind, locking her between a rock and a hard ce.


    The collision created an explosive surge of energy that reverberated throughout the Spiritual Grove. Remy was caught in a st almost as powerful as the spell that wounded Aetos.


    The two magics continued to sh as reality trembled. Arcane energies detonated, sending shockwaves that violently unsteadied Que.


    I hastily flew and caught her in my arms beforending near Tris and the EoW. Surtr and Sekh joined us.


    It was time for the eagle to act. The little bird manifested in an explosion of naturalistic light and fulfilled his role in the n. He wasn¡¯t connected to the Eagle Yew in that its mana sustained him¡ªyet the gross amount it held was authorized to him. He could use it at his discretion. The tree had many decades left, but Aetos used about fifteen years of it to construct a tight barrier around Remy to constrain the magic.


    <i>Thank you, Eagle Yew¡­</i>


    We couldn¡¯t see them through the opaque mes, but my clones were still alive. They were still devouring her. I didn¡¯t even want to theorize what was happening inside that barrier.


    Immediately, I sat Que down and rushed to Tris. She was unsteady on her feet and looked pale. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve got you,¡± I whispered, catching her in my arms.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you even dare say you¡¯re sorry. Just don¡¯t, okay? I hugged her. I cried and rubbed her head. ¡°We couldn¡¯t have done without you,¡± I whispered. ¡°Are you hurt?!¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Her voice was so quiet that she needed to use telepathy. Her entire body quivered. She seemed so frail...so meek.


    ¡°I can heal her. I can¡ª"


    My heart sank¡­because Que was stopped mid-sentence.


    ¡°She¡¯s still not dead?!¡± I eximed. The mes raging inside the barrier had stopped¡ªlikely from [Temporal Standstill].


    An arm suddenly thrust through the top. It was ckened and burnt¡ªeven the bone had turned to coal. Another breached it as Remy pulled herself free¡ªher body bore bite marks across the scorched flesh and bones. I immediately aimed my guns, but Remy deactivated her spell and teleported to the Spiritual Grove¡¯s furthest reaches.


    The congested power left through the path of least resistance, shooting to the Spiritual Grove¡¯s ceiling, catching the skies on fire. Que panicked. She knew what this meant. Aetos spread his wings and used more of the grove¡¯s mana to repair the damage. Sekh imed ownership over the conjoined spell. She immediately canceled it. The curtain of mes vanished before Aetos had to use the rest of the Eagle Yew to save the grove.


    Remy appeared a hairter¡ªher nearly destroyed body immediately healing from the rainbow-colored elixir she held to her crispy lips.


    She had another suit.


    Sekh redoubled the grip on her weapon. Surtr roared.


    Tris forced herself to stand before limping in front of me. She wobbly bnced, spreading her arms like she wanted Remy to target her.


    <i>What the hell are you doing?!</i>


    <i>Trust me!</i>


    Que dropped to her knees and vomited, her body shivering as if she was in a blizzard. ¡°How¡­are you alive?! Just how?! THAT SHOULD HAVE KILLED YOU!!! Why aren¡¯t¡ª¡±


    Time had stopped once more. Suddenly, she wasn¡¯t alone.


    The woman¡­whose back I had stared at¡­was gone.


    Time resumed.


    ¡°¡ªyou dead?! TRIS?!¡± Que cried the name of the girl that Remy held by the hair. Her other hand gripped a dagger dangerously close to her neck.


    <i>I need to confess something. I attained evolution in thest battle. The notification was buried beneath a sea of errors, and I identally dyed it. It now demands manual activation through a physical reboot. Despite Remy altering the algorithm, I can decipher it within a second. I have braced myself for any additional modifications she may use.</i>


    <i>Then¡­</i>


    I listened closely as Tris told me a n.


    <i>Are you sure?</i>


    <i>I am. The chance of winning remains 100%, yet I want Remy to suffer. Her fears should fuel Lady Sekh¡¯s power even more. I will not be satisfied until she has felt the depths of despair. I know I am asking a lot. It goes against a direct order you have given me in the past, but it must happen for me to evolve.</i>


    <i>Will it hurt?</i>


    <i>No. It will be a reprieve from the pain, my lord. Everything hurts. It¡¯s¡­taking all I have to speak with you. My body desperately wishes to shut down to enter its cooldown state.</i>


    <i>Then... I¡¯ll do it¡­</i>


    <i>Forgive me for my selfishness.</i>


    <i>I¡¯m just happy you¡¯re being selfish. Do that more often.</i>


    Tris''s cute, pained giggles reverberated around my mind.


    *****


    <hr>


    *****


    <i>What¡¯s the move?! Can I do anything?</i>


    It felt like victory was snatched from our hands by a cruel, cold reminder that this world was anything but fair. Remy should¡¯ve been dead!


    Her being alive didn¡¯t make any sense!


    I thought myself hysterical while looking through my Skill Menu. I had all these spells! All these tomes! None would help us kill someone like Remy!


    Then I heard augh that froze my blood solid.


    ¡°WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU SMILING?!¡± Remy demanded, her voice quivering. ¡°STOP LAUGHING!¡± She made a shallow slit along Tris¡¯s pretty neck. A curtain of blood oozed onto her blouse, soiling it. ¡°You¡¯re only winning because she¡¯s helping you! No one should know how to intercept my void teleports! No one! I¡¯ll kill her! I¡¯ll ravage her fucking corpse and make you watch! She might be a void skill pretending to be a person, but this bitch can bleed! She can die like the rest!¡±


    ¡°The path of revenge is a deste road. You must be prepared to make sacrifices to get what you want the most.¡±


    ¡°What the hell did you say?!¡± Remy made another cut, but Tris was stone-hearted. She didn¡¯t scream or flinch, but surely Lord Springfield wasn¡¯t about¡­


    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± I shouted when she raised her rifle at Remy. I tried to push it away. Sekh intercepted and restrained me, pinning my arms behind my back in a hold. I struggled, but her stern, violent voice told me something¡­I never expected.


    ¡°You heard me, wolf. You consider me so na?ve that I didn¡¯t entertain the possibility of losing allies during my journey? Tris knew what she was signing up for. Besides, you¡¯re scared, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°She is, M.¡± Sekh pushed me away before approaching Lord Springfield. ¡°Can¡¯t you see the cowardice in her eyes? Oh, it¡¯s delectable. At this rate¡­ I doubt I¡¯ll ever run out of mana. You haven¡¯t seen anything yet. You don¡¯t know true despair. I¡¯ll show you why the world feared me.¡±


    ¡°There you have it. Don¡¯t think me so na?ve that this would stop me. Nothing will hold me back from killing the ones I hate the most.¡±


    Remy¡¯s eyes widened¡­ It was so unnatural to see her like this.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    Lord Springfield¡­pulled the trigger¡­


    Smoke bellowed from the barrel¡­ Blood gushed from the wound in Tris¡¯s head.


    Remy stumbled away, dropping her dagger. She jumped away from Tris¡¯s corpse. ¡°You dumb bitch! You lost your only¡ª¡±


    ¡°Did I? Tris, the Transcendent Dark Lordmands you to evolve!¡±


    Tris¡¯s body glowed like a shooting star in the night sky. Cracks radiated from the wound and spread down her body, unleashing a whirling tornado of a thousand prismatic lights when she shattered like ss. It shot into the sky, collected into an orb, and cracked like an egg, revealing someone who had just died.


    Tris was there¡­hovering like an angel as she descended near her lord¡ªher posture as perfect as ever with a shining smile.


    ¡°You once said the void wanted to rid itself of [Deduction] and [Skyview], but you couldn¡¯t be more wrong. There does not exist an item, a spell, a gun, or a monster that is more powerful than [Tris, Fragment of Wisdom]¡ªno, you¡¯re not a fragment, are you? You¡¯re my [Beacon of Wisdom]¡ªa shining light illuminating my victory! Death? Tris is immortal, you dumb piece of shit! It doesn¡¯t matter what you do! She¡¯ll always be reborn! Yourst-ditch effort? It was this?¡± Lord Springfield erupted intoughter. ¡°You¡¯re fucked. You¡¯re done for! Yes, I know you changed your teleports, but so what? Tris has already figured it out! She¡¯s a thousand times smarter than before! I know you can¡¯t sustain [Time Magic] anymore. Even if you could, your [Temporal Standstill] won¡¯t affect me.¡±


    Was¡­this a miracle?


    Did those fabled, holy things exist in a world as fucked as this?!


    Remy lost it. She acted as if she suffered from trichotillomania and rippedrge chunks of her hair out.


    Suddenly, her arms dropped by her side, and she slowly looked up.


    "Aetos, she¡¯s looking for a path out!¡± Lord Springfield shouted. She drew her guns and fired bullets made of mes. Surtr roared, and I immediately used my magic. ¡°Do whatever you can to prevent her from teleporting away!


    Warping out of a realm like the Spiritual Grove could not have been easy. I didn¡¯t know the mechanics, but it wasn¡¯t something she could do at the drop of a hat. Remy ran and scrambled, barely dodging. The barriers and wards she produced with her daggers were broken almost immediately.


    Sekh shot herself into the air on pirs of mes as I gave her wings. The explosive orbs she had used before to bombard manifested behind her, but they had tripled in size. The unbelievable heat melted the air and caught fire. Even light was refracting heavily around them.


    Suddenly, Remy¡¯s body became enveloped in a dark, cold glow. It happened before Sekh was about to unleash her spells. Lord Springfield and Surtr wouldn¡¯t reach her in time! ¡°I GOT¡ª¡±


    ¡°With the power of [Conferment], I use my authority as the Spirit Lord of Nature to restrain the one called Remy within the Spiritual Grove! Her abilities shall not be used to escape my realm!¡± I looked behind and saw Lord Aetos. He spread his wings. A grey aura phased over the Spiritual Grove.


    Whatever Remy had been attempting¡­failed. It was like someone had unplugged a cord from the machine that illuminated her body.


    ¡°GO! KILL HER! The Eagle Yew cannot sustain this forever!¡± Lord Aetos croaked. Remy¡¯s warping came from the void. Blocking those couldn¡¯t havee cheap. Already, the ground below us was rumbling. The skies were shaking as if we were amid an earthquake.


    Sekh unleashed her charged barrage. Lord Springfield and Surtr reached Remy, their weapons at the ready.


    Remy warped away, but a thousand individual little lights filled the grove. They all alternated colors every tenth of a second. Then they were gone¡ªI couldn¡¯t see them.


    ¡°I KNOW YOU¡¯RE THERE!¡± The chimeric High Elf turned and shot a controlled burst of her automatic rifle, the bullets hitting true right as Remy manifested. All six were lodged deep in her left lung. Sekh¡¯s spells changed course for Remy at thest second.


    She wasn¡¯t moving. Blood oozed from her wounds as crimson leaked from her mouth.


    ¡°COME ON!!¡± I found myself shouting. ¡°JUST DIE ALREADY!!!!¡±


    The spells were¡­were almost there¡­


    Just a little longer¡­ Lord Springfield was already firing more me spells while retreating to me. Surtr was roaring, energy gathering on the de of his axe. I was still immune to fire. The buffs hadn¡¯t worn off yet.


    <i>Come on!! Come on!!!!</i>


    I didn¡¯t know how it happened, but dark clouds suddenly gathered overhead. They centered above Remy, whose body ominously glowed like a demon.


    I didn¡¯t like it.


    An oppressive wave of force radiated from her, scattering everything back. Sekh¡¯s spells were deflected and mmed against the grove¡¯s skies. All that destruction¡­just elerated our grove''s eventual demise. Lord Aetos groaned behind me.


    ¡°That¡¯s [Over Limit],¡± Sekh said, returning with Lord Springfield and Surtr. ¡°She¡¯s also using [Limit Break]. That¡¯s a 6x multiplier to her power.¡±


    ¡°Then it means she¡¯s close to death. Is it like [Tyrannical Renewal]?¡± Sekh nodded. ¡°This is going to be our final sh. Aetos, focus on keeping her here while remaining safe. I don¡¯t need you to die so soon after I transnted you.¡±


    ¡°You do not have much time left. I already feel the Eagle Yew¡¯s death close at hand. It will fall. The vige will be obliterated soon.¡±


    ¡°Que, your role has finished.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± I argued. I couldn¡¯t leave! Not when the woman who had made me into some sick murderer whose hands almost greedily shook at the thought of taking lives was about to perish!


    ¡°Do you not trust me?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not¡ª¡±


    ¡°Evacuate the vige. Please¡­ I may not be a genuine High Elf of Vredi, but I don¡¯t want the vigers to die. I¡¯vee to love them. It¡¯s my fault Aetos was injured in the first ce. I can¡¯t right this wrong alone. Please, do this for me.¡±


    I wanted to argue. I really did.


    ¡°Leave them to me. I swear I¡¯ll evacuate everyone!¡±


    Except I couldn¡¯t be selfish¡ªthis wasn¡¯t the time.


    Lord Springfield opened a pathway to the vige¡¯s graveyard with [Conferment]. She spoke to the Essence of Wrath. ¡°It¡¯s time for you to join the fight. I want to decimate her. Directyour hatred of me and Sekh towards her. Know that your life forever hangs in a perilous thread I can cut with a mere thought. The smartest being in the world is watching your every move. You can¡¯t even think without her permission.¡±


    Gradually, the strain left the Dragonfolk¡¯s face. She was astonished that Lord Springfield took half of the burden.


    ¡°I shall fight for you, Lord Springfield. Your enemies are mine, and they shall fall.¡± I had thought the spirit was one of mes, but her attire turned cold¡ªlike something you¡¯d see in a winter y. Snowkes danced around her lithe armor and dripped from that azure cloak. The rapier she held suited someone used to the delicate precision required for fencing.


    Remy turned to look at us. Every step she took caused the Spiritual Grove to violently shake. The portal finally appeared behind me¡­


    I flew through it after telling her to make it excruciatingly agonizing.


    The earthquakes weren¡¯t restrained to the pocket realm inside the Eagle Yew. I lost bnce as soon as I stepped outside. The decayed trees surrounding the graveyard didn¡¯t have the strength to remain. They toppled like dominos, and dead leaves scattered, joining the fallen they had honored for so long.


    I couldn¡¯t waste time.


    *****


    <hr>


    *****


    [Tris, Beacon of Wisdom]...


    There was not a more fitting title for her.


    [Void Storage] had grown. Tris¡¯s experience in solving Remy¡¯s void warping enabled her to make further optimizations, meaning she could now expand it at will¡ªmeaning it was truly infinite¡ªusing the same algorithm tightlypressed within the orb I obtained after achieving Soul Evolution.


    [Auto Loot] was now maxed¡ªeverything Tris deemed important¡ªbe it from a man, an animal, or a monster, was automatically stored in our inventory the moment I killed them. There was no limit on the range.


    [Skyview] now had a satellite scanning feature that filled in everything within a ten-mile radius¡ªwith a cooldown of only a day.


    Those improvements were weed, but the best addition had to be [Void Replication]. Tris had solved the mystery behind Remy¡¯s void warping, soshe was working on reverse-engineering it for my use.


    However, Tris wouldn¡¯t have a body for about 168 hours¡ª nearly seven days needed to pass before I held her in my arms once more. Until then¡­she was a waypoint sculpture¡ªa being of intangible lights.


    ¡°You¡­ You ruined everything!!!!¡± Remy stomped, making a crater. A jagged line ruptured the ground, causing another quake. ¡°WHO ARE YOU?!?! HOW ARE YOU SO STRONG?! WHY DID THE VOID BLESS YOU?!?! I¡¯LL BEAT IT OUT OF YOU!!!!¡±


    <i>Lady Sekh is the target, my lord! Please fire at her!</i>


    I immediately unloaded a hail of bullets. All mmed into Remy a heartbeat after she swapped with Sekh.


    The projectiles bounced off. Remy grinned, snarling like a rabid beast as she retrieved more daggers. The EoW leapt to me, summoning a shield from her thin sword that took the blows. ¡°YOU CAN¡¯T EVEN FIGHT YOUR OWN BATTLES!!!¡±


    Surtr roared and swung his axe. Remy sidestepped and kicked him away, but he recovered, transforming into a lion. He ran to Sekh, but Remy swapped with those two.


    ¡°It¡¯s always like a coward to back away!¡± I taunted. ¡°I always knew the lowlifes Meruria kept with her, but why was I ever afraid of a weakling like you?! You¡¯re nothing, you goddamn wolf!¡± We didn¡¯t waste any time.


    We chased after her. Sekh was on Surtr. The EoW and I were using wings. Remy held both hands,ughing like a maniac. [Apocalypse Serpentine]!¡± Tendrils of crackling energy manifested from a scar in the fabric of reality. They dripped an eerie ck sludge that seemingly melted space and time. Their serpentine forms slithered towards us, with ten of them hanging back. They curled, flinging the sludge as if they were artillery shells.


    ¡°THIS IS NOTHING!!!¡± I summoned all my guns and fired. The EoW supplied me with Soul Energy to fuel my bullets. Smoke bellowed from the barrels as I used eight instances of [Explosion] with [Chimeric Armatization] to st the iing projectiles out of the skies.


    The EoW jumped and held her rapier up. A delicate icicle bnced on the tip. She suddenly carved it. It turned into a blizzard of snowkes that she sent toward the tentacles. They exploded into a frigid cyclone, destroying them.


    Tris said Remy wasing.


    Her target was me.


    I appeared where she used to be, and when I turned around, she was met with rapier, mace, and fangs. Remy used a forcefield to push everyone away, and she warped to Sekh. She jabbed her hands in her armor, throwing her off Surtr. The two exchanged blows.


    <i>Recreate me behind you!</i>


    I did what the EoW had said,tched onto her with my vines, spun to gain speed, andunched her like a rocket toward Remy.


    Tris told Surtr to tell Sekh to get ready.


    ¡°Die!¡± shouted the spirit, her rapier held out. She mmed into Remy from behind, piercing the shitty wolf with her weapon and horns, then used an icy pir tounch her into the sky.


    ¡°UUUGGHHHHH!!!!¡±


    Sekh dropped her shield to erge her mace.


    It looked so demonic, but she roared and packed all her power into a mighty swing. A me spurt erupted from the point of impact, and Remy slid along the uneven, destroyed, melted ground like trash. Surtr slid into view, catchinghis prey in his mouth. He mauled her, biting and thrashing around before tossing her back to his summoner.


    Sekh and the EoW fought together, alternating strikes that barely¡ªjust barely-- cut Remy¡¯s reinforced skin.


    A thought came to me. [Conferment] worked on Remy, so why¡­allow her to remain this strong?


    ¡°With the power of [Conferment], I use my authority as the Transcendent Dark Lord to pacify the effects of [Limit Break] within the Spiritual Grove!¡± Grey mana shot into the sky from my hand. It exploded, weakening Remy. She was just 3x as powerful, but either way¡­


    It didn¡¯t matter.


    Each powerful blow sent a wave of mes and liquid ice, turning the Spiritual Grove into more of a deste wastnd of opposing elements.


    Aetos cried, his voice appearing as a small whisper. I barely heard him say the Eagle Yew was beginning to catch fire. Our fight had been so intense that reality tears were starting to form. It was too much for the two to bear.


    We had less time than before.


    <i>I¡¯m sorry, Eagle Yew.</i>


    Remy defended the best she could, but it wasn¡¯t enough. Her daggers kept shattering. Her pained cries were delightful. She had nothing to parry with since it took her longer to replenish her weapons.


    Remy thought she could escape into the sky, but I was there. Her warps were an open secret. She could do nothing to hide them from Tris. I tackled her to the ground. Sekh rode on Surtr, leaping from his back with her mace enmed. She swung with reckless abandon. It harmlessly avoided me after I briefly turned into water.


    ¡°RRRRAAHHHHHHHH!¡± screamed Sekh. Remy mmed into the ground as a bed of abyssal iceme spikes pierced her back. She jerked her shoulders, destroying the spell, then rolled to the left as I descended with my spear. Tris alerted her to my right, so I swung, connecting with her chin.


    She took the blow, standing like an immovable rock as she shattered my spear, but Sekh¡¯s roar alerted her to a dazzling murder of swarming abyssal iceme bolts that threatened to darken the skies. Remy warped¡ªa useless tactic. She had preprogrammed ten warps, and Tris had deduced their locations. The info was sent to Sekh, who ensured her mighty spell found their rightful home inside that wolf¡¯s disgusting body.


    She was like a pincushion until a pulse of her mana destroyed the bolts. Sekhnded and grinned, resting her mace on her shoulder. I joined her¡­


    ¡­but it wasn¡¯t me.


    That was a clone.


    The real me had slipped behind Remy as a tiny fragment of inconspicuous slime that resembled blood. The dumb bitch was none the wiser as Sekh stepped forward.


    ¡°YOU DESERVE ALL THIS!!!¡± I shouted, prating her back with Kronto. mes gathered around the shaft andunched her to Sekh. I joined her assault, using each other¡¯s strikes to reinforce our own.


    Fighting side by side with Sekh like this¡­ It reinvigorated nostalgic feelings I never wanted to forget.


    We flowed so well.


    Remy finally found her voice after screaming an unholy wail. Another shockwave tried to send us away, but spiked vines kept me in ce. She shattered Kronto, stabbing the fractured spear into my heart.


    Did it matter?


    mes and ice fueled my fists as I punched her in the stomach. Fire erupted from my knuckles, forcing her back into the air as the deadly congration consumed her skin.


    I ripped out my weapon. I healed my wounds.


    ¡°I DON¡¯T CARE HOW MANY LAST-RESORT ABILITIES YOU USE!! YOU WON¡¯T WIN!!! YOU¡¯RE DESTINED TO DIE HERE!!!!! SEKH!!! DO IT!!!!¡±


    The ming armor of [Ira Ignis] vanished, reced by [Furia cies] at 70 as the Essence of Wrath assisted Sekh in the air with a pir of ice to meet our prey. She mmed her back down with a mighty strike¡ªgeysers of blood erupted from Remy¡¯s mouth. The whimsical armor of ice and frigidness¡­


    How strange a feeling it was to have all that Wrath reced with a cold, unsettling fury¡­


    I connected with Remy¡¯s chin, punching her into the air a second time with a pir of ice.


    The EoW flew from above, spun, and kicked her away¡ª her strikes fueled by [Furia cies]. The icy armor surrounding her legs shattered into snowkes that followed like homing missiles. They lodged deep in her chest and exploded¡ªmuch like when they destroyed that [Apocalypse Serpentine] spell. Surtr roared, now back as a Lionfolk. He used his ferocious axe to cleave her legs. He had used a jet stream of mes out the back of his weapon to make it faster.


    I rushed under her and slid, summoning my rifle with Kronto attached to it while activating [Ira Ignis]. It skewered her through the chest as metallic tendrils pierced her body. They snaked like veins throughout her arms and legs and wrapped around her heart before bursting from her chest. They jabbed into the ground like support beams.


    Simultaneously, I used [Lightning Storm]. The skies trembled¡ªstorm clouds gathered overhead, looking as ck as pitch darkness. I also used [Lightning Rod] on my rifle¡ªI¡¯d learned both spells from Sera, but Tris had improved them.


    The air was gritty. Lightning bolts illuminated the abyssal sea of clouds. You could feel the thick tension. It seemed like fate just waited for me to pull the trigger...


    Yet I wanted more.


    More.


    More.


    Remy had to suffer more than anyone else.


    Suddenly, the Essence of Wrath let out a roar that shook the realm. mes exploded from her body, engulfing her in a blinding ze as she transformed into a colossal, terrifying dragon.


    Those scales shimmered like moltenva, each one a living me. The air around her threatened to melt. Wings of fire erupted from the dragon''s back. Her eyes glowed a fierce, vengeful crimson as she raised her head. With a violent snap of her jaw, she unleashed a seething torrent of fire. The mes surged forth, twisting and merging with the sky¡¯s raging storm. The crackling lightning intertwined with the inferno, turning the clouds into a churning sea of death and devastation.


    ¡°Give it all you¡¯ve got, Surtr. Do not hold anything back!¡± Sekhnded nearby. Sheraised her mace. It shed a deep ck, sending a swirling beam of abyssal iceme that melded with the clouds.Remy''s fear of her was so great that Sekh gained more mana than she expended even while using her most powerful attacks.


    ¡°Of course, mydy!¡±


    Surtr¡ªin his lion form¡ªdid the same after roaring. It was like the apocalypse was happening overhead. So much magic... So much power... It was chaos in a destructive form that merely awaited the signal to strike.


    My signal...


    The signal to end it all.


    I pulled the trigger, calling forth abination spell far, far eclipsing the attack that shattered the Eagle Yew¡¯s bounded field.


    The skies cried. Existence was almost torn asunder as the rabid lightning gathered before striking Kronto¡¯s tip. The noise was deafening¡ªeverything went ck¡ªit felt like reality restarted.


    Remy¡¯s screams were louder as the superheated mes greedily devoured that piece of shit, blowing away more and more of her torso. The pressure was immense¡ªthe ground couldn¡¯t take it. It shattered, splintering like someone had tossed a heavy boulder at an icyke.


    Oh, how my heart had been waiting for this moment!


    I pulled the trigger again.


    Again.


    Again.


    Again.


    I kept pulling until Kronto and my rifle shattered like ss, but I didn¡¯t recreate it because the fight was over.


    Remy was missing half her chest. She didn¡¯t have any legs. The storm clouds and remnants of the magic had vanished after I canceled the spells. Blood leaked from her eyes, nose, and ears, and that suit had stopped repairing itself.


    Sekh and Surtr approached with the Essence of Wrath after she canceled her transformation.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re not dead,¡± I said. ¡°It won¡¯t be long. I hope it¡¯s excruciatingly painful, you piece of shit.¡± Sekh wasn¡¯t moving. Neither was Surtr. I groaned. ¡°Are you seriously using yourst moments to stop time?¡±


    ¡°Who says¡­it¡¯s just for this¡­?¡± Remy vanished and appeared a few feet away. ¡°[Mortal Mend]!¡± Bloody mist enveloped her. She slowly stood after being healed.


    ¡°That spell is designed to kill the caster after rejuvenation,¡± said the Essence of Wrath. ¡°She has three minutes, but I wager it¡¯s less. [Limit Break] and [Over Limit] pushes the body to the extreme when used alone, but together? You may have canceled the effects of one, but the damage remains.¡±


    <i>My lord, a new suggestion hase to me. Please listen¡­</i>


    Tris¡¯s n¡­


    It was so goddamn diabolical¡­ Oh, it would push Meruria to the pits of madness.


    Did I have enough life force for that?


    ¡°You may take what you need from me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d have done it even if you hadn¡¯t given me permission.¡±


    ¡°Care to let me in?¡± Remy interjected.


    ¡°Care to die?¡± I replied. Remyughed. She suddenly clutched her stomach, vomiting bile, blood, and ck sludge a momentter.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I don¡¯t have long left. Why don¡¯t we settle this like monsters? Fists only¡­ Come on, chimera¡­ Let¡¯s beat the shit out of each other¡­ Can¡¯t you grant a girl her dying wish?¡±


    I gave a pistol to the Essence of Wrath, and we held Remy at gunpoint.


    ¡°I was ready to berate you for being stupid enough to fall for the false wiles of a venomous woman¡­even if it warranted me another thrashing by the Dark Lord of Tyranny.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t make the same mistake twice.¡±


    ¡°So, that¡¯s a no? I guess¡­that¡¯s normal for someone like me. Hey, I have one more request¡­ Just¡­ Who are you?¡± Remy vomited again. She dropped to one knee and touched the blood spewing from her lips. It was a struggle to stand, but no one helped her. She made a cruel joke about how there aren¡¯t any more gentlemen in the world. ¡°I¡¯m curious¡­ I don¡¯t think I can die¡­without knowing who I let get away from me¡­¡±


    ¡°I refuse. Why would I ever want to make you happy? I hate you¡­ So very, very much¡­ No one deserves to die a death more horrible than you and Meruria.¡±


    ¡°I never wanted to admit it, but I¡¯m not the strongest. I was, but¡­¡± Remy cried, the salty water mixing with the blood leaking down her cheeks. ¡°You can¡¯tpare to a 6-Star Soul Warrior. No one can. They¡¯re legends amongst legends¡­ You¡¯re a fool if you think you can kill Tokko and Mia. They¡¯re more...monsters than we are... You can¡¯t kill them. Lord Meruria¡¯s the¡­safest woman in the world with¡­them around¡­¡±


    ¡°I guess you didn¡¯t hear me when I said I had the smartest being in the world on my side. Tris makes the impossible possible. She¡¯ll find a path. She¡¯ll secure my victory.¡± Tris appeared as a waypoint sculpture and smugly grinned. She looked down on Remy as if she was trash.


    ¡°Nah¡­ It¡¯s impossible. It won¡¯t work. Lord Meruria will be¡­safe without me¡­¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t have this argument with you.¡±


    Time resumed after Remy returned to one knee.


    She didn¡¯t get up this time.


    The others joined us in looking down on Remy.


    ¡°I wished I¡¯d seen you in your prime, you tyrannical lion. Maybe I¡¯d have followed you instead¡­ I don¡¯t suppose you can use [Conferment] to send me back in time? It¡¯s¡­a rule that you gotta grant¡­ast request, right? So¡­do this for me¡ª"¡±


    <i>Bang!</i>


    I shot Remy in the heart. She fell to her back. Blood oozed from the bullet holes...


    She was seconds away from death.

 Chapter Ninety-Nine: Vengeance Unleashed – Part Four (Illustration!)

    Chapter Ny-Nine: Vengeance Unleashed ¨C Part Four (Illustration!)


    ¡°I CAN¡¯T¡­ENDURE IT¡­ANYMORE!!!¡± The cries came from Aetos. There was a powerful st of light from up high¡­ The Spiritual Grove was gradually tearing itself apart. It was faint, but the stench of rotting wood that hadn¡¯t yet healed was mixed with smoke.


    The whole thing was on fire as a ck haze slowly reced the skies we hade to know.


    Tris immediately said we were near the middle of the Eagle Yew and had less than a minute before our ground vanished.


    <i>Eagle Yew¡­ I¡­</i>


    ¡°I¡¯m going to take your memories now,¡± I said, ignoring that thought. I had to do this¡ªnow. ¡°I¡¯ll use them to put Meruria through hell.¡± Experienced chimeras could assimte memories as tangible objects, but that was beyond my keen.


    [Conferment] bridged that gap, though.


    ¡°Experience my life. Your mind won¡¯t handle it. You¡¯ll be consumed by my madness¡­an¡ªan urge to silt¡­your throat.¡±


    ¡°I could say the same to you. You don¡¯t know the hell I lived.¡±


    I turned to Remy. ¡°With the power of [Conferment], I use my authority at the Transcendent Dark Lord to delve deep into your soul¡­ Grant me unfettered ess to your darkest depths. Reveal to me your memories.¡± Lifeforce gathered around my palms and shot a beam towards Remy.


    Remy¡¯s past flooded my mind like a movie, but I didn¡¯t care.


    Why?


    No amount of depressive bullshit or traumatic nightmares would ever make me want to forgive this piece of shit for what she had done to me.


    I didn¡¯t care that she and her sister, Willow, were sold as child prostitutes to some brothel hidden in the country. Nor did it tug at my heartstrings when Meruria convinced Remy that she could enact her revenge if she was willing to risk it all to help further her experiments with the void.


    Remy was effectively frozen at her current age after the void spat her out. It was a mimicked version of [Timeless Existence] all High Elves had upon reaching maturity. She used the warping abilities it had granted her to kill everyone responsible for what happened to them. Then Remy willingly gave their lives to their savior.


    Remy epted Meruria as their lord, yet she still used her Lord Armament to entrap her mind with a twisted sense of loyalty and love.


    Willow¡¯s sense of self didn¡¯t survive the void. Her hair, ears, and tail had been drained of their color, signifying her failure to adapt to the power Meruria wanted her to wield. Only those azure eyes were left behind.


    She was a flesh puppet¡ªsomeone who wouldn¡¯t age. She had to be told to breathe, or she¡¯d die of suffocation. Meruria used her for sexual gratification whilemanding Remy to join.


    In a sense?


    Willow was innocent¡ªshe hadn¡¯t done anything against me¡ªbut she deserved to die so that she could finally rest.


    Not Remy¡­ She had done a thousand unspeakable things. Sadism easily came to her once she realized she could hurt her enemies as they had harmed her. That was how she had grown so powerful. She was Lv. 99 and over a century old.


    The memories then came to the first time Remy was present for the Soul Warrior Summoning. Que¡¯s journal said the ceremony happened, on average, every five decades, except something wasn¡¯t right¡­ Why were they standing there like puppets? Why did Meruria have her Lord Armament out? Why did it take weeks before she spoke to them? Unless?


    If this meant what I thought it meant¡­


    I couldn¡¯t finish the thought because the memories showed me something unexpected¡ªthe truth behind King Isolde Vredi¡¯s death.


    <i>How dare they¡­ How dare they¡­ How¡­will I tell Sera? How do I bring this up? Will she believe me?</i>


    Like whish, the memories altered to Meruria¡¯s most recent summoning. Like the groups before¡­ We¡­were standing like puppets¡­as she¡­


    ¡°No¡­¡± I suddenly said.


    ¡°Ha¡­ Haha¡­ Hahaha!!! See?¡± Remy croaked, her voice barely a whisper. ¡°You can¡¯t handle it! YOU¡ª"


    ¡°SHUT UP! I need to see this for myself!!!¡± I roared. The memories shed faster¡­


    And¡­


    Meruria¡­


    She¡­did¡­that¡­


    And¡­


    Iughed¡­


    Iughed, andughed, andughed¡­


    Because it was so goddamn funny!


    Meruria''s Soul Warriors didn''t originate from the same world!


    Hell, only Mia and I came from ''our'' world!


    Our world didn¡¯t have learning chambers.


    Our world wasn¡¯t some meritocracy-obsessed hellhole caricature pushed to the extreme!


    Meruria had added those ''things'' to support the altered backstories she had nted within us!


    I always knew it didn¡¯t make sense for someone like me to attend an elusive, prestigious institute like Mekka Academy, but¡­


    Now it all made total goddamn sense¡­because she had gotten the crude inspiration from someone named Salim, a Soul Warrior summoned before us. She learned about Ma, the holiest city in Im, and giarized it. The non-existent phantom academy¡¯s purpose was to be the key that linked thistest batch of Soul Warriors together¡­to make it seem like we originated from the same world. She had further nned to create a new Ma within this world to be totally devoted to her.


    I knew the depths of that vile woman¡¯s tampering.


    Meruria could¡¯ve changed me¡­ She could¡¯ve made me into someone else. She could¡¯ve fixed all my issues or instilled confidence in me.


    She didn¡¯t¡­


    What happened to me in the fake reality¡­happened to me in the real one¡­ She didn¡¯t see fit to do all that much because I was always destined to be sacrificed to the void. Meruria had always chosen one from each summoning session. I drew the short straw this time.


    What Tris and Tilde didn¡¯t want me to know was what had happened, barring a few minor details that didn¡¯t matter for shit¡ªbut¡­ I had lived as Michael. I had lived as Shuuta¡­


    I suffered as both¡­


    Yet...


    ¡°Sekh, you can¡¯t kill my parents,¡± I whispered, turning to her. The truth I had cruelly discovered flowed like daggers from my lip as I relived a locked-away memory.


    ¡°Why? What do you mean, M?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯ve already killed them. They¡¯re dead¡­ I shot them with my ¡®father¡¯s¡¯ gun ¡­¡± I felt the bark of the revolver as I pulled the trigger¡­ The recoil knocked my shoulder out of ce¡­ The broken wrist of a young boy who couldn¡¯t grip it¡­ The smoke billowing from the barrel¡­ The acrid scent of spent gunpowder lingered in the air, covering my eyes from seeing that bastard¡¯s brains spilled across the wallpaper before I turned it to my ¡®mother,¡¯ who shared the same demise.


    The scenes weren¡¯t in chronological order, but the pieces were there. I experienced the truth¡ªthe true truth.


    Meruria only hid my murders, but it wasn¡¯t out ofpassion. She had ns to bring it up if they were required to de-evolve into a 0-Star Soul Warrior to see me suffer.


    Not even Tris knew it, which meant Tilde was out of the loop.


    The wicked bitch would use everything to make everyone else grovel at her feet¡­just to get off on the control it gave her¡­


    However, there was more to it¡ªmore to the lives we lived before Meruria snatched her fangs in our destinies.


    It wasn¡¯t just my truth. It was everyone¡¯s truth¡­ Everyone¡¯s backstory. Including that goddamn Mia¡­


    She wasn¡¯t innocent¡ªno, far¡­from¡­it¡­


    She would pay¡ªthey would all suffer¡­ Especially when what I knew could shatter <i>everything</i>.


    I confirmed something else. Shiku¡¯s and Damon¡¯s feelings weren¡¯t tampered with when they were ordered to throw me into the void. They weren¡¯t forced to do it. You could say they willingly followed orders when they had free will-- the free will to refuse.


    Yet they didn¡¯t.


    They didn¡¯t say no.


    They didn¡¯t refuse.


    They carried out the order because it was an order¡­ One found glee. The other coward feared the implication of refusing.


    <i>What a bullshit excuse. They¡¯ll suffer the worst. Will, too. They¡¯ll all die. I swear it. Push it to the side, M. Focus on thatter. You still have something to do.</i>


    Tris assisted me¡ªwhat I just learned transferred to her. She helped me remain calm as Remy¡¯s memories continued to flow.


    The damn wolf spoke the truth about [Conferment]. I didn¡¯t unlock it. She was present when Meruria cracked the seal¡­ She didn¡¯t know what was behind it, but she had done it¡ªnot me.


    There wasn¡¯t anything about any Transcendent Dark Lord. I still believed Tilde, of course. Why was I picked and not Remy?


    If Meruria had thrown anyone else into the void at that specific time, rather than me, would they have received [Hermes Trismegistus]?


    I doubt I was special¡ªI knew I wasn¡¯t. I only met Sekh because some unknown presence in the void granted me the Essence of Wrath.


    <i>Yet even that initially came from that goddamn bitch. Meruria had written a script, and I unintentionally followed it like a choir boy¡­ My outburst? My deration of revenge? All goddamn nned by her¡­ It will be her downfall.</i>


    I then came to Remy¡¯s most recent actions.


    She had used a shard of Meruria¡¯s power to mind control Hymn¡¯s upper leadership to stage the attack on Aetos Vige. Remy had nned to jump in to save us, reveal a false letter that painted Gloria as the mastermind, and convince me to let Meruria help me get my revenge. In doing so, she had intended to get close enough to make me submit to her, thereby granting her an ¡®in¡¯ with a Vredi¡ªand doing to me what she failed to do with King Isolde Vredi. The goddamn wolf even gave our enemies that orb of silence to handicap Que!


    Did that mean Gloria was innocent?


    No. When that bitch had visited Ria, I spied on her and learned Niva was being tracked by apass, which Gloria had gotten from Hymn. Hell, she ran the ce! Themanders answered to her, so she was responsible for the actions of her underlings.


    I¡¯d use her fuck up to make her suffer, but that would have to wait. I had to deal with one pissant before moving to the next.


    ¡°You killed them?¡± The surprise came from Remy, who took me away from my mind. Her eyes widened¡­


    She had probably figured out who I was, but I wouldn''t let her say it. I covered her mouth with my hands, gripping hard enough to fracture her cheekbones. An arm sprouted from my back, and the EoW gripped it, ready to transfer any life force I might have needed.


    ¡°Tris, are you ready?¡±


    <i>The new personality has been created and thoroughly sanitized. I am ready to install it in her mind. Meruria will not know the difference. I can even recreate her specific mana algorithm that Meruria uses to confirm that Remy¡¯s mind hasn¡¯t been tampered with, although that will not be needed if we use her original body instead of permanently crafting a clone. However, the wounds are egregious. It may be beyond saving.</i>


    <i>If it works? It works. If it doesn¡¯t... Then who cares. I¡¯ll have my loyal puppet regardless. Trying won¡¯t hurt anything.</i>


    ¡°With the power of [Conferment]¡­¡±


    Remy¡¯s mind¡­


    I killed it. Remy''s ego? Her superego? Her Id? Everything that made up Remy as a personality was ughtered. She was just a battered, broken body without a mind¡ª a vessel that didn¡¯t know how to breathe without being ordered. In the same breath, I imnted the personality Tris had so carefully manufactured into her body while canceling the effects of [Mortal Mend].


    I used my best healing spell, entrapped it in slime, covered it around Remy, turned it translucent, repeated that ten times, and drained the EoW¡¯s life to fuel another use of [Conferment] to encourage Remy''s body to heal.


    ¡°There is no more time, Lord Springfield,¡± said the EoW through a strained expression as the ground finally gave way.


    The Spiritual Grove¡­was no more.


    The Eagle Yew was dying.


    It was like a stake created by the gods had been jammed into the, covered in oil, and lit ame amid a boundless darkness. The entire tree was a deadly inferno. I was falling right in the middle¡ªdown the hollowed trunk that stretched for miles.


    Surtr transformed into a lion and jumped to Sekh, who got to his back after grasping Aetos¡¯s flower pot. She held him close as Surtr ran to catch Remy¡¯s still-healing body in his mouth before he rushed away from the Eagle Yew.


    The EoW returned to my Divine Skill. Tris¡¯s hologram body vanished, leaving me alone with just my thoughts.


    No, there was something I needed to do. I couldn¡¯t have done this if it hadn¡¯t helped me. The Eagle Yew was more than just a tree¡­


    It really was¡­


    I retrieved Susize¡¯s flute, clutching it tightly.


    ¡°I won¡¯t forget this, Eagle Yew¡­ You gave your life to help me¡­ My selfish vengeance would not have been possible without you¡­ Thank you¡­¡±


    Susize Vredi was said to be the best utist in Vredi Forest, and as I brought her beloved instrument to my lips¡­


    I let her take over¡­


    <i>Vredi¡¯s Luby</i> was an expression of love handed down from Vredi Forest¡¯s ancestor¡ªthe one who had nted that fateful seed that became the home to the most powerful Soul Warrior of her time.


    The song carried the ambitions of all elves born within its nurturing bosom.


    I yed, and I yed, and I yed. I never stopped as I tumbled at terminal velocity toward the ground. It felt like the moon and stars were my personal audience to witness the final moments of this ancient tree that had sacrificed everything to help me in my time of need.


    The mes and smoke began to flicker as the ethereal tune resonated throughout. The destructive ze transformed into translucent wisps, swirling and merging into an otherworldly dance. The air shimmered with energy after a gentle, green vortex surrounded me. I saw more verdant mana above me¡ªthe same as below. The magical remnants of the Eagle Yew gently ferried me down, but I never stopped my song until my feet touched the ground.


    *****


    <hr>


    *****


    Sekh was there with Surtr, Aetos¡¯s flowerpot. Remy¡¯s body wasid on the ground. Thetter was already looking much healthier. It wouldn¡¯t be long until the imnted personality initialized.


    <i>I guess that¡¯s that. Using Remy''s genuine body will only hurt Meruria more, so...</i>


    The cherry blossom was no more. The graveyard had seen better days¡ªit was like what you¡¯d find after being abandoned for a few decades. Still, the energy was seeping deep into the ground and the graves.


    ¡°How does it feel?¡± asked the eagle. He perched on his flowerpot and spoke in a grave, low voice.


    ¡°Do you even need to ask?¡± Tears dripped down my cheeks as Tris formed her hologram body. She couldn¡¯t touch me, but her presence wasforting.


    ¡°Crying? Why? Did you not achieve a goal?¡±


    ¡°I did. I¡ª"


    ¡°Then cease the tears. Do not mourn the Eagle Yew. It did what it desired. It saw fit to help you, so do notment its sacrifice because that would not honor it.¡±


    ¡°Are you trying tofort me?¡±


    ¡°Interpret it as you will, chimera.¡± Aetos paused for a moment. He turned to face me. ¡°The Eagle Yew spoke to me. It had nned to grant you assimtion rights to elerate the curse¡¯s demise when its death neared, but that is no longer possible.¡±


    <i>My lord, Ira is asking permission to manifest.</i>


    <i>Ira?</i>


    <i>That is the name the Essence of Wrath chose for herself. Should I deny it?</i>


    <i>No. She can have it. Let here out.</i>


    Ira manifested. She looked like a Dragonfolk¡ªwith crimson wings, horns, and eyes¡ªwith slightly elvish features¡ª but she was dressed in a skirt and blouse made from solidified mes.


    ¡°The Lord Conference¡­ Meruria will be there with everyone, right?¡±


    ¡°She wouldn¡¯t dare miss showing off her 6-Star Soul Warriors to the others,¡± said Aetos. ¡°I presume you have a n since the Lord Conference does not allow violence. It is a prestigious affair that promotes using words to handle pressing issues.¡±


    ¡°Information is powerful¡­ Words hold the might to turn the tide of history. Queens, kings, and Holy Lords aren¡¯t immune to it. I have a n, Aetos. It does not involve me throwing a single punch, but it will end with Meruria sumbing to what she fears above all else¡­ I¡¯ll shatter her Soul Warriors¡¯ mind. Maybe I¡¯ll drive them to suicide. I¡¯ll use the n I intended for Que on the ones who truly deserve it. Or maybe I¡¯ll strike once the conference is over. I don¡¯t know. But they¡¯re the prey¡ªI¡¯m the hunter. I¡¯ll chew their flesh and kill them all.¡±


    Lord Enele hated Meruria. He saw Lord Sajun as a younger brother and cared deeply for him¡­ For him to have¡­allowed Meruria free reign for hundreds of years¡­suggested he didn¡¯t have the evidence. But why couldn¡¯t he use [Truth Field]? I just knew he would¡¯ve done something if it was possible.


    He could also strike her down in anger, but that would strip him of his poweras the Dark Lord of Justice.


    Why hadn¡¯t he done that? If he truly hated her so much, then¡­


    <i>I must know more before I can figure this out.</i>


    ¡°There¡¯s more, Aetos. It¡¯s about King Vredi.¡± He listened as I revealed the truth behind his death. The eagle was quiet. He closed his eyes, holding masterful control over his emotions.


    ¡°Is that what really happened?¡±


    ¡°The Susize in me won¡¯t let me lie about this. Meruria¡¯s¡­ She¡¯s responsible. I will not let this go unpunished. She must suffer, Aetos. I will make her regret ever being born. Believe me on that.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± The Eagle was quiet. He remained perched on his flowerpot in deep thought of how to proceed with this new information. I sensed movement from behind, and I knew who it was.


    Que ran towards us. ¡°The evacuation went off without error. The Eagle Yew caught fire during the process, but everyone¡¯s safe, Lord Springfield. They¡¯re gathered outside the forest.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ There haven¡¯t been any more losses? That¡¯s good. You have my thanks, Que.¡±


    <i>I¡¯ve confirmed the safety of all, my lord. Tilde and Niva are still asleep under Primrose¡¯s eye. Keeth is constructing tents.</i>


    ¡°You¡¯re wee, but is it done? Is she dead? Truly dead?¡± Que asked, her voice trembling.


    Remy moved before I could say anything. She opened her eyes and warped from lying to standing up. Que grabbed my cor¡ªpure hatred fueled her eyes as the angry mage demanded to know why our enemy wasn¡¯t dead. Que was probably about to punch me, but she suddenly stopped when Remy kneeled and proimed her undying loyalty to me.


    ¡°What¡­is going on?¡±


    ¡°The Remy you see is not the one we have the displeasure of knowing. That one is dead. She¡¯s gone. She doesn¡¯t exist anymore. This one looks like her. She has the same abilities and strengths, but her unwavering loyalty lies solely with me. Everything is being routed through Tris, and there¡¯s not a snowball¡¯s chance in hell of Remy ¡®breaking¡¯ free or suddenly regaining her original self because Tris won¡¯t let that happen. Her safeguards cannot and will not be broken.¡±


    ¡°I know what this body has done. I am thankful Lord Springfield will assimte it once its usefulness has expired,¡± said Remy. ¡°I am anxiously awaiting the day Meruria faces cruel justice for her crimes and sins. It cannote fast enough.¡± Remyapologized to Que for how much her team was tormented. ¡°Remy¡¯s soul still lives within a hellish purgatory she shall never escape from. Her suffering continues now because the wicked do not deserve to rest.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for grabbing you,¡± Que lowered her head. ¡°I was unaware such a thing like this was possible.¡±


    ¡°Your reaction is understandable. Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m sure your head must be filled with a thousand questions.¡±


    ¡°It is.¡± She looked around. Energy continued to spiral into the ground. ¡°But the time isn¡¯t apt. Do you know what¡¯s going to happen now?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re witnessing the start of the chimerization process,¡± said Ira. ¡°It¡¯s not the same. It¡¯s different. Chimeras are created when the negative emotions surrounding many corpses be too much, yet I don¡¯t detect any hostility. It¡¯s unheard of for so much positivity to trigger the birth.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right and wrong,¡± Aetos said. He pped his wings. ¡°Just watch. It is almost finished.¡± Thest remnants of the green mana flowed deep into the ground. Everything started to shake. From each of the graves came a calming, soothing light. Magical energy flowed to where the cherry blossom used to stand, which collected into a single orb.


    The radiant sphere emitted a soft,forting light that epassed the entire graveyard, recreating what it must¡¯ve looked like in the past as it grew. The shimmering grew until it cracked like ss, revealing a small girl. She probably didn¡¯t look older than eight or nine. Her hair and ears were like mine. The excessive mana encircled her body, granting her a sundress of leaves and grass.


    We all stared as she opened her eyes¡ªthey were red¡ªlike Ira¡¯s. Hesitation filled them. Chimeras weren¡¯t born with a consciousness¡ªthey relied on raw instinct until they evolved, but¡­


    ¡°My heart¡­ It won¡¯t stop hurting¡­¡± She cried, gentle tears falling from her soft eyes. ¡°I feel the forest¡­ I can hear its cries.¡±


    Spoiler


    [copse]


    ¡°Thest of the Eagle Yew¡¯s will has been imparted into her,¡± said Aetos. ¡°She¡¯s made from the consciousness, hopes, dreams, and love of everyone who has passed away within my vige. Your genuine love for the forest¡­ Your desires to protect it¡­ The way you yed <i>Vredi¡¯s Luby</i> without an ounce of selfish pride because you wished for it to be thest thing it heard¡­ Your regret at killing mydy¡¯s precious pets¡­ You may not think of yourself as a natural Vredi, but the Eagle Yew believes differently. It has epted you, chimera. The proof of that is in her base appearance. The mana flowed through you and the Essence of Wrath before continuing the chimerization process.¡±


    ¡°epted me, huh? Do I deserve it?¡±


    ¡°The Eagle Yew thinks so. It will continue to live on through her. Do you harbor doubts?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be lying if I said I didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Do you know what you must do?¡± I nodded. Just one thing came to my mind.


    I approached and kneeled, extending a hand. The chimera looked at me, quivering. ¡°You don¡¯t have any reason to be afraid,¡± I said, my voice gentle as the falling snow. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°I¡­do not have one¡­ I feel lost¡­ Can you¡­give me one?¡±


    ¡°How does¡­Yew sound?¡±


    ¡°Y...ew?¡± The chimera repeated it slowly, then twice more. ¡°But that¡¯s...¡± The chimera looked at Aetos, then to where the Eagle Yew had just been. ¡°Is that...okay?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why not? Do you like it?¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh. But what do I do now? I don¡¯t know where to go.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re lost, then I¡¯ll guide you, okay? I¡¯ll teach you what you need to know, and I¡¯ll protect you.¡± With a hesitant smile, Yew slowly extended a trembling hand to mine. The leftover remains of the vige and forest seemed to respond. A gentle breeze surrounded us.


    Aetos watched with a knowing gaze as we returned to him and the others. ¡°Listen well, Yew.¡± Aetos raised his wings as the little chimera watched. ¡°You carry the legacy of the Eagle Yew within you. Listen to the whispers of the trees, feel the earth''s heartbeat, and embrace the harmony of nature. Your path is intertwined with the destiny of the forest, and you must protect it with the love that resides in your heart.¡±


    Yew quivered behind my legs. She bravely peeked out. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t you think that¡¯s too much for her?¡± I asked


    ¡°Is it?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It is. I know it¡¯s been a while, but have you lost your ss?¡± asked Sekh.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Then forgive me, Yew. I am sorry.¡± Aetos bowed his wings. Yew didn''t say anything. She looked at the others but kept her arms wrapped around my leg. ¡°How will you proceed from here, chimera?¡±


    ¡°We wait for Sera. She should arrive within the hour. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m going to say to her. Que, I trust you know what must remain a secret?¡±


    ¡°I do. I swear my lips are sealed. I won¡¯t¡­bring anything up with Melusine, either.¡± Sekh rubbed her arms, looked away, and equipped Lionheart. She would need to wear it for the next few days. I hated that it had to happen like this, but she understood why.


    I¡¯d have to make it up to her.


    ¡°Okay. Make some time. I¡¯ll answer your questions. Ira, you¡¯re not needed.¡± That damn spirit leftin a hazy wave of fire. ¡°Remy. You¡¯re not needed, either. Warp away somewhere. Don¡¯t be seen by anyone. Especially not Sera.¡±


    ¡°Of course, my lord.¡± Remy vanished. I saw a faint waypoint in the distance, indicating her location.


    Tris¡­ It was time for her hologram body to depart. She wasn¡¯t sad. The body just gave me something to look at. Her voice was always in my mind. I still felt her presence all the same, but I would need an excuse to exin why she wasn¡¯t here.


    Actually...


    Tris tookmand of a clone I made. ¡°Consider this a loophole,¡± she said with a cute smile.


    <i>I shouldn¡¯t have been worried in the first ce. It¡¯ll be like nothing has changed.</i>


    With that, we were almost ready. I hugged Yew. ¡°You¡¯re a chimera like me,¡± I told her, disgusted I was about to ask this of a child. ¡°I hold the power to prevent Bellerophon from detecting you. Forgive me, but¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s something I must report, my lord. Evolving to [Tris, Beacon of Wisdom] has altered the loyalty aspect of [Status Cloak]. It has been reced by a user permission pop-up the target must ept to proceed.¡±


    I felt instant relief. ¡°That¡¯s amazing. Yew, will you ept it?¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh. I trust you. I know¡­ No, I can feel your true feelings deep in your heart. It¡¯s in mine, too. You¡¯re someone the Eagle Yew cherished.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve confirmed all matters rted to her chimerism have been hidden, my lord. I¡¯ve set Yew up with standard titles befitting someone her age.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Thank you. Can you walk, Yew? Do you want me to carry you?¡± She shook her head. We left the graveyard¡ªher little hand never leaving my palm¡ª and followed Que to where the others were.


    I never predicted things would turn out like this¡ªnot in a million years. But...


    That was life.


    It was impossible to predict...


    Something told me this was only the beginning, though.


    Meruria used her magic and Remy to organize this attack without Gloria knowing, but the fault remained with her since Hymn was her organization!


    I couldn¡¯t decide without Sera, though. This involved her just as much as it did me. That led to another issue, which delved into a dozen more, which branched off into a hundred concerns.


    How in the world would I approach the topic of her father¡¯s death?


    But the sea awaiting me wasn¡¯t unnavigable because the world''s best captain stood beside me. Tris¡¯s valuable assistance was more necessary than ever before.


    War... It was probablying. Sera¡¯s anger wouldn¡¯t excuse Gloria¡¯s actions if I yed my cards right. So, I could, if not wipe her out, but weaken that goddamn bitch enough to punish her for what she did it. She was still at fault for Niva. She gave her to that shitty Noelia and almost encouraged that abuse.


    If I could get the power of a Holy Lord?


    Well...


    Wouldn¡¯t that even the ying field?


    <i>No. With how I am now¡­ A Holy Lord¡¯s might would more than even it. I¡¯ming for you, Meruria¡­ Just you wait¡­</i>

 Chapter One-Hundred: There Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked (Arc 4 – End)

    Chapter One-Hundred: There Ain¡¯t No Rest for the Wicked (Arc 4 ¨C End)


    Tris stood alone in a sea of darkness. The inescapable nothingness nked her from all sides, and an outsider would have thought her to be a victim trapped in an infinite nightmare.


    Except they would be wrong.


    This abyss belonged to her. It wasn¡¯t the void. It was a partitioned segment of a now infinite [Void Storage] separated from the rest to host <i>her</i> revenge.


    ¡°The seeds of nightmares find fertile ground in the heart of darkness, but what if we were to go beyond that elementary understanding?¡± she asked herself. ¡°Darkness, alone, is uninteresting. It¡¯s uninspiring and nd without a supporting cast to add atmosphere.¡± Tris manipted her surroundings, materializing a dpidated, two-story cabin in the inky ckness. It was like a macabre monument to decay¡ªa ce that nightmares feared to crawl.


    The roof sagged under manufactured neglect, with missing shingles to expose the rotting wood. The walls bore deep scars of time. They were covered in creeping vines and moss that seemed to thieves in the decrepit darkness only Tris could form.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ No. It¡¯s still too clean. It must be more¡­¡± Tris waved her hand, shattered the windows, then covered them in grime. ¡°Yes. That¡¯s better. That¡¯s how it looked.¡± She nced her hand against the jagged edges, treating them like the teeth of a violent beast.


    She rusted the door hinges so it creaked ominously with every slight movement. She entered and splintered the floorboards while altering the air to stink with the stench of decay.


    Flickering candles provided no light. They existed as mere decorations, yet darkness cast darkness, creating shadows within shadows that twisted in the corners, whispering secrets of despair. Ceiling chains rattled as if moved by unseen hands.


    Otherwise, the cabin was empty. But it wouldn¡¯t be for long. This was how <i>it </i>looked the first time <i>she </i>was brought to it. It changed. It grew. It evolved to be <i>her</i> biggest fear.


    Tris walked away from her construction. She had thought long and hard about this, and the script the Beacon of Wisdom had devised must be followed to the nth degree.


    It was time to begin.


    Oh, how long had she yearned for this day?


    Tris focused until she held Remy¡¯s soul in her right hand. Yes¡ªthis was Remy¡¯s genuine soul. The one she was born with it. A momentter, an exact copy appeared in her left hand. ¡°This cannot be done all the time. It¡¯s a unique case since I¡¯ve reverse-engineered every aspect of this despicable woman. It¡¯s ironic, little Remy. Your soul is so sped in the void that it¡¯s easy to understand. It¡¯s so perceivable.¡±


    The original soul floated. Tris stepped away after storing the copy¡ªshe¡¯d need itter for further experiments. An aspect of personification targeted the glowing orb, giving rise to one of Tris¡¯s lord¡¯s most despicable enemies. Those wolf-like ears twitched as she touched the ground.


    Remy opened her eyes. She lookedx. ¡°The void, huh?¡± She ncedaround and refused to acknowledge the cabin because she couldn¡¯t see it. Tris hadn¡¯t granted that permission. ¡°Yeah, it feels just like home. I guess my final warp made it after all.¡±


    ¡°Can you be so sure about that?¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡± Remy turned around. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s the bitch with the dumb hat. What? You decided to tag along with me?¡±


    Trisughed. Her heart quivered so anxiously at what was about to happen that she couldn¡¯t stand it. ¡°You don¡¯t get it? A durd like you gets less impressive the more I observe, but that¡¯s par for the course for a simpleton. Aww¡­ Poor little Remy¡­ You don¡¯t realize what happened, do you?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Death is far too gentle for a scourge like you. I¡¯ve seen your past, wretch. I know the horrors you¡¯ve endured and believe they could be improved. I will make you suffer.¡±


    ¡°How can I be dead if I¡¯m alive? You im to be something about wisdom, but you fucked up by letting me recover. Just wait. I¡¯ll warp away and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Tris crossed her arms and smugly smiled. ¡°Please. By all means. Warp away, little wolf. Return to your lord and tell her you¡¯ve failed to kill the one that got away.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Remy¡¯s expression slowly soured. She had this grand, overarching confidence that eroded like metal left to rust in the elements.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± taunted the overseer of this partitioned world. It was a blink and a miss moment. Tris flickered and appeared an inch away from Remy. ¡°Can you not do something as simple as this?¡± Tris flickered again and appeared ten feet overhead before returning to her original location. ¡°You realize it, don¡¯t you? Your soul no longer carries the void¡¯s gift.¡±


    ¡°¡­ What did you do to me?!¡±


    ¡°Oh, it wasn¡¯t difficult for a Beacon of Wisdom like me, but must I exin myself to you? No. I don¡¯t think I will. Ah, but you¡¯re angry, aren¡¯t you? You¡¯re upset. Is that supposed to scare me?¡± Tris shed her teeth, grinning like a lion. ¡°We¡¯ve killed you once. What makes you think I won¡¯t kill you again? Remember what I said? Death is too gentle for you. Surely an insignificant cub like yourself knows the whisperings behind my words.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re a bitch. I know I¡¯ll love your screams. I¡¯ll w out of the void and fuck up that chimera. Or maybe I¡¯ll take the info to Seraphina. Ever think about that?¡±


    Tris merely smiled. Shetaunted Remy to approach.


    She fell for the bait.


    Remy kicked off,unching into a tirade of kicks and punches, but her precise motions were too clumsy. Tris effortlessly avoided everything with her hands behind her back, side-stepping away. She twirled to duck a jab, then lightly hopped over a low sweep,ughing all the while.


    ¡°Has the cub met her match?¡±


    Remy growled before redoubling her efforts, but fate reyed itself like a movie on repeat. Tris kited Remy away and always stayed just a hair ahead of every action she made. That infuriated the Wolffolk, making her already pathetic attempt sloppier.


    ¡°You can¡¯t hit what you can¡¯t touch. You¡¯re slowing. How pathetic. You¡¯re revoltingly weak. Useless, too. What did that wench of a lord ever see in someone like you?¡±


    ¡°SHUT UP!¡± Remy screamed. Panic showed in her face. Her eyes quivered with rage. She focused strength in her legs and jumped like a rocket. It was fast¡ªbut not swifter than Tris expected because this was her reality. This area¡ªthis slice of partitioned [Void Storage]¡ª was a domain under her control.


    It was like time slowed to a whisper. Remy couldn¡¯t change her speed or direction, but Tris encircled the diving Remy like a lioness scouting her prey. ¡°Haven¡¯t you noticed? You are not in control. I¡¯m allowing you to fight because¡­ Well, it¡¯s my choice. I¡¯m allowing you to get angry. I¡¯m allowing you to try, try, try your disgusting heart out. Haven¡¯t you noticed? Your suit, Remy. Doesn¡¯t it feel¡­loose?¡±


    Remy hadn¡¯t realized it, but Tris¡¯s uneasy words alerted her to something sinister.


    Remy was de-aging. It was subtle, but it was there. Tris made three more revolutions before allowing time to flow again, which caused the youthful Wolffolk to scream. Her high-pitched voice shouted a tirade of threats not befitting her childish appearance. But she couldn¡¯t move. Forces beyond her keen locked her in ce.


    ¡°It was about this age when you were introduced to the horrors this world carried and experienced a taste of hell.¡± Tris retrieved the copy of Remy¡¯s soul, which she had made. ¡°Do you know what this is? It¡¯s you. The data that creates a person is stored here, although you¡¯re the original. This is but a copy. Ah, but what is a copy? Can a copy be the genuine thing if everything matches?¡±


    Tris bounced the copied soul like a ball. ¡°There exists a thought experiment in my lord¡¯s world. Have you heard of the Ship of Theseus? It¡¯s a paradox that philosophers have debated for millennia. If you rece every single part of a ship with new, identical parts, is it still the same vessel? Or does it be something else entirely?¡±


    She paused, the soul flickering with each bounce. ¡°Now, consider this in terms of souls. If a soul bes fractured and you rece those shattered pieces with identical copies like the files of aputer system¡­ Does the soul remain the same? Or does the act of recement alter its essence, creating something new? Can a copied soul, with all its identical fragments, ever truly be the real thing? Or will it always be a mere shadow¡ªa counterfeit trying to pass as genuine?¡±


    Tris let the soul hover, its light dimming and brightening as if caught in its internal struggle. ¡°This is the dilemma I face. When the essence of a being is replicated, does it retain the original''s true nature, or does it be a mere facsimile devoid of the authenticity that made the original unique? In the end, does the copy--no matter how perfect-- be real? Or is it forever trapped in the shadow of its predecessor as a paradox in its own right? I seek an answer to that, Remy. I believe acquiring a foregone conclusion to that mystery will help my lord. You shall be my unwilling assistant. Before I continue¡­ Are you curious about the outside world? Here, let me show you.¡±


    Tris opened a [Skyview] window to the outside world, showing the bound child what her body was doing.


    ¡°NO! DON¡¯T MAKE ME BOW TO THAT BITCH! THAT CHIMERA IS NOT MY LORD!! IT DOESN¡¯T DESERVE¡ª¡±


    ¡°Now do you get it? Your body will be Meruria¡¯s undoing. It will work tirelessly until that woman pays for her sins. You¡¯ll witness it. You¡¯ll do nothing but watch it. You can scream and cry. You can beg for forgiveness, but you won¡¯t find mercy.¡± Tris¡¯s voice held a bitter edge. "Tilde used to tell me stories about fables filled with forgiveness. Tales where even the darkest hearts could find the light of redemption. Except those don¡¯t apply here. How could they?"


    She stashed the copied soul before clenching a fist. ¡°Forgiveness is for the repentant¡ªfor those who seek it. But you? You will never earn it. Some sins are too great. Some betrayals cut too deep. No fable or tale can change that truth. In those stories, the protagonist often kills dozens or hundreds and leaves a trail of bodies in their wake before refusing to kill their target. Why? Why go through so much to stop at the end? Even now, I don¡¯t understand them. I never will. Those endings are terrible. I dislike them for their moral hypocrisy.¡±


    Tris¡¯s eyes burned bright. The motions were about to begin because the final preparations were almost finished. They¡¯d been happening behind the scenes.


    ¡°You will suffer, Remy. From now until the end of time. My lord has acquired her revenge on the surface, and it¡¯s up to me to handle it spiritually. My retribution will be absolute and unpleasant.¡±


    Tris''s eyes shed with an unyielding resolve. "No story, no lesson in forgiveness, can alter that fate. This is my justice. Has it hit you yet? Are the memories returning? The ones you thought you left in the past? No? Then¡­ What about this?¡±


    <i>Snap!</i>


    <span ss="TextRun SCXW195026282 BCX0"ng="en-us" xmlng="en-us"><span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW195026282 BCX0">From the <span ss="FindHit SCXW195026282 BCX0">utter darkness<span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW195026282 BCX0"> came a single noise¡ªa <span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW195026282 BCX0">baby¡¯s<span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW195026282 BCX0"> cry surrounded the endless nothingness like it was everywhere at once. It was impossible to have not heard it. Remy¡¯s face contorted as the realization struck her like an arrowunched from a giant¡¯s bow<span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW195026282 BCX0">.<span ss="EOP SCXW195026282 BCX0">


    ¡°Now you get it. Your horrors began at this age. It wasn¡¯t long until those vile men made you experience motherhood. You became a sobbing mess every time the drugs wore off because you saw your growing stomach. Remember the pain of childbirth and how they refused to let you hold your baby? How theyughed with glee when they sold your offspring to the highest bidder and gambled to see who would impregnate you next? Do you still not understand, you putrid troglodyte? I know you more than you know yourself. I¡¯ve analyzed everything there is to know about you. I know your nightmares. I know your deepest fears. I shall make them worse. I cannot fight like my lord. I will neverpare to Lady Sekh¡¯s awesome power. But this? This is my battlefield. Look, Remy. Does the cabin not stir some¡­less-than-desirable memories?¡±


    Tears spewed down Remy¡¯s face. Her mouth slightly parted, and Tris feigned ignorance.


    ¡°Oh? What was that?¡±


    ¡°Anything¡­ Anything but that¡­ Please, not that! I can¡¯t¡ªnot again! I can¡¯t go back in there!¡± Remy¡¯s trembling voice returned the wolf to the past-- when she was anything but the cruel, heartless murderer many knew her to be.


    Tris warped a mile away, although the distance paradox that was the void made her seem so close. ¡°If you desire freedom, then run. Run from your nightmares. Run from your fate. Keep running until you¡¯ve outlived my lord.¡±


    <i>Snap!</i>


    The invisible bindings restraining Remy disappeared, and she took off. It had been decades since she felt this panicked¡ªdecades since shest thought about the worst years of her life¡ªdecades since that horrible cabin upied her unrted thoughts.


    But that hell hole was here. She had to get away. Nothing else mattered¡ªnot even her precious Holy Lord Meruria came to her mind.


    Remy wouldn¡¯t escape. The dark, vile cabin trembled as the door mmed open. Unidentifiable monsters of shadowy trauma stepped out like beings of an eldritch world. They were tall, stretchy, andrge, but then they were frail, thick, and dense¡ªforever changing¡ªnever remaining the same. There were two at first. Then four. Then eight. The number doubled every second and joined in the pursuit. They called out for Remy in a voice unidentifiable to everyone but her.


    Tris watched. But why prolong this when there was more waiting for this unredeemable whelp? She snapped, and the shadowy personifications of Remy¡¯s most horrible pastunched tendrils of neglect and abuse. Some snaked through the ground. Others went high. But they alltched tightly around their target. Remy fought and screamed. She bit into the darkness and failed to maul her way out.


    ¡°NO! ANYTHING BUT THIS! PLEASE! TRIS, I¡¯M¡ª" A tendril plugged her mouth. She screamed, but there was no sound. Her desperation grew like a snowball rolling down a hill. She fought with everything she could muster, but it wasn¡¯t enough. She shook her shackles, dislocated her arms, and snapped her legs, but it was for naught.


    Remy could not outrun her nightmares¡ªher efforts did not amount to anything. They returned to that horrible cabin and forced her inside.


    The door mmed shut when thest shadow slipped inside. That was when the shrieking began.


    Tris smiled. She knew what dark, depraved things were happening inside. ¡°My lord¡¯s enemies deserve the worst fate imaginable. Death is far too gentle¡­ Who else but me cane up with a fitting punishment? I want you to suffer, Remy. Suffer¡­ Suffer¡­ Suffer¡­ Suffer until the end¡­ Suffer until you can¡¯t go on¡­ I¡¯ll repair your tortured soul with the copy, and I¡¯ll make you suffer again.¡±


    This side project would not diminish her operating efficiency. Her evolution into [Tris, Beacon of Wisdom] increased her processing abilities, including the number of parallel subroutines she could maintain. The process was automated. Tris often split her thinking to control multiple clones and analyze iing data, and this wasn¡¯t that dissimr.


    The situation was different, but the core mechanics remained the same.


    In either case, Tris wasn¡¯t solely doing this to satiate her sadistic side. There were two real, genuine goals behind it. One was to acquire the ability to investigate memories. Her lord¡¯s assimtion had ws. Memories and other abstract qualities of a person couldn¡¯t be assimted on demand like other experienced chimeras. The only memories she could ess were the five Soul Warriors that formed the crux of her body, except it wasn¡¯t something she could do on demand.


    A memory could be triggered by anything¡ª a person, ce, thing, color, sight, taste, or sound¡ªbut Tris wished to change things. She wanted to help bridge this error-- to categorize all the memories of everything her lord had assimted into a database for easy indexing.


    That would grant Tris far more knowledge, empowering her to further guide her lord in her revenge.


    The second was to copy a soul from an assimted being that hadn¡¯t been dded in the void.


    The void was the only reason Remy¡¯s soul was so crystal clear-- an ironic fact since the void was the most mysterious phenomenon in the world.


    The goals were simr. Progress towards one¡ªsuch as seeing Remy¡¯s memories using [Conferment] as a stopgap¡ªprovided much knowledge to help Tris. Yes, her lord could¡¯ve used that skill to create a copy of any soul she had assimted, but why rely on something that necessitated lifeforce? As a chimera, her lord regained it far faster than non-chimera, but only a fool would waste it like an over-privileged child throwing away a cake because it had the wrong candle.


    The finish line wouldn¡¯t be crossed until Tris¡¯s lord aplished those goals without outside help.


    If indulging in revenge was a byproduct of fulfilling her goal?


    The Beacon of Wisdom would notin.


    The dark cabin ominously shivered as a third level was added. A basement was being built. It wouldn¡¯t be long until it became a spiraling maze¡ª the perfect spot for Tris to achieve her vengeance. Meruria desired to create her own Mekka¡ªa holy city devoted to her. Likewise, this idea was simr. The cabin was to serve as Tris¡¯s unholy city¡ªto harbor the souls of her lord¡¯s enemies while subjecting them to endless torment¡ªwith her as the mastermind to oversee their inevitable, infinite torture.


    Tris sat in a chair she summoned. She retrieved the copy of Remy¡¯s soul, made another replica for safekeeping, and began her experiment while relishing that the first target was crossed off the list.

 Update – 30 October 2024

    Update ¨C 30 October 2024


    Hi!


    I¡¯s about that time for the regrly scheduled Update Post! Arc 4 of <em>CA</em> is the longest by far, although it wasn¡¯t originally intended to be that way. I¡¯d meant for it to ¡°bridge¡± the gap, so to speak, between the main content I wanted to include in Arc 5¡ªbasically, just to connect Plot Point A to Plot Point B.


    But yeah, that didn¡¯t happen at all, haha. What happened in Arc 4 actually turned out to be super important and vital to how the story ys out overall. As usual, though, some major changes came up along the way. Some things I initially nned didn¡¯t make the cut, while certain elements I thought were insignificant turned out to hold much more weight.


    Some character rtionships also evolved between nning and the final product. One character in particr required a drastic rewrite of her scenes at the eleventh hour, but honestly, I think it was for the best. I believe this change adds far more depth andplexity to her character, preventing her from stumbling into amon pitfall.


    *****


    <hr>


    *****


    <h1><span style="text-decoration:underline"><strong>[Conferment]?!?!?!?</strong></h1>


    So¡­the biggest driving force of the story so far¡ªand the key to breaking Sekh¡¯s curse¡ªwasn¡¯t originally part of the n. Seriously, it wasn¡¯t. The original idea was for Aetos to use some form of ¡°soul-splitting/essence-merging¡± magic to send M, Tris, and Surtr (andter Tilde) into Sekh¡¯s soul, where they would help her fight off the curse. Essentially, they¡¯d have beaten it into submission and forced it to retreat.


    But as I thought more about that approach, it just didn¡¯t feel right. I was stuck on this point for a few days without knowing how to proceed¡ªuntil I heard that <em>Slime Isekai</em> was releasing a movie: .


    I love that series, and you can see its influence in my story. Tris, for instance, shares traits with the Great Sage and its evolutions, while Tilde has elements inspired by Ramiris.


    Then came <em>[Conferment]</em>¡­


    I always admired <em>Slime Isekai</em>¡¯s system of giving names to characters, and for a while, I¡¯d been wanting to implement something simr, though I didn¡¯t want to directly copy it. But as I watched the movie, I remembered how giving a name in that world requires Magicules from the person doing the naming. That sparked an idea! I adapted this, making it draw on life force and altered its functionality so that it would inscribe a rule onto the world that must be followed.


    And thus, <em>[Conferment]</em> was born! It can still be used to give things names¡ªlike when M named the lions¡ªbut introducing <em>[Conferment]</em> sote in the story meant I had to do a significant rewrite to integrate it smoothly. So, every time M uses <em>[Conferment]</em>? None of that was intended in the first, second, or even third draft.


    Which brings me to a character who wouldn¡¯t be who she is without <em>[Conferment]</em>.


    *****


    <hr>


    *****


    <h1><span style="text-decoration:underline"><strong>Tilde?!?!?!?!?</strong></h1>


    Originally, Tilde was set to be absent for almost the entire arc. During her absence, Surtr (who didn¡¯t yet have a name) would have assumed her role as advisor, though his personality has stayed consistent since his creation.


    The n was for Tilde to return near the arc¡¯s end to help confront the embodiment of Sekh¡¯s curse deep within her soul or essence. At that point, she¡¯d evolve, but she wouldn¡¯t be her own person with a Status Menu or the ability to level up.


    But then I realized that keeping her out of the story for 130,000 words was just too long. It didn¡¯t quite fit, and I wanted to give Tilde more space for real, meaningful development. Thanks to <em>[Conferment]</em>, I could reintroduce her sooner, allowing for that growth I had in mind for her character.


    As for her personality, I do think I pushed it too far in Arcs 2 and 3. She was intended to be a witty, sarcastic wise-ass with a quip for everything and everyone, but I may have leaned too heavily in the wrong direction. Arc 4 has been my opportunity to rebnce that side of her¡ªa new evolution, a fresh start¡ªthough hints of the old Tilde are still very much present.


    Like, she''s still super horny and lewd when alone with M and Tris (and now Sekh). It''s that she''s overall more ''pleasant'' in public. She said this in the Girl Talk intermission at the end of Arc 3.


    (it''s kind of long, so it''s in spoiler box)


    Spoiler


    ¡°I¡¯m just thinking¡­that maybe it¡¯s time for a change of pace.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Tilde locked eyes with Irisa, but the sprite¡¯s smile wasn¡¯t the one I¡¯de to know. ¡°Maybe this current personality¡­isn¡¯t the right one our Master needs going forward. I know how I¡¯ve been¡ªhow lewd and horny my behavior was, not to mention the sexually chargedments. There¡¯s a time and ce for everything, but that¡¯s¡­not the case anymore. That was my personality for thest handful of thousands of years, but it worked wonders in easing the tension with our Master. But look at her. She doesn¡¯t need that kind of Tilde. She needs someone more serious¡ªsomeone with a little more fire in her heart, not someone who acts like they bathe in aphrodisiac every morning.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like the Tilde I know,¡± I confessed.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ It¡¯s kinda scary hearing you talk like that.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Did I leave that heavy of an impression on you? But I¡¯m being serious here. My whole existence was to tutor the Transcendent Dark Lord and lead her on the right path. And as much as she still has growing to do, I¡¯m confident she won¡¯t stray from her path. Even if she does, just look at the support group she has with her.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to die?!¡±


    ¡°What? Uhh, no? If I kick the bucket, Master perishes with me. I¡¯m talking about bing a better Tilde to further serve our Master. Because,e on, you¡¯re telling me I haven¡¯t pissed you off with my behavior? Like, even I was sick of it at some points and went to bed cringing. I¡¯m just saying that when I reincarnate, don¡¯t expect the reborn Tilde to be like me. Hell, or maybe I¡¯ll be the same? This is the first time it''s gonna happen after fulfilling my purpose. Who the hell knows what¡¯s going to happen.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re not gonna die, right?¡±


    ¡°Nah, I won¡¯t. Might be gone for a month to a year. I hope my new existence is fitter for the Transcendent Dark Lord. That¡¯s all I really want in my little heart.¡±


    [copse]


    Tilde said that, but it was really me, the author, speaking through her about her personality.


    Oh, and about her weapon and outfit...


    That same intermission had this.


    (It''s in the spoiler)


    Spoiler


    <span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW28685061 BCX0">¡°And? <span ss="NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW28685061 BCX0">Uhh<span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW28685061 BCX0">, Master''ll need an army. <span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW28685061 BCX0">She¡¯ll<span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW28685061 BCX0"> need squad leaders,manders, generals, and lieutenants. Soldiers to fight her battles and protect hernd. On top of that, a group of battle <span ss="FindHit SCXW28685061 BCX0">maid<span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW28685061 BCX0">s<span ss="NormalTextRun SCXW28685061 BCX0"> and sexy bitches willing to serve tea and cookies to Master and her guests while having the skill to draw their guns and shoot enemies in the head.


    [copse]


    So, that was unintentional foreshadowing, kind of. Tilde ends up being M''s Head Maid, and she has a gun.


    Pawsome Fables, the group she started with Erin, Chax, and Ginnie? Yeah, anotherst minute addition. Which brings me to...


    *****


    <hr>


    *****


    <h1><span style="text-decoration:underline"><strong>Erin?!?!?!?!? (Chax and Ginnie, too)?!!!!?!??!!?</strong></h1>


    I won''t lie. I had no idea where to take her story. When looking at the facts, Erin is the result of her mother getting her father drunk and raping him, then being used to break up his family because her mother was too obsessed with him.


    Now with her mother being dead... Where does she go from there?


    I was lost for the longest time.


    Did I want her to fight?


    Did I want her to have a "brat" arc?


    Did I want her to be super depressed/suicidal about her new situation?


    It wasn¡¯t until I came up with [Conferment] and giving the lions to Ichiha and the others that it hit me.


    Erin needs to be confident. She needs to find it, so what better ce to find it than using a lion born from Sekh¡¯s overwhelming and excessive mana? I think it¡¯s safe to say that Erin loves Longtooth. Longtooth provides Erin with the courage she never knew she had, and that originates from Sekh because the lions wouldn¡¯t exist without her.


    So, I had a n, but it wasn¡¯t set in stone. I needed more. So, that¡¯s why I brought in Chax and Ginnie. I like them a lot. They¡¯ve also experienced a lot of hardships, so I thought they would have a positive influence on Erin.


    However, with Tilde now being back earlier than I intended, I needed something for her to do. So, that led me to create <em>Pawsome Fables</em>! Erin gets to spend time with Longtooth, she learns how to fight in a group, and Tilde¡¯s ageless wisdom is there to help put her on the right path.


    That¡¯s not all, however. The more time Erin spends with Longtooth, the more time she misses Sekh. Those two hadn¡¯t interacted that much, but Erin is super grateful to Sekh for the lions. Now that Sekh is back, Erin and Sekh spending time together and having a super awesome day isn¡¯t out of the question, which could lead to some fantastic development for the both of them.


    Overall, I liked how Erin grew in this arc. She¡¯s more confident. She¡¯s proud. And she has her oni horns, too. She¡¯s epted her past, and she¡¯s looking toward the future with her family.


    I wonder how much further development she¡¯ll have in the next Arc? It seems like Team M is heading to confront Gloria. If they go to Dirge¡¯s capital city, I wonder how likely it is that they¡¯ll run into the Barys? You know, the noble family that Erin¡¯s motheres from?


    For better or worse, Erin is a Bary...


    *****


    <hr>


    *****


    <h1><span style="text-decoration:underline"><strong>Niva and Primrose?!?!?!?!!?</strong></h1>


    Niva''s character probably changed the second most, if not the most, for one specific reason.


    Remember the boat ride from Plymoise to Aetos Vige near the Arc''s end?


    That was supposed to be when Niva and Primrose admitted their love for M and had sex with her.


    Yep. Their rtionship was supposed to turn sexual. Niva and Primrose would''ve been added to the polycule, although they wouldn''t have had sex with Tris or Tilde. Niva and Prim would''ve been exclusive with each other and M, and while that would''ve worked, maybe, it felt messy. The more I thought about it, the more I didn''t want to go that route, although it wasn''t until I read ament that said something like ''not every rtionship M has needs to turn sexual'' that gave me the push to turn their love into something tonic.


    Really, I think it fits them so much more. Niva means so much to M. And Primrose? Prim''s development has been amazing. She was a spy for Aetos and fought against her pre-installed bias to discover her own truth. She even (for a moment, at least) disowned Aetos and screamed in anguish how much she hated him. Well, until the truth came out. Her, Aetos, and Niva are now on good terms, but the fact that Prim was willing to go against her father for M''s and Niva''s sake is something else.


    Niva will get a lot of development in Arc 5. From how it ended, it seems like we''re going to Dirge''s capital city to confront Gloria? You know, the same Gloria that gave Niva to Noelia in the beginning? The Mesalitos family is there...


    Maybe the other people who hurt Niva are there, too. So, maybe it''s time for her to get her revenge?


    Just something to think about...


    Oh, Niva also got an upgrade in this arc with her prosthetics. Yeah, like most things, and you can guess this... That wasn''t nned. It''s directly rted to what we''ll discuss next.


    *****


    <hr>


    *****


    <h1><span style="text-decoration:underline"><strong>Team Que?!?!?!?!?!!?</strong></h1>


    Oh boy, where do I begin?


    So, the whole thing with Melusine''s kingdom, Mary capturing Melusine to free her from the dungeon, and so on...


    That was actually nned from the beginning. Things didn''t change that much outside of a few small details here and there, but what changed drastically, you might ask?


    The fact they showed up in Aetos Vige at all.


    Yeah.


    That''s another superst-minute addition because their confrontation was originally scheduled to ur wayter on, like in Arc 6 or 7 / whenever M confronted Meruria.


    But then I thought that I didn''t want to wait that long for Team Q and Team M to meet up, so I rewrote a few things. And that caused a cascading waterfall of changes that beget changes that beget changes.


    It''s the very definition of the Butterfly Effect. Here are a few examples, but it''s not aplete list.


    <ol>


    <li>I needed a reason for Meruria to send Team Q across the world to Dirge, so I decided to lean into M being a Vredi.</li>


    <li>I wanted another Vredi to show up, so I had to find a way to spread some rumors.</li>


    <li>To spread those rumors, I figured M would have to leak her name somehow, leading her to admit the truth to Gretchen Plymoise and her advisors.</li>


    <li>Furthermore, the whole High Elf of Liberation identity was created to make Sera attend the Heptarchis with Lord Enele JUST to investigate the rumors of them being a Vredi.


    <ol>


    <li>To have the High Elf of Liberation be a thing, something would have to be liberated. So, the whole Atrix Plotline was created.


    <ol>


    <li>The Atrix Plotline itself was expanded from being hand-waved off-screen to involving about 30-40k words.</li>


    </ol>


    </li>


    </ol>


    </li>


    <li>Since Sera showed up, I had to do something with her, which caused a few minor rewrites to create the ''Transnting Aetos" plot line. (Yep. Even that was ate addition built upon the Team Q change.) Now, Team M was always returning to Aetos since Tris and Surtr (still nameless lion by this point) would''ve suggested asking his advice on how to cure Sekh.</li>


    <li>The rumors would''ve reached Meruria, so since she wants influence over the Vredi (as we see when she tried to do the same with King Vredi that ended in his death, something else that was added to support this) Meruria would not have let this chance pass her by. So, she sent Team Q and Remy to look into it.</li>


    </ol>


    So, as you can see, having Team Q and Team M meet required reorganizing the entire story.


    What does this mean?


    Well, Remy, if I had kept things the way they were, would not have died. We wouldn''t have the satisfaction of watching her being tormented. No Remy means no Imposter Remy who''s totally under M''s control. No Remy also means that Tris probably wouldn''t have evolved, which also means no Void Replication to recreate Remy''s warping.


    But that''s not even scratching the surface...because Team Q''s fate was undecided. I must''ve rewritten Chapters 94 - 97 a dozen times.


    In the final version, we see M struggle with what to do with Team Q. She wants to make them suffer. She wants to torture them even after knowing the truth.


    And an earlier version had thate true.


    No. I''m serious. That ''timeline'' ended with Que hanging herself after Tris uses her waypoints to make Que''s nightmares e to life.'' Since Tris can alter who can see the waypoints, she would''ve made them visible to only Que. Her mind would deteriorate, leading to her suicide. After assimting her corpse, M would''ve used the power gained to easily kill the other members, thereby penning their exit from the story.


    That was version 1.


    Version 2 leaned more into Que''s suicidal nature. In that one, M would''ve been the ''good cop''. Tris would''ve been the ''bad cop'' and forbid. I''m talking about verbal abuse at every corner that made Arc 2-3 Tilde look like a saint whenever Tris was alone with Que. For example, she would taunt Que with death and force her to y a version of Russian roulette with a revolver that would never, ever fire. The end goal of this version was to break Que''s mind by repeatedly denying her the forting embrace of death.''


    It only happened when they were alone. Tris, otherwise, was like a saint to Mary and the others. The idea was to focus / target Que exclusively to push her closer and closer to the edge. Que also would''ve had a ''mask'' she''d wear when talking to M. She would keep everything Tris had done and said deep inside, which just made it build it up more and more until it exploded with her taking her own life in a fit of madness.


    Version 3 was like version 2 in that M ys the ''good cop'' / foil to Tris''s repulsive nature, but Que would''ve emotionallytched onto M''s niceness. That would''ve evolved into sexual desire. Que would masturbate to the thought of being treated nicely by M. Tris would''ve taken advantage of that to ckmail Que, thereby further breaking her mind. It would''ve ended with Que willingly devoting herself to M much like how Remy devotes herself to Meruria, thereby drawing a parallel between the two.


    Yeah, I didn''t want to go down that route, so it was tossed aside.


    So, as you can see, the first few drafts for Team Q did not end well for them. The early versions all end with them suffering horribly.


    The final version is much different. The one reason why I changed it?


    Chapter 95 - Part Three.


    That conversation with Que and M when they''re walking in the forest while waiting for the preparation for Niva''s surgery to finish. The surgery didn''t exist for a long while, actually. Originally, this conversation was just M being a ''good cop.'' But it changed as I wrote it, and I soon found myself going down an entirely different path.


    I just loved their discussion. After thinking about it for a week or two, I decided to use it as the basis of how I wanted to handle this meeting between the two teams.


    Besides, what better way to showcase Que''s resolve than fighting against Remy? Que and Me together to kill one of the most hated and despicable characters in this story? It''s a turning point, I think. It showcases that M''s revenge isn''t impossible if she can kill someone like Remy. Yes, she had to have a lot of help. A Dark Lord, a 5-Star Soul Warrior, M herself, Aetos, and the Eagle Yew were required to end Remy''s life.


    But she''s dead.


    She''s gone.


    Her soul''s suffering unspeakable horrors, and that punishment is going tost a long, long, long,<em>long</em> time.


    *****


    <hr>


    *****


    <h1><span style="text-decoration:underline"><strong>Intermission Overload?!?!?!?!</strong></h1>


    So, one of the regrets I have with this arc is how many intermissions there were at the beginning. I wished I''d have written them earlier since some take ce during the 60-ish days our MC was in the void, so they could''ve been ced anywhere. But by the time I thought of them, it was toote to put them anywhere else.


    *****


    <hr>


    *****


    <h1><span style="text-decoration:underline"><strong>Seraphina Vredi?!?!?!?!</strong></h1>


    Okay, so let''s talk about Sera. She''s somewhat of an odd case to handle. She''s one of the only links to the past, not counting Tilde, Sekh, or Melusine, who knows what went on 1,000 years ago. It was hard to get into her mind, I guess. I mean, here she is, hearing rumors of a new Vredi-- someone she doesn''t know-- someone who looks SO MUCH like her sister. I wanted her to be strong, but also vulnerable when in the presence of someone like M-- someone who she thinks really existed 1,000 years ago. (Which can be true or false based on how you define M and the memories of the five who make her up.)


    You know, I actually came thiiiiis close to making a mistake with her. I almost don''t want to talk about it since I regret I came close to making it in the first ce, but let''s say it involves Sera''s voyeuristic nature, M, Tris, and a whole lot of R-18 lewdness that was out of character.


    Things could''ve gone real bad real fast.


    As you can probably guess, Sera ys a big role in Arc 5.


    *****


    <hr>


    *****


    <h1><span style="text-decoration:underline"><strong>Lord Enele?!?!?!?!?</strong></h1>


    Not too much to say about him. He was always intended to show up to save Team Q from that chimera in that intermission. But with rumors of a new Vrediing about, and since M would need a reason to leave Plymoise, I needed something to help Ichiha find her mother. So, I brought in Lord Enele and had Sera work with him as an assistant / helper from time to time, thereby further linking Team Q to Team M through Lord Enele.


    Nothing that much has changed. He''s always been the Dark Lord of Justice and super muscr.


    *****


    <hr>


    *****


    <h1><span style="text-decoration:underline"><strong>Religious Cult Leader?!?!??!!?</strong></h1>


    So...


    Yeah... This might be kind of an odd one.


    An earlier version had Tildee up with the idea to worship M. It would''ve happened on the boat ride to Aetos Vige. From Tilde''s PoV, she wonders if faith in M might been involved in unlocking [Conferment]. So, she and Tris work together to develop a religion about the Transcendent Dark Lord, and the first members were Tilde, Tris, Niva, and Primrose. They would actually worship M and say prayers to her.


    Safe to say that didn''tst that long. I have no idea what I was thinking, but I definitely wasn''t cooking with that discarded plot point, haha.


    It''s also out of character for M, too.


    *****


    <hr>


    *****


    <h1><span style="text-decoration:underline"><strong>Yew?!?!?!?!?</strong></h1>


    Yew didn''t go through so many changes as she went through different ''stages'' of existing.


    Let me exin.


    So, I had ns for a friendly chimera to be born on screen for a while. The idea was for that to be the big finale for Arc 5. But, you know, with all of the changes I made above sprouting from wanting to have Team Q show up early, things kinda happened which pushed Yew''s birth forward 170k words or so.


    I will say that Yew wasn''t meant to be the Eagle Yew''s reincarnation. Yew wouldn''t have been rted to the tree or Aetos in any way, actually. Actually, her name wasn''t even supposed to be Yew. I can''t reveal her name since it''s a spoiler for something else, but I wonder if anyone can guess it?


    Here''s a hint-- it''s four letters long.


    *****


    <hr>


    *****


    <h1><span style="text-decoration:underline"><strong>Sekh?!?!?!?!?</strong></h1>


    So, Sekh was absent for most of the Arc. I wanted M to be vulnerable, I guess, because she didn''t have her closest ally around. I''m not sure if I aplished that because she had Surtr, Tris, and Tilde, not to mention her family with her, so M wasn''t ever truly ''alone'' in the sense that I desired.


    Her first person PoV discussion with the curse was something I always wanted to have, so it wasn''t new. The problem was finding the right spot to slot it in.


    (In the original version, the fight between Sekh and the others vs the curse would''ve been from her PoV.)


    But she''s back, and Sekh''s stronger than ever with incredible control over her abilities. However, she has a new issue, and that''s Melusine and Sera. Sekh has to ensure she doesn''t do anything to make Sera suspect Sekh''s the DLoT. Likewise, Melusine has to be convinced the DLoT she knows is something / someone else, but it kinda feels like she instinctually knows Sekh''s the DLoT.


    I want the situation to be tense. Mentally speaking, at least. Maybe something like a cat-and-mouse type of game?


    *****


    <hr>


    *****


    <h1><span style="text-decoration:underline">Tris!??!??!?!</h1>


    Ah, yes. Our Fragment of Wisdom has evolved into a Beacon of Wisdom. You kinda see the pattern, right? It all deals with wisdom. Tris, when looked at from a certain angle, is, by far, the most powerful character in the story. She''s scary, too. There''s very little she wouldn''t do to help M achieve her dreams and revenge, as we can see in her torture of Remy.


    Her ability to replicate void skills, however... That''s on a whole different level. We can assume it''s not just replicating. It''s improving. It''s making them better. It''s doing things with them that the original user would have never thought possible. You may think Remy''s void warping is just that-- warping-- teleporting to different ces / making two people swap locations.


    But no.


    There''s an entire underside of this skill that hasn''t seen the light of day. That''s all I''m going to say about that, though.


    *****


    <hr>


    *****


    <h1><span style="text-decoration:underline"><strong>The Truth?!?!?!?!</strong></h1>


    At the end of the Arc, Que learned a lot. She knows Sekh is the DLoT, she knows M survived the void, and she knows M wants revenge against Meruria.


    That''s not the type of stuff you can tell just about anyone, right? I mean, she assisted the greatest threat the world has ever seen. Knowingly, by the way. So, alongside Sekh keeping her identity hidden, Que has to guard the greatest secrets the world has to offer, which just puts more on her already stacked te.


    It does feel nice knowing someone else knows the truth. I''m sure Que has a thousand and one questions to ask, so you can probably guess what one of the first chapters of Arc 5 will be about.


    Oh, but speaking of the truth...


    This Arc revealed something that''s been in the works since the very beginning...


    *****


    <hr>


    *****


    <h1><span style="text-decoration:underline"><strong>It All Makes Sense...</strong></h1>


    Mekka Academy?


    The meritocracy?


    The things that don''t make sense?


    The reality we see at the beginning of the story does not exist. There was no ne. There was no trip.


    What we saw were the fake memories Meruria imnted within her Soul Warriors to suit her narrative. It never made sense for someone like Shuuta to attend Mekka Academy, but it did because Meruria forced it to make sense, in context.


    I mean, everything in the beginning was penned by Meruria.


    The rape? Her idea.


    The ''pathetic'' reaction / personality our MC had? Her idea.


    The outburst of anger? Her idea.


    Unable to feel angry before that outburst? Her idea.


    Everything you probably hated about Shuuta was Meruria''s idea. She always picks a toy during each summoning session. In this case, it happened to be Shuuta.


    The first few chapters happened exactly the way Meruria wanted them to happen. She was in total control the entire time.


    I''d go as far as to say the anger and hatred our MC experienced weren''t genuine until after they were given the Wrath divine skill by that voice in the void.


    But back on topic.


    It''s confirmed, almost, that Meruria''s Soul Warriors don''t originate from the same world. So, how many worlds total were involved?


    Who came from which one? Are Elly and Ami even cousins? What''s the deal with Lori and Ann (the twins)? Whose backstories were fabricated? Whose were slightly altered?


    Those are mysteries to be revealed in due time, my dear readers!


    M knows, though. She knows the entire truth about the summoning session.


    *****


    <hr>


    *****


    <h1><span style="text-decoration:underline"><strong>M, M, M?!?!?!?!?</strong></h1>


    So, I want to talk about our MC because things are looking up. I mean, the situation is the brightest it''s been in a long, long time.


    <ol>


    <li>Sekh is back.</li>


    <li>Tris has evolved.</li>


    <li>Tilde and Niva are going to make a full recovery from their injuries. It''s just a matter of waiting for them to wake up.</li>


    <li>Remy is dead / her corpse is being controlled by a personality created by Tris, which means it''s linked directly to the smartest being in the whole world-- a being who is constantly growing with every passing second.</li>


    <li>Team Q is all but assured to join the fight against Meruria


    <ol>


    <li>The leader, Que, a powerful 5-Star Soul Warrior, knows the truth, and if she wants to kill Meruria, then her best bet is to join with M.</li>


    </ol>


    </li>


    <li>Seraphina is avable for help since M can twist the truth (not really) and get the power of a Vredi on her side.</li>


    <li>The truth about Sajun, the Holy Lord of Cridia before Meruria, is known to M, and Sajun was kind of like Lord Enele''s younger brother in a way.</li>


    <li>M knows secrets about Meruria-- secrets that would absolutely destroy her if they were to get out... Secrets that Meruria would do anything to keep hidden.</li>


    </ol>


    There are a few hups, though. For example, Ichiha needs to meet her mother and exin the whole Erin / Kokan situation. Niva has to confront her past in Gloria, Erin with the Barys, etc.


    But if youpare the ending of the previous Arc to this Arc?


    It''s so much more upbeat. Yes, it''s sad the Eagle Yew had to die, but it still lives on in Yew, you know.


    The main difference is that M knows full-well what she has to do.


    Gloria.


    It''s time for her to pay.


    And...


    Uhh...


    I would not want to be her right now...


    *****


    <hr>


    *****


    <h1><span style="text-decoration:underline"><strong>Arc 5 ?!?!?!?!?!?</strong></h1>


    So, next up is Arc 5. I''m sorry to say, but it''s nowhere close to being uploaded. As you can see, I often have ideas in the middle of writing that require a drastic rewrite. Even having a buffer of 3-4 chapters / parts isn''t long enough. That''s why I like to have an entire Arc written and edited before uploading-- because something is always bound to change, which causes other changes, and so on and so on.


    Arc 5, though, is almost split into three parts. Part One, Part Two, and a lengthy intermission from Irisa''s PoV (you know, since she''s with her mother, father, and Lord Enele, and they''re trying to find her grandmother.) At least, that''s the n.


    Part One is about 60-ish percentplete. The outline is totally done. Part Two''s outline needs a lot of work.


    I''m hoping to have everything done before 1 January 2025, but this time of the year is busy for me. I''m working hard, though. I''m at 47k words down, although nothing has been edited.


    *****


    <hr>


    *****


    <h1><span style="text-decoration:underline"><strong>Anything Else?!?!?!?!?!?</strong></h1>


    I''m happy with how the Arc turned out. Do I think it could''ve been better?


    I do.


    I think it''s a little too long in some spots, and maybe with some better editing, I could''ve cut the word count. And if I had better nning abilities, I wouldn''t have had to have that many drastic rewrites.


    That''s something I''m working on. Arc 5''s outline is getting extra focus to reduce the amount of rewrites. That''s also why progress has been slow-ish-- because I want to look at things from all angles before writing them down.


    Regardless, I do hope you''re looking forward to Arc 5. The tone I''m going for is quite different than what I went for in Arc 4.


    If Arc 4 was about reuniting, Arc 5 is about confidence / pride, I guess?


    Anyway, I think that''s about all from me.


    Thank you so much for reading!!!!!


    RuggyRuggy


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!