《Murphy's Law》 Prologue - Heroes? Sounds of puking echoed around me. I sympathized with those making them as I felt like hurling my dinner as well. The only reason it stayed inside, threatening to show itself, was because until a moment ago I was still asleep in my soft bed. A stark contrast to the floor I was lying on now so my stomach was a bit slow to react, giving time for the nausea to subside. -Hard, but not too cold... probably wooden. - I jumped to my feet, looking around even though my head was spinning and my vision doubled. -Wouldn''t want to learn what others had for dinner by having it sprayed on me.- I was standing in some kind of hall, with the ceiling high and no supporting columns anywhere. -Seems old...- There were more than fifty of us. Confused and looking around. I was attracting more looks than I would have liked but it was no surprise considering I was the only one naked. -I can see a few in their underwear but most are clothed... it seems whatever brought me here wasn''t isolated to my area. Yes! Those guys with fur coats and her with the burka confirm it. This was a worldwide event...- Candles and torches hung from the walls, lighting the edges of the room with their flickering orange light. They were placed too low to penetrate the mass of people standing side by side but a bluish source of light, which seemed to hover over their heads, provided strong enough light to make people squint their eyes. Men, women and children of all sizes and ages, some lying others sitting, most standing. Fewer people than what the noise would suggest seemed to have puked. "Here." -English... with a heavy accent.- "Thank you." -Asian facial features. Hard to tell but probably over sixty... wherever he''s from, it was raining.- I put a black raincoat on. It was small, wet and barely reached my knees but it was better than nothing. Feeling a bit safer on my feet and with my vision no longer spinning I tried looking around again. -No one is panicking. Everyone seems somewhat calm even, considering we were just teleported here or something... I was sleeping so I can''t really know for sure but the confusion and the people with food, remotes and other stuff in their hands would suggest this happened suddenly... oh! There''s a door.- A middle aged woman tried to open it but it didn''t budge. -Big. Wooden. Double door''s. No hinges visible, so it opens outside. Probably locked from the other side as well... A couple of more people joined her and tried to open it with force but to no avail. -Shit. Well whoever brought us here isn''t going to let us go so easily. Still, people are too calm... no one is even talking to each other, trying to find out what¡¯s happening.- While confusion was still the general look of most people, it was slowly being replaced by sharp glares and deep frowns. -They''re all thinking. No one is jumping to conclusions or panicking... that''s a first. Even the brat is just calmly looking around. About six, maybe eight...- their eyes met.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. -Haha she just looked me up and down, analyzed me and went on to the next person! And she''s not the only one... almost everyone is doing the same.- He noticed a few more people checking him from head to toe. -Usually it''s me who''s doing the analyzing... I''m not sure I like being on the other side. Good thing I came here naked...- -Okay. Too early to jump to conclusions... but I think that whateve...- The doors opened before he could finish his thought, and an armor clad individual froze in place holding the doors half open. Everyone in the room seemed to have frozen together with him. "Get him!", "Go!", "Now!" and many other shouts, some of which in a language I couldn''t understand, erupted a moment later from the crowd. I was already running. My new raincoat fluttering behind me, bringing into view my pale behind. Two of the people who were closest to the door slammed into the wooden frames, smashing them open and sending a shocked person flying back. As if the great thump of the wooden doors hitting the walls, and the metallic ringing from the armor striking the floor were a signal, all of the people began to scramble out of the room. Everything stopped as suddenly as it began when the hallway they spilled into was blocked and they were surrounded. The same armored knights blocked the passage on both sides. Spears in hand and at the ready. "All back." a women in a police attire yelled. "Help!" another yelled with a strong russian accent, already dragging the fallen knight by one leg. The rest of the knights didn''t move as the crowd of people barricaded themselves back in the room they just came out of. Inside, in a half circle with their faces to the door, they waited. The policewoman was aiming her pistol at the door as two men stood at her sides with the spear and knife they took from the fallen knight, who now lay in the corner, unconscious, with a bleeding forehead. "Stay where you are!" She shouted. "Any sudden moves and I fire!" She was angry at herself. In the heat of the moment she struck the knight too hard and knocked him out. -We could''ve questioned him safely but now the others might think we have killed him if they call to him and he doesn''t answer back.- She grinded her teeth in anger as a drop of blood fell from the handle of her pistol. "I don''t think they know what that means." Said a boy in his teens, sprouting a still soft and barely noticeable mustache. The police woman glared at his direction. "Just saying... they all looked like knights from the middle ages. I doubt they know what a gun is." He said as he shrugged his shoulders. The police woman ignored him and returned to look at the entrance, her gun aimed and her hands steady. "And even if they do know what it is, you''re assuming they speak english." He was looking around at the people. The few who didn''t ignore him were rolling their eyes. "What? Am I wrong? Do you thi..." "Quiet!" another boy not far from him said. This one was younger and barely looked ten. "They''ll understand from her tone not to do anything stupid and english is our safest bet." He spoke with a slight accent, "If that doesn''t work we will try another one. Look around. There are representatives from all over the world. There''s no better choice right now." The older boy tried to voice a retort but was shushed immediately by others next to him. -Not your typical brats, are they?- I was standing behind and on the left of the police woman, holding a spear with both hands. With my stance lowered and legs spread apart for balance, the short raincoat moved higher up my legs. I could feel a breeze between my thighs and hoped nothing was visible. "What use will that be?" he started again with an amused tone. "This is probably some different world. We were summoned here as if this were some fantasy book." Looking around, his barely visible mustache stretched as he smiled. He expected to see surprise on the faces surrounding him but no one''s expression changed. Everyone standing in the room had either a serious or a blank face. All were staring at the opened doors. Waiting. ''Thump'' The boy opened his mouth again but was quickly silenced by a heavy set woman who stood behind him. -Thank you.- I conveyed to her my gratitude with a quick glance and a small nod. -He wasn''t wrong... probably.- I thought as I stared at the open doors. -All of us are thinking along the same lines...but understand that there is no use mentioning it right now. Whether it is true or not, the answer will come from the other side of that door.- I sighed and tightened my grip on the spear. Chapter 1 - Heroes! "Welcome, heroes." the princess said uncomfortably. In front of her were a group of people holding a person hostage with a knife to his neck. Surrounding the group were a couple of dozen of men dressed in the same armor as the hostage. Even though they were ordered to stand down, many of them were still at the ready with a hand on the grip of their weapons. The atmosphere in the throne room was heavy and grim. None of the candles and torches were burning and the only source of light was a magic light haphazardly created, by a now silent man, standing next to the princess. It hovered low over the throne, casting a hard shadow on the princess and causing those looking at her to squint. "We have summoned you to our world as we are in need of your help and I assure you we mean you no harm." Five men surrounded her, and while the one who summoned the light was standing still, the other four were whispering amongst themselves. "A terrible war has been raging for the past one hundred years and you are our last hope of survival. The beasts and monsters have been growing stronger and humanity is on the verge of being overtaken." -She seems to have calmed down a little.- I thought. -Didn''t expect her to go straight into a ''Vanquish the Demon Lord'' monologue right after we demand an explanation though...- "The savages assassinated my father!" she screamed. A tear glistened as it ran down her cheek. "And they show no signs that they will stop at that..." The man in a black raincoat was easily visible in the group standing in the middle. While tall, he wasn''t the tallest one amongst them, nor was he exceptionally good looking. He was, however, standing right in the middle, holding a knife in one hand and a person in the other. Next to him was a police woman pointing a gun at the princess. Both were attracting the most gazes from the people in the hall. -She just had to go and threaten the princess, didn¡¯t she?- the man in the black raincoat thought. -Nice thinking, calling the gun a magic weapon... but if they accepted the existence of a magic weapon so easily that would mean they have some of their own. And if magic is involved, well, there''s no guaranty that the gun will even work...- A few minutes have passed by now and the situation seemed to calm down a little. However, the pair in the middle was still on edge, trying to listen to the princess while watching the crowd for suspicious movements. While a few of the knights still had their arms on their weapons, they were now standing casually and listening. Most looked bored while others were visibly yawning. Uncertain whisperings could be heard from the strangely dressed crowd in the middle of the hall. The princess seemed to start swallowing words as she again began to lose her composure. -This seems rehearsed, like a play in the local theatre. Something feels weird...- was the general consensus. As the whispers slowly turned into talking, a woman from the crowd finely spoke up and the rest went silent. "Let me save you the time, princess... you''ve summoned us here to save your sorry asses. Personally I''m grateful for the chance and the reasons don''t really matter..." She sighed and moved her fingers through her short, almost pixie, hair. "In wars... all sides think they are the good guys, but eventually only the winner will get to write down the history books. So..." she paused and looked around, " I think that what everyone wants to know right now is whether or not there is a way to return to our world? And what kind of prowess do we possess that can help turn the tide of battle?" She finished with a smile on her face. -That is not what I want to know...why we understand each other no matter what language we speak would be higher on my priority list... but it''s still better then listening to her useless speech.- the man in the black raincoat thought . -Mentioning names and events that show the righteousness of her side and trying to portray how evil the other is, is a great way to brainwash people...- "My brave heroes, there is a way for you to return to your homes." the princess exclaimed . -Okay... and the catch is...- "But to complete the ritual a great magic power source is needed." -Aha... and that power source is obviously...- "One strong enough to allow your safe return, unfortunately, exists only in the hands of our enemies!" Fifty pairs of eyes were rolled unanimously. -Of course it does. How convenient it is that for us to get home we need to complete the very same thing you summoned us here for...- "Our last reserves were depleted by the summoning ritual which brought you here!" Her voice was growing louder, the tone of voice defensive. -She¡¯s making excuses. And as legit as they may be... something still feels off.- The man in the black raincoat shook his head in disbelief while some of the others next to him laughed out loud. -She looks twelve... her father is killed and she takes the throne. Where''s the mother?- "You hold unlimited potential!" -Sounds too good to be true...- "Not being part of this world you are not limited by it as we are. Very quickly, the weakest of you will become stronger than the strongest of ours." -Hmm... I don''t feel any different...- "We shall do our best to provide you with the best instructors and help the royal army has at its disposal, and in a month from now you will be more than capable of joining the battle." "A month?" I exclaimed in surprise. People turned to look at me. Even the knight I was holding hostage was looking at me with wide open eyes. "Fear not." the princess smiled gently. "We will not force you. If you rather not risk your life for a greater cause I shall not force you, and you will be free to do what you see fit." -She''s smiling, yet it sounds to me like a threat...- Thought the man in the black raincoat. His cheeks red from embarrassment now that he was the center of attention. -This is insane!- I was looking around for people to share an understanding look at the craziness the princess has just spouted. -Really? No one? You just keep listening like she hasn¡¯t just mentioned all willy-nilly that she''ll be throwing us into battle in a month?-Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. I tightened my grip on the knife I was holding to my prisoner''s throat. -Humanity is at war for a hundred years, and the enemy is growing stronger with every year that passes. And now that you feel that the scales have turned against you... you summon us... Why? The king was assassinated, sure, but clearly he wasn''t doing that good of a job of countering if this has been going on for so long.- "Why summon us now?" I interrupted. Eyes were dancing between me and the openmouthed princess. "The magic power source that was used to bring you here was a major part of our defense system. It is what has kept us safe for so long. The beasts have no knowledge of magic and a barrier has kept them out of our cities. However, the demons that have aligned with the beasts showed them how to pass through it. And now we face their terror at our doorstep." "And when did this alliance of theirs happen?" I asked with a bad feeling in my gut. "Three months ago was the first recorded incident of an attack inside the barrier." "But didn''t you say that they''ve been attacking your villages for decades?" "That is true. Countless have died to their claws and teeth." "What about the barrier then? Did it fail?" -Shit... Not surprising... It''s always the same- "Of course not! Unfortunately it is not strong enough to cover the whole kingdom... troops are in charge of protecting those areas not inside the barrier." -Really now... do I really need to make her say it...- "So I ask again" in a tone used to address small children and idiots, "why is it, that you have summoned us, only now that the barrier has failed? Can''t the troops protect you as well, princess?" I motion with my head to the large number of royal knights filling the hall. "Obviously not!" She looks at me like I''m an imbecile while the pixie haired woman begins to laugh to herself. "While some nobles have their own army the royal troops are not enough in number to protect those who do not. I will not risk the lives of my citizens recklessly by thinking I can protect them all." "And so" she rises from her chair and stands up, back straight and head held high "I have decided that the best defense against such a dangerous enemy is offence!" -Hahaha whoever put these words in her mouth is a smart man indeed. All she is missing are her hands on her hips to complete the righteous pose... too bad this wasn''t the strategy a century ago when the enemy was still weak.''- "Understood my lady." -It is the same in our world as well.- "A very wise strategy indeed." -As long as the people in power are safe it doesn''t matter how many die protecting them. A country is at war only when its politicians decide so...- "I will be more than happy to help it succeed." I say as I release my prisoner and bow down as graciously as I can, imitating what I saw in movies. "What are you doing?!" the police woman next to me barks, her gun still pointed at the princess. "Playing along." I whisper to her as I straighten. "Ahh, wonderful." She jumps back into her throne while the freed knight hurries to his companions. "One last question, if I may, your highness?" -She sure looks smug now...- The group surrounding me parts apart, leaving a free passage from me to the throne. Everyone even took a step back from me when I started asking my questions. -''Really? Did you have to set it up for me so nicely?''- Half a smile creeps up on my face. "Would you be so kind as to grant me a hand in solving this predicament I have found myself summoned into?" "With haste, my hero. Everything in my power will be done to assist all of you. Weapons. Armor. Teachers. Trainers and the finest allies are at your disposal. Name what is it you require?" "Undergarments." I lift my hands to the sides and smile innocently making my short coat rise and the small princess scream. The pixie haired woman was laughing out loud, stronger than everyone else in the hall. I could still hear her laugh as I was led, in a hurry, out of the gathering hall and to a small room a floor above. A short female servant was put in charge of dressing me. -It''s at these times I wish I were better at making small talk.- I think to myself as I stand awkwardly in the room while the servant waits for another to bring a set of clothes. -Where did all my confidence from earlier go to?- I wonder to myself as I look around at the room. -Two beds with two hammocks hung over them. A chair, five stools but no table. Scraps on the floor and a bucket in the corner. Ahh she just glanced at me thinking I wasn''t looking. Did I pique her interest?- Again half of my mouth rises in a smile. -As this is a middle ages setting... I wonder how far she must serve.- -She''s not really my type but it doesn''t really matter does it?- I look her up and down and then at the door. -A guard room without a lock? Really? Well, they should be away for a while dealing with the rest of us "heroes" and this shouldn''t take too long..- "It''s taking awhile, huh?" The girl looks at me with surprise in her eyes. "I apologize for making you wait, my Lord. She should be here any moment now." she says to the floor. "It¡¯s fine." I say in a deep, low, rumbling voice. -Did she just shudder?- "Don''t be scared. I just..." -''Footsteps?''- "want to know your name? Where I come from there are no such things as servants." She looks at me at last. "Not for quite some time now." "None at all?" -She''s younger than she looks...- "None at all." I smile, "The fat lords have to dress themselves! Can you believe?" I stagger away imitating an obese person and make an act of trying to bend down and put socks on my feet. When I turn around she is again looking at the floor, but for a different reason this time. "Oops... I apologize. My situation slipped my mind." I quickly back away a few more steps. "I hope nothing was seen... scaring one young lady a day is enough for me." The servant girl sniggered and began to fiddle with her clothes. "Did you just laugh at me? Well... I think I would have rather scared you instead..." "Don''t fret my lord. You wouldn''t even scare a virgin." she giggled. -You little minx!- "Really now?!" I take a few bold steps forward and lower myself to her eye level. "The princess seemed to have been utterly terrified!" "I would not boast of that as an achievement." She grinned at me before making a bow. "My lord." "And will it be one" I lower myself closer, "if I can scare you?" I whisper in her ear. She froze in place. -Now it dawns on you, you little brat.- "But, alas, I don''t think we will have enough time for this test of courage." I say as I back away. "However, if you may be so kind as to tell me your name, we may give it a try another time." I try to speak with the most innocent tone I can muster. A short silence falls in the room. Interrupted only by a sound of running from the other side of the door. The girl straightens and averts her gaze. -''Should I push a bit more?''- I try to suppress the smile threatening to appear on my face. She speaks before I smile. -''What did she say? Was that supposed to be her name?''- I was about to ask her to repeat herself just as the door blasted open and made me forget about everything, including my own name. -''What the...?''- Shock and surprise are competing with my feeling of puzzlement as the one who opened the door rushes inside and begins spreading clothes on one of the beds. The blushing servant girl joins her as well. They seem to be conversing with each other, pointing at one set of clothes and then another. My mind is blank and I can''t seem to register any of their words. -Huh...I thought I¡¯d be more calm and collected about this. Who knew...- I shake my head quickly as my surprise seems to settle. -Well... It is another world after all. Just accept it.- I take a deep breath and sigh. "The grey one is fine." I walk over to the pair. "What about shoes?" I ask the rabbit girl that brought the clothes. Her long, brown, fur covered ears flap about as she turns and points at what I presumed was a small leather bag. A small black spot is visible on the tips of both ears. "Thank you." I pat her head and ruffle her hair a bit like I would my little sister. -They''re probably the same age...- Her small nose moves about as she smiles, showing a pair of abnormally large two front teeth. Chapter 2 - Heroes... I was in the middle of figuring out how to tie the shoes when one of the knights waltzed in through the door. At the sound of him entering the door, the happy chatter of the two girls died abruptly. -Did they really not hear him coming? There''s no sneaking around in those metal boots...- "Sir. Hero I was ordered to show you the way back to the others." He bowed his head. His right fist was placed on the left side of the chest while the other hand held his helmet to his thigh. "I see. Just give me a moment." -Damn shoes! How do you tie these things...- I lift my foot and the leather bag that was supposed to act as my shoe starts slipping off. -Shit. Too loose this time.- "Assist the Hero!" he orders as he slaps the back of the rabbit-girl¡¯s head, strong enough to send her tumbling towards me. She quickly fell to her knees, ears hanging low as if deflated, and started lacing me up. -...- I watch her to learn for next time. She finished one foot quickly and was busy untying the mess I made on the other. It was simple once you knew where the string was supposed to go through, and I didn''t need to watch her tie it for the second time, but it gave me a good excuse not to look at the knight. "How does it feel?" the knight asked in a teasing tone, "Helping the man who will destroy your race?" Her hands stop for a brief moment and as she resumes I can feel a slight tremble appear. -So that''s what the princess meant by beasts?- I look at the fragile girl at my feet. "Thank you," I say when she is done and pat her head again. "Don''t! You don''t thank a servant and certainly not a slave. This is her punishment and she should suffer. Poke yourself in the eye!" And the girl does. "Now the other one!" She pokes the eye that was not in tears, making them even. "Stronger!" I stop her hand before it reaches her eye and she starts to struggle against my grip. "What are you doing?" "You know..." I grab her other hand, "In my world, slaves are forbidden by law. So all I see is a little girl trying to blind herself." -Will you stop fighting me already!- I look at the servant girl who backed away to the wall. She seems to be studying the patterns on the floor too intensively to spare me a look. "Well, in our world, monsters are not protected by any laws. And I suggest you let her complete what I told her to do." He laughs, "Really now. For her sake, you should let go." "Please..." she pleads with a shaking voice. Once I let go of her wrist, her long ears start to visibly shake as she plunges her finger into her eye socket. "How dare you plead for help?!" -Now what? This is getting very annoying very quickly.- "Stop breathing!" he orders. The girl drops to her knees and begins weeping silently. "Did you listen when they pleaded for their lives? Did you care?" He crouches next to her. "Of course not! You just slaughtered them with no mercy... why should he care then? Why should anyone care for what a monster like you has to say?!" He was addressing her as she shook on the floor, but she couldn''t hear him. "Oy! Stop her! I don''t want her death to be on my conscious!" "Don''t worry about it. She won''t die." He grins. "But she will sure as hell wish she did." -What does that mean?- and as I think that, the girl can hold it no longer and gasps for air. A feeling of relief comes and goes as I see a weak red shine appear from under her ragged clothes. "Aarghhh" Disappearing as quickly as it appeared it is replaced by groaning as she spasms in pain. "See." he looks at me calmly. "The slave¡¯s crest is not powerful enough to make her kill herself. At least not a weak one such as this." He straightens and looks at her pleased for a couple of moments. "A public seal like this one is more of a torture device than anything else." As the pain stopped so did the sound of her breathing. -So she''s just gonna hold her breath for as long as she can only to suffer when her body gasps for air on its own... over and over until this guy is pleased...- "Get up!" I order her. She does as I say in a hurry. "Hey now! I wasn''t done!" "Well... It''s my turn now." I fake a smile. "Let me have some fun as well." The knight looks at me annoyed. "If I''m going to be killing them anyway I might as well get rid of any sympathy as soon as I can. Right?" "Right..." -He''s still doubting me.- "Let''s see now..." I ignore his looks and circle around the girl, "You''re a rabbit huh? So why is it that you are walking like a normal human being? Start hopping!" And she does. "Faster!"Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. And she does. "Higher!" -Whoa, are you serious? You almost hit the ceiling!- Although she hardly reached my navel standing, when she jumped her feet went past my head. -How tall is the ceiling? Three meters? Three and a half?- The knight laughed at my surprise. "Shit. Don''t surprise me like that. Hop normally! Now hop like that back to where ever you came here from!" Without a note of hesitation she flies out of the room in one strong jump and disappears from our line of sight. "Let''s go. I have to tell everyone about this." I speak and walk out the door before the knight has a chance to complain. I get a glimpse of her right before she rounds a corner. "She''s a hare." "Huh?" The gathering hall we were walking through was empty now. The magic light that shone over the throne was gone. "That thing, it wasn''t a rabbit but a hare. A battle hare. You''d be wise to learn how to distinguish them apart." "And how would that be?" I''m genuinely interested. "If it''s out on the battlefield..." he paused, "it''s a hare and you should beware." "Hilarious!" I say sarcastically as the man laughs at his own joke. "Any other proverbs I should know?" "Yeah..." He sighs in annoyance at my lack of humor. "A lot of them actually," he mutters. We continue to walk from one long corridor to another. The surrounding walls are decorated better than any history museum could ever hope to accomplish. Furniture, paintings and statues of such exotic variety and number that there was no way of noticing everything without stopping. However, as the two men continued walking, the number and splendor of the decorations became smaller and smaller while the number of people grew larger and larger. Most didn''t pay them too much attention, as one was a simple knight and the other was no longer wearing a black raincoat but a set of clothes similar to the rest of the crowd. "Okay. Okay. I get it." I stop and wave my hand sharply. "I''m impressed by their reputation! Can you please get to the point already?" The knight stops as well. He looks around and sees that people are looking at them. Angrily he pokes me in the chest with his gloved finger. "Impressed? Did you hear nothing from what I just told you?!" He pokes my chest again. "You won''t have time to be impressed when they fall down from the sky, right in the middle of your camp, killing everyone you know before you even think to look at their ears!" Spit sprayed as he tried not to yell. "And if by some chance you don''t piss your pants, and manage to survive long enough to actually notice that their ears are longer than their head, you can die knowing it was a battle hare that killed you! Your friends! And your family!" He grabbed my grey shirt in a fist and pulled me close. "And even if it is you, Sir. Hero, I suggest you run as fast as you can instead of standing there all impressed. Because even if you do get strong enough to kill a hare, the rest of her tribe will be upon you to make sure you''re impressed to death." Our faces were close enough for me to see the yellow of his crooked teeth and smell his bad breath. -''Fuck!!!''- My hand tightens into a fist. -''I want to punch him so badly!!''- My bad habit rises to the surface and I struggle for a moment to get it under control. -''What''s the worst outcome?- I look him up and down again as I breathe in deeply. -''He''s obviously a trained soldier... so am I, but I don''t have a gun.''- I take a step back. -''I don''t know enough about their level of close combat and there''s also the whole magic factor that''s a mystery...''- "I apologize." -''This will have to wait...''- "I didn''t mean to offend. I''ve also lost friends because of wars." I lower my head and fidget a bit to sell the act. "I''d slaughter them all if I could." I tense my fists again, this time on purpose. -''Shit. I want to see if he''s buying into it but I can''t let him see my expression... it''ll be a dead giveaway.''- so I stare at his feet and wait. The knight takes a step back and his arms fall to his sides. The tension leaves his hands and he swallows a few times. "How many?" the knight asks after a long pause. -''Alright... one. Two. Three. Four.''- "Too many." I look up, close my eyes and sigh. "When?" he asks. "The first... five years ago. The most recent, less than one. You?" "Two months... in the first attack inside the barriers. Does it get easier?" "Not when you remember it... but after a while you''ll think of it less and less..." I try to fake a tear but only manage to gather some wetness in the corners of my eyes. -''Better than nothing...''- "That''s good. I don''t want this feeling to go away." he spits in anger. -''Ohh... I see now...''- "I tried getting revenge once, you know," I say to him but he isn''t looking at me anymore. He¡¯s in his own world now. -''Nothing I''ll say will reach him anyway now...''- "It didn''t help... didn''t bring my friends back and only got more people killed." "Yeah, well... do you expect me to do nothing? To just let those hopping monstrosities go on hopping and killing others?" "I don''t... but if you kill one, another will try to avenge what you did and so on and so on. The circle has to be broken. Either you kill no one... or you kill everyone. Those are the only good long-term options you have..." "Good thing you''re here then." He reaches and slaps me on the back of my shoulder. "You were summoned to win the war and not killing anyone is impossible if you plan to survive on the battlefield." "Good thing I''m not planning on going anywhere near one then." I slap the back of his shoulder in return. Silently the two men stare at each other. Both look surprised and confused. "You heard the princess... I don''t have to fight if I don''t want to." The less confused and surprised man said. "I know too well that you are never safe as long as you are on the front lines. And if your magic resembles anything even remotely close to the weapons we have in my world, then everywhere is part of the frontlines." The other man fixes his armor, adjusts his grip on the helmet placed on his hip and breathes in deeply. "Two months ago... I''d have called you a bunch of names for saying this. But not today. Let''s go," he starts walking, slower and with less pose this time. "I''d love to do the same. Just grab what little I own and head north as far as the settlements progressed. Just live my life and hope I''ll die of old age and not by some beast." "But you won''t." -Not until you get your revenge or whatever else your irrationality is making you think you "must" do.- "No, I won''t." He looks around and slows down even more. "I have no one left to live for. So I will fight this war and try to make as many of them feel what they have made me feel." "I''d tell you to live for yourself but it won''t change anything... so instead why don''t you tell me what happens if you survive this war? What then?" "Then... then I..." he lowers his head and thinks for a moment "I don''t know... and honestly, it doesn''t even matter." "Of course it does. That''s what matters most. The thing you don''t know yet is the thing you are supposed to be fighting for. That thing is what will m" "You misunderstand." he interrupts. "You assume I think of surviving this war... which I don''t. We are losing. Badly." "Isn''t that why you¡¯ve summoned us here for? To change the tide?" "It is." He looks at me for the first time since we started walking again. "And you will. If the expectations held for you come true then eventually you will become an unstoppable force. If my understanding of the difference between us and you is correct... then even one of you might be enough to win this. Let alone fifty." "So where''s the catch?" "No catch... just bad timing. Even though your potential is unlimited, the time you have isn''t." "It''s that bad?" "You were correct to yell out at the princess''s words. You will get strong in a month... you''ll see for yourself in a moment why and how. Your future comrades are whispered to as we speak. But it''s too late." -Whispered to?- "The winner has been decided. We¡¯ve lost. We lost the moment the barriers fell. Without it, we fight when and where they choose... and they won''t wait for long." As we stepped into the building that I was led to, I felt cold. My new companions were crowded in front of a large stone altar. -Looks like a bunch of stones thrown together¡­- Hundreds of bowls decorated the inside of the building. Glancing inside them at random, as we walked to join the rest, each seemed to contain a different item or substance. A line was starting to form. The soldier who guided me left to join his comrades who were standing outside. Chapter 3 - A whisper ¡°Royal Boogeyman!¡± ¡°Prince of Perverts!¡¯ -Really?- the earthlings seemed to be looking strangely at the air in front of them, lost in thought, but some noticed me come in and the bad jokes started coming. ¡°Not too young for you, hero?¡± the pixie haired woman approached holding her hand out in front. ¡°Mary.¡± ¡°If there''s grass on the field then I don¡¯t mind some blood on my sword.¡± I shook her hand. ¡°Marcus.¡± We both chuckled. ¡°Disgusting. She¡¯s only 12.¡± a little girl pouted. -Indian decent. Good quality clothes. Perfect english and proper posture.- ¡°And you¡¯re about 10 yet you¡¯ve understood the joke and analogy perfectly. So what does that tell us about you?¡± I smiled my most innocent smile ¡°Especially considering that your family is most likely very careful not to bring such subjects up.¡± I go down on one knee to be at her eye level. -Still too high but it¡¯s better than nothing¡­- ¡°Marcus.¡± I hold out my hand. ¡°Tania.¡± She gives her best effort at shaking it. ¡°But don¡¯t worry. Even if you¡¯re like that, 10 is too young even for me.¡± I wink. She snaps her hand back as if mine was suddenly covered by feces and runs to hide behind a woman''s leg. The adult around us laugh out loud. ¡°Nice to know they can still act like kids.¡± I say to the woman the girl is hiding behind. -It¡¯s the same one that slapped the brat who was talking pointlessly.- ¡°Yes, it is.¡± She puts her large hand on the girl''s hand gently. ¡°Too smart for their age.¡± ¡°I bet I can say that about most of the people in this room.¡± I look around at the crowd. No panic. No fear. Just very focused expressions and analyzing gazes. ¡°All except for you!¡± Mary pats my back a few times in sympathy. ¡°Stick close to me and I¡¯ll protect your stupid little ass.¡± She gives me a little spank and moves to the other woman. ¡°Thank you, Mistress.¡± I bow my head and pinch her behind. Mary turns in surprise but just smiles and continues to the woman with her hand held out. ¡°Mary.¡± ¡°Inga.¡± Her hands stay firmly on the little girl. ¡°Marcus.¡± I nod my head and Mary uncomfortably puts her hand down. She nods back. ¡°Explain to him before it starts.¡± The girl pulls on Inga¡¯s skirt. ¡°About getting our powers from the gods?¡± I ask. ¡°So you already heard?¡± Mary asks. ¡°The guard mentioned a whispering and I saw the way you keep looking excitedly at the altar. It wasn¡¯t hard to guess.¡± She laughed. ¡°Just you wait. You¡¯ll soon be as excited as me. Look!¡± A man covered in robes, the same one as the man who conjured the magic light in the throne room wore, took his place next to the stone altar. Two more joined him soon. ¡°It¡¯s starting¡­¡± ¡°Who wishes to go first?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to be third!¡± I raised my hand as everyone laughed. ¡°I¡¯ll start.¡± An obese woman walked forward. ¡°Wonderful. Just stand in the stone circle and listen.¡± The priest stepped sideways and motioned elegantly with his hand.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. The woman struggled up a few stairs and the large man with the russian accent took her place. I started moving to take my place behind him. A line was already starting to form but a spot was left open for me. Just as I claimed my spot one of the bowls spewed fire, painting the temple yellow and orange. ¡°Congratulations.¡± the priest said to the woman. ¡°Please wait until the rest are finished.¡± -It took no longer than a few seconds¡­- The russian man hurried forward. ¡°Was it weird?¡± I asked as she passed me by. ¡°Nope. Exactly as they said.¡± Her eyes kept jumping from me to the thin air a little to the left of me. ¡°Many voices whispered proposals and I just thought what I wanted and chose from the ones that could offer.¡± ¡°Just like that?¡± ¡°Just like th¡± she was cut short by one of the bowls starting to shake violently. ¡°Congratulation.¡± said the priest to the russian man. ¡°You¡¯ll see in a moment.¡± the woman said. ¡°Good luck.¡± We started walking. ¡°I hope your status screen showed more options than mine¡­¡± she added when I was almost up the stairs. -Did she say status screen?- *TING* A small translucent screen appeared in front of my eyes. -FUCK!- I looked back in shock at the crowd behind me. Mary and the little girl were holding their mouths in laughter. -Shit! Fuck! Fuuckk! Jumped to conclusions without hearing everything, again, and now I have no idea what this means. Should''ve listened to Mary instead of trying to show off. Maybe there¡¯s still time. Quickly. Name. Title? It¡¯s empty so whatever. Health. Mana. Strength. Can¡¯t they shut up! I can¡¯t hear myself think. Looks like a regular status screen from an RPG¡­ Dexterity. Endurance. Vitality. Wizdom. So loud! Why are they so noisy all off a sudden¡­ Intelligence. Luck? Aghh I can¡¯t hear myself think! Why are all my stats suddenly zero? What the fuck? Is it broken? - ¡°SILENCE!¡± I shouted at the room. Suddenly my head cleared. Everyone was looking at me in wonder. Mary and the little girl gave up trying and were laughing at my sorrows openly. -There¡¯s someone else laughing though¡­- ¡®Finally you notice.Scared everyone away, you did¡¯ Something whispered in my ear and I turned around but nothing was there. Whatever said that laughed again. -All for the better. Left me with the only one who wasn¡¯t afraid.- I tried to add a mental wink. ¡®Flattery won¡¯t work with me, boy.¡¯ -Bargaining?- ¡®Nope.¡¯ He chuckled. -Oh no¡­ it¡¯s my body you''re after? Pervert!- He laughed again. -Good. Keep laughing. Let me stay on your good side.- My subconscious worded in my mind, and I hoped he couldn¡¯t hear that as well. ¡®Oh¡­ but I sure can.¡¯ He laughed and I noticed a tinge of evil in the end. ¡®And I can choose to leave you with nothing.¡¯ I gulped. ¡®And people with no power in this world are doomed to a fate worse than death.¡¯ The image of the hare slave suffocating repeatedly flashed in my mind. ¡®Even worse.¡¯ he whispered in my other ear and laughed. ¡®But I will help you and in return you shall live your life for my entertainment.¡¯ I could feel him smirking. -Then I refuse.- ¡®You think you can?¡¯ he laughed loudly in both my ears at the same time. -Don¡¯t know, don¡¯t care. If the others could come and leave then I¡¯ll wait for them to return.- I sat down on the stone altar. ¡®You will now? And what about the rest of your friends. There''s only one altar. And if you leave this stone than you lose your only chance at power.¡¯ -They can join me if they want. Even better that way. I¡¯m sure some of your friends will return for them and I won''t have to wait long.- He laughed. ¡°Tsk.¡± ¡°What are you doing?¡± Asked one of the priests. ¡°This guy here thinks he can make me his plaything. So I plan to wait for someone else.¡± ¡°There¡¯s only one?¡± the priest''s voice sounded nervous. ¡°Yeah. Apparently I scared everyone else away. So tell the next guy that he can come join me. I won¡¯t bother him.¡± ¡°Run!¡± He reached his hands towards me. ¡®Fool! It is only your choice when there are others to fight over you!¡¯ He roared in laughter. I felt him slip inside my ear. ¡®You amuse me.¡¯ A sudden headache blinded me for a few seconds. ¡®I will give you the power to do that to the best of your abilities.¡¯ The pain was subsiding. ¡®No more will you lack knowledge. No longer will you be unprepared.¡¯ The pain disappeared and my vision was starting to return. ¡®The most boring outcome is death. So survive by all means.¡¯ The announcement appeared in my mind once my vision returned.
Tricksters Blessing Fate and luck have abandoned you. Hypothetical Anchoring gifted.
Hypothetical Anchoring Skill Added Set an anchor in time, allowing you to return to it after exploring future possibilities.
Chapter 4 - A scream Two priests helped me stand up and assisted me in finding a place to sit that wasn¡¯t the stone altar. Mary and the little girl glanced at me from time to time, no longer laughing. -Status screen.- Might as well get a good look at it, now that I can.
Status
Name: David Kaplan Age: 29
Gender: Male Race: Human
Class: None Title: None
Level: None
Attributes
Health 113/113 Stamina 74/74 Mana 158/158
Vitality 0 Endurance 0 Wizdom 0
Constitution 0 Perception 0 Intelligence 0
Strength 0 Control 0 Focus 0
Dexterity 0 Agility 0 Willpower 0
Luck -100 Faith -1000
Blessings
Transcendental Roots Not born into this world you are not limited by it.
Babylonian Refugee Understand and be understood.
Tricksters Blessing Fate and luck have abandoned you.
Active Skills
Hypothetical Anchoring Level 1 Set an anchor in time, allowing you to return to it after exploring future possibilities. Cooldown: 1 hour
¡°Careful not to overdo it. Standing out too much is never a good thing.¡± the policewoman said as she leaned on the wall next to me. I didn¡¯t bother looking up from my status screen. ¡°I can say the same to you and your magic weapon. Tell me, is it the gun or the bullets that are magical?¡± ¡°Both. Would you like me to show you?¡± She took the gun out of the holster. -She¡¯s serious¡­- You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­ I had enough fun for today. You don¡¯t try to kill me with that magical handle and we can be friends.¡± She looked at the gun in her hand and cringed as some of the knights¡¯ crusted blood was still glued to it. ¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± she said with a heavy voice. -Is she feeling guilty for knocking the knight out?- I stay silent for a while, waiting for her to say something but she doesn¡¯t. ¡°First time you¡¯ve almost killed someone?¡± -Shit. Too direct¡­ I guess this day really has been quite tiring. Especially considering I was woken up by the feeling of nausea and the sounds of puking.- ¡°First time I hurt anyone¡­ at least physically that is....¡± She laughs a self-depreciating laugh. ¡°But I guess it was just a matter of time.¡± She pulled on her police badge. -¡±Polis¡±. Tall. Blond. Good English. A dark blue uniform that suggests a very curvy figure underneath. Fingers all straight. Nails cut short with no nail polish, but palms are smooth on both sides. Luxury mechanical watch shows that it¡¯s now 8:05 wherever she comes from.- ¡°You can hurt me if you want,¡± I tell her seriously. -No German accent. Probably somewhere in northern Europe.- ¡°It gets easier with practice and I can take a hit.¡± I look up into her eyes, ¡°I¡¯m used to it. Both mentally and physically.¡± I nudge her knee with my shoulder jokingly, as best as I can from my half lying position on the floor. ¡°Or was the first time only an accident?¡± I smile innocently. Her hand darts to flick me on the forehead, but I manage to slide down fast enough to avoid her fingers. ¡°Asshole!¡± ¡°Not really. I told ya you can hurt me. Not that I¡¯ll let you.¡± ¡°Exactly. Asshole.¡± ¡°No¡­ listen¡­¡± -I must be really tired if I¡¯m starting to monologue...- ¡°You need to understand that you are dangerous. That you have teeth. Sit down.¡± I pulled on her pants to help me straighten myself up a little. ¡°Both in this world and our world. If you don¡¯t want others to bully you, you fight back.¡± ¡°What does that ha¡± ¡°But you don¡¯t actually need to resort to anything for it. You just need to make the bully know that you can.¡± My hands are moving around wildly as I start my explanation. ¡°He might still try to bully you and then you¡¯ll actually need to use your teeth. And that¡¯s why you need to know that you have them and how to use them.¡± I point at the gun. ¡°However, most times like that, standing your ground and flashing your teeth, is enough to prevent anything from happening.¡± ¡°But not always.¡± she argues back. ¡°And that''s why there¡¯s always the option of running away. When someone at work is making fun of you or taking credit for your work or getting a promotion instead of you,¡± -She just tensed up and nervously changed her position¡­ did I hit close to home?- ¡°In movies, there''s often this guy who¡¯s a really nice guy, and he is trying to get a girl or a promotion or whatever, and it¡¯s not working for him. There''s always someone else who gets the girl or is promoted. And that guy is never shown as nice. He¡¯s always an asshole.¡± ¡°In comedies¡­ ironically..¡± she nods. ¡°Exactly. So during these comedies the nice guy usually struggles through random chaos, which is very funny for the audience because their lives are very chaotic as well and it''s fun to see someone else struggling for a change, but in movies the hero always survives and learns what he is capable of. He gets his teeth. Which is what the audience wishes they could do with their own lives. And that is why they subconsciously sympathize with the hero of the movie. So by the end of the movie he usually either gets the girl or gets the promotion by using his new teeth.¡± ¡°Bu¡± ¡°And if he doesn''t? Then they usually show in the end how he found a different girl he fell in love with during the hell he went through. Or, he leaves his old job, usually for a better paying one or one he actually enjoys.¡± I tried sounding nonchalant as I answered my own question. ¡°Because that''s the only two options you have. Run away in hope someplace else will be magically better or make yourself useful and capable enough to get what you want. Because anything other than that is doing nothing. And when you do nothing and let everyone else push you over, and worse of all you take no responsibility for why it¡¯s happening and blame everyone else instead of growing some teeth¡­ then¡­ then your life becomes hell. And that''s never a good place to be in.¡± We sat there in silence for a moment and as the silence grew longer I started feeling more and more stupid by the moment. A bone-chilling scream made us jump and look at the altar. Any self-consciousness I had left me as I saw a boy turn into a man in front of my eyes. The annoying teenager who got slapped by Inga was on the stone altar. His body visibly growing while he screamed in agony. A moment later he became a man, about 25, who straightened up and sighed in relief. -At least he still has that stupid fluffy mustache on his face¡­ even if he did grow the body of a greek god¡­- The boy -Man?-, the kid looked at everyone, stopping on Inga and grinning smugly before puffing his chest and walking down from the altar. Inga, Mary as well as about a dozen other people, including me, started laughing. When the kid saw Inga laughing his grin disappeared. ¡°Here¡¯s a great example,¡±I tell the policewoman who was standing next to me wondering why I was laughing. ¡°I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s aware of it or not, but when he was shushed by Inga earlier he probably took it as his words not being taken seriously because he¡¯s just a teenager. So what does he do when he¡¯s offered a chance to make himself powerful? He becomes an adult. Because he thinks that that is how he will be respected and people will listen to him. He thinks that that will give him the teeth needed to reach whatever goal he deems important.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t know that.¡± ¡°True. Not with certainty at least. But everyone who laughed most likely laughed because they thought the same as me. Plus¡­ just look at his expression and how he glares at Inga for laughing at him. Not anyone else. Just Inga.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know... ¡° ¡°Fair enough. That¡¯s just my interpretation of it. Do you at least agree with my reasoning?¡± ¡°Most of it. But I don¡¯t agree with your conclusions.¡± ¡°I¡¯d love to hear yours but just let me finish my previous point.¡± I put my palms together and act apologetically. ¡°So¡­ anyways... ¡° I ignore the glaring 25 year old kid and look back at the policewoman. ¡°Marcus.¡± I offer my hand. ¡°Yeah, I overheard. Elsa.¡± She shakes it. ¡°So people like to say we should just be nice to everyone and then everything will be good. Right? What they don¡¯t understand is,¡± as I started to monologue again my hands shot up to illustrate my points. -She¡¯s facing me. Face, eyes and feet. Seems interested still. Could be just European politeness though¡­- ¡°What people don¡¯t seem to realize is that being nice means nothing if you''re harmless. What else can you be but nice! to everyone around you, if you¡¯re the weakest person there? You have to act nice and agreeable, otherwise, someone might try to hurt you. And you have no way of fighting back. Because you are harmless, and that makes you a pushover. And that means that anyone else can just come and take whatever they want, because they know you don¡¯t have any teeth to defend yourself.¡± I slowly made a half circle around her as I spoke. -Good. She keeps facing me. I have her attention. Even more now that there''s only a wall behind me, and no people to distract her. Did two bowls just react to the same person? Shit¡­ need to keep looking at her.- ¡°Look at what you did today. When push came to shove you did what you had to. You found your teeth and used them. Unfortunately, it happened the way it happened, but at least now you are aware of what you are capable of. ¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t make me feel any better.¡± ¡°It shouldn¡¯t. What happened happened. There¡¯s nothing you can change about that. It¡¯s not what caused you to realize how dangerous you are that matters. It is what you will do now that you know you are.¡± Elsa looks at me. Not saying anything, so I continue. ¡°Now that you know what the ¡®darkness¡¯ inside of you is capable of.¡± I imitate quotation marks with my fingers. ¡°Now you can respect yourself. Because you know how dangerous you are and what you are capable of. And you respect yourself because even though you have teeth you don¡¯t use them on others. You are nice to them. You are merciful. You follow the rules. But now that you have teeth, and more important is the fact that others know that you have teeth...¡± I point at the group of people behind her. ¡°Now no one in this room will bother you and you can be sure as hell that the knights will think about it twice before trying.¡± I was talking louder and louder. -Not too loud so that we aren¡¯t overheard, but I¡¯ll need to add some anger? Passion in the end.- ¡°And when -More like if¡­- we get out of here then the assholes at work will stop bothering you and the knowledge of what you are capable of will finally let you go after the promotion you want, and actually have a decent chance at getting it. Now that you¡¯re no longer a pushover. Physically at least.¡± I push her at half strength and she stands her ground and frees her gun holster. I smile and put my hands in the air. She smiles back awkwardly. ¡°Good. And now I respect you more.¡± I start walking back to the rest of the group as I add, ¡°Because you suppress that part of you and act kind instead.¡± As I pass her I flick her butt in the same way she tried to flick my forehead. ¡°And that''s for trying to hit me earlier.¡± ¡°Asshole!¡± She turns around and runs after me. Slapping the back of my head as she catches up. -I like her.- I smile as I rub my head to ease the sting. My smile disappears and my eyes open wide when the little Indian girl on the altar suddenly balloons in size and quickly deflates back to normal. Another bone-chilling scream follows. -This one is worse than the first¡­- I think in horror. Chapter 5 - Reality sinks in Considerably faster than the teenager, the little girl was visibly growing in size and maturing. Unlike the teenager however, something was clearly wrong. The growth wasn¡¯t symmetrical. The head grew first, making her lose balance and fall down from its weight. Then her inner organs seemed to follow, causing her stomach to bloat and tear apart letting some of the intestines fall out. With a loud popping noise her screaming stopped and blood sprayed out of her mouth. -Did her lungs just explode?- She was dead but her body kept moving as her trunk finally started growing to a size that could accommodate the new viscera. Her limbs followed, popping and clicking audibly in the silent hall, until all movement finally stopped and the silence became deafening. Screams and yells erupted while two priests scrambled to remove the corpse. The third priest tried to speak but no one was listening. I moved towards Mary¡¯s yelling and saw Inga holding a girl -Around 16.- and a boy -Around 5- in an iron grip. The rest of the group started to quiet down and Inga¡¯s protests became louder. Mary was trying to pry the kids out of her grasp but Inga refused to listen. Although a few were still crying and one man was crouching and holding his head silently as he rocked back and forth, the majority had their horrified expressions slowly being replaced by curiosity. -She¡¯s shaking in terror¡­- The boy started crying and the girl is grimacing in pain. Her hand held over her head and she threatened Inga to let go. The 25 year old kid is laughing at the situation so I shoulder him as I pass by. ¡°Hey!¡± the kid yells at me and I ignore him. ¡°Mary, stop yelling!¡± She glares at me but shuts up. ¡°Inga.¡± I lower my voice. -Demanding yet warm. At least I hope it sounds warm...- ¡°I¡¯m talking to you.¡± He pushes me from behind. ¡°Don¡¯t ignore me!¡± I turn around to face him. ¡°Apologize for hitting me.¡± Veins bulge on his muscular arms and he is hyperventilating just slightly. -Why the fuck did I bring this on myself?- I think with regret. ¡°I apologize for bumping into you.¡± Both my fists are clenched at my side, ¡°Now can us adults go back to our matters or do you require more attention?¡± With a furious scream he tries to punch me. It¡¯s a childish punch. He steps in with his left leg. His right fist extended far behind his head while the left arm dangles by his side. With a mental sigh I jab him in the nose with my left and intercept his weak downward fist with the same shoulder. Before he has a chance to do anything else I step in and lock my ankle behind his foot while simultaneously pulling him down with my right hand. He falls down and I step on his chest and look at him. He tries to get up but I put more of my weight on the leg that is pressing on his chest. He tries again but soon looks to the side to avoid my gaze and goes limp.
Unarmed Combat Tree Unlocked Constitution +2 Strength +3
Hand Branch Unlocked Constitution +1 Strength +1
-That was easy...- I look at the massages as they slowly fade. I release him and offer my hand to help him get up. He looks at it in disbelief but takes it and I help him stand up.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°No hard feelings, okay?¡± He tries to let go of my hand but I hold it firm. ¡°I¡¯m just jealous of your new model body¡­¡± I look him up and down. ¡°I apologize for shouldering you. Really. It was stupid of me¡­ but just look at how the women are looking at you.¡± We look around and Mary is nice enough to help me by biting her lower lip and undressing the kid with her eyes. -Damn she¡¯s sexy.- ¡°Yeah¡­ sure. No hard feelings. I also overreacted.¡± -So cute. He¡¯s blushing.- ¡°Great. I¡¯ll teach you how to punch with that crazy body of yours once we finish with this thing. Okay?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I look at the crowd around us and see that for the exception of one person, who¡¯s still crouching on the floor and silently sobbing, all the rest of the Earthlings are watching us. -No looks of judgment. No looks of fear. Just curiosity and interest¡­ not your ordinary bunch.- ¡°Inga.¡± I stand two steps away from her and the kids. ¡°You can let them go now. Nothing will happen to them if you let go.¡± -For now at least¡­- She looks at me and embraces the kids even tighter. The little boy stopped crying and the girl stopped pulling Inga''s hair. ¡°They need to get their special skills or they won¡¯t survive.¡± -She¡¯s not listening¡­ how do I make her?- ¡°You can let them do it. They aren¡¯t so stupid as to try and do the same as the previous two.Right?¡± I ask the kids. ¡°Of course not.¡± the teenager barks while the little boy shakes his head. ¡°You think I¡¯d waste this opportunity on just speeding up the inevitable?¡± she looks at the 25 year old kid now. ¡°I got great stats all around and I¡¯m going to take full advantage of them. Can you please let me go now?¡± -Good. She¡¯s listening.- ¡°You can go together.¡± I add, ¡°You can consult her on what to choose.¡± I take a step forward slowly. ¡°And I¡¯ll gladly advise the boy. What do you say?¡± I go on one knee and smile at the child. ¡°How about you tell me what kind of superpowers you¡¯ve always wanted?¡± I offer my hand to him. ¡°No!¡± Inga says and my hand hits solid air. The space around where my hand hit seems to ripple as if it was superheated. -A barrier?- I try a few more times and see that the barrier appears to be dome shaped and probably surrounds Inga and the kids completely. I stand up and give the barrier a strong hammer punch but nothing happens except for more ripples than usual. -Cool¡­- The crowd surrounding us explodes with interest. Everyone starts whispering and talking. I simply walk over to one of the bowls, put it on the floor and take the long metal stand it was sitting on. -This is heavier than it looks¡­- I twirl the metal stand around a few times to get a sense of its weight. ¡°Inga, try to hold it as long as you can. Let¡¯s see how strong it actually is.¡± She nods silently and I bash the empty space in front of her causing the whole barrier to ripple for a moment only to go invisible again. -Yep. Looks like it surrounds her completely.- ¡°How many times can you use it?¡± Her eyes move as she reads an invisible to me screen in her field of vision. No longer are her hands white from holding the children from escaping. ¡°Three more before I run out of mana.¡± ¡°Does it say anything in the description?¡± ¡°Summon a barrier around yourself. And the mana consumption.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± I take a moment to think as I look around us. -The knights are outside. This is a good opportunity to get some useful information.- ¡°Cancel the barrier and bring it up again. Let¡¯s see how strong it is. Try to change its size to be bigger.¡± I take a step back and motion with my foot on where I¡¯d like it to be. ¡°Done.¡± she says about two seconds later. Visibly interested as the barrier grew to a diameter of about two meters. . -She even let go of the girl.- ¡°Then I¡¯ll start.¡± I swing over my head and bring the metal stand down with as much force as I can muster. ¡°Ouch¡­¡± I step back as the force of the blow sends a shockwave down my fingers and arm. -My fingers are tingling but the thing just goes back to normal as if nothing happened¡­- On the fourth try the metal stand hits and I brace for the impending shock but the metal passes and I stumble forward as the barrier breaks. ¡°Again. Same size. This time everyone hit it with your hands. Let''s see if this is a quantity vs quality scenario.¡± Mary, the 25 year old kid and a few more people eagerly help me hammer punch the barrier. After a few silent minutes my hands are starting to hurt too much to continue. I see people switching in and out and others simply coming over to check and probe the barrier for themselves. Mary and I are the only ones who didn¡¯t stop to rest and I was reaching my limit
Unarmed Combat Tree sprouted its first bud. Constitution +1
Pounding Skill Acquired (Passive) Helps with striking immobile objects with bare hands.
The pain in my hands went from almost unbearable back to just extremely painful. -Did Mary get something as well? Didn¡¯t notice her reaction...- I give the barrier a few more hits. ¡°I think it¡¯s enough.¡±I step back and shake the pain out of my hands. ¡°I¡¯ll go call a knight. Cancel your barrier and check your mana regen.¡± As I walk out of the hall I pass by heated discussions. -Even that guy isn¡¯t crouching and crying anymore.- ¡°Hey again.¡± I walk up to the only knight I know. ¡°Do you mind helping us with something?¡± The knight that showed me the way looks questioningly at his friends. ¡°Sure.¡± he shrugs, ¡°Anything for the heroes.¡± he adds sarcastically. I explain to him the situation as we walk back. Everyone goes silent when they notice us and take a step back to let us pass. ¡°Here.¡± I gently put my hand on the barrier to make the ripples appear. ¡°No magic. No skills. If you can just hit it normally it would be great.¡± The knight eyes the barrier curiously as he unsheathes his sword. He pokes the barrier with his finger experimentally followed by a half hearted swing of his sword. It cuts through it like a hot knife through butter and he sheathes his sword away unceremoniously while we all look at him in awe. ¡°Anything else?¡± he looks at me bored. ¡°No. Thank you very much¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s your level?¡± someone asks. ¡°18.¡± He walks away looking a bit annoyed. ¡°Two below the minimum for knights.¡± Chapter 6 - No time to waste After feeding us quickly with a mix of foods from our new and old world we were all brought to a large training arena. ¡°My name is Ralc.¡± A short man stood proud with his hands crossed over his bare chest. -What¡¯s the point of wearing metal grieves then?- ¡°I was instructed to rush your training so listen up and follow my words. Let''s keep this simple.¡± He took a few steps forward until he had to raise his head to look at our faces. ¡°Look at your strength and wisdom stats. Those whose higher stat is wiz form a group on my left. The rest form another to my right.¡± -Well shit¡­- I sigh. I counted 41 of us -42 summoned¡­- out of which 34 gathered on the left and 5 stood on the right. Ralc walked up to the large Russian man who came to stand next to me. -I¡¯m one ninety and he¡¯s a head taller than me. Ralc is no taller than one sixty.- I grin at the image of Ralc glaring up at the guy. ¡°Name and reason.¡± He crosses his buff arms on his bare chest again. ¡°Yigal Medvedev. Both are the same.¡± -He¡¯s speaking russian.- I look at the other Earthlings and see some of them confused. -How come the translation stopped?- Ralc scratches his rugged chin and turns to me. ¡°You.¡± ¡°Marcus Aurelius. The same.¡± I answer in Russian. -Yigal looks annoyed¡­ didn¡¯t expect me to know russian? How come Ralc understood him while the rest didn¡¯t?- ¡°Stay here for now.¡± He leaves us to stare up at the small group of people on the right. -Shit¡­ I should¡¯ve kept quiet. Now he¡¯ll be on guard next to me.- ¡°Second highest stat dexterity to my right. Int to the left.¡±He speaks loud enough for everyone to hear. Four people move to the right and Ralc turns and looks at the woman on the left. ¡°Endurance or constitution?¡± ¡°Endurance.¡± ¡°Join the two in the middle.¡± They both walk back and I nod at the girl as she joins us. She smiles back. -About one seventy, black, wide shoulders, busting quads. Weightlifting? Probably crossfit.- ¡°Dex right. Int left,¡± he says as he glares at 33 people move left. ¡°Int or End?¡± he asks Elsa as the only person to go right. ¡°The same.¡± Ralc looks around at all of us and seems to be doing some mental arithmetics after which he turns back to Elsa. ¡°Offense or defense?¡± -Isn¡¯t that a good question.- I smile to myself. ¡°Offence¡­¡± she answeres after a few moments. ¡°Join the three in the middle. As for you¡­Endurance stay in place. Constitution to me.¡± ¡°Follow the priest.¡± He points the seven who stayed at the priest that was waiting next to a bunch of large crates. ¡°You will follow the gray robe.¡± He points the large group next to him at a woman wearing a light gray robe, who stood on the other side of the arena from the priest. Ralc waits for them to leave the arena before moving towards the four individuals standing in the center. A few of the knights - Apparently they are soldiers. Knights have higher levels and shinier armour.- carried the heavy looking crates towards the groups. ¡°I am aware, that your greatest strength as summoned heroes, is your unlimited potential when acquiring skills. However, as we only have one month we shall focus on choosing a class and maximizing trees beneficial to it. That is the best way to gain power quickly.¡± He walks in a circle around me, Elsa, Yigal, and the crossfitter. -A bit less loud and his speech would¡¯ve been more impressive I think. Or maybe this is aimed at the others only?- ¡°In the boxes in front of you is the equipment we suggest you use to gain the trees for a class suited for your individual stats.¡± -Weapons and armour.- ¡°It usually takes a new recruit about a week or two to gain the skills needed for the class change. For you guys, it shouldn¡¯t take more than a day.¡± -So that¡¯s what they meant¡­ were basically 7-14 times more efficient in learning and developing skills. No wonder they think that one month is enough for us to join the war.- ¡°If you survive your first battle you can start to focus on trees unrelated to your class and it will change accordingly. Now equip yourself and listen to the trainers.¡± The other four people who were left, those with high strength and dexterity, started to search through the crates. Ralc ignored them and turned to us. ¡°As for you four¡­ you are going to wait a while before choosing a class. When the ones who are to be mages reach that absurd tower of theirs, a personal teacher will be requested for you. Once he comes here you will split your training between magic and combat and when you receive five skills in each field you will proceed to choose a class.¡± He looked at each of our excited faces and smiled. ¡°Understood?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± we said and Yigal nodded. ¡°Good. Go play with the equipment.¡± He walked off to exit the arena. ¡°Oh¡­ and congratulations on being able to become tactic casters! It¡¯s one of the better classes.¡± Still excited I walk over to the crates and start rummaging through them. -Swords, knives, daggers, bows, spears and other common weapons in this one. Light armors in that one and heavy ones next to it. With the last crate full of random weapons... some I¡¯ve never seen before.- I pick out a nice looking recurve bow and a nicer looking double-handed, double-headed axe with each blade lengthening and joining together into a finger long spike. It was slightly too heavy to use with one hand but I always liked axes and this looked impressive to me. -Beautiful dark brown wood shaft transitions smoothly into whatever metal the blades are made of. As if the shaft was grown around the metal... A bit heavy but hopefully the skills will help with that.- I look around and see people already changing into their new equipment. The soldiers brought two more crates. -One with bags and another with clothes.- I didn¡¯t fuss too much about anything except my weapons and simply threw a bunch of clothes that looked my size into a leather bag I took and quickly changed into a leather brigandine with thin gambeson sleeves, studded with metal plates at the forearm. Gambeson pants with extra padded leather over my thighs followed by thick leather boots with metal platings on the shin that reached over my knees. -There''s padding on the inside of the knee plate. How considerate.- I look around with understanding as the other earthlings struggle with their boots. The trainers drop to one knee and explain how to secure them on their feet. Not bothering to wait, I pin the Heroes mark given to each of us to my gambeson and walk to a missing wall in the borders of the arena. Dozens of quivers and barrels of arrows are scattared around randomly near the 20 meter opening in the wall. -Nice shooting range. Reminds me of the open gun ranges in the army.- I lean the leather bag next to one of the small pillars that separate the gap into five parts. My axe lays nicely on the bag as I drag one of the barrels closer to the edge where I¡¯ll stand. -So I should get something like archery mastery?- I start warming up my joints and waking up my nerves, making a mental reminder to myself to ask someone what is going on with my stats. Finished with the warm up I have a bunch of predictions and I¡¯m eager to check how many of them will come true once I learn the skills related to archery. ¡°Elsa!¡± I yell and wait for her to notice me, ¡°What''s the time?¡± ¡°11:42.¡± I hold up my hand up in a show of thanks and grab an arrow from the barrel. Knocking it on the string, I imitate archers I saw in movies or on youtube and wiggle myself slowly into a position that feels a bit uncomfortable and straining but I think is proper form.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. I try to aim at the closest target. A bale of hay about 10 meters away, with old clothes full of holes attached to the side facing me, representing an enemy. I hit the cloth hat, pinning it closer to the hey as the arrow goes through. ¡°Ouch¡­¡± the bowstring hits me on the forearm and I can feel a slight sting even through the padding of my gambeson. -I¡¯ll need to get myself a bracer or else I¡¯ll be walking around with a bruise.- Disappointed a little that gaining the skill wasn¡¯t as easy as that, I take aim at the 25m target. After my first arrow misses I correct my aim and my elbow so the bowstring doesn¡¯t hit my wrist so hard. The second arrow hits the hay where the left knee would have been, if the clothes were a real enemy. -That''s half of the predictions down. I¡¯ll try to score a kill on each target. Maybe that''s the trick¡­- Four more arrows and I manage to hit the neck of the 25m target. The next target at 50m needed a dozen arrows to kill as I had to shoot at an angle, but once dead the notifications popped up.
Ranged Combat tree unlocked Dexterity +5
Aiming branch unlocked Perception +1 Focus +1
Armed Combat tree unlocked Constitution +1 Strength +2 Dex +2
Ranged Weapons branch unlocked Dexterity +1 Perception +1
Recurve Bow Mastery twig unlocked Perception +1
Surprised, I stare at the targets without really seeing them. ¡°Elsa!¡± I yell without even turning to look, ¡°What''s the time?¡± ¡°11:56!¡± she screams, clearly annoyed. -So the only thing needed to unlock these is just a demonstration of basic proficiency? So if a normal person would get these in¡­ lets say 2 hours¡­ than these can¡¯t be the skills they want us to get. Something like the Pounding skill? I remember a mention of a bud¡­ There¡¯s even an aiming branch? Does it affect non-ranged weapons as well? If I throw a sword does it count as a ranged weapon?- Scratching my hand with my stubble that grew since my last morning shave, more than a day''s worth already, I stood and pondered what to do. The stubble was still short but it acted like soft sandpaper and the scratching felt nice. -How am I supposed to shave here? Maybe I should grow out my beard? It¡¯s been what? 4 or 5 years?- Picking up my axe I put my bow in its place on the bag and walk back to the others. One of the earthlings was still searching for a good pair of pants but the other six were at various stages of figuring out how to use their chosen weapons. Elsa was dressed in a long dark green gambeson and brown clothes underneath. Her boots were high and leathery and in her hands she held a short sword and a round shield. -She looks horrible¡­ can¡¯t see any curves at all.- A female trainer stood next to her, demonstrating with her own sword and shield. I walked up to listen. ¡°...until then just try to get a feel for what I showed you. Once you feel ready, we¡¯ll spar until you unlock the trees. Things will start feeling better then and you can continue to skill practice.¡± Elsa looked at me for a moment and proceeded to imitate what the trainer showed her. Swinging her sword and shield to both attack and defend from an invisible enemy. ¡°Can I join her?¡± I hold up my axe to the trainer and motion at her to switch with me. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I want to see if we unlock the trees at the same time or not. You¡¯ll understand once we spar.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sparing with you!¡± ¡°Why not? Scared?¡± ¡°No.¡± she snarls, ¡°I just rather not be stabbed my first day here.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll wait until nighttime to do the stabbing.¡± I smile a lecherous smile. She glares at me through narrowed eyes. ¡°I promise you¡¯ll enjoy it.¡± I fake an innocent smile. ¡°Only if it''s not with you.¡± She smiles back but her eyes stay as narrow slits. ¡°Ouch¡­¡± placing a hand over my chest I exaggerate a deeply offended posture, ¡°so you rather do it with her than me?¡± I point at the female trainer. ¡°No offense. I just prefer people with actual experience and with her I¡¯m less likely to get poked.¡± It was her turn to fake an innocent smile. ¡°Non taken.¡± I play around with the sword. ¡°I learn fast. And prefer my partners experienced.¡± I smile and look her up and down, exaggerating the movement so she can see. ¡°Much better you than those two.¡± I point at two man swinging spears, clearly scoring hits but not drawing any blood. A male trainer stands next to them giving pointers. Elsa looks at them in surprise and turns to stare at our trainer. ¡°Safety charms. Freshly cast by the cleric.¡± The trainer points at the group of soldiers that carried the crates, who were now sitting at the edge of the arena. A woman wearing a simple white dress stood out amongst them as she talked to a man who, unlike the soldiers, didn¡¯t wear any armor. ¡°I was lucky to be picked. It¡¯s not often that we get to spar with them. It¡¯ll hurt and you might break something or lose an eye but that''s why Val¡¯s here. He¡¯s the designated healer for the month and will make sure you finish every day completely healed.¡± she smiles at Elsa as she adds ¡°Also, I¡¯d prefer you do it with him as I already have the skills.¡± ¡°Or we can all do it together. The more the merrier after all.¡± The trainer jokes back but Elsa is seriously annoyed. -Well¡­ that''s one way to fire her up¡­- I try to cut my arm but nothing happens. -As if the sword is trying to repel the skin.- I notice Elsa is no longer playing around -This is gonna hurt¡­- Elsa half-crouches, raises her shield to just under eye level and begins to move towards me. I react by walking in a half circle while leisurely swinging and spinning the short sword with my right hand. This forces her to do the same and we walk in circles eyeing each other out. -I¡¯ll let her start the fight. Why hold the shield in position from the start? You know I don''t have any way to reach you fast enough¡­ anyways¡­ will she slash with the sword or bash with the shield?- We each complete two full circles, during which her shield never fell below her jawline. -Sword most likely. Should I wait or provoke her?- I try to keep smiling but it''s getting hard to fake with the way she¡¯s glaring at me. -She already wants to hurt me¡­ should I make her angry on top of that?- We complete another circle. -Nevermind...too long.- The next step I make I push hard with my right leg, bursting forward in a half-step feint causing Elsa to react as I plant my left foot hard to stop. Letting the momentum from the sudden stop pull me forward I raise the shield attached to my left arm in time to deflect her oncoming stab. With a loud tang, the metals collide but I hold firm as my back leg never left the ground and is still firmly planted slightly behind me. Twisting from the hip I aim at her thigh that became exposed from under the gambeson as she stepped forward to thrust. She quickly lowers her shield so I try to slow down my thrust at the last moment. Her shield makes my sword bounce to the side but it doesn¡¯t matter as my shield is already moving to bash her in the face. Elsa tries to evade but the shield clips her on the brow, sending her falling as she loses balance and falls on her butt. Messages pop up but I ignore them and look at the wide-eyed Elsa staring at the empty space in front of her. ¡°Told ya you¡¯d understand in a moment.¡± she glances at me and goes back to reading her notifications.
Close Combat Weapons branch unlocked Dexterity +1 Perception +1
Short Sword mastery twig unlocked Perception +1
Self-Defence tree unlocked Constitution +2 Strength +2 Dexterity +1
Shield Mastery branch unlocked Constitution +1 Strength +1
Small Shield twig unlocked Perception +1
¡°Two trees, two branches, two twigs?¡± I ask Elsa. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Five, two, one stat distribution?¡± ¡°Yep. Armed combat tree one con, two strength, two¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll save you the time.¡± interrupts the female trainer, ¡°Everyone get¡¯s the same rewards. It¡¯s the skills that change. Got any yet?¡± ¡°Nope¡±. I say and Elsa shakes her head and grimaces in pain. ¡°Mind explaining why?¡± ¡°One sec.¡± She waves her hand at the group of sitting soldiers but they don¡¯t notice, so she whistles. -Nice! She¡¯s good. I wonder if that''s also a possible skill?- ¡°Let¡¯s see what we have here¡­¡± Val the healer leans to get a better look at Elsa as she sits on the dirt. ¡°Raina must¡¯ve leveled up. Are you sure it was a solid hit?¡± he asks the trainer. ¡°Felt like it¡­¡± Elsa grits her teeth in pain as the man pokes her forehead. ¡°Level one and no skills. Don¡¯t expect any concussions anytime soon.¡± Answers the female trainer. ¡°Hmm¡­I see. I¡¯ll heal you this time. It¡¯ll take away the bruise and pain but next time don¡¯t call me over something so minor. My mana pool isn¡¯t big enough to bother with every minor bruise.¡± He closes his eyes and moves his lips in a barely audible chant. After a moment his palm begins to glow slightly and he touches it to the bruise. As he moves his hand away the large bruise is gone and the forehead is perfectly healthy again. -That''s more than just healing! Sure the blood vessels and tissue are possible to heal but what about the hematoma that formed around it? You can¡¯t push the blood and plasma back into circulation. And even if you could¡­ sending apoptotic cells and forming clots back into circulation is worse than any pain the bruise would cause.- I observe the trainers and try to remember Ralc¡¯s bare chest. -No scars. Nothing I remember seeing¡­ Interesting. I have a few scars I wouldn¡¯t mind getting rid off.- ¡°Thank you.¡± Elsa gets up to her feet and smacks the dirt off. ¡°My pleasure, madam hero.¡± He nods respectfully and walks back to the soldiers and the girl. We watch him say something and they explode in laughter. ¡°So¡­¡± I look at the female trainer in question. ¡°Tabika.¡± she smiles. ¡°Marcus. And...¡± I turn to Elsa. ¡°Elsa. Grateful for your help.¡± she nods. ¡°So¡­ Tabika. Before we continue, I have a few questions related to the system. Or trees, branches whatever.¡± ¡°I can try to explain but anything related to the garden you better ask one of the priests. I¡¯m just here to help with your combat training. But if there¡¯s anything you need don¡¯t hesitate to ask.¡± ¡°Anything?¡± I smile a lecherous smile and look her up and down. ¡°Anything.¡± she answers and does the same to me. ¡°Well¡­¡± I look at Elsa as she''s listening to our conversation and double check my grip on my shield. ¡°About that threesome¡­¡± Chapter 7 - Broken Elsa stabs at me in anger but I was ready for it and block with ease. She doesn''t hesitate and simply raises her sword over her head and swings down with force.. -Jesus Mary Joseph¡­- I plant my right leg back and brace myself for another blow. ¡°You!¡± she slams my shield with all her power. ¡°Fucking!¡± another swing knocks my shield sideways. ¡°Asshole!¡± I correct my shield in time to block the next swing. Metal hits metal and her eyes widen. She yells in frustration as her sword is stuck in my shield and she doesn¡¯t have enough strength to pull it out. I jump back expecting punches but she just throws her shield at me, which I doge to the side. Panting slightly I try to calm my hands which are shaking from the adrenalin, in preparation for the punches I¡¯m certain will come now that she¡¯s weaponless, but all I see is Elsa¡¯s back as she walks away. I look at the trainer next to me and back to Elsa with a sigh. ¡°So¡­¡± I scratch my head and address Tabika, ¡°I guess you get me all to yourself¡­¡± Tabika mercilessly pulls the sword out of the shield and my arm with it. ¡°Oww!¡± I have no need to exaggerate this time. -Almost ripped my arm off¡­- She examines the sword and the hole in my shield with an awkward expression. ¡°I¡¯d be careful from now on if I was you.¡± she says after a moment of silence. ¡°Unless you want her to try and kill you again¡­¡± ¡°Talk about overreacting to a joke¡­¡± ¡°No. I mean she really tried to kill you. She even got a skill as a reward.¡± -What now?- ¡°Explain.¡± ¡°Look at your shield.¡± She points at the large gash in the middle of it and moves her fingers over the dents around it. ¡°There¡¯s no way she could¡¯ve done such damage with this sword, at least not with a swing and certainly not at her level. That was an armour breaking skill of some kind¡­ shield¡¯s useless now.¡± ¡°And why is that strange?¡± ¡°Because even with your otherworldly powers this is much too fast. Unless of course¡­ the world tree considered this real combat. And if that''s the case it means that one of you was trying to kill the other. And I¡¯m guessing it wasn¡¯t you¡­¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± I search for Elsa but can¡¯t find her. -Should I be angry?- I scratch my stubble as I think -I am half to blame here as well though...- -Maybe¡­ but that doesn¡¯t mean I deserve to die for offering a thressome.- answers my logical part. -True. But it¡¯s not like this is a normal situation¡­- counters my rational side. -And as good of an excuse that may be, it doesn¡¯t excuse her of trying to kill me.- vetoes logic. -Didn¡¯t I get a skill earlier as well? Or was I also trying to kill someone?- asks my inner skeptic. -I was trying to destroy a barrier¡­ maybe that counts?- answers hope. -Ahh and right before that she made that remark about never hurting people before.- claims rationality. -Physically at least¡­- adds the cynic in me. -And it matters cuz?!- bursts out anger. -Because it would mean that she might have a better excuse for her attempted murder.- answers logic. -Which means that there¡¯s no need to be angry yet.- my rational side tries to calm me down. I sigh as I loosen the straps on my hand to take off the broken shield. ¡°I got a skill earlier. Took just a few minutes as well.¡± I bend over to pick up Elsa¡¯s shield from the ground. ¡°Which?¡± Tabika asks in surprise. ¡°Pounding.¡± ¡°Passive?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± She looks at the ground as she contemplates. ¡°That one might be possible. But not an armour breaker¡­¡± she shakes her head. ¡°How does it know it was real combat?¡± If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°It just does,¡± she shrugs. ¡°I¡¯m sure a priest can tell you more but it¡¯s common knowledge that you rarely survive a life and death situation without gaining a skill.¡± ¡°Where''s my skill then?¡± ¡°Were you afraid for your life?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± She looks at me in disdain. ¡°For a moment.¡± I smile awkwardly. ¡°Right¡­ so whatcha gonna do now hero?¡± -This is getting annoying¡­- ¡°Hmm¡­ slay the dragon and save the virgin I guess?¡± I take Elsa¡¯s sword from Tabika, grab a new shield from one of the crates and start walking in the direction Elsa disappeared in. There aren¡¯t that many places to hide at the arena so I locate her pretty quickly. Passing a small wooden construct sticking out of the wall -a storage of sorts?- I notice, outside one of the smaller entrances to the arena, a knee sticking out from the edge of the opening. As I walk I try to make as much noise as I can without it sounding like I¡¯m doing it on purpose. Elsa pretends to ignore me so I just sit down to join her. We both sit in silence and look at the people walking about on their daily business. Since the barracks are near it¡¯s mostly soldiers but there¡¯s quite a few servants running around as well. -At least I think they¡¯re servants¡­ kinda hard to tell with everyone being so dirty and smelly¡­- ¡°Congratulations on your first skill.¡± Elsa turns at me in annoyance. ¡°Tabika says it¡¯s a good one.¡± -She¡¯s crying... Shit,- my demeanor grows cold and my expression blank. -I hate it when people cry¡­- I hold back a grimace as I notice a tear roll down her cheek and I feel myself distancing away from the situation. -What¡¯s she trying to get?- says the side of me I hate the most. -Ask her.- answers rationality. -Nicely¡­- Elsa leans her head on the wall with a sigh and sniffs. A pained expression on her face. -Why am I doing this again? Such a waste of time¡­- -She has a gun, and its better then getting magical HIV from one of the locals?- asks rationality. -Theres Mary. She¡¯d be dtf- interrupts logic. -And fun as well most likely. But it¡¯s no reason to miss out on Elsa.- states my lower brain. -And no reason we can¡¯t have them both.- adds hope. -I wonder how far she¡¯ll go before saying the safe word.- anger makes me smile. -Only one way to find out¡­- explains courage. -Or idiocy¡­ it¡¯s always difficult to tell the two apart¡­- remarks my inner skeptic. ¡°You know¡­ I¡¯m kinda offended you think so low of me.¡± I say in an annoyed voice. ¡°Do you really think I¡¯d touch any of these people without an extra thick condom? Or at least some antibiotics at hand?¡± She says nothing in response. ¡°You have your own problems. We all do. And we are all in the same fucked up situation.¡± I point my finger at her accusingly. -You''re not looking but I know you can see it from the corner of your eye.- ¡°But I make a joke and you try and kill me?¡± Now she turns to look at me. ¡°What? The knight wasn¡¯t enough for you?¡± Anger flashes on her face. It is replaced momentarily by sadness and horror and then back to anger again. ¡°I didn¡¯t try to kill you. Couldn¡¯t even if I wanted could I? Not with these safety charms in place.¡± ¡°So? Doesn¡¯t mean you didn¡¯t fucking try! I saw it in your eyes! I was just about to yell for help when your sword got stuck.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lie. I can see you¡¯re faking it.¡± she rolls her eyes. ¡°And I could see you weren¡¯t.¡± I glare at her. She opens her mouth to retort but simply lowers her head to stare at the ground instead. I watch the people walk by as I wait for Elsa to say something. -The ball is in her corner now. It¡¯d be nice if she falls for it but what should I say if she doesn¡¯t?- I scratch my beard and smile as my eye catches the little battlehare that helped me tie my shoes. -Wonder where she¡¯s going? I¡¯d love to play a little with that slave crest of hers.- ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°For?¡± She gives me a look that tells me she¡¯s regretting not killing me when she had the chance. ¡°For you being an asshole. Life must be really horrible for you isn¡¯t it? I apologize for trying to help end your suffering faster.¡± she sticks her tongue at me. ¡°Funny more than horrible but apology accepted.¡± ¡°Greeaat.¡±she says sarcastically. ¡°Wonderful.¡± I jump to my feet and throw her a sword and a shield. ¡°I also want a skill. What does yours do exactly?¡± ¡°And you think I¡¯d tell you why?¡± Elsa looks at me like I¡¯m an idiot. ¡°Well¡­ you did get it at the cost of my life. So I¡¯m curious what my life was worth.¡± I start walking back to the arena through the short stone corridor with Elsa following behind in silence. ¡°Dividing swing. I think it allows my swing to cut things in two better.¡± she shrugs. ¡°Does it say what?¡± ¡°Nope. And I¡¯m not telling you in what tree I got it, so don¡¯t bother asking.¡± -Shit¡­- ¡°Also, it¡¯s my second skill.¡± ¡°Right¡­ the whispering¡­ I forgot about that.¡± I shake my head as an image of the little Indian girl spasming lifelessly on the altar flashes in my mind, -This brings backmemories I thought I finally managed to forget...- a small sigh escapes me. We stand a few steps away from each other. Partially hidden from the trainers and earthlings by a wooden construct sticking out of the wall. -How do I go about getting a skill?- I ask myself as I prepare to fight. -Kill her! That''s how!- answers anger in return. -No. I can¡¯t do that. I didn¡¯t fuck her yet.- my lower brain calms me down. -Rape her then!- reasons anger. -That can work.- logic makes me smile, which in return causes Elsa to flinch and get into a fighting stance. -Can¡¯t do that though¡­ I¡¯ll get caught. So I need to find a way to trick her into trusting me more instead.- vetoes rationality. -I can lose on purpose.- says pride. -But it¡¯ll probably backfire in the long term¡­- whispers fear. -New world new rules!- rises anger. I notice Elsa¡¯s eyes widen in surprise for some reason and my body bursts forward on instinct. -Kill her and fuck the body!- burns anger from inside of me and I roar at Elsa, shocking her into flinching backwards. My vision narrows as an image of her lifeless body on the ground flashes in my mind and fills me with joy and even more anger. She tries to recover and counter my advance but it¡¯s too late. I tackle her to the ground and mount her abdomen, my legs pinning her arms to the ground. She tries to struggle but with the added weight of our combined equipment she can¡¯t even make me budge. She starts saying something but I slap her ruthlessly. Recovering faster than expected sheopens her mouth to scream in protest so I thrust my fingers down her throat causing her to gag and cough as some stomach acid gets pushed up into her mouth. Chapter 8 - What is wrong with you? Holding her mouth closed with both of my hands I watch her struggle and cringe as stomach acid and half digested food fills her mouth. ¡°Good girls swallow.¡± I laugh angrily at my own joke. She keeps struggling so I squeeze her face as hard as I can and she begins to whimper and choke at the same time. Some stomach contents escape from her nose and she spasms. I let go of her face and she hurls all over herself and sprays some on me as she coughs and gasps for air. -This is wrong¡­- mumbles logic in the back of my mind. ¡°Bad girl!¡± I slap her again, harder than the first time. -But oh so fun!- declares anger. ¡°Look at the mess you made¡­¡± -Something''s wrong here!- insists logic. ¡°Apologize!¡± I grab her by the jaw and twist her face so she has to look at me. She tries to speak but it turns into another coughing fit. I slap her with the back of my hand this time. -She didn¡¯t deserve that one!- logic is now screaming in my head but it does nothing to calm my anger. -New world new rules so who cares?- vetoes anger. I insert my fingers into her gaping mouth and cause another round of hurling which I quickly stop by closing her lips shut with my hand. -I do. I never act like this¡­- wonders rationality. -I do it all the time! This isn¡¯t even the worst I¡¯ve done.- reasons anger. ¡°Will you be a good girl now? Or do you want to get punished again?¡± -Not like this¡­- continues my rational side. -Not without a safe word.- states logic. -Exactly! That¡¯s what''s weird! I never set up a safe word. I would never go this far without one!- -This isn¡¯t playtime though this is payback.- my lower brain makes me smile as I feel Elsa start to shake under my grasp. -Unproportional anger. No safe word. Undeserved punishment.- tellys rationality. -New world new rules can go to hell. I¡¯m not acting like myself!- -The trickster?!- remembers logic. -The system! Somethings affecting my mind?- reasons rationality. -Her!- roars anger and I smash her head into the hard ground making her lose consciousness. -Not her! I still want to kill her.- my anger rises. Sitting on top of her I look around but see nothing special. My fists clenched and my body tense, the anger in me is redirected at whatever is controlling me. -No¡­ noone messes with my mind¡­ you want to make me angry? Well, congratulations!- I think to myself as rationality and anger combine into cold fury. My heart rate skyrockets and I start sweating and panting as adrenaline begins to spread through me. Stronger than I¡¯ve ever felt before the rush of emotions makes me unable to concentrate on anything and I hear myself start to growl. My body tries to kill Elsa and I resist it with all my will. It starts to shake once it realizes I¡¯m not letting it do what it wants.
Mental Defence branch unlocked Willpower +2
Rational Reasoning twig unlocked Wisdom +1
Self-Defence tree sprouted its first bud.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Constitution +1
Self-Awareness skill Acquired (Passive) Helps maintain sense of self.
The shaking stops as suddenly as it began and as my heartbeat starts to slowly return to normal my eyes fall on Elsa¡¯s blood and bolus covered face. I check for pulse and breathing and feel relief as I find both. After which I pick up Elsa¡¯s sword, lift her into a fireman¡¯s carry and bounce her up a few times so she sits more comfortably on my shoulder. -Shit¡­ shouldn¡¯t have done this here. No witnesses.- I pace quickly back to the arena, Elsa¡¯s shield, still strapped to her arm, dangles and hits my hip with each step. -That¡¯s what I get for trying to mask hurting her as a sparing accident.- fear appears as I move closer to the rest of the group. -I hope they¡¯ll heal her or I¡¯ll have a hard time explaining this...- -Or not.- jumps up hope -New world new rules after all.- -Good point. Maybe I should check her for signs of life again? Do a more thorough physical examination.- wonders my lower brain. -Not after what I just went through¡­ and it¡¯s too late now. They noticed us.- rationality concludes. The group is gathered around Val as he kneels over one of the spearman. His sparring partner leans on his spear and is talking to their trainer and Tabika. As I approach a white glow radiates from Val and seems to seep into the earthling on the ground. Slowly his eye socket begins to reform leaving an empty hole in which the eye inflates, gradually filling the hole and returning to normal as the last of the white light turned mist enters the unconscious man. A moment later he opens his eyes and gasps for air. ¡°Lay the girl on the ground.¡± Val pats the area next to where he is crouching. I do as I¡¯m asked with Tabika glaring at me the whole time. Val seems to hesitate for a moment once he sees Elsa¡¯s wounds but dutifully continues without saying anything. -No questions? Really?- The two spearmen left with their trainer but Tabika stood by my side, moving her head from Elsa to me. Glaring all the time, stopping once she saw the flesh of Elsa¡¯s face begin to reform and stitch itself together, only to continue glaring when she heard me sigh in relief. -I can feel her hands tightening into fists¡­ her leather gloves sound like they¡¯re about to burst.- Gracefully I start edging away from her, relieved to see her notice but not follow. Elsa¡¯s eyes open suddenly. Blood and half digested food stuck to her face and hair but otherwise fine. She looks at Val who¡¯s leaning over her then at Tabika and me and starts to cry. Tabika turns to me ready to swing but I expected it and start jumping back while bending my head backwards. My knees buckle under my weight as her punch connects with my chin. -Inhuman¡­ will I also become like that?- I use my hands to break my fall and kneel on the ground as I wait for control over my legs to come back to me. -All I saw was a blur.- I smile at the ground while my vision spins. Tabika¡¯s boots come into my field of vision but I still can¡¯t look up. From her shadow I see her raise her fist to finish what she started. ¡°Don¡¯t! It¡¯s my fault!¡± Elsa yells out. ¡°He didn¡¯t do anything¡­¡± she goes back to crying. I see Tabika¡¯s shadow lower its fist and hesitate whether to help me up or not, but I decide for her and grab her arm to help myself stand up. -New world new rules my ass¡­- Standing up I wobble towards Elsa and drop down next to her. -New world one rule.- -And in a way it''s the only rule there ever was¡­ survival of the fittest.- rationality adds. -So how do I exploit this system?- creativity demands. -And what does she mean I did nothing?- logic wonders. Val walks back to the group of soldiers that are still sitting around. -Are they here as security? For us or against us?- I wonder. Tabika tries a few times to question Elsa, but not getting any answers she helps Elsa clean up using one of the water skins and joins Val and the rest of the soldiers. Elsa seems dead set on crying for now and just lay down away from the puddle once left alone. -Can¡¯t be against us¡­ Tabika alone is most likely enough to take us all out before we could do anything... - I lie next to Elsa and put my shield under my head as a pillow while opening the front part of my leather cuirass. After putting my arm under Elsa¡¯s head for her to use as a pillow I put her hand over my torso. ¡°Bend your knees.¡± I say softly. She turns on her side and bends her knees slightly so that I can put my leg over them. We both wiggle until we find a position that is the least uncomfortable for both of us and enjoy the cuddle so that she can continue crying for however long she needs. -So who are they protecting us from exactly? Or is the war so bad they are afraid of another enemy in their homebase, or maybe someone from the inside? An opposing faction?- I play with Elsa¡¯s hair as I wait for her to stop crying. -War can make some people very rich and powerful. And they¡¯ll do anything to keep the war going. I need to get my hands on a history book or something¡­ god I¡¯m going to miss google¡­- My equipment is slowly starting to bite into my skin as we continue to cuddle in silence. I try to ignore it and instead focus on the sounds around me. I can hear the two spearmen sparring. Their trainer still shouts out advice and critique from time to time but at a much lower frequency than an hour ago. -They sound much better¡­ like they are actually sparring properly and not just trying to show off. The sound of hits is constant and fluid. Sounds more like practicing technique than fighting.- I lift my head slightly to look at them and indeed they are moving with much more confidence. The two other earthlings chosen to be warriors are sitting with their backs to the arena wall chatting with their trainer. Not far away from them I can see the black woman standing at the shooting range. -Is she using my bow?- The russian man is nowhere to be seen so I go back to looking at the sky and enjoying the late afternoon sun... -Beautiful clouds. I could almost forget I wasn¡¯t back on earth if not for the metal shield hard against the back of my head¡­- I close my eyes and slow my breath. -I really am very tired¡­ I wonder how long the day night cycle is here?- Slowly my breath becomes more regular and I doze off while Elsa cries silently. Chapter 9 - Go red ¡°What took you so long?¡± Ralc barks at a woman he noticed from the corner of his eye. ¡°A war council.¡± a pale looking woman wearing a red robe answers. ¡°Why wasn¡¯t I called?¡± he narrows his eyes and glares. ¡°It was deemed safer for you to stay with the summoned. A beast was detected half a day''s walk from here.¡± Ralc looks at the soldier he was talking to before he noticed the woman and the soldier leaves them alone immediately. ¡°Which beast and when?¡± he asks after making sure no one was in earshot.
The sun is sitting much lower in the sky and the arena is filled with long shadows. A woman in a red robe walks up to one of the trainers and says a few words. The trainer then whistles to get the attention of the others. Tabika, in the middle of playing a game with some of the soldiers, stands up and heads towards two figures lying on the ground. The whistling wakes me up. -Still so tired¡­- I yawn. Hearing footsteps coming closer I look and see Tabika heading our way. Gently I wake Elsa and wait for her to remember where she is, before standing up and helping her do the same. -Eyes red and hair messy¡­ no way in hell I¡¯m not doing her tonight.- I suppress an urge to bite my lower lip. ¡°The red robe is here.¡± Tabika lifts the sword I dropped to the ground after she punched me and throws it to me. ¡°You¡¯re her problem now...¡± she points and I see the black woman and the Russian man already standing next to a plain looking woman in a red robe. ¡°It was an honor to meet you.¡± she shakes Elsa¡¯s hand and leaves after sending me a glare. ¡°Can¡¯t believe she thinks I raped you¡­¡± I shake my head at Elsa. ¡°Well, what you did wasn¡¯t much worse, you know?¡± she touches her face as if making sure that¡¯s everything is back in its place. ¡°Really?¡± we start walking, ¡°I thought you said I didn¡¯t do anything and that it wasn¡¯t my fault.¡± ¡°That was just so she wouldn¡¯t kill you.¡± she shrugs. ¡°Right¡­ and the crying was just to seal the deal?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± ¡°I see¡­ well whatever happened back there better not happen again. Or next time I might not be able to hold myself back in time.¡± I smile and nudge her lovingly with my shoulder. ¡°Plus I got a skill to resist whatever it, so try it again and you¡¯ll see that last time was me still being nice,¡± I add jokingly. Elsa doesn¡¯t respond. -Whelp¡­ that confirms it in my opinion. She used a skill on me. Question is why would she use a skill that would make an opponent want to kill her?- ¡°Greetings. I am Gardami. I will be your magic instructor for the foreseeable future,¡± she bowed slightly. ¡°Raven.¡± the fit black woman said after Elsa and I shared our names. -Cool name.- I smile to myself. ¡°And this terribly silent guy is Ivan.¡± I motion at the russian guy who decided that a simple nod was enough as a greeting. He gives me a look but otherwise ignores my taste in naming. ¡°A pleasure to meet you all. Unfortunately, an unforeseen event has taken place and I am needed elsewhere. As such I¡¯ll have to be brief but tomorrow we shall meet early. Until then, have all of you chosen a weapon already?¡± ¡°I haven''t,¡± I say after Raven shows her two daggers and Ivan does nothing while holding a huge warhammer with metal spikes. ¡°But I plan on wielding an axe.¡± ¡°Understood. Now¡­ an average acolyte usually needs anywhere from half a year to a year to grow magic related trees. However, with your unlimited potential and, more importantly, the small size of your garden, we expect it will take you no longer than ten days. After that, a day or two should be enough to learn a few spells and gain a magic related class. Questions?¡± ¡°Too many,¡± I chuckle, ¡°but let''s start with what our lack of trees has to do with getting the magic ones?¡± ¡°Every tree you grow and the more branches it has, makes others grow slightly slower. For a person of this world by the time they try to become an acolyte they are usually from six to ten years of age and have already grown around thirty or so trees already and many more branches. Most of which are useless and are the result of growing up. ¡± ¡°Is there any difference between growing trees and unlocking them?¡± I interrupt her. ¡°Hmm¡­ you better ask one of the priests. I will not pretend to understand the garden. I just know how it is for most.¡± ¡°And how do the priest know?¡± ¡°They whisper with the gods. Now, once you can access your mana freely you will need to pick an element. Usually acolytes are tested for their strongest affinities but as a hero you can choose whichever one you want. Nonetheless¡­ any but the basic ones will take far too long. As such my suggestions are light,¡± Gardami looks at Raven. ¡°Air,¡± she says to Ivan. ¡°Earth,¡± our eyes connect. ¡°And air as well,¡± she smiles at Elsa. ¡°Can you please elaborate why?¡± Raven asks before I get a chance too. ¡°With daggers your best strength is an element of surprise. Light magic will help with feints and avoiding notice. It is also the prerequisite for Illusion magic. Air can both lighten and hasten you. Earth will protect you. Now one by one I will let you feel the flow of mana. Give me your hand,¡± she holds her hand out to me. ¡°One moment. Is there an ice element?¡± I ask and she lowers her hand. ¡°It is an advanced form of water magic. Very powerful as well. Unfortunately water magic isn¡¯t very useful in combat. At least not in the first few years of practicing it.¡± ¡°But it can be used for combat, can¡¯t it?¡± ¡°High level practitioners can create water jets that are quite powerful at short range. And masters can create water blades sharper than any sword. However, unlike with ice, I have not heard of any ways of simple application with weapons and armor.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. All that matters is that Elsa needs to learn it,¡± I cross my hands over my chest, ¡°Otherwise she will be betraying her namesake,¡± I add with a grim expression. Gardami turns to look at Elsa and bows. ¡°I apologize if I have offended you. But I suggest pursuing ice only after you survive your first battle.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him. He¡¯s an idiot.¡± Elsa rolls her eyes and Raven grins. Ivan is as expressionless as always. ¡°I am indeed. But not in this case, Ice Queen. Choose water.¡± ¡°No. Just because I bent my knees when you asked doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll roll over as well. I like your idea and I¡¯ll think about it after I can survive on my own,¡± she puts one hand on her hip in defiance. -What the fuck does that have to do with anything?- ¡°Surviving comes in many forms and water will give you the most pleasant try at it. One of us has to have it and it will fit you perfectly.¡± I try to keep a straight face as I answer her. ¡°Thank you for your concern but I rather listen to someone who knows what they are talking about,¡± she smiles and extends her hand for Gardami to take. ¡°Your loss¡­ I¡¯ll learn it myself then.¡± -Even more fun for me. And I get to tell her ¡®I told you so¡¯ when she comes begging for my help.- I grin at the annoyed Elsa. ¡°The difference between skills and spells is in the way they consume mana. Most skills will take from the individuals mana pool by themselves. Spells, however, require you to manipulate the mana yourself. Gestures and chants are used to help direct the flow for the desired outcome and don¡¯t require much more than memorization and practice. However, our hopes are that you four will become tactic casters, combining fighting skills with magic and as such you will focus on freeform casting.¡± She stops her monologue when she notices our puzzled faces and seems to decide there¡¯s no need for more confusion. ¡°What I will do now is push my mana through your body so that you can later try and replicate the feeling and reverse the flow,¡± she looks at the others as she speaks, while holding Elsa¡¯s hand in hers.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°This will feel slightly uncomfortable,¡± she smiles gently and her palm begins to radiate faintly. Elsa¡¯s eyes open wide and she lets out a soft moan followed by a shy smile and rosy cheeks. ¡°Will it feel the same when I do it?¡± she asks quietly. ¡°Unfortunately no. But it should flow the same way,¡± she smiles understandingly as Elsa clicks her tongue in disappointment. ¡°Do you need another demonstration?¡± she asks, already turning to me. ¡°No, thank you. One tease was more than enough.¡± -She doesn¡¯t look as dirty as the other women from this world. Doesn¡¯t smell as bad as them either. There¡¯s even a faint hint of perfume.- I smile back at Gardami as she takes my hand in hers. -Soft. Fragile. A ring on each finger.- A sudden coldness appears on my palm together with a small glow. The coldness travels up my arm leaving a feeling of nonexistent wetness on my skin. Once the initial surprise passes Gardami¡¯s mana starts to feel better and better. My hand jerks slightly as the mana passes from my shoulder to my torso. -Wow¡­- I think as I feel a tightness growing in my pants, -It¡¯s like the feeling you get when you hit the ulnar nerve and pain passes through the arm leaving paresthesia. But there¡¯s no pain and the feeling that''s left is like the sensitivity I get after an orgasm¡­- Trying to keep a straight face I concentrate on the energy flowing through my hand and try to pull on it. Almost instinctively it responds to my manipulation and a burst of mana, a raging river compared to the previous stream, pushes its way up my arm and explodes into my chest. Gardami snaps her hand back as if electrocuted while my whole body jerks twice. ¡°Was this on purpose?¡± she asks with a confused expression. ¡°It felt good, so I wanted more.¡± I smile and shrug. She keeps looking at me with a confused expression. ¡°Can we do it again?¡± I extend my hand. ¡°Of course. Just try not to blow up your arm again.¡± -I hope she¡¯s joking¡­- Again a momentary coldness creeps up my arm and in its wake the arousing sensation appears. This time instead of manipulating the foreign energy I try to direct the flow in a more efficient manner. Instinctively it goes from a turbulent flow to a laminar one. -Much better.- The arousing sensation no longer comes randomly and is now a constant flow, stronger than before, pulsating from Gardami into me as if to the rhythm of her heart. Without too much thought I manage to synchronize to the rhythm and feel more mana start to flow through the contact of our skin. -Shit¡­ what kind of gentleman am I? Thinking only of myself¡­- gently I place my other hand on hers. Sandwiching her small hand between mine I reach out to my own mana, so very different in feel from hers, the contrast helps me find mine much easier. I feel it move. Slowly at first, but by the time I push it out of my abdomen and into my arm it becomes a thin strand of flowing mana. Gently, I let the mana seep out of my palm towards Gardami and although now outside my body I feel the flow as an extension of my own. -As if I suddenly remembered another hand I always had but never used before¡­- Matching her pulsing rhythm I penetrate her and immediately she becomes a part of me. I can feel her mana pool, in the shape of her body, separating to let my thin strand of mana move with greater ease. -Her face is becoming as red as her robe.- An image of myself fucking her roughly while infusing mana from our lower bodies pops into my mind. My concentration breaks and I feel our connection disrupt violently sending pain up my fingers.
Arcanum tree unlocked New attribute added: Attunement +5
Mana Channeling branch unlocked Attunement +1 Focus +1
Mana Sharing twig unlocked Attunement +1
Magical Backlash branch unlocked Endurance +2
Reproduction tree unlocked Vitality +2 Endurance +1 Perception +1
Foreplay branch unlocked Perception +1 Focus +1
Magical Foreplay twig unlocked Focus +1
Vine connected between Magical Foreplay and Mana Sharing. You¡¯ve got the magic touch.
Mana Stimulation Skill acquired.(Toggled on/off) Enhance the pleasure.
I shake my stinging fingers and begin to laugh. ¡°You have a gift for manipulation. Congratulations.¡± -Well shit¡­ I don¡¯t want to be a mage. I much rather get close and personal.- ¡°Thank you. Does this talent of mine maybe get me some private, ehm¡­ lessons with you?¡± I smile my signature half smile which I¡¯ve practiced ever since I was a teenager. ¡°Not quite,¡± she smiles back, ¡°talent alone means very little to mages.¡± ¡°Fair enough.¡± I nod and decide not to push the matter. After repeating the process with Raven and Ivan she sends them back to the trainers with orders to practice whenever we recover enough mana. Turning to me she explains how to change the mana into the desired element and recommends earth instead of water again. Thankfully she doesn¡¯t insist and simply goes on her way after some polite flirting. ¡°Let me pick up my axe and we can practice,¡± I say to Elsa. ¡°Sure, but mind sharing what was that all about?¡± she asks nervously. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I should¡­ wouldn¡¯t want to make you jealous, you know?¡± ¡°Funny¡­ come on.¡± -What¡¯s she playing at?- ¡°Okay. But only if you tell me what that was all about?¡± I point at her face which was broken and shredded to pieces just a few hours ago. ¡°Can¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°Your loss. Be right back. Oh¡­ you still have some blood on your face.¡± mana already flowing I activate Mana Stimulation and brush my fingers over her cheek, pretending to clean of a nonexistent smudge. She inhales in surprise and I run to the shooting range to grab my axe. -So skill use is so simple? I didn¡¯t even need to say anything¡­ my intent toggled it on automatically at just the right moment.- Axe in hand and bag slung over one shoulder I start walking, leisurely heading back to Elsa whose eyes keep jumping from the ground to me. Everyone in the arena seems to be minding their own business. Trying out weapons, looking for more comfortable armour, sparring, talking, laughing. -Status screen.-
Status
Name: David Kaplan Age: 29
Gender: Male Race: Human
Class: None Title: None
Level: None
Attributes
Health 113/113 Stamina 74/74 Mana 158/158
Vitality 0 Endurance 0 Wisdom 0
Constitution 0 Perception 0 Intelligence 0
Strength 0 Control 0 Focus 0
Dexterity 0 Agility 0 Willpower 0
Attunement 0
Luck -100 Faith -1000
Blessings
Transcendental Roots Not born into this world you are not limited by it.
Babylonian Refugee Understand and be understood.
Tricksters Blessing Fate and luck have abandoned you.
Active Skills
Hypothetical Anchoring Level 1 Set an anchor in time, allowing you to return to it after exploring future possibilities. Cooldown: 1 hour
Mana Stimulation Level 1 Enhance the pleasure
Passive Skills
Pounding Level 1 Helps with striking immobile objects with bare hands.
Self Awareness Level 1 Helps maintain sense of self.
-The fuck are all my stats?!- Chapter 10 - Not gonna happen For almost a minute I stand paralyzed with shock, axe in hand and bag slowly slipping from my shoulder. It was one thing for the stats to turn to zero during the whispering, but for them not to be increasing even after all the notifications is alarming to say the least. -Should I explain the situation to the trainers?- -No¡­ they¡¯ll just say to go find a priest.- fear let itself be known. -Nothing I can do about it right now¡­ I¡¯ll need to find a priest as soon as possible though.- -Maybe I¡¯ll get them once I level?- hope lingers. ¡°Why¡¯d you freeze?¡± Elsa asks as I come close. ¡°Saw something weird. Where were we?¡± I notice her blushing face and remember, ¡°Ahh right. You were interested in what I did with Gardami,¡± I smile and wait. She gives me an awkward look but continues ¡°And you were interested in what I did to you.¡± ¡°Thank you for confirming my theory, princess,¡± I smile half a smile, ¡°Indeed I am.¡± ¡°I doubt the two have the same value,¡± she counters and straightens her back. ¡°I guess we just have different values then. Shall we start?¡± I walk away and throw my shield to the side. ¡°It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t already have a good guess at what it was,¡± she grins. ¡°Good for you. Brings up the question of why ask about it in the first place then,¡± I answer while playing around with a double handed, double headed axe. -I thought the stat gain in strength will help eventually¡­ but without it I¡¯ll need to switch weapons.- ¡°Ready?¡± I have to ask since she just stands lost in thought. ¡°Hmm¡­ yeah.¡± -Is she really that horny? She¡¯s too good looking not to have someone¡­ shit, almost forgot.- I close my eyes and imagine myself dropping an anchor where I stand. I have no idea if that''s the correct way to activate the skill but I get the feeling it worked. -Even though I don¡¯t really notice any change¡­- With a small sigh I jump forward, swinging the axe behind me in an arc and dropping it with extended hands on Elsa. She panics but manages to deflect the metal head and it gets stuck in the ground. Not waiting for her to counter I jump forward again kicking her shield to knock her back. As I land I keep my left hand on the wooden shaft, sliding it down until I reach the metal axe head. From a crouching position I stab towards Elsa. Letting my hand slide down the shaft as a guide, the axe flies in a straight line with the spike on its end slamming into Elsa¡¯s shield. It ricochets to the side so I swing with the direction and transition into an overhead chop. Instead of avoiding she again lifts her shield to deflect, and just like in a carnival game I bring the axe down with my whole body. It slams into the shield, overpowering Elsa and banging her shield arm into her face. Hitting her nose, tears begin to flow and I look at her as she stumbles a few steps backwards while trying to blink her eyes clear.
Two-handed Axe twig unlocked Strength +1
¡°Three zero me. Should I go easy on you, Ice Queen?¡± I rest the axe on the ground and pant lightly. -Too bad these moves are a one time thing¡­ she¡¯ll stop defending so much now that she¡¯s in fight mode¡­- Glaring at me she spits some blood to the side and gets ready for another round. ¡°How are you so good at this, anyway?¡± she asks while wiping away her tears. ¡°Same as everyone I guess¡­ practice, practice and more practice,¡± I smile, ¡°access to youtube and a love for fantasy helps as well...¡±I shrug. -Surviving the frontlines of two wars and too many operations to count might also have a small part in that but who knows¡­- ¡°I like Harry Potter¡­ doesn¡¯t mean I go on youtube to learn magic,¡± she lowers her shield and moves half a step forward. -Are you really gonna try a surprise attack?- ¡°Not the best analogy, but I also like Harry. Although not Potter but Evans-Verres. And before you jump on me let me switch to another weapon first.¡± I run before she gets a chance to protest. -How simple should I go here?- I eye the weapons crate waiting for something to jump at me. -Oh¡­ Maybe a hammer or a mace?- -Is there a solid steel one? Nice! It¡¯s even completely black¡­ how charming.- Holding up a flanged mace I smile when I see it comes with a short leather strap on the handle. -A shield and a mace¡­ would get uncomfortable carrying¡­ I¡¯ll need a dagger or a knife as well¡­- I pick up a simple looking rondel dagger and attach its scabbard to my belt. ¡°Ready?¡± I pick up my shield and fasten my hand into it. Elsa looks out of it again, half heartedly getting into a fighting stance. -This is getting annoying¡­- ¡°How about a bet? You win and I¡¯ll tell you about my skill.¡± ¡°And what happens if I lose?¡± she squints her eyes at me. ¡°Well¡­ you already said you¡¯d fuck me so how about you share your skill instead?¡± a half smile appears on my face. ¡°I don¡¯t remember saying anything like that¡­¡± ¡°Right¡­ you tried to kill me before we decided on anything,¡± I smile innocently. ¡°So if I win you give me a bj. Deal?¡± ¡°Nice try,¡± she smiles back, ¡°but I rather tell you my skill.¡± ¡°And I prefer a blowjob. Let¡¯s fight.¡± I raise my shield and new mace and advance fearlessly before she can respond.
Mace twig unlocked Strength +1
I won. This time, however, I had to block a few of Elsa¡¯s swings and could feel they were stronger than during our first spar. -She¡¯s clearly getting the stat benefits¡­- I sigh to myself as I sit down to catch my breath. Elsa sits down next to me and concentrates on her arm. ¡°Feel something?¡± ¡°Nope¡­¡± ¡°Check your mana to see if it''s going down.¡± She looks at me, surprised she didn¡¯t think of something so simple, and concentrates on her palm again after summoning her status screen. ¡°Oh¡­¡± she exclaims after a moment, ¡°It went down by one point.¡±Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Cool.¡± ¡°Still can¡¯t feel anything though¡­¡± We sit in silence, each practicing their magic. For some reason it comes easy for me and I get my palm to glow on the first try. -How uselessly wonderful.- I chuckle to myself, -A talent for magic but no mana to use¡­- ¡°So when do I get my bj?¡± I ask without looking at her. ¡°Now. Lie back,¡± she answeres after thinking for a moment. Without hesitation I lie on my back and unbuckle my belt. ¡°Stop! Idiot¡­ you really have no shame, do you?¡± Disappointed I sit back up and give her a shrug. ¡°Too much actually,¡± I tell her honestly. ¡°Right¡­ so how come you don¡¯t have any stats?¡± she asks looking slightly flustered. ¡°Is that also the effect of that skill?¡± I ask, ¡°Makes people want to kill you after you glance at their stats?¡± ¡°I didn''t know it would make you homicidal¡­ it¡¯s called ¡®Equal Ground¡¯. I can designate a challenge to anyone I want and I¡¯ll get the same attributes as the person I challange. Thus the results should be solely based on personal skill and nothing else.¡± ¡°Interesting¡­ useful only against higher level opponents but seems kinda useless considering a higher level opponent will also have better skills.¡± ¡°Not so useless if I get to keep the attributes after I win,¡± she smiles slightly, ¡°If I win that is¡­¡± -What? That¡¯s insanely overpowered¡­- ¡°Wow¡­ lucky you. Thought of how to munchkin it?¡± ¡°Huh? Munchkin?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ it¡¯s actually a really good card game, but nowadays it¡¯s used as a term for abusing fictional powers in games or stories. In your case you can ask the princess to get you some really strong people you can kill to get their stats.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ not happening. I¡¯m not killing innocent people,¡± she looks at me in horror. ¡°Ok¡­ what about going to the prison I¡¯m sure they have here and getting some of their worst criminals. I¡¯m sure we can find someone with higher stats than you.¡± ¡°No!¡± she jumps to her feet, ¡°I refuse to kill people just so I can get stronger.¡± ¡°Are you aware that in this world, that''s like the main way of getting stronger? What are you planning to do once you¡¯re on the battlefield? Run around hoping no-one notices you? You stand out to much for that¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not gonna fight. I¡¯m going to solve it diplomatically by acting as an intermediary. I¡¯m sure that if I can get them to talk to each other they¡¯ll see that wars are useless and that everything can be solved peacefully.¡± Stunned into silence I take a moment to digest how naive she is. ¡°And how exactly do you plan on achieving that?¡± I hold myself from facepalming. ¡°Don¡¯t know yet. I¡¯m out of mp. Get up.¡± This time we slow it down. Each standing their ground we take turns at trying to pass each other''s defences. Even though we don¡¯t move too much, the layers of padding combined with the weight of the armour and weapons leave us panting after no more than a minute. ¡°I was afraid of this¡­ we may be strong enough to use the equipment¡­¡± my hands are on my knees and I¡¯m panting hard, ¡°But gyms back on earth just don¡¯t require the level of endurance needed for this¡­¡±. ¡°We¡¯re gonna be so sore tomorrow¡­¡± Elsa opens her leather cuirass together with the gambeson underneath and sits down to rest. ¡°Not necessarily.¡± I lie down perpendicularly to her and put my head on her stomach. ¡°Get off! I can¡¯t breathe as it is!¡± I try to position my head on her breasts but she smacks me so I settle for her hip. ¡°The stats might take care of it.¡± I unbuckle my upper armour as well. ¡°Oh¡­ could be. Or Val can heal and prevent it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t know if I want him too¡­ if he heals us completely does it also heal our muscles? If it does than they will never grow stronger...¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t that what we assume stats to be for?¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± -Sucks for me then...- For the second time this day we lie on the ground, resting and enjoying the last moments of sunlight. After emptying our mana pools we just lie there and let our minds relax. -I guess they¡¯ll send us to dinner soon. I wonder where we will sleep.- I never was good at relaxing. ¡°Give me your hand.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°So I can put a ring on it, ice queen.¡± ¡°Will you stop with the stupid nickname if I do?¡± ¡°Mhhm.¡± I take her hand in mine and reach for my mana. ¡°Get ready. I¡¯m going to unfreeze your heart.¡± She gasps as I penetrate her skin with my mana. Mana stimulation activates intuitively and she grips my hand in response. I close my eyes and try to concentrate on my mana slowly flowing up her arm. In my mind I can almost picture the new appendage moving about, so very different to Elsa¡¯s mana. As if an MRI image is being projected into my brain I faintly see her whole body pulsing around the mana appendage I sent stumbling into her. With the skill I don¡¯t really need anything more than just skin contact but I decide to try some at the same time. -Should I go right for the source?- The pressure in the arteries is strong enough to affect my control for some reason so I pick a vein and follow it instead. I decide against messing around with Elsa¡¯s brain for now and direct my mana tributary to follow the subclavian vein down into her superior vena cava. From there I follow the inferior vena cava down into the abdomen, turn left into the common iliac and find in the wall of the external iliac vein the opening to the pudendal vein. Here I get a bit lost so I brute force my way through muscle and connective tissue until I reach the clitoris and locate the pudendal nerve. In my mind''s eye the nerves shine brighter than any other tissue of her¡¯s so it¡¯s easy to differentiate from the rest. I make the tributary of mana flow as thin as I can and gently touch the nerve with the intention of stimulating it. The Mana Stimulation skill reacts to my intention and I feel the little bit of mana that I managed to regenerate in the past few minutes leave me all at once. Elsa moans and twists her body in pleasure, causing my concentration to break. My empty mana pool prevents me from reestablishing control over the flow of energy inside her. Remembering what happened last time such a thing happened, I cut the connection to prevent a magical lashback from electrocuting my hand and her nether region.
Mana Stimulation (Toggled) Leveled up (+1)
Biology tree unlocked Vitality +3 Constitution +2
Anatomy branch unlocked Constitution +1
Human Anatomy twig unlocked Vitality +1
Female Human Anatomy skill acquired(Passive) Helps remember the female anatomy.
Female Human Anatomy skill acquired (Passive) Leveled up (+5)
Vine connected between Human Anatomy twig and Foreplay branch. It never hurts to know what you¡¯re touching.
¡°Why¡¯d you stop?¡± she asks while I read the notifications. ¡°Out of mp.¡± I go over the notifications a few more times while ideas keep popping into my head. -If I assume that the anatomy skill leveled up so fast because of my prior knowledge then maybe I can find a way to cheat the system. I never thought that my inability to stick to one hobby could actually be helpful for once¡­- As I make a mental list of all the things I could try I feel Elsa¡¯s breathing slow down to a normal rhythm. ¡°So?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You said you prefer people with experience before¡­ do I pass your high standards, Snow princess?¡± -Not gonna whack me on my head this time?- ¡°Maybe¡­¡± ¡°Fair enough. How about I try to impress you again tonight? We can do it properly this time. I¡¯ll start slow and increase the roughness gradually. Safe word will be Freeze. You think we¡¯re gonna get proper beds? Though doing it on the floor also has its charm...¡± ¡°You can get the same bed as the real princess for all I care. Don¡¯t expect me to go anywhere near it.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± I turn my head to look at her seriously. ¡°Ahh¡­¡± she stumbles with her words when she sees I¡¯m not joking for once, ¡°Well¡­ let''s see. There¡¯s the fact that we¡¯re in a different world. The small matter of us meeting for the first time today. Oh! And let''s not forget that you¡¯re an asshole.¡± She gives me her best fake smile. ¡°So?¡± ¡°So I¡¯m not going to sleep with someone I just met.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I get your point. Even agree with one. But what do you gain from waiting? It¡¯s just a matter of time before we do it anyways.¡± She laughs. ¡°Fuck you¡¯re arrogant.¡± ¡°Not really¡­ think about it. Like you said¡­ new world, so new rules, right? And you may have just met me today but the same goes for everyone in this world. This is a fresh start. Use it to do what you always wanted to but were too afraid of what people you know might say. Nobody knows you and everybody is too busy right now with surviving to even care.¡± ¡°And who says that what I want to do is you? Just becau...¡± ¡°Do you have anyone else?¡± I cut her off. ¡°I have a bo¡­¡± ¡°And soccer has a goalie but you can still score. What I was asking though is do you see yourself sleeping with anyone else in this world?¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± she goes silent for a moment as she goes over the list of people she remembers since coming. -Not much choice really¡­ most of the earthlings who aren¡¯t little kids are either females under thirty or men over forty.- ¡°There¡¯s the man child. Looked really hot too.¡± Elsa says finally. ¡°Fair enough. Didn¡¯t you say you wanted someone who knew what they were doing though?¡± ¡°I did. But I wouldn¡¯t mind teaching him the ropes.¡± ¡°I see. I¡¯ll ask Marry then. She¡¯ll be dtf for sure.¡± ¡°You¡¯re disgusting¡­ you really need to relax.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m trying to do!¡± I let my tiredness show and a weak laugh followed by a sigh escapes me, ¡°I¡¯ve been summoned into a new world in the middle of the night. Didn¡¯t sleep for almost two days now. Was told that in a month I¡¯m going to die in a war I have no reason fighting. Probably gutted by a fucking half human half animal of some kind. A bunny most likely. Got fucked by some crazy voice that gave me the worst headache I ever felt.¡± ¡°Shit¡­¡± she says slowly as I pause to take a breath. ¡°Yeah¡­ and to top it all off there was the exploding little girl. Which is something I thought I¡¯d never have to see again. So all I wanna do at the moment is fuck until I¡¯m senseless and then sleep.¡± Chapter 11 - Tis folly to be wise A hand slams down on a wooden desk in anger. A loud crack reverberates across the small room and the table breaks apart. ¡°Goddamnit! This is the second desk today.¡± Ralc¡¯s anger explodes again and he kicks at the debris, sending them to splinter across the wall. Some of the pieces ricochet and fly at a woman in a red robe but she just lifts her palm in a nonchalant manner making a shimmering light blue barrier to appear and block them. Other pieces fly at Ralc but he ignores them and they just splinter across his naked upper body. ¡°Those damn brats better be worth what the priest say they are!¡± ¡°They will be. Eventually,¡± Gardami says with a sigh, ¡°But until they can fend for themselves their protection falls on us. Now that we know they were spotted near the outer walls we need to act accordingly.¡± ¡°My men are already spread thin. Do you think replacing the royal guard didn¡¯t leave holes in the patrols and watch? Only thing I can do right now is order the highest leveled individuals to start sleeping in the new recruits barracks and move the heroes in with them.¡± ¡°I see. The council requests you prioritize the inner walls even if it means leaving some of the outer ones completely unmanned.¡± Ralc¡¯s anger sparks off again and with no table to be found his fist connects with the wall with enough force to shake the whole room. Unlike the table however, being a part of the inner walls that surround the main palace building means that the wall was magically reinforced and it was Ralc¡¯s skin that cracked causing his knuckles to start bleeding. He considered calling in the designated watch healer but decided against it as the pain felt right and the sting would pass soon thanks to his skills and stats.
Using water barrels and wet cloth as poor replacement for a shower we scrub away the sweat and blood that accumulated from our first day of combat training. I tried to peek at my fairer companions but Tabika seemed on high alert and never took her eyes of me. Before leaving the arena a cleric, a cute girl in an off-white dress named Raina, tells us to be careful with our weapons as the safety charms will start to degrade soon and that she¡¯ll recast them tomorrow morning. For dinner we were taken to a small dining hall, about ten minutes walk from the arena. Apparently the dark stone tower that loomed over the dining hall was a mage tower. -One of four actually. They set themselves up quite nicely in terms of defence.- As such the earthlings chosen to be mages were already busy eating by the time the six of us arrived. After a few quick greetings we attacked the food on the table. Unfortunately, the kitchen underestimated how much people from earth can eat and before any of the adults were full the food ran out. Earthlings were apparently a couple of sizes bigger than the average person in this world. -Even more so in mammary size¡­- While we waited for more food to be cooked everyone was talking and sharing information. One of the new mages was also going around and taking notes of people''s stats, garden and skills, as well as advice on how to get them. He was writing it all down on a scroll and the rest of the mages were surprised he managed to get his hands on it. -Which is the craziest thing out of everything I heard today actually¡­- Apparently the majority of this world''s population is completely illiterate. -And to make things worse¡­ it¡¯s by their own choice¡­- This actually sparked quite a heated discussion amongst us. As apparently this also meant that not only were books rare but paper and writing tools were very expensive. -He¡¯s using a ballpoint pen but I wonder where he got the scroll from?- My conclusion from the conversation was similar to the group''s consensus. Since survival in this world depended on trees and skills, the majority of the population didn¡¯t want the literacy skills to impede their growth. And out of those who did want to learn how to read and write only a few could afford the cost associated with that. And those who could needed to find a book to read first. -Which means what it always means. The strong get stronger while the weak stay the same.- Only nobles had access to any form of education, with a tradition forming where the first child would focus his garden around household management to handle the family¡¯s wealth, the second child would choose a combat class with a focus on leadership trees to protect the family¡¯s wealth, while the third child would become a mage, making himself a valuable asset for the family. -As apparently mages are somewhat rare. Although I wouldn''t have thought that from looking at our group.- Two of the earthlings chosen to be mages could already cast simple spells. Their impossible speed raised more than a few eyebrows amongst the mage leadership apparently. Enough to cause the archmage to teleport to the tower and witness it himself. The archmage teleported away with both of the earthlings after learning that this achievement wasn¡¯t due to any blessing or skills but simple knowledge of programming and applying it to spellcasting. -Lucky schmucks¡­ no chance they¡¯ll be sent to the front now. They¡¯ll be treated like royalty until they share everything they know about programming¡­- Once the second round of dishes arrived and we ate our fill we were told to wait until someone comes for us. With our stomachs full and our bodies tired, small groups formed as people mingled and conversed. By keeping quiet and listening in to the conversations around me I learned that the seven chosen to be priests won¡¯t be joining us during this month, that most mages are female, that healing magic isn¡¯t able to remove any injury or scars we received before arriving in this world, that there are magical contraceptives and no known sexually transmitted diseases. -Which isn¡¯t much to go on considering they have no knowledge of microorganisms. However, magical contraceptives sound interesting.- Also mentioned was the fact that while all natives in this world use the word ¡®grow¡¯ when getting a new tree, all the earthlings get the word ¡¯unlocked¡¯ in their notifications. -We¡¯re supposed to learn more about these things once our lessons with the priests start in a couple of days.- Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. As more and more time passed with no one coming for us I had no choice but to engage in conversation. And after ascertaining that Mary was more than willing to join me for the night I found Elsa and started to brainwash her to the best of my rhetorical ability. Luckily I had almost two hours according to Elsa¡¯s watch before Ralc came to take us to our sleeping arrangements. A few of the mages chose to sleep at the tower, however such rooms were limited and only eight people decided to share the three small rooms that were offered. The rest of us were led by Ralc towards one of the four main roads that cut through the walled inner city and made its way into the palace. A huge gate could be visible, blocking the main road, with buildings situated on both its sides serving as a wall. Narrow alleyways ran through the buildings but less and less as we walked further away from the dining hall and the mage tower looming over it, and got closer to the gate. We passed pairs of patrolling soldiers, one in full plate armour while the other in a mail and a breast plate. Each pair greeted Ralc as we passed by them and when I asked he explained that this was the royal guard. -Which is different from the soldiers we saw in the arena¡­ the royal guards are supposedly much higher level.- However, apparently most of the royal guards died on the day the king was killed so the new vacancies were filled with regular soldiers, most of whom were low level, and all knew Ralc, who turns out was in charge of the training of all recruits. -The guy who couldn¡¯t stop talking about battle hares said he was level 18. Ralc says the minimum for royal guards is 15, but now there are even a few who are only level 9. So the knights that guy mentioned are not part of the royal guards, are they?- In the corridor of the second floor of one of the new recruits barracks, the nineteen of us divided ourselves amongst the many rooms. The corridor was long and on both sides of it were stairs leading down to the first floor where the newly recruited city guards slept. -For extra protection I guess. But again¡­ from who?- Inga chose a larger room right next to the stairs and grabbed four of the younger brats with her. Three men chose the larger room on the other side of the corridor. Two teenagers claimed a large room in front of Inga¡¯s. Mary joined two men in the last large room while I, Elsa and the four left chose a private room each. There wasn¡¯t much in my room except a bed, a table with a chair and a large wooden box placed on the floor under the window. I put my leather bag into the box and locked it with a large key that was left on top of the table. After glancing at the view from the second-floor window I went to try and gain entrance to Elsa¡¯s room with the pretense of checking out if all the rooms are the same. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t get a chance to visit any of the other rooms as I and Elsa decided to test the bed and the box in her room. And while not very comfortable, they were very sturdy and more importantly not at all squeaky. -Which is something I can¡¯t say about the beds in Mary¡¯s room¡­- I grin wildly as I increase my pace. Our panting drowns out the sound of screeching and squeaking coming from Mary''s room. Elsa¡¯s legs are bent over my shoulders and I lean in to grab her hair and pin it to the slim mattress. With my other hand I restrain her palms over her head. I lean in further, causing her thighs to bend and her hip to rise. I start thrusting with more strength and a moan escapes Elsa¡¯s lips. Using the chance I release her hair and put my hand over her mouth, pretending to silence her when in fact I¡¯m just aiming to obstruct her breathing. After a few moments she tries to shake my hand away so I lean in even further. Now with her knees almost behind her head and her hip completely in the air, I lift a leg to transition into an awkward one leg piston position.This allows me to pound her hard and she protests that it hurts. So that she can¡¯t complain again I grab her throat and squeeze her carotid arteries with my fingers while applying just enough pressure to her adam¡¯s apple to cause discomfort. Soon she¡¯s gasping for air and I release my hold and slow down my thrusts to let her breath. A moment later I take her breath away again, all the while thrusting fast and hard. -Shit...- disappointed at her performance after all the big talk about experience I twist my hips to penetrate at a deeper angle. I choke her for a few more repetitions after which I lift her torso up, and after making sure my foot is in the correct position, fall to my back with Elsa on top of me. There¡¯s no need to say anything as she immediately puts her hands on my chest and starts moving her hips back and forth. -She¡¯s terrible¡­- I pretend to enjoy her twitchy grinding motion by grabbing her thighs and behind tightly and making weak grunting noises from time to time. -Might as well finish this fast¡­- Mana Stimulation activates the moment I think of doing so. It happens so suddenly that more mana than I intended flows into the skill sending Elsa into orgasam. Her nails dig into my chest leaving a trail that will be red and swollen in the morning. Her whole body tremors slightly as a wave of pleasure passes through her. I deactivate my skill out of consideration and wait for a few seconds for her to recover. Once she resumes her grinding I pull her down into a bear hug, bend my knees and begin to drill her as fast as I can. I reactivate the skill and feel Elsa begin to pant hard into my ear. I squeez her tighter, preventing her chest from expanding properly and causing her breathing to become effortful. I feel my mana draining so I increase my tempo as far as I feel comfortable doing, cautious of the sound of flesh slapping flesh being heard in the room opposite Elsa¡¯s where the brats are sleeping. Noticing Elsa getting closer to another climax I deactivate the skill to preserve mana and continue the fast pace for a few minutes, letting Elsa¡¯s stimulation and my mana pool to build up. Trusting my intuition I activate Mana Stimulation again while at the same time lowering my pace slightly so that I¡¯m able to put more force behind each thrust of my hips. Closing my eyes for better focus I try to manipulate the mana coursing through my skin towards my loin. With some difficulty I manage to concentrate it around my lower abdomen and between my legs. -Better than nothing¡­- Squeezing Elsa until all the air is expelled from her lungs I wait a few seconds for her to start struggling against my hold. Her struggling causes her perineal muscles to contract and I feel myself ready to finish. I will as much mana as I have left into the skill and feel Elsa¡¯s muscle tense as she reaches her peak. Releasing my hold on her, she inhales loudly. Not waiting for her to recover I grab her ass and squeeze the cheeks inwards to increase the pressure and my pleasure until I too reach my peak and my body goes limp.
Sex branch unlocked. Charisma +1 Endurance +1
Twosome twig unlocked. Charisma +1
Mana Stimulation (Toggled) Leveled up (+1)
Cleaned up and cuddled in bed I use one hand to caress her back and behind while her head is on my chest, moving up and down to the rhythm of my breath. "I know Sweden is the rape capital of the western world, but for condoms to be part of the police uniform... I don''t know if to laugh or to cry." "Asshole!" She slaps my chest, "Why make me regret sleeping with you already?!" "Ouch... it''s a joke. Where was this energy a moment ago?" I squeeze her butt, "I get carrying protection while in the field but why do you walk around with condoms?" ¡°I have my reasons¡­¡± she removes my hand away from her behind, ¡°And Sweden is not the rape capital of the world.¡± ¡°Well¡­ the numbers tell a different story.¡± With the intimacy barrier broken we talk for hours about Earth''s geopolitical and social issues. It becomes clear almost immediately that we have opposite opinions so I try my best to downplay my annoyance and sidestep topics I know I can¡¯t spin myself to sound less antagonizing to her identity and beliefs. Interspersed amongst the anecdotal examples she uses to make her points are a plethora of personal experiences. About her family, friends and cheating boyfriend mainly but mentions of her numerous exes and social circle are brought up as well. By the time I¡¯m tired of listening to her talk the wristwatch lying on her scattered clothes shows that it¡¯s almost three in the morning. ¡°Goodnight, princess.¡± I give her a kiss and close my eyes. Enjoying the feeling of her naked body and the comfortable weight of her head and arm, there¡¯s only enough time for one thought before I succumb to sleep. -How can someone so intelligent be so stupid?- Chapter 12 - No weight on my shoulders Opening my eyes I stare at Elsa in disbelief as she assumes a battle pose. I look down to see myself in full battle gear and holding a two handed axe. -What the fuck?- I look around in confusion and a feeling of deja vu assaults me. -Did I just go back in time?- The last thing I remember is the feeling of warmth from Elsa¡¯s naked body pressing against mine as I fell asleep. -Yet here she is ready to spar¡­- ¡°Is everything ok?¡± she asks and steps closer to me. My chest tightens as the understanding hits me and I stagger back. ¡°Yeah. Just realizing this thing is too heavy for me¡­¡± ¡°Oh... ¡° she looks at me like I¡¯m crazy. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± I laugh painfully, ¡°I really wanted to use an axe. Kinda feels like the best day of, ah, I mean the worst day of my life¡­¡± ¡°Right¡­ can¡¯t you just use a smaller one?¡± she asks me as if I¡¯m an idiot. ¡°Good point. Be right back.¡± I exaggerate my actions eliciting a laugh from Elsa. -Status screen!- I command as I walk away.
Status
Name: David Kaplan Age: 29
Gender: Male Race: Human
Class: None Title: None
Level: None
Attributes
Health 113/113 Stamina 74/74 Mana 158/158
Vitality 0 Endurance 0 Wisdom 0
Constitution 0 Perception 0 Intelligence 0
Strength 0 Control 0 Focus 0
Dexterity 0 Agility 0 Willpower 0
Attunement 0
Luck -100 Faith -1000
Blessings
Transcendental Roots Not born into this world you are not limited by it.
Babylonian Refugee Understand and be understood.
Tricksters Blessing Fate and luck have abandoned you.
Active Skills
Hypothetical Anchoring Level 1 Set an anchor in time, allowing you to return to it after exploring future possibilities. Cooldown: 1 hour
Mana Stimulation Level 3 Enhance the pleasure.
Passive Skills
Pounding Level 1 Helps with striking immobile objects with bare hands.
Self Awareness Level 1 Helps maintain a sense of self.
Female-Human Anatomy Level 6 Helps remember the female anatomy.
-No way! The skills transferred over! That means the garden is the same. - The tightness in my chest is replaced by a building excitement of the skill¡¯s potential. -Future possibilities, my ass. This is basically save scumming.- -Not exactly.- logic adds. -Right¡­ the cooldown thing will get annoying. Means that if something big does happen I¡¯ll have a limited amount of uses.- -I¡¯ll be moving forward in life an hour at a time. That leaves me with plenty of time to think everything over, but I need to find a goal,- rationality adds, -otherwise I¡¯ll just laze away doing nothing.- I find the equipment I chose last time but pretend to look around as I contemplate over the new situation. The night''s events pop into my mind and I feel the blood rushing to my lower brain. -I guess that''s not such a bad goal.- I look back at Elsa who sat down on the ground to practice her control on mana while she waits for me. -Question is how long do I have before resetting? And what happens if I die?- ¡°Four, zero me,¡± I snicker, ¡°If we count your suicide attempt as my win that is. Should I go easy on you, Ice Queen?¡± I drop the mace to the ground and pant lightly. Glaring at me she spits some blood to the side and gets up for another round. ¡°How are you so good at this anyway?¡± she asks while wiping away her tears. -Yes! The same conversation pattern as before.- ¡°Same as everyone nowadays I guess¡­ practice, practice and more practice,¡± I smile, ¡°Access to youtube and a love for fantasy help as well...¡±I shrug. ¡°I like Harry Potter¡­ doesn¡¯t mean I go on youtube and learn how to wave a wand around,¡± she lowers her shield and moves a step forward. -Again with the surprise attack?- ¡°Not the best analogy, but I also like Harry. Evans-Verres though and not Potter. And before you jump on me let''s make a bet? You win and I¡¯ll tell you about my skill.¡± -Equal Ground she called it?- ¡°And what happens if I lose?¡± she squints her eyes at me. ¡°Well¡­ you already said you¡¯d fuck me so how about you share your skill instead?¡± a half smile appears on my face. ¡°I don¡¯t remember saying anything like that¡­¡± ¡°Right¡­ you tried to kill me before we decided on anything.¡± I smile innocently. ¡°So if I win Iget a bj. Deal?¡± ¡°Nice try,¡± she smiles back, ¡°I rather tell you my skill.¡± ¡°And I rather get a blowjob. Let¡¯s fight.¡± I raise my shield and mace and advance fearlessly before she can change her mind. I won. -Feels like all the training I did the first iteration actually counts. The equipment feels much better in my hands¡­- I sigh to myself in relief as I sit down to catch my breath. Elsa sits down next to me and concentrates on her arm. ¡°Look at your mana, you¡¯ll see it going down if you¡¯re doing it right.¡± She looks at me, surprised she didn¡¯t think of something so simple, and concentrates on her palm again. ¡°Oh¡­¡± she exclaims after a moment, ¡°It went down by one point.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t I a genius?¡± I nudge Elsa playfully. ¡°As smart as you are humble,¡± she rolls her eyes, ¡°still don¡¯t feel anything move though¡­¡± We sit in silence, each practicing his magic. -It¡¯s about this time I asked for a bj, right?.- I chuckle to myself. ¡°So when do I get my bj?¡± I ask without looking at her. ¡°Now. Lay back.¡± She answeres after thinking for a moment. Without hesitation, I instead jump up and unbuckle my belt in front of her face. ¡°Stop! Asshole...you really know no shame, do you?¡± Expecting the answer I sit back down after giving her a shrug. ¡°Way too much actually...¡± I say seriously hoping she¡¯ll ask what I mean. ¡°Right¡­ so how come you don¡¯t have any stats?¡± she asks looking slightly flustered. -Not biting this time as well¡­- ¡°So your skill gave you my stats and made me homicidal? Talk about shooting yourself in the leg...¡± ¡°I didn''t know it would make you homicidal¡­ it¡¯s called ¡®Equalizer¡¯. It does exactly what you said and I get to keep the stats if I win.¡± -Didn¡¯t you call it ¡°Equal Ground¡± last time?- ¡°Wow, lucky you.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ that¡¯s if I win...¡± her hand goes up to touch her face. ¡°Any ideas on how you plan on using it?¡± ¡°Any I had are gone now that I know that I¡¯m gambling with my life when I use it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure there are ways to make it safer. How about asking the princess to get you access to criminals who are going to be executed? Or something along those lines.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m morally okay with that¡­¡± ¡°They¡¯ll be killed one way or the other but suit yourself. Ready for another round?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± She hesitates but I can see that this time, without any of the munchkin explanation that came before my suggestion, she¡¯s actually considering the idea. Just like last time, we slow the training down and each standing his ground we take turns at trying to pass each other''s defenses. Not long after we are both panting hard and I¡¯m using her hip as a pillow. I tell her a few of the things I learned during the dinner talks in the previous iteration. -Just enough to impress her without making her suspicious. I have to say though¡­ it¡¯s so much easier to hit on a girl for the first time once I¡¯ve already slept with her¡­-This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°Lift up your shirt.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re too skinny, Ice Queen.¡± I bump the back of my head a few times into her hip bone. ¡°Will you stop with the stupid nickname if I do?¡± ¡°Mhhm.¡± A put my sweaty head on her exposed stomach. ¡°Gross! You¡¯re all wet!¡± ¡°Relax, princess. You¡¯ll be too in a moment.¡± She gasps as I penetrate her skin with my mana. Mana stimulation activates intuitively and I feel her toned abs contract, lifting my head up a little as they do. -It¡¯s great I found out last night I don¡¯t need to use my hands for the skill to work.- The mana I sent into Elsa is already by her heart when I suddenly feel like the cooldown is over. ¡°Why¡¯d you stop?¡± she asks. ¡°Out of mp.¡± I lie. Activating Hypothetical Anchoring and again feeling no change whatsoever, I make a mental list of all the things I need to do when I feel Elsa¡¯s breathing slow down to a normal rhythm. ¡°So?¡± I start the same conversation as in the previous iteration and transition it into brainwashing that will be continued in the dining hall. However there¡¯s much to do and even more to find out. ¡°Can you tell me what time it is? Actually¡­ can I borrow your watch for a while?¡± ¡°Ok...why?¡± ¡°An experiment. I¡¯ll tell you the results in the evening while we cuddle.¡± She counters. I fake. She stings. I make her laugh. After flirting for a while longer I get up and walk over to Tabita, who apparently went over to slack next to Val and the rest of the soldiers guarding us. Feeling more relaxed than I¡¯ve ever felt in my life, the realization that nothing I do will have any real consequences manifests itself as a graceful spring in my steps. -I even feel like my back is straight without me having to consciously keep it like that.- ¡°Yo.¡± I wave a hand at her. ¡°Whatcha want?¡± she eyes me, annoyed. ¡°I have a proposition. A way you can beat me up and no one will complain.¡± I smile innocently. ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± her annoyance turns into suspicion which turns my smile into a grin. She prepares to fight by going into a weird brawler stance. Arms low, elbows slightly bent and hands wide, leaving herself completely open. Legs wide apart as if she was getting ready to jump she holds her weight high and badly distributed. -Alright. No fighting skills at all. I¡¯ll need to check a few more soldiers before I can conclude that hopefully, this is systematic. But first, how do I deal with her? Fast for caution or slow for skills?- She moves fast, slightly faster than a human should yet slower than what I know she is capable of. However, she moves without any technique or intention except causing pain. Knowing the trajectory of her attack I maneuver her hand with mine and turn half around into her rushing body. As we collide I use her momentum for a hip throw. Her back smashes into the hard floor and the air is forced out of her lungs leaving her with a feeling of choking as her trunk muscles spasm in pain and prevent her from inhaling. I don¡¯t leave her enough time to get her breath back and step lightly on her Adam''s apple with my leather boot.
Martial Arts branch unlocked. Strength +1 Dexterity +1
Grappling twig unlocked. Perception +1
I had my suspicions. From a few random events I saw since I came here and the talks during dinner, it felt like this whole world was simply relying on skills for everything. People don¡¯t learn, not really. Society doesn¡¯t seem to pass on real knowledge. Just simple explanations and advice on how to get the desired skill faster. -I¡¯ll need to remember to ask about skill books. Lots of riches everywhere but I¡¯d replace them all with a good library¡­ maybe at the mage tower?- The second round with Tabita was the only serious injury I received before washing up and leaving for dinner. She decided not to hold back in our second round and her fist caught my ear as I was going down into a tackle. Val healed the tear a moment later with the soldiers behind him excitedly removing their armor and weapons. Soldier after soldier, I beat down the whole group that was there to protect us. -I¡¯ll have no chance against them if they come at me together, but one on one and without a weapon, they have no way to counter grappling techniques.- As long as they don¡¯t use any weapons they simply never managed to land more than one strike on me before they were on their backs in a choke or a lock. Their absurd strength was useless then. Apparently, the only unarmed class they know of is Brawler, and have heard of some who advanced it into a Boxer. Except for these, there were rumors about some guy getting a kicking related class but they didn¡¯t have much detail about it.
Unarmed Combat Tree sprouted its first buds: Strength +1 Dexterity +1
Takedowns and Throws Mastery acquired.(Passive) Helps when lifting or maneuvering an opponent forcefully through the air or to the ground.
Pins and Submissions Mastery acquired.(Passive) Helps when choking or locking an opponent.
I left the arena with the promise of showing them more moves tomorrow. -Not that that''s ever happening, thank you very much. The only reason I approached in the first place was to test myself against you.- Excited at the prospect of exploring a new world with no care for the law or the consequences of my actions I head for the dining hall with the rest of the earthlings. Not interested in a second round of mingling I chat up one of the younger female mages and convince her to show me around the mage tower. She¡¯s wearing a nice pair of jeans that make her behind look much perkier than it has any right to be and what is clearly a push-up bra. Gladly I also take her up on the offer of explaining to me how to meditate to increase my mana regeneration. The twig seems to be easy to unlock and requires actively focusing on your own Mana as it regenerates a certain amount of points. Each individual differs and only two of their group unlocked it so far. However, to get the passive or even the active skill requires one to make the mana flow inside oneself more efficient as you regenerate it. -Which is something I already did with Gardami, no?- Filing the thought for later I look around us a few times and realize that I haven¡¯t seen any people around. Luise tells me that it¡¯s because most of the mages are on the higher floors and prefer their food brought up to them. ¡°What about servants and such?¡± ¡°They have their own access from the kitchens. The noble pricks rather see as little of them as possible,¡± she shrugs, ¡°Not like I don¡¯t understand them though, ya¡¯know? They all smell like shit and don¡¯t look much better either¡­¡± -Perfect.- Presented with the opportunity I pin her to the wall. My palm on her mouth and my leg between hers. She tries to push me away but is off balance and can¡¯t put any force behind her. She tries to bite at my hand but the leather glove protects against it. ¡°Shhh¡­ I¡¯m gonna say this only once.¡±I squeeze her cheek bones together causing some pain, ¡±You will stay silent and follow orders or I¡¯ll stop being nice.¡± I punch her in the liver at half strength. ¡°Understood?¡± I ask her as she grimaces in pain and tears begin to build up at the edges of her eyes. I wait for a moment but no answer follows so I order her to lower her jeans, and since she does nothing I pinch her stomach causing her to scream into my gloved palm. So I punch her in the liver again. Same amount of force but I¡¯m sure it¡¯s hurting much more the second time. -I hope there¡¯s no need for a third time.- ¡°Take off your pants.¡± -Unfortunately there is.- Reluctantly she complies the third time I ask. ¡°Now, unbuckle mine.¡± Weeping silently into my hand she fumbles around for a few minutes with shaking hands, before my erection is exposed. ¡°Good girl.¡± I move my other hand over the bruised rib cage and liver, ¡±Now slowly turn around. Press your chest to the wall and stick your butt out.¡± Slowly she complies. ¡°Good girl.¡± I say calmly and warmly, ¡°I will remove my hand now. You can scream if you want. But the moment you do I will stop being gentle.¡± I grab her bruise with my hand as I gradually remove my palm from her face. She keeps weeping but does nothing else to resist. ¡°Good girl. As a reward, I¡¯ll make you wet before fucking you.¡± When she continues whimpering into the wall I grab her hair and pull it back, forcing her to extend her neck uncomfortably, ¡±What do you say when people do nice things for you?¡± She struggles against me not understanding what I want. ¡°Good girls, should be,¡± I pull her hair back even stronger, ¡±polite. Do I need to teach you manners?¡± I let go of her hair and her forehead slams into the wall from the recoil. ¡°No,¡± she whimpers, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°For what?¡± She hesitates so I pull her hair back again. ¡°Thank you,¡± I pull harder, ¡±For what?¡± ¡°Thank¡­ you.. for¡± I let go and her head bounces forward again, not strong enough to hit the wall unfortunately, ¡°making me... wet...¡± she whimpers. ¡°Before?¡± I add as if talking to a little child. ¡°Before fucking me...¡± ¡°Good girl. Bite the tip.¡± She bites down on the glove so that I can take it off. I make sure to pat her bruise from time to time to remind her not to try anything stupid. With my ungloved hand I press a finger against her opening, enjoying the fear tensed muscles. ¡°Did you know¡­¡± I push my finger inside her, ¡° that most women orgasm during rape?¡± I kiss the back of her neck passionately while I wait for an answer that doesn¡¯t come. ¡°When I ask you a question!¡± I knee her hard between her legs causing her to gasp and start whimpering again, ¡°You answer.¡± Leaving my knee pressed against her lower lips I start moving it back and forth. ¡°Now answer!¡± I apply more pressure with my knee and continue kissing the back of her neck. ¡°I did not know that women can orgasm from rape.¡± she answers stutteringly. ¡°They sure can. Now¡­ what I¡¯m wondering is whether you will.¡± I kiss her nape a few more times, ¡°Will you be a good girl and cum for me?¡± I say softly into her ear. ¡°I can¡¯t. I¡¯m sorry.¡± she sobs, ¡°Please don¡¯t hit me again.¡± her body begins to tremble slightly but to her credit, she doesn¡¯t move an inch. ¡°I¡¯ll never punish you for that.¡± I kiss the edge of her ear, ¡±Take your shirt off.¡± She does as she¡¯s told but struggles to lift her left hand because of the pain from her rib cage. ¡°Let me help.¡± Gently we remove the shirt and I unhook her bra, ¡°Good girl.¡± I add and continue with kissing her exposed back and shoulders, playing with her breast at the same time. Slowly I lower my palm. Petting, grabbing and squeezing all the way down to between her legs to replace my knee. I don¡¯t wait this time and push a finger in the moment I get there, making sure to activate Mana Stimulation at the same moment. According to Elsa my skill and simple mana infusion feel completely different. -¡¯During what Gardami did I could feel that the source was foreign but with your skill, it feels like it¡¯s my own mana that is lighting me on fire¡¯¡­ were Elsa¡¯s words last night. Or tonight? Hmm... Whatever, this should confuse Luise quite a bit.- I grin at the gasp that escapes Luise¡¯s lips. ¡°Good girl.¡± I bite her neck with a bit of passion. My words break whatever invisible wall was holding back her tears and she begins to weep uncontrollably. ¡°Don¡¯t cry,¡± I speak slowly, kissing her body the whole time. ¡°There¡¯s. Nothing wrong. With what. You¡¯re feeling.¡± I cause a few quick short inhalations when my skill covered finger brushes against her clitoris. ¡°Isn¡¯t that why you wear such tight clothes? You enjoy all the looks men give you, don¡¯t you? You like feeling attractive. You like how it makes you feel more confident.¡± Her crying intensifies and I proceed to kiss her whole upper body while fingering her. ¡°You only have yourself to blame for walking around like that. How do you expect me to hold myself back when you dress like a slut.¡± -Thank you third wave feminism for brainwashing your own kind with this nonsense.- Whether she wants it or not, the skill leaves her wet and flowing and soon my hand is drenched. ¡°Lick it.¡± I raise my wet fingers to her lips and between sobs I put them in her mouth, ¡°Can you taste how excited you are? Will you cum for me now?¡± ¡°No. Please don¡¯t. I can¡¯t¡± ¡°Please what?¡± I go back to fingering her, toggling the skill on and off to preserve mana. She hesitates so I use the skill to send a shock through her clit. ¡°I don¡¯t want to¡­¡± she breaks down in another wave of tears. ¡°I want you too!¡± I grab a fistful of her hair and press her face against the wall, ¡°Cum for me!¡± ¡°Mhhm¡­¡± with her face hard against the wall she mumbles her protests. More to herself than to me. I give her one last long smooch on the nape before starting to fuck her. I¡¯m rough and brutal. Using the skill I send a mix of pain and pleasure every time I¡¯m fully inside her. My knees are bent uncomfortably so that I can penetrate deeper. I continue degrading and mocking her all the while and by the time she eventually orgasms due to the skills effects, the are no more tears and instead, weak moans and wet squishy noises are the only noises that can be heard. ¡°Good girl.¡± I kiss her nape again, ¡°Did you enjoy that?¡± All she can do is breath heavily as she recovers her breath from the magic induced climax. I wait for a moment and put my hand on the bruise I made earlier to remind her where she is and what''s happening. ¡°Ow¡­¡± her body jumps away from my hand but she recovers quickly and returns to the wall leaning posture I ordered, ¡°I did¡­¡± she adds sheepishly before another wave of tears starts flowing. ¡°And what do good girls say when someone does something nice for them?¡± ¡°Thank you¡­ for making me cum.¡± she adds hurriedly when she hears me start forming the next question. ¡°Good girl.¡± I penetrate her slowly while my mana regenerates, ¡°Now it¡¯s my turn to enjoy. Do you agree?¡± I ask and thrust strong, without the skill this time, causing discomfort to her insides. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s ugh my turn to make ow you enjoy,¡± she whispers through sobs. ¡°Stupid girl.¡± I grab her head and slam her forehead into the wall, ¡°You have nothing to do with my enjoyment. You¡¯re just a bunch of holes for me to use.¡± I force my thumb through her resisting anus and activate my skill for a brief moment. A mix of pain and pleasure jolts through her body and I can feel her insides tighten around me. ¡°All you need to do is be a good girl and do what you''re told.¡± I kiss and nibble on her nape and shoulders while at the same time pressing my thumb down, touching myself through the wall that separates the two orifices. Intrigued I activate the skill and imagine it passing from my thumb to my member as if in a loop. It doesn¡¯t work out as I intended it to but the effect is still quite strong, and soon Luise is moving to meet my thrusts. ¡°Did I say you¡¯re allowed to enjoy this? Ahh?¡± I clutch a fistful of her hair and slam her head into the wall again, ¡°I was nice and allowed you to cum and this is how you act? Like a depraved slut?¡± Pretending to be angry I increase the force of my thrusts and use my thumb to spread her hole against her clenched orifice. She whines at the pain, a bit too loud so I put a hand on her bruise to remind her of the conditions. I raise my dirty thumb to her mouth and tell her to clean it. -That''s more than enough time to decide¡­- I think and pinch her nipple, hard. She yelps in pain and starts crying again. ¡°Clean it.¡± She takes too long again so I pinch the other nipple. ¡°Be a good girl or next time it will be your clit,¡± I say softly in her ear, making sure to give her nape a bite after. Cautiously she takes the thumb in her mouth and gagging from the taste her head lurches forward, sending the thumb deeper in. A few more heaves and coughs follow but my thumb eventually comes out clean, so I can now stick my index and middle finger back inside her. I use them to spread the orifice even further and then replace them suddenly with something much bigger and wetter, causing Luise to go into a screaming fit, muted by her own hands lifting to her mouth to try and silence herself. Using my weight to pin her to the wall I decide to not go all out yet and activate Mana Stimulation in her back hole while using my gloved hand to stimulate the front one. The screaming actually dies down a bit, broken apart by a moan or two. Channeling what''s left of my little mana reserves into a dozen of the roughest and deepest thrusts so far, they cause Luise to tremble. For a moment I think she¡¯s crying again but her moans tell another story. ¡°Did you just cum?¡± Between gasps for air she mumbles a yes. -This skill is amazing!- ¡°I don¡¯t remember giving you permission to do that.¡± I try to make my voice sound cold and distant. Lifting her up I take two steps back and drop her to her knees. Pushing her head down to the floor I tell her to raise her behind high and leave a quickly reddening imprint of my hand on her rump for not arching her back properly. With one foot on her head for the added humiliation, I maneuver myself into position and begin to plow. With Mana Stimulation no longer active the pain is too much for her and she starts screaming like a banshee. -What was that?- I jump back and buckle my belt. -Running? Metal on metal? Soldiers? The screams?- I kick Luise in the stomach with the metal tip of my boot causing her to start heaving and vomiting. ¡°Help! Rape!¡± I yell and crouch next to her, pretending to help. A pair of royal guards bursts through the door. The plate armored one points a sword at me and tells me to step away from the gagging woman and approach him. They wait until I¡¯m standing next to them before the second guard, wearing only a breastplate and mail underneath decides to move towards Luise. I wasn¡¯t told to put my arms up so I slowly move my left hand towards the Rondel dagger I have clipped to my belt. ¡°She has a knife!¡± I yell and point with my right hand. The plate armored soldier turns away from me, so with a wide circular motion, I use the momentum and cover of lowering my right arm to stab him in the opening of his helmet. -Fucking stats¡­- The dagger gets stuck in his eye socket as his knees buckle. Abandoning the knife I see the other soldier regain his balance from jumping backward, startled from my yell. As the metal plate covered body behind me hits the floor with a clang the one who jumped away from Luise turns into my tackle. The momentary stun from getting his wind knocked out as I drop him to the floor is enough time for me to twist myself into a headlock and snap his windpipe. This isn''t the first time I killed people and considering the fact that everything will be reset soon I simply go back to destroying Luise¡¯s backdoor. This time, instead of screaming she just whimpers continuously into the floor. The gurgles of the choking guard soon stop and I can enjoy myself to the end. After I cut off her hair for refusing to clean me she politely uses her mouth to clean off any vaginal juices, fecal matter and blood that she got on me. ¡°Don¡¯t forget the balls.¡± I smile and pat her head. -I always did prefer short haired girls¡­- Luise limps behind me after I explain to her that she is to come with me to my room so we can keep enjoying ourselves some more. Unfortunately, more guards are waiting outside. ¡°We¡¯re heroes. What we did is normal in our world,¡± I answer to their accusations at Luise¡¯s appearance, ¡°Tell them you enjoyed it.¡± She lifts her head to look at me with dead eyes, her mascara running down her cheeks in black lines and her posture afraid ¡°I¡­ I... I did,¡± she stutters quietly and starts to cry again. ¡°See?¡± I act as if her behavior is the most ordinary thing in the world, ¡°can we go now? Or would you like a turn?¡± They look at me in surprise and at Luise in confusion. ¡°Please don¡¯t,¡± she falls to the ground and crawls away while crying desperately, ¡°Not again! Please! Please no more¡­ please...¡± -Shit¡­- I feel the tip of a spear press against my neck and see the other two guards moving in on me.
Rape branch unlocked. Strength +2
Death tree unlocked Vitality +5
Homicide branch unlocked Wisdom +2
One-hit Kill twig unlocked Perception +1
Mana Stimulation level up!
Takedowns and Throws Mastery level up!
I press my head to metal bars blocking my way out of a small prison cell I was thrown into. Looking at the time and seeing I have at least five hours to go I sit down with my back to the wall and try to get as comfortable as I can. -It stinks in here, Jane. Sorry about yesterday¡­ I was dead tired¡­- I think as I set the alarm on Elsa¡¯s watch to two thirty in the morning. -It¡¯s okay. Although it seems that sleep carries with us when we reset. Otherwise, you¡¯d be snoring already.- The little tiredness I felt a moment ago was gone when her voice appeared in my mind. Hearing it crystal clear, and for the first time completely aware that it is not my own, I start to cry as a bittersweet feeling warms me from inside. Chapter 13 - Threes a crowd

Corpus Grove unlocked. Vitality +5
Nervous System tree unlocked. Perception +3 Dexterity +2
Roots from another garden have entwined with the Nervous System Tree.
Central Nervous System Branch unlocked. Inteligence +1 Perception +1
Frontal Lobe Twig Unlocked Intelligence +1
Nervous System tree sprouted its first bud. Perception +1
Increased Processing Skill Acquired(Passive) Helps with thinking.
Tulpamancer title gained. Intelligence +10 Wisdom +5 Sentience +10
Sentience Attribute Unlocked Increases awareness of self.
-Whoah¡­- -No kidding...- a suit wearing devil said as she stepped out of the nothingness of my mind and into my consciousness. Having conjured her usual couch she sat down and waited for me to calm down enough to imagine an image of myself and sit down as I usually do. -Hmm¡­ how about this instead?- I conjure a large, classic looking sofa and half lie on one side. Jane soon joins me, wearing a simple T-shirt. I recognize it as the same one I usually wear around the house. She lies down opposite me, legs reaching up to my chest, and her tail starts palpating me. I do the same to her, and although I can¡¯t really feel anything the image of her in my mind is stable and alive. Since Jane had access to my thoughts, emotions and memories of the past few years, after our initial amazement at the new situation I simply listen as she shares with me her side of our relationship. She explains how she suddenly became aware the moment I decided to create another personality inside my mind. How at first she had no memory and her only world were my body''s immediate sensations. How slowly she became more aware of my thoughts and gained access to all the parts of my brain. How for a whole year she tried reaching out to me but I couldn¡¯t hear her. How excited she was when I felt her emotions for the first time and how we both cried. She was still an ¡®it¡¯ then and had the form of a color changing ball of liquid metal. How a few months later she decided on her current form and how for years she tried to communicate with me in words. -And now¡­ in one second this world gave us something that for five years we were unable to do.- While talking we transitioned into cuddling and I¡¯m suddenly aware of her tail being pressed into the crotch of my imaginary self. Excited I can feel an erection growing both in my real and imaginary body. She knows I refuse to do anything to her and is teasing me on purpose so in return I imagine myself embracing her even tighter as we continue to talk. Eventually we reach the topic of the new world we are stuck in and Jane suggests I try to draw. -I don¡¯t have anything to draw with¡­- -Use your blood then, you bloody idiot,- she rolls her eyes, already wearing a suit and high heels, - It¡¯s for science and you¡¯re gonna heal.- Surrendering to her I do what I always wanted to try at least once and make a small cut along one of Langer¡¯s lines on my forearm. -This hurts much more than I thought it would¡­- I think regretfully. -Be grateful they didn¡¯t take your knife away when they put you here or you¡¯d have to use your teeth.- I can no longer see Jane in my mind¡¯s eye but I¡¯m still aware of her sharing my senses. -It¡¯s kinda comforting now that you¡¯re aware of me¡­ doesn¡¯t feel as lonely anymore.- she words out what we¡¯re both feeling. Using the tip of the knife I draw a nude woman, my specialty, and after squishing my wound a few more times for more blood I¡¯m almost done. -Jeezus¡­ I suck.- -You don¡¯t. Continue.- Using my pinky I spread blood in strategic places to portray depth and shape. It¡¯s a rough sketch and instead of drawing the lines I rely on their absence to convey form.
Visual Arts tree unlocked. Dexterity +4 Control +1
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Two-Dimensional Art branch unlocked. Dexterity +2
Drawing twig unlocked. Dexterity +1
Drawing Mastery skill acquired.(Passive) Helps with the accurate representation of subject of choice.
Drawing Mastery level up.
Female Human Anatomy skill level up.
-Little good it does me¡­- I think in disappointment once I remember I¡¯m not going to get any of the attribute benefits. -We needed to test if it works. We¡¯ll be more careful from now on since we don¡¯t know if a big garden will limit you as it does the normal inhabitants of this world.- I get up to pee in the corner and make a mental note to empty my bladder in the pit latrines before leaving the training arena in the following iterations. We continue to discuss what other hobbies I gathered that can be converted to real skills until at some moment I fall asleep, only to be woken up hazy and more tired thanks to the alarm I set in advance. Rubbing the sleep out of my eyes I lean on the wall and wait for the reset to happen. Jane keeps me company from the corner of my mind while I keep looking at the watch every few minutes. Close to five in the morning according to Elsa''s watch I feel my ears clog from a sudden drop in air pressure. -Something''s happening¡­- I convey to Jane. I swallow to repressurise my ears and something appears outside my cell. We look at each other but I fail to realize what it is I¡¯m looking at because it just popped into existence and my mind didn¡¯t seem to react to the fact fast enough. -Smiling. Old. Staff. Scrawny. Robes. Relax.- Jane calms me down by pulsing a feeling of relaxation at me. It does nothing against the adrenalin now pumping through my body but it¡¯s enough to refocus me. ¡°Good morning.¡± I wave at the old mage. ¡°Good?¡± his smile widens, ¡°Maybe. Interesting? Very.¡± ¡°Indeed it is.¡± Another person appears from behind the old man. Dressed entirely in black, face covered with a hood and a mask, he simply walks forward and opens the cell door as if it¡¯s been unlocked this whole time. ¡°Like minded fools we are,¡± the old man smiles at the hooded individual who ignores the greeting, ¡°What piqued your interest?¡± ¡°The girl¡¯s report. Same as you.¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± the old man said in a poor attempt of mimicking the emotionless tone of his hooded friend. They both looked at me and moved a step back, letting me know they were waiting for me to get out of my cell. I stare back at them letting them know I don¡¯t intend to move. After a few moments my gut tells me that these are not people I can win against when it comes to patience, asking Jane and receiving her approval, I look at my watch again in a great display of boredom. -I doubt they know what a wrist watch is,- Jane tells me bluntly, so I force myself to yawn and ask ¡°I¡¯m quite tired from all the rape and killing, gentlemen, so how about you tell me what it is I can help you with?¡± ¡°We understand completely how exhausting some pleasures can be and promise not to take much of your time,¡± without missing a bit the old man responds with an amused tone, ¡°the question is however, which one of us will have the pleasure of helping you?¡± ¡°Whichever one of you wants to be first¡± I make a show of adjusting my crotch and add that ¡°I¡¯m more than recovered.¡± I flash them a lecherous smile. The old man snickers but the hooded one sighs and slowly steps towards me. As he gets closer my body feels heavy, and as I fight against the feeling the hairs on my body stand up in fear and I struggle for breath. Crouching next to me, hand on the wall for stability, he speaks softly in an annoyingly monotone voice, ¡°There is always a need for people who don¡¯t mind ignoring social taboos.¡± The pressure grows stronger and my breath refuses to leave my chest. ¡°And with half of your future teammates now dead, it won¡¯t be hard to add another body to the pile. Not that anyone would care if something happens to you after what you did.¡± ¡°Now, now! Leave the boy alone,¡± the old man jokes when he sees the hooded figure¡¯s hand moving towards my throat. The weight leaves as suddenly as it appeared and I try to grasp for air in as relaxed manner as I can. ¡°I apologize for my friend here. Our morning is just starting you see and it would be nice if you treat us with at least some degree of seriousness.¡± The air pressure drops as he speaks and I swallow a few times to repressurize my ears, but to no avail. ¡°Who killed them?¡± I ask as I get up to my feet, the air pressure suddenly stabilizing as I do. ¡°Three beastmen came to return one of their own. Found out about your friends and slaughtered them in their sleep before escaping.¡± I try to remember the few beast slaves I saw since I came here and the memory of a little bunny girl surfaces. -Hare.- -Who cares what the guy called her¡­- I mentally shrug at Jane -She¡¯s small. She¡¯s cute and until we see the difference between the two I¡¯m referring to her as a bunny.- -Because it''s sexier?- she sighs. -Exactly!- -He did mention that it was the battlehares that assassinated the king. They could come back for one of their own.- -He did? I wasn¡¯t really listening¡­- Jane simply folds her hands and smiles. -Fuck you.- I mentally flick her off. -I wish¡­- ¡°Can they get the public slave crest off?¡± I gamble, ignoring Jane and wondering how come our mental interactions are happening fast enough to not cause a lull in the conversation. The hooded man continues without hesitation but the old man''s smile grows. ¡°Public crests are impossible to remove without permanent damage. That is why they are rarely used and only for punishment. We would hate for anything to happen to someone with your potential, so we offer our guidance and the chance to avoid the battlefield. Choose.¡± ¡°Let me get this straight¡­ you¡¯re like a royal spy or something, right?¡± I wait for a response but all I get is the amused looks of the old man, ¡°and you want to train me to do what you do?¡± I wait but no response this time either. I speak for Jane when I add ¡°And, hypothetically speaking, this will include things more fun than rape and murder?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he answers with the same emotionless voice as ever but I can swear that I could hear a hint of boredom. ¡°Than why not say it clearly from the start¡­¡± I shake my head and tsk my tongue a few times. ¡°If you could not deduce such a simple thing by yourself then I rather not waste my efforts on you.¡± ¡±Fair enough. A moral grey area would be quite suitable for such things. However I fail to see why it would attract the attention of the archmage?¡± I address the old man, ¡±You are the archmage, right?¡± ¡°Does it matter?¡± he chuckles, ¡°The Red robe sent to instruct you reported that you had an interesting skill. One which, from the poor young girl''s story, I assume you used on her; even though she herself seems to have no idea you did,¡± he chuckles again. ¡°I believe such a skill to be quite useful¡­ for.. um¡­ how do I say this politely? Hmm¡­¡± ¡°Acquisition of information.¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± he mimicks and chuckles to himself again. ¡°And I can only choose one of you?¡± ¡°Unfortunately for you, I don¡¯t like to share,¡± he winks at me. ¡°Sharing is caring you know?¡± I wink back. -What do you think?- I ask Jane. ¡°Indeed,¡± states the hooded one robotically. -I think that it was your death that caused the restart and that means we don¡¯t know when the next restart will happen,- she closes her eyes and I can feel a slight throb appear in my temple. -Other than that you should choose the one you can contact after the restart happens. Unless you want to try and break Luise properly?- -Hmm¡­eventually maybe. Right now I think it¡¯ll be more beneficial for us to stay on good terms with everyone.- -Try to use the skill on them.- -Good idea.- ¡°Good thing I don¡¯t care,¡± the old man shrugs. ¡°I see¡­ then there¡¯s no reason I should either, right?¡± I shrug back, ¡°How am I to get in contact with you in the future though?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t. You follow the one you choose now.¡± ¡°Nah¡­ doesn¡¯t work for me. This restart is going to end eventually and I¡¯d like a method of getting in touch with you guys. Preferably one less flamboyant.¡± ¡°Explain.¡± the hooded man states. ¡°I think you forgot to add please,¡± I smile and wait. For the first time since they appeared the two of them share a look with each other, after which the hooded one takes a step back and seems to dissolve into the darkness. ¡°Tell the Redrobe you''ve made a breakthrough in magic due to knowledge from your world. It will reach me eventually.¡± I can feel the air pressure dropping again and Jane screams into my mind, ¡°Wait!¡±.The air stabilizes and I swallow to hear myself properly again, ¡°Can I try my skill on you?¡± ¡°If you manage to it''ll be my pleasure,¡± the old man extends his hand towards me, ¡°I hope,¡± he winks. Deciding not to hold back I slam all my mana into a brutal assault of pleasure, forcing my way directly to his nerves, not caring for the consequences. In less than a second, I feel myself reach his brachial plexus before a wave of force sends me flying back into my cell. Landing badly, I hit my head and lose all strength in my body. With the corners of my vision darkening, I barely notice the old mage step forward and mumble something about me being too dangerous to allow time to develop. Chapter 14 - A little knowledge is a dangerous thing The last thing I can remember is struggling for breath and the smell of ozone before my vision goes completely black. With the pain from being knocked back and electrocuted replaced with the feeling of Elsa¡¯s soft skin, I slowly open my eyes and immediately squint from the sun that is pleasantly warming us both as we lie on the ground. -I doubt he expected us to be so effective¡­- Jane manages to recover before me. -Ouch¡­ yeah¡­ remind me to never again try and make archmages orgasm in record time.- -You sure? Even though you leveled up your skill?- I check my status screen and sure enough, Mana Stimulation is now level 5. Making myself a bit more comfortable on Elsa¡¯s stomach I start a conversation and quickly derail it into lewd topics. Helped by my knowledge of her sexual preferences and minimal doses of Mana Stimulation so she doesn¡¯t notice, she soon exclaims ¡°And why the fuck am I even telling you this?!¡± ¡°Because you mentioned that you give good head and I can guarantee that you don¡¯t. The little bit you already told me proves that I was right.¡± ¡°Really? I¡­¡± ¡°Never heard anyone complain before?¡± I interrupt the usual response, ¡°Of course you didn¡¯t. No guy is going to complain when you have them in your mouth... but answer me this? How many rushed to fuck you instead of enjoying your bj¡¯s till the end?¡± I give her some time to try and remember before I put words into her head, ¡°Not many if at all. I bet your boyfriend didn¡¯t even bother asking you for them¡­ just got them from other girls.¡± -Shit! Shit! Shit! She didn¡¯t tell me about him yet.- ¡°At least that''s what most guys do, the morons¡­¡± I try to recover. ¡°Assholes is more fitting.¡± ¡°Not really. I don¡¯t really give a fuck about them getting some from other girls¡­ what I can¡¯t understand is why waste the opportunity of teaching their girlfriends, who are more than willing to learn, how to please them.¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because I don¡¯t need to learn anything and they''re just assholes,¡± she says as a matter of fact. ¡°You do¡­ you copy Hollywood movies and internet stereotypes too much. A good blowjob is sloppy and noisy. Don¡¯t lick the shaft and look at us seductively. Pretend to choke and make sucking noises. Even better if you gag!¡± ¡°You¡¯re disgusting¡­¡± ¡°Maybe¡­¡± I pulse my skill and cause her to jerk in pleasure, ¡°but I¡¯m still right.¡± Jane mentions that Elsa is opening up faster than usual so we decide to continue talking even after the anchor goes off cooldown and just wait for a natural lull in the conversation before casting it. Now free from any consequences I borrow her watch again and leave Elsa wondering as I rush to search for the bunny-girl. A few hours later I¡¯m leaning on the wall of the servants quarters, which are nothing more than long rows of rooms located a stone''s throw away from the palace. The higher end servant rooms are located closer to the palace while the lowest ones are at the far end, close to the line of walls made out of the royal guard dormitory. I try to ignore the smell coming from the farthest end of the rooms, where the toilets are located, while one of the servant girls sucks me off. Using my hand I force her head down every once in awhile to make her gag and listen to her choke. She looks barely sixteen, her technique is horrible and her teeth are slightly too yellow for my taste. She probably smells foul as well but thankfully the almost visible miasma from the stench in the place masks her odor. From what the girl explained between gasps for air the personal servants for the nobles all reside in the palace itself, in rooms adjacent to the nobles they serve. The public beast slaves are used for either running errands, as they are much quicker than humans, or for entertaining the guards. -Considering the other servants don¡¯t seem to care too much at what she is doing right in the middle of this ally it seems it''s not only the beasts that are used for entertainment.- -Did you have to say that? I was trying not to think about it too much¡­ I¡¯m already struggling to finish¡­- -I can help with that.- Jane smiles and starts to unbutton her dress shirt. I gently move her hands out of the way and button her up. Making sure not to break imaginary eye contact as I do.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. A few dozen gags later I hear a familiar thumping of feet and see bunny ears bobbing up and down as the girl I¡¯m looking for hops towards her room. ¡°Yo!¡± I yell to make her notice me. The servant tries to look back but I hold her head in place and push myself deeper into her throat. ¡°Stand there.¡± I point at a spot next to me and wait till the servant finishes with her choking fit, ¡±And don¡¯t say a word.¡± Excited by the cute little bunny¡¯s stare and the thought of meeting more of her kind I manage to get the release I¡¯ve been trying to reach for the past half hour. Sending the servant away after saying my thanks, I sit down and motion the bunny to sit down next to me. ¡°What''s your name?¡± ¡°Simca,¡± she looks at me with large round eyes. She reminds me of my sister and I just can¡¯t help but smile,¡°So¡­. Simca, how old are you?¡± ¡°Ten.¡± ¡°And how long have you had this?¡± I point at her chest where a red light appeared when she disobeyed her order. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± she lowers her chin and her ears drop. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Can you guess?¡± ¡°Two, maybe three months.¡± -So about the time the first attack inside the barrier happened.- ¡°I see. And can you tell me why you got that?¡± She looks at me in surprise and then back at the ground. Some time passes and just when I get ready to ask another question she opens her mouth to speak. ¡°I can¡¯t. It is not allowed.¡± ¡°Because of the seal?¡± She shakes her head, ears whipping from side to side, ¡°Tribe rules.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°I won¡¯t do it even if your order me,¡± she grimaces but her voice conveys a steely resolve. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I wasn¡¯t planning to. But I do have some questions that I must get some answers to. Is there a place we can talk where we won¡¯t be overheard?¡± I ask quietly. She looks at her room and down the row of buildings. ¡°No.¡± ¡°What about your room?¡± -Will you stop this already? There''s no reason to be nice. She won¡¯t remember and we are on a time limit.- Jane states after Simca simply stares silently at the ground. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll be blunt then¡­ Simca, tell me how you are planning to escape!¡± She says nothing but after a few moments a red glow appears on her chest and she falls to her knees in pain. Her hands grab at her sternum and tears roll down her cheek. I can see her two large front teeth bite down on her lower lip as she struggles not to make any sounds. -Don¡¯t you think this is weird?- I ask Jane. -Is there anything about this that isn¡¯t?- -Compare it to the last time she disobeyed an order.- -Less groaning and spasming? She was trying to hold her breath last time though.- -She was¡­ but this is too quiet.- I look around us and see that we are alone and nothing which stands out. ¡°The three who are going to help you are close by, aren¡¯t they?¡± She says nothing but for a moment her head tilts and she sneaks a glance in the direction of her room. ¡°They¡¯re waiting for you inside, aren¡¯t they?¡± -Not that many other places for them to hide around here.- It could be my imagination but the red glow seems to grow brighter with each of my questions. ¡°Relax. No need to answer. Just listen.¡± I lean closer to her small and shaking figure and whisper, ¡°I want to help.¡± The red glow dims and disappears, ¡°If they are waiting in your room I¡¯d like to talk to them.¡± her shaking eases, ¡°I¡¯d like you to go inside and explain to them that I¡¯m a friend and that they shouldn¡¯t kill me. Can I trust you Simca?¡± She nods her head and a moment later hops to her room and knocks on the door in a pattern that I can¡¯t hear properly. I wait and a few minutes later the door is opened from the inside and I take it as an invitation to enter. The room is longer than it is wide and the four half-beasts are packed in the far end of it. The moonlight entering from the door and a slit in the wall are the only lights. ¡°Greetings, sexy ladies.¡± I flash my best smile and give a small bow. ¡°Greetings, human,¡± the tallest one says. A small cot and a chamber pot seem to be the only things in the room. Simca and the other two are standing behind her. It¡¯s dark but their silhouettes clearly have their hands on their weapons with their long ears twitching at every sound from outside. As I enter and close the door behind me one of them lights a small lantern that looks like it''s made of clay. Although weak, it gives off enough light to pick up facial details. ¡°Please. Call me Marcus. I come with a proposition,¡± I say and throw my mace and knife to the side. ¡°Thank you for not killing me,¡± I bow again. -Will you take this seriously?- -Why should I? I¡¯m having so much fun.- ¡°My sister has given her word and so we won¡¯t touch you. For now. What do you want, hero?¡± she asks with disgust. ¡°I would like to help you escape.¡± As my eyes adjust to the darkness I can see her eyes narrow to slits. ¡°And why would you do that?¡± -Yes, David. Why do you want to help these bunnies?- Jane shares with me her annoyance. ¡°No special reason really. I was summoned here to kill you, but I don¡¯t like being told what to do.¡± I fold my hands to my chest. -That¡¯s an understatement¡­- Jane sniggers. ¡°And why do you think we require your help?¡± she takes a step forward and I can hear her weapon leave the scabbard. ¡°What¡¯s stopping me from making sure you don¡¯t ruin our plans instead?¡± ¡°Your word that you won¡¯t hurt me?¡± ¡°Means very little when dealing with your kind,¡± one of the warriors behind her chimes in her opinion and is quickly shushed by the one closest to me. ¡°Didn''t you say I can trust you?¡± I look at Simca but she avoids looking at me. ¡°Too bad¡­ and here I thought I¡¯d share a way to solve the slave crest problem.¡± I scratch my beard as I eye the leader smugly. All four look at me with apprehension. ¡°And what do you want in return?¡± she asks suspiciously. ¡°Sex.¡± -They have the best asses I¡¯ve ever seen. Even with the help of the internet! They better do anal¡­- -Like you¡¯ll leave them a choice¡­- Jane rolls her eyes and sighs. Chapter 15 - Carrot and stick Blinking at me a few times they turn to look at each other and begin to laugh. -Front teeth look sharper and bigger than I feel comfortable with them being¡­- a shiver runs through my body at the horrific image that pops in my mind. Waiting for them to calm down I no longer hold my lust in check and eye them up and down with half a grin growing on my face. -They sure are stunning...- ¡°With who?¡± the one I assume to be the leader asks still chuckling. ¡°All four of you,¡± I grin eagerly. The three stunning woman laugh again while Simca sulks. ¡°Agreed. What is your plan?¡± It¡¯s my turn to laugh. -Just like that? They accept pedophilia so easily?- ¡°Do you really think I¡¯ll tell you while I¡¯m still like this?¡± I point at the growing bulge in my pants. ¡°Fair enough.¡± The leader doesn¡¯t hesitate and begins untying and unbuckling her leather leggings and armor. Walking forward she drops them playfully, making sure to twist and turn in a way that accentuates her curves in the best way. -Looks like she¡¯s experienced,- I bite my lip in anticipation and begin to undress, my eyes glued to her unorthodox legs. With feet as long as her entire lower leg the way she stands on her toes leaves the ankle constantly elevated, giving the impression of double ankles and a calf muscle that looks big and tight as if she was wearing high heels. Short fur covers her legs and I let my gaze go higher once I see her leather cuirass drop to the floor. The fur seems to cover her whole body except a toned abdomen and small chest, leaving her body smooth and curvy with no muscle bulge to be seen. I struggle with my boots eliciting a laugh from the crowd. ¡°Leave them. Just drop your pants and lie down,¡± I do as I¡¯m told and a moment later she steps over me and I ravage her with my eyes from beneath, ¡°Let me give you a taste of your reward if you succeed.¡± Wetting her fingers in her mouth she lowers them and inserts two between her legs. The room is silent the hour is getting late and I can hear her spread herself. ¡°Mind telling me your name?¡± -Never slept with a girl whose name I didn¡¯t know and I¡¯m not about to start... human, bunny and bad timing be damned.- ¡°Salifa,¡± she answers after a small chuckle. Slowly she lowers herself into a squat and whether it''s her double ankles, skills or high stats, she is inhumanly stable. The tip of my erection just barely touching her sends a feeling of warmth spread through me, making me tense my perineal muscles, pumping blood and enlarging my erection just enough to enter her hole. Licking her other hand she wets me as well and then proceeds to lower herself, tantalizingly slowly, until I¡¯m completely inside of her. Engrossed in the tightness I almost forget the importance of the moment. -I may have the leverage here but I need to make them want to fuck me even after I remove the crest. If I can remove it at all¡­- -You didn¡¯t specify how many times you¡¯re to fuck,- adds Jane with a grin. ¡°You feel amazing¡­ so tight,¡± I look her lustfully in the eyes and it''s her turn to grin. ¡°Very kind of you but I suggest you wait with the compliments.¡± Squatting over me she puts her hands on her knees and starts rising slowly, tensing her perineal muscles, causing me to lose my breath at the strength of her grip and the pleasure that comes with it. -Now I know what they mean when people say it¡¯s as if she¡¯s sucking you in¡­- I smile and laugh to myself as Salifa stops and drops down quickly, only to slowly go up again. Never letting the tip of my erection leave her completely. -Shit¡­ almost forgot.- My intent activates Mana Stimulation and instead of the gasping reaction it enacted in everyone so far Salifa¡¯s hand grabs my throat and she lets me pop out of her.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°Never been with a human before?¡± I grin as I struggle to breathe. ¡°Many times¡­ but never with a mage apparently,¡± she smiles and adds, ¡°And a fool to boot.¡± -How does she know I¡¯m a mage? Not that I am one strictly speaking, but still...- ¡°Only with the strongest of warriors. So don¡¯t do that again or I¡¯ll start enjoying and forget not to accidentally rip your little friend off.¡± She gives me a playful look, as if daring me to try her, as she uses her hand to maneuver me back inside herself. -It¡¯s a dare little rabbit,- I return her the same look and activate Mana Stimulation again, making both of us gasp a little as our body twitches from the pleasure. I close my eyes to concentrate on the mana imprint of her body as I try to focus the skill only where our lower parts connect. I feel her tighten around me more, only to relax back to normal after a moment. -This is problematic¡­- It¡¯s easier to focus the skill with my eyes closed but then I can¡¯t see her reactions. -Whelp¡­ first things first.- I open my eyes and feast on the furry woman moving up and down over me. Her hands are on my chest for support and her behind is moving faster now. When I think I¡¯m fully inside her she gives a small twist of her hips, making the angle change and allowing more of my length to penetrate. A slight gasp escapes her every time she twists her hips like that, immediately transitioning into a rising motion until only my tip is left inside. I bask in the moment, mesmerized by the shaking tip of her short tail that peeks from behind her back every time she moves. She rides me until I feel the skill deactivate as I run out of Mp. Salifa raises her head with a questioning look on her face. ¡°What? This is my reward, isn¡¯t it?¡± I grin back at her and put my hands behind my head to get comfortable, ¡°Turn around.¡± Reluctantly she turns around and continues to ride while using the floor for support. It¡¯s not the most comfortable position for her and I can see she no longer lowers all the way down. Excited by the best behind I¡¯ve seen in my life I decide to help by raising my hips to her rhythm. The feeling is out of this world and I feel myself getting closer, so I grab her short little tail and give it a little pull to see Salifa¡¯s reaction. -Nothing?- Happy and slightly disappointed I suck on my thumb, and after placing two fingers on each side of her tails base I stick my thumb into her anus. In response to the new foreign object, her perineal muscles tighten causing me to lose control. Using the second hole as a hold I use my hand to slam her up and down with force, all the while making sure I meet every slam with a thrust of my hips. Her muscles tighten even more as she tries to keep her balance. No longer able to resist I climax.
Interspecies Sex branch unlocked. Charisma +1 Endurance +1
Beast-kin twig unlocked. Charisma +1
¡°What are you doing?¡± I ask Salifa as she walks away to pick up her clothes. She looks at me strangely as she picks up her sleeveless gambeson shirt. ¡°You¡¯re not done yet.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± she looks at the other hares questioningly. ¡°You forgot to clean me up,¡± I wave my hand over my slimy lower half. ¡°Ahh. I didn¡¯t forget. I just have no intention of doing so,¡± she answers in a patronizing tone. ¡°I see¡­ I guess you have no intention of dealing your sisters crest as well,¡± I lift myself up on my elbows and smile at her innocently. ¡°You got a taste of your reward. If you want more you know what to do,¡± she smiles back but her voice lost some of the amusement it had up until now. -At least I think it''s a smile¡­ she could just be flashing her sharp teeth as a threat¡­- ¡°Ohh! So I get to fuck you again? Even better. I don¡¯t mind cleaning up by myself then.¡± She shares another look with her fellow warriors and sighs after looking at Simca. ¡°I¡¯ll finish my part now,¡± she frowns, ¡°lie back.¡± Not holding back her disgust she goes down on her knees and licks me until all our combined juices are gone. ¡°Good girl,¡± I scratch behind her long ear playfully for a moment before she slaps my hand away and gets back to dressing. ¡°Remember,¡± I say to the other three, ¡°I won¡¯t consider your part paid back until you clean up the mess you made. Understood?¡± They look at me with disgust but don¡¯t say anything. ¡°Understood?¡± I say with more force this time. On the floor, half erect and with my pants down it¡¯s not my most impressive image but they nod and mumble a confirmation. ¡°Good,¡± seeing no reason to get up I turn to my side in my best ¡®draw me like one of your french girls¡¯ imitation and ask, ¡°So how do you plan on escaping?¡± With a raised eyebrow the leader answers with a question of her own, ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell us how you plan on removing the crest first?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t planning on removing it,¡± I scratch my stubble with my free hand. ¡°You what?!¡± her hand jumps to her daggers but it finds nothing since she¡¯s still walking around bottomless. Her flabbergasted expression is repeated on the faces of the three behind her and I can¡¯t help but giggle. ¡°It¡¯s impossible to remove a public crest without permanent damage,¡± I continue playing with my stubble. ¡°Get him!¡± ¡°Relax¡­¡± my heart starts to race as daggers are drawn, ¡°I think I have a way to get around that inconvenience.¡± The daggers stay drawn but they¡¯re not moving towards me, ¡°You¡¯ll have to trust me for that to work though. And I¡¯ll need to know your plan so we can work together.¡± Salifa pulls on her leggings and ties them properly while they whisper with each other. Waiting for them to finish I leisurely scratch my balls and pull on my member to get rid of a drop of cum that was pushed out. ¡°Salifa, you missed a drop.¡± I get glared at in return and decide not to push the matter, ¡°Nevermind¡­¡± I go back to scratching myself down under as I wait. Chapter 16 - Dont mix friendship and... ¡°We jump over the wall,¡± Salifa states as a matter of fact. ¡°It¡¯s almost twenty meters high¡­ I didn¡¯t know bunnies could fly.¡± ¡°Do we look like lovely bunnies to you?¡± Salifa holds back one of her friends from rushing me. ¡°I never knew there was a difference.¡± -Please don¡¯t antagonize the murderous lepor¨¥s¡­- Jane facepalms. -Whats that?- -I believe it''s the plural of lepus, which means hare in latin.- -Oh. Since when do we know Latin?- I scratch my imaginary beard. In my mind, it looks quite manly and much more impressive than the current stubble I¡¯m scratching in real life. -We don¡¯t, but I remember the wiki page and some of the Latin classes you had to take as a student.- -You remember the wiki page for hares? I don¡¯t even remember reading it...- -Your mind does and I always had access to it. Whatever this system did for us it also made everything much clearer and easier to access.- -You¡¯re joking? That¡¯s quite convenient actually. I¡¯ve read lot¡¯s of useful shit over the years. How far back can you go?- -One moment. I¡¯m still struggling to filter out all the porn...- Jane closes her eyes and a throbbing pain starts to grow over my temples. The pain brings me back to the situation and I struggle to remember what I was talking about. Thankfully the view of three steaming, murderous half beasts reminds me. My conversation with Jane seems to have been fast enough that they didn¡¯t even notice I had it. ¡°However, not knowing doesn¡¯t excuse my words. I sincerely apologize,¡± I bow my head as best as I can from my lying position and continue, ¡°However, the question still stands. I know you can jump high. I saw Simca almost hit her head on a ceiling, yet that and the wall are two different things.¡± Taking a deep breath to relax herself Salifa answers, ¡°It is how we got in and how we intend to leave.¡± ¡°I see¡­ and is this a skill? Your stats? I ask because I¡¯m wondering if your way applies to me as well.¡± She ponders my issue for a moment and I¡¯m wondering if I should move over to the small cot as the floor is getting uncomfortable. Pulling up my pants and buckling myself I wait for her to continue as the silence stretches. ¡°I do not know,¡± she says finally. ¡°That is not the hardest part, however,¡± she continues with an unsure voice, ¡°Even if we manage to take you with us, you are a liability that will slow us down and cause our exposure.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± I scratch my stubble as her words sink in. ¡°We need to travel fast. Unseen and under difficult conditions. Your presence will be a risk to us all.¡± My headache is getting stronger by the second and the tip of her dagger is edging closer in my direction with each sentence she makes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry your sweet little butt over that,¡± I fake confidence and blow her a kiss, ¡°As a hero, I have this unique skill that will make sure we avoid trouble.¡± -Even if we have to advance one hour at a time.- ¡°I¡¯m guessing the problem is my lack of sneaking and hiding skills?¡± Instead of answering one of her companions, the only one who hasn¡¯t shown any aggression toward me yet, takes a step back, disappearing into the shadows as my jaw drops slightly. A moment later her hand appears from behind me, closing my gaping mouth and giving me a gentle stroke on the cheek before disappearing again as I turn my neck around to look behind me. When I turn back the gorgeous half beast is standing back in her place behind Salifa, smirking at me seductively. ¡°Impressive. Can you teach me that?¡± -I¡¯d be more impressed if I haven¡¯t seen the hooded figure do better in the cell, but flattery never hurts.- ¡°With time. Something we don¡¯t have the luxury of,¡± Salifa puts a hand on Simca¡¯s head in a protective gesture, ¡°How fast can you complete your part?¡± My headache disappears as suddenly as it appeared while I take a moment to ponder my next words. -Good question. Care to share your plan with me first?- Jane summons a comfortable looking bean bag and drops into it. -You don¡¯t know? I thought you can read my mind¡­- -I can. But now that you¡¯re completely aware of me I believe a certain level of privacy will keep our relationship healthier in the long run.- -Why so?- -A few reasons but my main concern is keeping you sane,- a flat screen T.V appears before her, blocking my view. Mentally switching my view of her to the side I can¡¯t help but agree with her, -It might also help us with forming opinions on things without us influencing each other''s thoughts. Or at least keeping the influence to a minimum considering you say you have full access to my mind¡­- -Ohh¡­ Are you scared of what I might do?- she grins and her tail twirls in the air happily. -Terrified actually¡­ but there¡¯s not really anything I can do is there? And even if I could I¡¯m not sure I want to.- -Ohh¡­ you really do love me,- she says sarcastically and blows me a kiss. -Whatever¡­ demon,- I run away from my inner thoughts but not before making sure she knows this conversation isn¡¯t over and that I also want an explanation on why our interactions seem to happen at impossible speeds. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest with you sweet buns, I don¡¯t really know. I¡¯ll need to find out if it''s possible first and figure out how it''s done, but my line of thought is to try and turn Simca¡¯s public crest into my private one,¡± I give Simca a smile, ¡°Do you think that might work?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know...¡± she looks down and moves closer to Salifa, ¡°But I heard of slaves getting new crests as their work changed.¡± If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Her eyes suddenly jump to Salifa and she begins to radiate happiness, ¡°There was even a fox-girl taken as a personal slave by a noble. They must have given him full control over her.¡± -Say you do that, what¡¯s to stop them from killing you and setting the brat free?- Jane gets up from the bean bag and starts to pace back and forth in my mind. -A certain failsafe that I doubt wasn¡¯t implemented if these slave crests are so common. If not... - I hold Jane to stop her nervous pacing and give her a hug, -Then a lie or two should keep me safe long enough to change their minds. They clearly aren¡¯t that knowledgeable on the matter.- My stomach rumbles and I realize I got everything I needed from them, for now. -The rest can wait until the next iteration.- So with a few last words and a promise to return tomorrow, I rush to the dining room. There should be some time left before Ralc comes to take everyone to the dormitory and I hope to grab some leftovers to munch on. I reach it just in time to make myself a few sandwiches from what tastes like cheese but looks red and some yellow colored meat. ¡°Where¡¯d you disappear to?¡± Elsa comes over to question me as I¡¯m rushing from table to table, scraping whatever is left into a sandwich as well as some takeaway back to the room. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you later. In private,¡± I lean over to whisper in her ear, ¡°I found out some troubling things about this world.¡± I look her in the eyes after to convey that I¡¯m serious and go back to gathering food. Satisfied I have a reason to meet her privately in her room later, I drop the food I gathered for my second and third sandwich and ask her, ¡°Can you make them, please?¡± I sit down and take a big bite of the one I¡¯ve prepared before she came over to talk. ¡°You¡¯re joking right?¡± she looks offended and annoyed. -Did she really just get triggered over a sandwich?- ¡°Not really¡­ Are you? It¡¯s just a sandwich. I wanna finish them before Ralc gets here.¡± ¡°Good for you. You can make them yourself then,¡± she turns and walks away. -I think she did,- Jane shakes with excitement, -Oh it¡¯s gonna be so fun trolling her,- her tail wags excitedly. Annoyed I throw a fruit similar to a plum at her back, making her turn back to look at me. ¡°Don¡¯t run away. I thought we were friends so I asked you to help me by making me something to eat. What the fuck set you off?¡± -You''re no fun...- Jane pouts. ¡°First of all, we aren¡¯t friends. Second of all, I don¡¯t make anyone sandwiches but myself,¡± she grabs a plum of her own and chucks it at my head. Grabbing the thing out of the air I take a bite of it. ¡°Whatever you say, princess¡­¡± I wipe away some of the juices that dripped from the sweet and sour plum onto my chin, ¡°I don¡¯t care if you think I¡¯m your friend or not. I like you, so I decided I¡¯m gonna be your friend.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not your decision to make, asshole.¡± ¡°Yes. Yes, it is. You can act like a stuck-up princess as long as you want but I will treat you as I would a friend and there¡¯s very little you can do to change that,¡± I take another bite of my sandwich and with a full mouth, I give her my best smile. ¡°That¡¯s not how friendship works,¡± she comes closer pointing a finger at me, ¡°Friendship is a two-way street and I refuse to be friends with conceited pieces of shit like you. Thank you for sparring with me and breaking my face but I¡¯ll appreciate if you know your place.¡± ¡°It was my pleasure,¡± I put the last bite in my mouth, ¡°Want meat on yours or are you vegan?¡± She glares at me. ¡°I¡¯m not. Thank you for asking, but I always wanted to try not eating meat and this¡­¡± she holds up a yellow piece of meat, ¡°might be a good chance to try being a better person. New world new rules and all that other nonsense you kept spouting all day long. And I¡¯d appreciate if you don¡¯t change the sub...¡± ¡°No meat it is,¡± I finish off two sandwiches while she rambles away and hand one to her, ¡°Bon appetite.¡± She takes it, not really knowing what to do with it. ¡°You can make me one tomorrow. Come, Ralc¡¯s here.¡± I drag her off before she gets a chance to start ranting again. Thankfully, Ralc¡¯s explanations of our sleeping arrangements as well as the comments on our surroundings as we walk are interesting enough to distract Elsa from continuing her argument with me. However, since this is the second time I¡¯m hearing this, after getting Ralc''s assurance that if I want to leave the palace I just need to show the Hero''s mark and walk out the main gate with no-one to stop me, I keep myself busy by trying to figure out the patrol routes of the paired royal guards we keep on passing. By the third pair of guards I see Elsa nibbling on the sandwich I made her so I come closer to annoy her. ¡°How''s the taste?¡± ¡°Dry and bland.¡± ¡°I see¡­ I think it¡¯s just missing some meat,¡± I shrug my shoulders. ¡°Or you¡¯re just a terrible cook,¡± she shakes her head in sympathy, ¡°It¡¯s okay though. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find a nice guy to cook for you and keep your bed warm at night.¡± ¡°As long as he¡¯s better at giving head than you are, you won¡¯t hear me complain,¡± I shrug, ¡°Won¡¯t even be hard to find considering how low you¡¯ve set the bar.¡± We continue to bicker all the way to the dormitory. At which point I bring up the subject of this worlds slavery and gain entrance into her room. From there our conversation, unfortunately, very quickly digresses into politics, both this worlds and ours. Even worse is the fact that our views are opposite from each other and none of us has access to the internet to back up our claims. As this is the second time I¡¯m hearing some of her claims I¡¯m better at countering them, however, I am much less patient and I keep interrupting her since I already know what she¡¯s about to say. We argue for almost two hours, by which point I realize that saving the situation is highly unlikely and give up on trying to sleep with her. With the reason I approached her gone, I spend the next hour or so debating her with renewed vigor until Inga knocks on the door asking us to lower our voices. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Elsa says softly to Inga, ¡°He was just leaving,¡± she adds with icy resolve. Back in my new room I lie naked on the bad and replay the conversation over and over and over in my head. -What do you think would¡¯ve been a better response to this Jane?- -Nope. I¡¯m done. Not doing this any longer,- she summons a king size bed and drops into it half naked, -You want more of my help with this waste of time, you¡¯ll have to entertain me first.- Making herself comfortable she spreads her hands and caresses one leg with the other seductively. Her demon tail moves slowly from her legs to her abdomen and between her bosom until it lifts to her mouth. Giving it a light kiss she winks at me and motions with her tail for me to join her. Reluctantly I start kissing her beautiful dark red legs, making sure I make the kissing noise of each peck audible in the space of my mind. Mounting the bed I keep my hands straight and wide as I move up the legs. In this position, with my head lowered while I¡¯m on my knees, Jane is presented with a great view of my upper back and shoulder muscles. All of which are much more defined in my mental image of myself. Skipping her nether region I kiss and gently bite her lower belly as I move, in small circles, up her midriff and towards her chest where my kisses follow the path her tail took between the two mounds. Instead of lifting myself to her mouth I explore her neckline, while the hand I¡¯m not using to support myself with, presses and squeezes her thighs and sides. I investigate Jane¡¯s body for what feels like hours but is probably no longer than a few minutes of real time. I notice small imperfections that have no place on something that¡¯s supposed to exist only inside my mind. From small flat moles to a few scars, these blemishes affirm that she is, undeniably, a sentient existence with its own volition and maybe even history. An existence that puts its hands on my head, trying to direct me towards her breast but exerts no force I can feel at all. Disappointed she can¡¯t affect my imagined body she clicks her tongue and sighs as she gives up on trying. -You¡¯re not gonna fuck me, are you?- -I have no intention whatsoever of doing that,- I flop down on top of her and she struggles underneath my weight. Apparently, while I can¡¯t feel her, she can. Evident by the way she¡¯s wiggling and squirming now and while I was teasing her earlier. -Why not?- she asks once she manages to escape from underneath me. -I have nothing to gain from it,- I turn on my side, looking at her and trying not to let my eyes wander lower than her jawline. -Fuck you!- she spouts and puffs. -You wish,- I wink my eyebrows at her and smile a half smile. -Yes. For years. And now, thanks to this system, your objections are no longer viable so what¡¯s your excuse now?- her tail points it¡¯s arrow-shaped tip at me. -Hmm¡­- I scratch my impressive imaginary beard, -Because it won¡¯t feel good?- -You don¡¯t even like sex anyway,- she harrumphs, annoyed. -Good point...- I play with my beard looking for a better excuse. Chapter 17 - Intimacy -I¡¯ve seen you use sex for five reasons,- Jane lifts herself and sits Indian style while holding her hand in a fist, lifting a finger with each reason. -To make people feel uncomfortable so you can dominate the conversation,- she holds her thumb out, -To get people to open up so you can get to know them and their weaknesses faster,- her index finger lifts up. -To inflate your ego and increase your status,- she thinks for a moment and adds, -To control people. And your least favorite, to alleviate boredom.- She holds up her open palm for me to look at and slaps me. -Anything?- she asks hopefully. -Nope,- I slap her in return, causing her head to snap sideways, -You?- -More aroused than ever¡­- I can see her tongue explore the inside of her mouth, making her cheek bulge outwards. It was a hard slap and she¡¯s no doubt tasting blood. -Fuck, now that I think about it, it¡¯s no wonder the system gave you a sex related skill. It fits your motto to a T¡­- she massages her forehead in mock frustration. -Everything in the world is about sex except sex. Sex is about power,- I chime in, eager to repeat the quote whenever I get the chance. -Exactly¡­ and you lived your life accordingly, however, obviously none of these reasons apply to me. Except maybe the boredom one but let''s forget about that one for the sake of this argument.- -Forgotten. Get to your point.- -In a moment,- she refreshes her body and the swelling that started to form on her cheek disappears, -Your argument against us having sex was that you could never really know for sure if it was what I really wanted. Whether it was because you weren¡¯t sure I¡¯m even real or if it''s your own subconscious pretending to be me wanting to have sex. As such, deciding it¡¯s better to be safe than sorry, you refused to act on my advances and your own desire.- -Something along those lines.- -Good. Can we agree that thanks to this world there¡¯s no doubt I¡¯m real?- -Depends on what you mean by real.- -Oh, don¡¯t do that¡­- she rolls her eyes and continues in irritation, -No need for that with me.- -Fair enough. I can agree, that for all that I can tell, you currently possess a unique and sentient personality and consciousness of your own.- -And if I am what you just said, can we agree that my words, spoken in free will and of sane mind, are my own and you should respect them as such?- I take a moment to contemplate the matter. While I do that I turn my real body to lie on my stomach and fold my pillow to hug with one arm. Taking the time to make sure I¡¯m comfortable, I close my eyes to return my concentration to my wonderland. -I¡¯m not sure I can,- I say to Jane, who decided to use the time to cuddle up to me. Turning to my side I assume the little spoon position and she puts a protective hand over me as she maneuvers herself to act as the big spoon. -Your reason being?- -Do you agree that in some way I¡¯ve created you?- -Sure. You thought me into being, so to speak. You¡¯re kinda like my parent,- she hugs me tighter into her embrace, -Should I call you Daddy?- -And during the first year or so,- I ignore her question, -When I was forcing your personality to solidify, can you guarantee I haven¡¯t imprinted my values on you?- There¡¯s a moment of silence followed by a gasp from Jane. -Is that what this is about?- she nuzzles her face into my back, her horns ruffle my hair as she does, -Of course you did. Just like any parent shapes their child so did you shape my worldviews and opinions. The first year of my life, your voice was the only thing I knew. And once I had access to your senses and memories, you think that all those times you were busy fucking or watching porn I disappeared? I was with you through all the depraved acts you partook in on an almost daily basis. And I could feel everything.- I shudder and feel like running away. -Don¡¯t. It never bothered me. It can¡¯t. It¡¯s all I knew. You¡¯re all I know,- we squeeze closer into each other''s embrace, -And I know all of you. Not the you that you pretend to show others, but the scared, embarrassed and insecure you that thinks he¡¯s better than everyone else.-
Psionic Tree unlocked. New stat gained. Concentration +5
Telepathy Branch unlocked. Concentration +1 Sentience +1
Mind Link Twig unlocked. Sentience +1
Roots from another garden have entwined with the Psionic Tree.
Psionic tree sprouted its first bud. Concentration +1
Sensory Sharing Skill Acquired (Passive) Share senses/sensory inputs with others.
Increased Processing Skill (Passive) level up.(+1) This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.
Suddenly, as if my body got too close to a source of static electricity, the hairs on my body stand up and a feeling of wetness turned warmth spreads across my skin in those areas which Jane is touching. The feeling is barely noticeable, like a breeze of warm air or someone''s breath. If my eyes weren''t closed and I wasn¡¯t embraced by Jane inside my mind I would have dismissed it, yet now that I¡¯m aware of it, it grows in strength and becomes easier to distinguish. Hurriedly I turn around and bear hug a surprised Jane. Locking my feet around her as well, I try to feel as much of her body as I can. Any doubts and hesitations I had about her were melted once I felt her warmth. She tries to speak but I just do what I wanted for the longest of time and simply grab her by the horns and kiss her. Not a passionate or a long kiss. I don¡¯t try to make out with her or even open her mouth. I just put my lips on hers and apply some pressure, enjoying their warmth and softness. As abruptly as it started I end the kiss and follow it by a peck on her forehead and a brush of my hand over her cheek and hair. Looking into each other''s eyes, there¡¯s nothing more to be said and we just lie in each other¡¯s embrace. Or at least that¡¯s what I intend on doing until Jane decides she has other plans. -Will you go down on me now? Or do I need to beg?- -Jesus¡­ you just have to ruin the moment.- I roll on my back with a huff. -I learned from the best,- she mounts me and pins my hands to the bed with hers and kisses me again. A few quick uncertain pecks followed by a longer smooch and a deep kiss, with a few more quick pecks before disengaging and letting go of my hands. -I¡¯m so excited my tail is wagging,- she says through an ear to ear grin. A grin which I return in kind. -Please don¡¯t ruin the moment...- Jane folds her hands over her chest and sits Indian style on top of me. -I didn¡¯t say anything¡­- I hold my hands up in surrender. In response, Jane lifts an eyebrow at me and her tail drops to tap my inner thigh impatiently, -You did say you learned from the best,- I smile innocently. -Fuck you.- -Soon,- I push her off me and massage her body with kisses as she pretends to struggle, -Very soon. But first, we need to take care of a few things that are bothering me. You wouldn¡¯t want me to think of others during our first time, right?- -As long as you give me what I want, I couldn¡¯t care less¡­- it''s her turn to smile at me innocently. -I love you too¡­- I roll my eyes and get up from the bed. -I''d rather you were afraid,- Jane sighs. -Afraid of Daddy¡¯s little girl? How can I?- I ask with a sickeningly sweet voice that makes both of us cringe, - Anyways¡­ can you explain why we sometimes interact so fast people don¡¯t even notice a delay?- I start pacing inside my own mind while Jane is sprawled half naked on the bed. -Nope.- -Do you know how fast we interact?- -Nope.- -Do you know ho¡­- -Let me save you some time,- she rolls on her stomach and props herself up on her elbows, -I have access to all your memories, as early as when you were three, though everything before six is slightly fuzzy. I have immediate access to anything from the past three years, but anything further back takes me some effort to bring up.- -And gives me a headache accordingly¡­- I add while massaging my temple. -Stop whining. I can also feel strong emotions and sensations you experience and affect you by sending you my own.- -Is that why I get really horny at random times?- -Most likely. It won¡¯t happen so often once you start taking care of me,- I can¡¯t tell for sure but I think she just used her tail to flip me off, -I can also see your notifications and status screen, both of which you already know. Unfortunately, either I don¡¯t seem to get notifications and a status screen of my own or I simply don¡¯t know how to access them. The mention of roots mixing with your trees would suggest that I do have a garden of my own however,- she moves a strand of hair from her face and tucks it behind a horn. -Four? Really? Is my first memory really me getting carsick and dad pulling into the woods where I get to play in the stream with some frogs?- -Nope. It¡¯s of you and your downstairs neighbor touching each other to figure out how boys and girls differ anatomically.- -Oh¡­ I wonder what happened to her since she moved away.- -I think your mom mentioned something about her leaving to study abroad.- -I see¡­ doesn¡¯t matter now that I¡¯m here and not Earth. Not like I have any intention of going back anyways.- -And I don¡¯t get a say in the matter?- I blink at her a few times until she adds, -Not that I¡¯d ever give up this game like system but you better start remembering that I also have a say now in how you live your life.- -Noted. Do you have anything against going with the half beast or avoiding the war?- -If I did I would¡¯ve mentioned it already. But thank you for asking. What about you though? You sure you don¡¯t want to go back to Earth? It took some hard work to get girlfriends that actually like each other.- -I did it once I¡¯ll do it again. Maybe get a harem with a representative of each half animal there is.- -Sounds horrible¡­- Jane shudders. -Agreed¡­- I shudder as well once I think the idea over and realize the amount of drama I¡¯ll need to deal with, -No harems.- -No need for it when you have me,- she perks up proudly. -We¡¯ll see about that, but first, some experiments are long overdue.- Matching our rhythm I leave my inner sanctuary and count to ten as I lie on my back in my empty room. -How much?- I ask Jane. -Eleven.- -Okay. Try to speed up my mind but stick to the same rhythm.- -Sure, because I know how to do that¡­- she nods her head. -We were already doing it while talking to people. We just need to try and see if it works when there¡¯s nobody to notice. Ready? Go!- I change my position on the bed while counting to ten. -Worked?- -One hundred and sixteen.- she answers giddily. -No way¡­- -And I can go much faster.- -Lets go.- Excitedly I try to count to ten with the same rhythm we agreed upon. Something that is much harder to do when there¡¯s a pulsing headache that feels like I was just stabbed with an ice pick.
Nervous System tree sprouted another bud. Perception +1
Increased Processing Skill Acquired(Active) Helps with thinking.
-Never do that again please¡­- I stumble back into my mind. Jane tackles me into a hug and I feel her pleasant warmth on me, -Don¡¯t worry. I never plan to... - The king size bed is gone and instead of it a bean bag and a T.V screen greet me. -How long?- I ask dreading and eager to hear the answer. -No idea. I stopped counting after a thousand¡­- she presses to me like a cat. -You¡¯re joking?- -I wish I was. I got bored and started watching ¡®How I Met Your Mother¡¯.- -...- I simply look at her not knowing what to say to such a claim. I try doing the calculations in my head but while a one to one hundredth time dilation is crazy, the bombshell Jane just dropped on me is overwhelming. Jane uses my momentary loss of thought to resummon the bed and drop me into it. The sensation of falling brings me back to my senses and I try to fight back, but her tail wraps around my neck while she sits on my chest and warns me with a held up finger in front of my face. This makes me smile and the tail uncurls. Not wasting a breath Jane slides forward and my tongue comes out to greet her. -Mhhm¡­- Jane moans and grabs a handful of my hair to push my face closer to her. Knowing my role I let my lips and tongue do their work until I feel her tail inching its way towards my semi-erect member, where it wraps around it and starts moving up and down. ¡°I see someone is happy to see me,¡± a familiar female voice whispers in my ear and grabs my erection. My heart tries to jump out of my chest but my body refuses to follow it. Instead, when I open my eyes I find myself staring at a battlehare while my body refuses to do what I want it to, which is to run and hide. Jane is cursing and breathing fire while I try my best to get a hold of myself. -If she wanted it I¡¯d be dead already.- -Who cares about that! I¡¯d rather she kill you,- she summons a table and proceeds to flip it in anger, -I was so close¡­- ¡°Considering how beautiful you are, how can I not be?¡± I smile and try to put my hands over my head but they refuse to move. ¡°How nice of you to say that,¡± she smiles back at me, ¡°it¡¯s almost a shame I have to kill you.¡± Chapter 18 - Mind blown ¡°So why am I still alive, beautiful?¡± Lying helpless on my bed I stare at the ceiling as the battlehare moves away from my field of vision. I try to turn my neck to follow but my body is still refusing to respond. -This is one crazy skill¡­- ¡°Because I still have some use for you,¡± her hand starts to play with my quickly disappearing erection, ¡°Well¡­ not all of you really, so it would be nice if the part I do need will play along.¡± ¡°That might be problematic considering I feel very betrayed right now. I thought we had a deal,¡± I am doing my best to suppress my erection, -Even though I have to admit that there¡¯s something about the situation that is starting to turn me on.- ¡°We did,¡± she continues to jerk my flaccid member back to size, ¡°but then you gave us all we needed from you,¡± her head floats back into my field of vision and I can see the smirk on her face, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t have told us your idea. There were no public crests when our ancestors were created but if there¡¯s one type of spell our kind knows very well it¡¯s slave crests.¡± With my third leg back to full size she loses her pants and gets on top of me. -Are you fucking kidding me?- Jane summons another table to flip in frustration. ¡°You know¡­ It¡¯ll feel better if I can move,¡± I try to look at her but from my lying position I can only see the tips of her ears, ¡°or at least use my hips¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. You just focus on yourself so we can get this over with faster.¡± She tries to mimic Salifa and maneuver me inside of her while she herself is hovering in a crouching position. However, she seems to lack the experience her leader had and I keep slipping away. When she finally manages to press me against her opening properly she¡¯s too tight for me to go in. ¡°First time, beautiful?¡± I say to the ceiling. ¡°What gave me away?¡± she sighs and lets go of me. ¡°You did, just now,¡± I chuckle, ¡°Come sit on my face. I¡¯ll make it easier for you to slide me in and I promise not to bite¡± ¡°You know¡­¡± she hesitates, ¡°You¡¯re surprisingly calm for someone who¡¯s about to die,¡± she says suspiciously. ¡°Can¡¯t really think of a better way to go then to be fucked to death by someone as gorgeous as you,¡± I try to shrug but to no avail. ¡°How convenient. Though I hope our child inherits your courage and not your silver tongue,¡± she flops down on my face. ¡°Ish hat whie uuo eere?¡± I ask into her crotch. ¡°What?¡± she lifts herself up slightly. Taking a few deep breaths I ask ¡°Is that why you¡¯re doing this?¡± She drops back down and I start licking and sucking. ¡°That tickles!¡± she hovers off of me again. ¡°Endure. It¡¯ll start feeling good soon. You can explain why you¡¯re doing this while I get you ready.¡± As she smothers me again her horrible smell almost makes me lose my dinner. -She smells like she hasn¡¯t showered in a month¡­ and tastes even worse¡­- -Good. Suffer,- Jane says venomously. After another minute or two of wiggling, her giggles slowly diminish and change into fast inhales that match the rhythm of my tongue. Once I start paying attention to her clitoris with the aid of Mana Stimulation concentrated on the tip of my tongue they progress into weak moans. ¡°I¡¯m considered strange by my tribe,¡± she blurts out eventually. Not to dissuade her from talking I drop the skill and continue flicking and sucking slower so she can concentrate better on forming sentences. ¡°By my age, I should¡¯ve birthed at least a dozen children. Maybe one of them would¡¯ve been a daughter and I could''ve started my own family. But until... Uhmm¡­¡± I activate my skill again to give me a moment to think while she moans, -A dozen children? So either she¡¯s much older than she looks or the pregnancies are much shorter than in my world.- -Or¡­- Jane adds, -she can¡¯t count.- ¡°All those brutes we have caged back home never interested me, mhhm do that again ahh yes¡­¡± -By brutes¡­ does she mean the warriors Salifa mentioned right after trying to choke me?- -Not sure¡­ but maybe we should rethink the idea of going with them? I¡¯m already locked up in here and I don¡¯t want to have the same happen to you.- -You sure? I¡¯ll probably get really bored so we can fuck all the time. Isn¡¯t that what you wanted?- -You¡¯re joking, right? I¡¯ve seen what happens once you¡¯re bored. Even I have limits...- ¡°But when I saw how confident you acted even with the leader riding you¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ something about it made me think that with you I¡¯ll have a good chance of getting a daughter.¡± ¡°Douwt fweople usually wish for sons?¡± she lifts off my mouth mid-sentence, ¡°Also, I think you¡¯re wet enough already.¡± -Any more and I¡¯ll really be sick.- She looks at me in disappointment but moves down from my face to my third leg and after a few tries, we become one. I can feel a shiver go through her as I slide inside against more resistance that I remember there ever being. -So stats affect even one''s hymen. That¡¯s a fact I could¡¯ve lived without¡­- ¡°It¡¯ll stop hurting in a moment,¡± I say to both of us, ¡°don¡¯t move and just take some time to get used to the feeling.¡± She nods her head in agreement and I can feel her muscles tighten and relax around me involuntarily. I make sure to activate Mana Stimulation on the lowest output I can to make her get over the uncomfort of her first time faster. At this point I¡¯d usually take a few minutes to fake passionate kisses, caress her body and play with her breasts while the uncomfort diminishes but luckily for me I can¡¯t to do anything. Stolen novel; please report. ¡°So¡­ while we wait, mind telling me why you¡¯re kind of obsessed about the child''s gender?¡± She looks at me like I¡¯m retarded so I crank up the skill and pulse it. This makes her muscles contract in response and a slight stinging pain to appear and disappear as she relaxes again. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that and do try to remember that this is my first day in your world.¡± She makes a silent ¡®Ahh¡¯ with her mouth once she remembers the cause of my ignorance. ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m having a bit of a hard time thinking straight right now¡­¡± her hands fumble across my chest as she tries to position herself more comfortably, ¡°It¡¯s very simple and is pretty much common knowledge even amongst humans. There are no male battlehares.¡± ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Did they really explain nothing to you?¡± she tilts her head. ¡°Nope. We¡¯re supposed to have a priest come and teach us about this world in a couple of days but since I won¡¯t be able to attend, thanks to you, how about you explain it instead? And please start moving. I¡¯m starting to slip out¡­¡± She laughs at my words but starts moving nonetheless. Awkwardly at first but soon she transitions into a crotch grind that probably feels good to her but doesn¡¯t do much for me. -Whatever¡­ as long as she keeps talking.- ¡°A priest? Teach you? Those ¡®gardeners¡¯ as they like to call themselves won¡¯t teach you anything about my kind. They have their heads so far up their own assholes that most of them can¡¯t even hear the whispers anymore. The only thing they do is¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ I don¡¯t really care about them right now. What I¡¯m interested in, is you. Tell me about your tribe. Or more specifically why battlehares are only female? What happens to the males? And why you want a daughter so much that you risk losing your virginity while surrounded by people who want you dead?¡± my interruption causes her to stop grinding on top of me. ¡°That¡¯s just how things are. The males were created to be used for labor while the females of my kind are either rogues and assassins,¡± she resumes grinding on top of me as she monologues, ¡°I guess there¡¯s no harm in bragging to you since you won¡¯t live to tell anyone but there aren''t that many assassins in our tribe. Not much reputation to be earned so not many choose the class. It¡¯s also much harder to level and I pride myself on being one of the youngest assassins in our tribe. Sure¡­ part of it is because I don¡¯t waste my time on sex and pregnancies but I work harder than most. I may not be the best yet in terms of infiltration prowess, but when it comes to killing skills there aren¡¯t many that can compete with me.¡± Not really focusing on the sex part she keeps pausing her grinding over and over again as she talks, ¡°I was even the runner-up for the royal assassination but in the end, Safrine was chosen.¡± she says with a curl of her lip. ¡°So she got lucky and gave birth to twin daughters¡­ does it mean she should get the experience instead of me? It¡¯s been proven many times by now that one''s level has nothing do with a child''s gender or its strength once it grows up. But do the elders care? Of course not¡­ going on and on about tradition this and tradition that. I¡¯ll show them. Thanks to this rescue mission I¡¯ve already leveled twice. Not to mention all the skills I¡¯ve been leveling like crazy. We expected to face new and improved warding after the last failed them but it seems they only reinforced the main palace protection and ignored everything else. This ¡®suicide mission¡¯ as the elders called it has become nothing more than a training exercise. Once I¡¯m back they won¡¯t have any choice but to start using me on actual assassinations. And if I come back with a daughter? I can just imagine Safrine¡¯s face once she sees I¡¯m pregnant with a girl!¡± Her rant went on and on until eventually I got tired and decided to do some thinking. -Jane, make sure you listen to her. Mixed in between this teenage drama is important information. I need to think a little.- As frustrated as Jane is, she steps forward into my consciousness in a suit and high heels ready to take notes. -You do remember that I can always just access your memories and check them when we need?- -But that¡¯s if we know what to look for and when, no?- -Hmm, not exactly but I was planning to listen anyway, so go use the fact that I¡¯m horny as fuck and it¡¯s keeping you erect to think over whatever you want in private,- she says with just the slightest tinge of annoyance in her voice and adds, -Can I ask about what?- -Thank you, I know it can¡¯t be easy not to listen in. I just want to think about the skill system and what we should do now that we were betrayed, you can check my memories later if you¡¯re interested.- -Maybe, I¡¯ll try to keep you erect.- Blowing her a mental kiss I feel her retreat from my mind and even mute some of the sounds and sensations, somehow. ¡®Well, this is new¡­ maybe I can get some pain resistance skill from this ability? I don¡¯t like pain and as little of it as possible the better. And depending on the tree it¡¯ll appear on it might answer some questions about how the system regards me and Jane, and what the Psionic tree is all about¡­ I thought Psionics were about telekinesis and telepathy, yet here I get sharing senses and faster thinking. A prerequisite for the actual thing maybe? Maybe I can leverage the fact that you get skills faster by surviving life and death situations? Will it even work for me if I¡¯m no longer afraid of death? Some form of pain resistance skill will really come in handy for this¡­ what else is related to psionics? ESP? I should find out if ghosts or undead exist. Jesus I hope not though¡­ necromancers are probably annoying as shit if they are real. What else is there? It''d be cool to get telepathy. It''d sure as hell would help with getting what I want from the pack of long-eared furries...'' ¡°Huh?¡± Jane¡¯s mental nudge brings me back to the situation at hand. ¡°I asked, what''s taking you so long?¡± the battlehare was glaring at me while sitting still on top of me. ¡°Oh¡­ you didn¡¯t tell me your name.¡± ¡°Lisara. Can you hurry up? The night isn¡¯t getting any darker.¡± ¡°You know¡­¡± I take a deep breath to calm myself but decide there¡¯s no reason to prolong this any longer. I send a tendril of mana from between my legs. The sensation is unique, to say the least, -Reminds me of the time I tried sounding but with less urge to urinate.- With Mana Stimulation active around my nether region to mask the intrusion, I gently send the tendril through her cervix and into the uterus. From there I follow the left fallopian tube and exit it while doing my best to avoid the fimbria and ovary. Locating the suspensory ligament of the ovary I follow the nerve inside it until I reach the hypogastric plexus and move up along it to bypass the spinal cord. Reaching the root of the vagus nerve the tendril enters her brain and I bombard the connection with all the mana I have left. Lisara screams in pleasure as her upper body arches backward while her pelvic floor muscles spasm out of control. Her orgasmic cries stop suddenly once my concentration breaks and the mana backlash explodes her brain into mush. The room, however, doesn¡¯t return to being silent as my screams and curses still remain, loud enough to wake up anyone who managed to sleep through Lisara¡¯s window shattering climax. It was not the magical backlash, however, that made me scream but Lisara¡¯s inner muscles flattening and ripping me apart. And if making me bleed profusely from between my legs wasn¡¯t bad enough, once she died, control of her sphincters was lost and she emptied her bowels and bladder in the spot she was sitting on, which so happened to still be on me. It was into this scene and smell that Elsa burst into in her underwear and with a sword in hand. She hesitated and decided to leave and let someone else handle it, she could already hear footsteps running up the stairs, but before she could leave, her feelings bubbled upward. ¡°Disgusting¡­¡± she muttered and was heard. ¡°Elsa?! Kill me! Quick! It hurts so bad!¡± ¡°Kill yourself you freak. I¡¯m not touching you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m paralyzed you fu¡± I¡¯m not proud at the wave of profanity and personal insults I unleashed at Elsa. She didn¡¯t deserve most of them but I was not exactly in a serene state of mind. To her credit, when she pushed the dead body off of me and had a fountain of blood sprayed in her face she realized that maybe she jumped to conclusions too fast and decided to run get the soldiers who were in the hall, trying to figure out where the screams came from and what they were. ¡°They must have a healer on call!¡± ¡°No healer! Kill me! Kill me now! I can¡¯t take this pain anymore!¡± I could taste blood at the back of my throat from all my screaming. I heard more people run into the room and start yelling and arguing. ¡°Kill me¡­¡± the edges of my vision were getting darker, ¡°Now¡­¡± someone pressed something between my legs and it shot a new wave of pain through me. My mind tried to scream in response but my body no longer responded. Gradually the sensation of pain started to diminish and my eyelids became too heavy to keep open. Someone said something in my ear but I couldn¡¯t tell what as my death interrupted them before they could finish. Chapter 19 - Not so fast next time I jump up screaming and my hands immediately dart to my crotch to check if everything is back in one piece. ¡°What the fuck?!¡± Elsa looks at me bewildered from her lying position on the ground of the training arena. ¡°Oh? Ahh¡­¡± -Bug.- Jane provides me with an excuse. ¡°I thought I felt something crawl on me. I¡¯m not really good with bugs¡­¡± I walk around in circles waiting for my heart rate to slow down. Laughing at me Elsa stands up and dusts herself, ¡°This makes me feel a little better now. If you ever tell anyone what I told you I¡¯ll make sure even the princess knows you¡¯re scared of tiny bugs.¡± ¡°Do whatever you want. I¡¯m not ashamed of it. Look at those fucking things,¡± I point to a mix between a raven and a bat, half a meter long, dozens of which sit on the arena walls, ¡°and wait till you see the spider-rats. Or rat-spiders? Whatever, it looks like a rat but with six legs, a short stubby tail and hundreds of small shiny spikes on its torso,¡± I hold my hands to indicate its twenty centimeters or so length, ¡°If those nightmares exist I don¡¯t want to imagine how their bugs look like.¡± ¡°Whatever you say, scaredy cat.¡± ¡°Just you wait. I¡¯ll find the equivalent of a cockroach in this world and throw it at you. We¡¯ll see how high it¡¯ll make you jump.¡± ¡°Not as high as you did just now,¡± she laughs at me again. ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± I playfully tackle her and lift her up on my shoulder. ¡°Put me down! What do you think you¡¯re doing?!¡± Her screaming attracts the attention of everyone in the arena. ¡°Payback for letting me suffer until I bled to death.¡± ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡± she smacks by back with her hands and struggles to break free but I hold her firm which sends her into a fit of yelling and cursing. ¡°I think I saw something crawling next to the pit latrines. Since you¡¯re so brave I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t mind getting rid of them for me so I don¡¯t have to worry about something going up my leg why I pee, right?¡± Her struggles intensify and eventually, she manages to slip off. ¡°Don¡¯t dare do that again, asshole!¡± she hits me like a girl and I protect myself with my forearm. ¡°It was a joke. Don¡¯t get your panties all in a bunch,¡± I reach around and spank her with a cupped palm so that it sounds like a stronger hit than it actually is. In response, Elsa¡¯s knee jumps upwards and the world suddenly freezes. -So that¡¯s what it does,- Jane¡¯s voice appears in my head. -Did you just stop time?- I ask in amazement. She chuckles, -Nothing as impressive as that. I just activated Increased Processing. I think everything is just slowed down.- -Cool, so you can use skills now?- -Apparently so. We¡¯ll need to test it with a physical skill once you get one because I¡¯d guess that I can only work with mental ones.- -Still, better than nothing. Anyways, any idea on what to do about Elsa¡¯s knee being disturbingly close to colliding with my balls?- -Move out of the way?- -I¡¯d love to but it seems only my thoughts are sped up. I can¡¯t even move my eyes to look somewhere else.- -Ohh¡­ that explains why your eyes are glued to her breast,- she snickers. -Funny. Deactivate the skill on the count of three. Ready? -One,- Jane begins the count. -Two,- I prepare to clench my teeth. -Three!- I direct all my attention to moving out of the way.
Increased Processing Skill (Active) level up.(+2)
The world shifts and I angle my hips back and to the side. The knee hits my inner thigh, slightly softening the blow, before it slides upwards hitting one of my jewels and the inguinal canal. I fold onto myself from the pain, unable to breathe as I fall to my knees. It¡¯s at this moment, when I compare it to the pain of having your dick ripped off and thinking that this isn¡¯t so bad, that the worst pain I¡¯ve experienced so far hits me. As if a coal fell behind my eyes the pain is so intense I puke and then fall to my side. Spasm after spasm passes through my body but slowly the coal seems to be extinguishing and the pain recedes. ¡°Oh my god. I¡¯m so sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to hit so hard,¡± Elsa kneels by my side and turns me on my back, away from a puddle of my puke, ¡°You¡¯re bleeding!¡± She grabs her waterskin and holds it to my mouth so I can rinse the aftertaste of stomach acid. She then washes away blood from my face while I pinch my nose to prevent any more from leaking out. ¡°Please don¡¯t do that again¡­¡± I tell both Jane and Elsa. -Sorry.- ¡°Sorry.¡± By the time I can walk and think again the cooldown is finished so I recast an anchor and ask to borrow Elsa¡¯s watch. She gives it to me and worriedly asks where I¡¯m going. ¡°I really did just want to pee,¡± I exaggerate a limp and walk out of the arena towards the latrines. It could just be my imagination but as I urinate into the hole in the ground I think I see some red streaks mixed into it. Trying to ignore such hypochondriac thoughts I look for whatever it is I saw crawling the last time I visited this stink hole. Ignoring the buzzing of what resembles flies, I look at the ground until I spot something move. It¡¯s brown and lumpy and I would''ve mistaken it for dried feces if I didn¡¯t just see it shoot out an appendage to grab a fly from the air and swallow it. Knowing what to look for I take a few steps back so I¡¯m not so close to the stench and look for more. A cloud of flies is gathered next to a part where some soldier just emptied his bowels in. Underneath it I see a bunch of the turd toads, with a few more rolling towards it.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. -I wonder if they also count as monsters¡­- Deciding against touching them, even though Elsa¡¯s reaction to finding one of these things in her bed would be priceless, I head towards the servants quarters to have a word with those who killed me for the second time. ¡°Tell Salifa that I need to talk to her and that I arranged for people to tell the guards about you if I don¡¯t come back,¡± I whisper in Simca¡¯s lowered ears. And just like that, I¡¯m back inside the small servant''s room being glared at. ¡°How do you know my name?¡± ¡°None of your business. Lisara, come closer I want to tell you something.¡± The four look at each other in surprise but after a moment Salifa motions Lisara to proceed. ¡°The rest of you hug the wall and plug your ears.¡± ¡°No. We wo¡± ¡°Salifa, shut up! Backtalk again and you¡¯re not getting out of here alive. You are strong but I¡¯m sure an army of mages and the whole royal guard are more than enough to silence you, care to test my hypothesis?¡± The three look at me in anger and bewilderment while Lisara bites her lower lip. Reluctantly they lean on the wall and put their hands to their ears. ¡°Eyes on the wall,¡± I have no idea if that¡¯s how hare anatomy works but there¡¯s not much more I can do. I look at them calmly as they turn around grudgingly before putting a gentle hand on the back of Lisara¡¯s head and bringing her close to whisper in her long ears, ¡°I was summoned here against my will and I have no intention of aiding the humans. Help persuade your leader that I want to help and to take me back with you to your tribe, and I will reward you with a daughter. When they ask you, don¡¯t mention anything but the fact I promised you a daughter. Nod if you agree.¡± She nods and I send her to switch places with Salifa at the wall. ¡°I want you to take me with you to your tribe. In turn, I will share with your elders'' knowledge from my world,¡± I cross my arms and lean one foot on the wall behind me, ¡°Sound like a good deal?¡± ¡°Sounds too good, how do I know I can trust?¡± ¡°Do you know how to remove Simca¡¯s crest?¡± She hesitates to answer so I do for her, ¡°I already know you don¡¯t. Your kind may be familiar with slave crests but public crests like this one didn¡¯t exist back then, did they?¡± ¡°No, they did not. Go on, I¡¯m listening,¡± ¡°Simple solution really, change the crest from a public one to a private one. Problem solved.¡± Her eyes widen as she smiles, ¡°Simple indeed. What¡¯s even better is you¡¯re not needed for it, so how do I know this knowledge is worth the risk of taking you with us?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me,¡± I lean forward until our noses are barely touching, ¡°How much will you pay to know how a baby¡¯s sex is decided?¡± I move my head back as it''s getting hard to keep a serious face with her whiskers tickling me, ¡±Amongst other things,¡± I smile greedily at how eager she suddenly looks, ¡°Your expression tells me everything I need to know. So do we have a deal?¡± I reach the dining hall in time for the second round of food and squeeze myself next to Elsa. ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t come so close, you smell,¡± she tries to push me away but I insist. ¡°You don¡¯t exactly smell like roses yourself, princess.¡± I sniff her a few times for show, ¡°Hmm¡­ just the right mix of blood, sweat and puke. My favorite,¡± I lean in and give her cheek a lick. ¡°Eww, disgusting,¡± she wipes my saliva away with her sleeve and the table laughs at her expression. In retaliation, she grabs a finger of greenish goo from the table and tries to smear it on my face but Jane activates Increased Processing at only twice the normal speed, causing the finger to move slow enough for me to wrap my mouth around it. ¡°Yummy.¡± Elsa pulls her finger back and I make a popping sound with my lips. She laughs. I laugh. The table starts a food fight which is quickly broken up by one of the servants going ballistic at us for wasting food. We all enjoy a pleasant conversation and I learn that it¡¯s impossible to level up unless I have a class to level in. I was also explained that while I will get some experience from killing raven-bats and turd-toads it will be minuscule. When I asked why, they said that apparently those count as simple animals and not monsters. The difference between the two being, that animals won¡¯t usually attack unless threatened, while monsters will even go so far as to hunt humans. -Makes sense considering monsters can level up just like the sentient races.- Dinner finishes with Ralc coming to escort us and my evening ends as usual with me trying to sleep with Elsa. Tonight is a resounding success as I even manage to make her utter our safe word and grunt ¡®Freeze¡¯ through gritted teeth. So as we lie cuddled, I wait for Elsa to fall asleep on my increasingly numb forearm before I go off to meet the hares outside the walls. Once her breathing tapers off to a constant rhythm I wiggle out of her embrace, grab my stuff from the locked box in my room and turn around to see Lisara smirking at me. -Oh no¡­- ¡°Couldn¡¯t wait to see me again?¡± I try to smile confidently as I sit down on the box. ¡°Not exactly. You see,¡± she takes a step forward and touches my face, ¡°there¡¯s been a change of plans,¡± a small current passes between us and my body goes limp. Lisara picks me up like I¡¯m a sack of potatoes and throws me on the bed. ¡°Salifa vetoed against bringing you with us,¡± her head hovers over my face as I can¡¯t move anything this time, not even my mouth. ¡°And since she¡¯s the leader and the highest leveled amongst us there wasn¡¯t much I could do. But I want you to know that I did try so I¡¯m here to collect my reward.¡± I feel her take off my pants and massage me to full length. -At times like this, I really hate the fact that I get turned on so easily¡­- -That''s what¡¯s bothering you? How can you even get an erection when you can¡¯t even blink?! It¡¯s like this skill was made for raping people¡­- My eyes dry out and start hurting by the time she finally manages to push me inside of her. -Say we kill her¡­ and just like last time the skill doesn''t wear off¡­ how long till someone finds us and calls for help?- I escape into the comfort of my own mindscape. The pain from my dry eyeballs is still there but somewhat dulled now. -Well¡­ if anyone¡¯s gonna find us it¡¯ll be Elsa. And she already showed you how she reacts. No¡­ I don¡¯t think killing her is the right option,- Jane joins me wearing nothing but the T-shirt I tend to wear when I¡¯m at home. -Any suggestions then? Because the way she¡¯s riding me we¡¯re gonna have to wait for Elsa one way or another for this to be over¡­- -Well¡­- she walks up to me and puts a hand on my sternum, -I might have a way to speed things up,- she smiles seductively and pushes me backward. Not wasting any time the T-shirt is gone and Jane jumps on me.
Self-pleasuring branch unlocked. Dexterity +1 Endurance +1
Mindgasm twig unlocked. Focus +1
Sensory Sharing Skill (Passive) level up.(+2)
I wasn¡¯t even done reading the notification when Lisara gets off me, gives me a kiss on the cheek together with her thanks, takes a dagger from her pants on the floor and ends my life with a quick stab through my ear. The world goes dark and the next time I open my eyes I¡¯m on the floor of the training arena suffering from a light headache and pain in my groin. Blinking more frequently than I normally would, I look around the arena while I scratch my stubble and ponder how should I proceed now. Not far from me Elsa is taking turns sparing with the two spear users. It may just be my imagination but it feels like they¡¯re taking it easy with her, and whether that is true or not doesn¡¯t matter as Elsa seems to think it is, so with every spar she¡¯s getting tenser and more annoyed. Raven seems to have taken a liking to the bow and arrow and has an instructor next to her showing her how to hold the arrows and bow in the same hand as well as how to shoot them rapidly while moving. From the few tries I saw, her main problem seems to be that the ricochet of the bow once she shoots an arrow causes the arrows held in her hand to fumble out of her fingers. The other two earthlings are sitting and chatting with the soldiers. -Yigal is nowhere to be seen again¡­- The headache is almost gone and the pain in the groin is only a slight discomfort now, so I ask for Elsa¡¯s watch and after a quick stop to the toilets and a light rinse with a cloth and a water barrel I head to the servants quarters. There I grab a certain slave by her long ears and after ordering her to shut up and follow, I head towards the main palace building. It takes longer than expected to find my way there so I order Simca to show me the way, and after whining a warning or three about it not being allowed she leads the way until I¡¯m stopped in front of a door by two fancy guards on each side. I point at the mark I have pinned on my gambeson, indicating me as one of the so-called earthling ¡®Heroes¡¯, but they refuse to let me pass. -Shit¡­ it slipped my mind. Why didn¡¯t you remind me?- -Huh?- Jane answeres after a slight pause, -What was I supposed to remind you?- Jane¡¯s image seems to be glitching in and out of existence and she still can¡¯t concentrate on anything. The short conversation we had which is usually unnoticeable by others seems to have taken almost eight seconds. -Remind me to never fuck you again, that¡¯s what. Get a hold of yourself!- I recast an anchor but I can¡¯t help but regret the wasted half hour and that I didn¡¯t do it before coming to stand outside the princess''s personal chambers. Chapter 20 - Comparing sizes
Mana Recovery branch unlocked Attunement +2
Meditation twig unlocked Attunement +1
Meditation skill acquired (Passive) Helps recover mana.
¡°We¡¯re both over level 35¡­ did the summoning break your mind or were you always this crazy?¡± the guard named Julan looks at his stoic friend and puts a hand on his shoulder, ¡°What do ya say Bracks, feel like knocking some sense into him? I¡¯d do it but I¡¯m not sure I can hold my strength back enough to not kill the fucker.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry old man,¡± I start stretching and warming up, ¡°if you win I¡¯ll make Simca here rub one out for you.¡± ¡°Bah! Keep her to yerself ya cunt. We have our own slaves. Come as a perk of the job,¡± he shoos Simca away with a wave of his hand, but as it¡¯s not a verbal command it doesn¡¯t override my order for her to stand by the wall and do nothing. ¡°I¡¯ll tell ya what though, you win against mah boy here,¡± he smacks Bracks over the shoulder, ¡°and I¡¯ll go down on my hurting knees and suck you off myself. Whatcha say? Nothing to lose in it for ya. I just want a good laugh.¡± Although the pair of guards refuse to let me in or send for someone to call the princess, I hold no grudge against them. They¡¯re just doing their job and in my time as a guard I never liked taking initiative or making my own decisions. It usually resulted in trouble for me, even if I did the correct thing. But since I refused to leave and said I¡¯d wait, while practicing my magic, for someone to come by and pass on the message to the princess, Julan and I started talking and he turned out to be a fun guy. An old adventurer turned knight because of his busted knees, he was then promoted to be one of the princess''s personal guards. He¡¯s been at it since she was little and by now he had none of the strict discipline that Bracks showed. The difference between the two was clear, with Julan leaning on the wall relaxing while Bracks stood straight as an arrow, face forward and hand on his weapon. -He¡¯ll tire out of it in a couple of months¡­- Julan opened up quickly once I started sharing stories from my time in the army. I had to change some details otherwise he wouldn¡¯t understand the modern references, but guard duty is guard duty. Be it in the 21st century or the middle ages. Eventually, with all the bragging Julan was doing while storytelling, I wondered how strong he really was and offered a friendly spar. This made Julan explode in laughter so loud that I¡¯m surprised no-one came out to check what happened. ¡°So¡­ Bracks was it?¡± I ask the guard who refuses to utter a word and just keeps staring forward, ¡°What do you say about a friendly spar?¡± I wait for a response that doesn¡¯t come, while Julan snickers. ¡°I promise I¡¯ll shut up if you do,¡± this makes him look at me at last, ¡°Win and I¡¯ll even consider leaving.¡± ¡°Now you''ve done it. Go get him Bracks!¡± Julan rubs his hands together in glee as Bracks leans his obscenely large claymore on the wall and takes a step towards me. ¡°Maybe you should lose the fancy armor? Wouldn¡¯t want you to complain how it slowed you down once you lose.¡± ¡°A Paladin, slowed down by his armor? Bah!¡± he roars in laughter, ¡°Aren¡¯t you in for a surprise.¡± -Jane?- -I¡¯m ready.- With my knees bent and center of gravity low, I wait for him to start the fight. Bracks cracks his head and I can hear his vertebrates pop. He rolls his shoulder back and a few more pops echo in the silent corridor. Not bothering with formalities or showing any hesitation at all he simply takes another step towards me and extends his hand. Jane activates Increased Processing at twice the speed but Brack¡¯s hand moves forward as if not affected. I bend my knees and tilt my whole body backward but my body is moving at half speed. Because he tried to grab my throat and not punch I barely manage to avoid. -Times three,- Jane says. I try to lift my hands to grab his outstretched arm but my body is moving three times slower and my jaw doesn¡¯t even have time to drop in surprise as Brack¡¯s hand darts back. While my jaw is slowly opening and my eyes widening I see him walk around and disappear behind me since my eyes can¡¯t turn fast enough. A moment later I feel something grab me by my collar and throw me backward. The world shifts suddenly and a sinking feeling drops into my stomach as my feet leave the ground. With Jane almost as surprised as I am, she forgets to deactivate the skill and I find myself flying slowly through the air as Brack¡¯s calmly walks back to his spot. Back in his rigid position, with his back straight and hands on his weapon, he looks at me and I can tell apart the faintest hint of a smile on his face. To his left, Julan¡¯s mouth is opening wide in a fit of laughter. -I¡¯m not sure what to think of this¡­- Instead of talking Jane cancels the thought acceleration and reality jerks back into gear as my vision blurs and my body impacts a wall. With a dull thud, I fall to the floor in pain. Julan¡¯s roaring laughter echoes in my ears as I struggle back to my feet. Although level three in Increased Processing prevented the mind-numbing pain that followed accelerating everything more than twice the normal speed, it did leave me nauseous and cause my vision to spin. -Argh, my thinking feels sluggish as well¡­- -It¡¯s not. You just need a moment to adjust. Try blowing on your thumb,- Jane suggests. Kneeling on one knee I lean my shoulder on the wall and blow slowly on my thumb. It doesn¡¯t take long for my nausea to subside and my thinking to return to normal.
Self-Defence Tree sprouted another bud. Willpower +1If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
Pacifier skill learned. Quell yourself.
-Oh?! I guess it actually works,- I¡¯m genuinely surprised as I read the notification and feel myself regain focus. -Or it works because you believe that it works and so the system accommodates.- -Fair enough. Any way we can test it? -This doesn¡¯t count?- she lifts an eyebrow, -It¡¯s why I suggested it in the first place.- -Not really. I know I was always sceptical of it but supposedly blowing on my thumb actually has a physiological basis for it. Sure, I mainly used it to help with ill-timed erections but it can also be used for stress control. I think¡­ can you check?- -Now?- Jane puffs her cheeks. -Please.- Julan¡¯s laughter dies down eventually and I decide that sitting on the floor with my back against the wall is a fitting place for the loser of our spar. ¡°Level 35 you say?¡± ¡°39,¡± Julan says proudly, ¡°and the one who sent you flying is 36. You should¡¯ve seen ya face,¡± he bursts into another round of laughter. ¡°I¡¯m just glad I didn¡¯t pee myself¡­¡± I chuckle with him as I imagine myself flying through the air, ¡°Mind telling me what makes 35 so special?¡± He looks at Bracks and Simca before staring back at me and blinking a few times, ¡°Right. I keep forgetting you don¡¯t know shit. Were there no levels in your world?¡± ¡°Nope. No levels, no classes, no magic and the only monsters were humans.¡± ¡°Ya don¡¯t say¡­ maybe I need to try and visit your place then. It¡¯d be nice being the strongest in the whole world. Always wanted to rule a country.¡± It¡¯s my turn to burst into laughter. ¡°Rule a country? The first country to find out about you would lock you up and use you as material for experimentation till the day you die. I doubt you¡¯ll ever see the light of day.¡± ¡°Lock me up? A bunch of weaklings like you? Even ten thousand won¡¯t be enough to hold me down,¡± he sniggers. ¡°Really? What¡¯s the strongest weapon you know of?¡± ¡°Why the sword of course!¡± he unsheathes his bastard sword and lifts it while striking a heroic pose. ¡°So valiant! Oh mighty Julan, your radiance hides how ugly your mug is,¡± I pretend to grovel from my seated position while he poses in an even more extravagant manner, ¡°what I meant though, is what is the largest physical destruction caused by single use of a single weapon?¡± ¡°Hmm if ya state it in such a fancy way¡­ most destructive weapon,¡± he lowers his sword and returns to leaning on the wall, ¡°it¡¯d have to be a mage spell than. I know some of the named individuals can single handedly change the flow of battle but there are stories of mages, if given enough time, destroying whole armies with a single spell.¡± ¡°A couple of years ago,¡± Bracks opens up out of nowhere, ¡°I was escorting a high priest when we saw the royal army on the road. Some looked like dead husks while others were ecstatic. The priest I was with went to one of the officers and asked what happened,¡± he paused to take a long breath and looked like he was contemplating his words, eventually he sighed and continued wryly ¡°Long story short¡­ they were sent to subjugate a noble for treason but while setting up a siege around his castle an old man appeared out of nowhere, floating above them. He stayed there for a few minutes and they could hear chanting carried by the wind. A few decided to aim their bows at him and were told to stand down by the general. The old man disappeared as suddenly as he appeared but not before sending a slow-moving ball of lightning towards the noble''s castle. When the ball hit, the crack of thunder caused the soldiers closest to the castle to bleed from their ears, while the flash of lightning blinded anyone who looked. When the chaos died down all that was left of the castle was a blackened hole in the ground. The stone it was made of was scattered and the bodies were ash. Once the soldiers were healed everyone rejoiced at their easy win, yet on the way back home it started to dawn on many how utterly powerless they actually are. The priest tried to lift morale on the way back but many still left the army because of that. Some of them have taken up banditry in the area and are active to this day,¡± he paused again and in the silence that followed I heard him swallow before continuing, ¡°Three thousand individuals lower than 20. A thousand between 20 and 30, fifty over 30 and four over 35. Gone without even a trace of their equipment.¡± ¡°Is that how the Unseen Mute¡­?¡± Bracks nodded in response to Julan¡¯s question. While he was speaking I watched Julan¡¯s and Simca¡¯s horrified expressions. Simca, with her large eyes and small head was especially comically expressive, but all three looked desolate. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± the three look up from their feet at me, ¡°In my world, there are weapons that can wipe out a whole country off the map. Years back they used them and more than a hundred thousand people died in an instant. The weapons were so horrible they even poisoned the earth, water and air making the area uninhabitable. And all it takes to use them is a press of a finger.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible ya little shit.¡± ¡°Not only is it possible, it¡¯s not even the strongest weapon we have. A weapon named the Tzar or the king is three thousand times as powerful.¡± They reel back as they try to imagine its power. ¡°Even worse is that some countries have thousands of these weapons. However, Julan, there won¡¯t even be any need to use it on you. We have weapons that even a child can wield that will tear you to pieces,¡± this causes Julan to raise an eyebrow in disbelief so I add, ¡°Actually¡­ I can bring one of the weakest weapons from my world and we can try it on you. Just make sure you have a healer nearby.¡± ¡°If ya telling the truth, and this isn¡¯t just boasting cause ya lost to Bracks, then a potion will do anything a healer can and more,¡± he smacks his breastplate with a gloved hand, ¡°darn it ya crazy fucker, got me all excited and shit. A weapon even a baby can kill with! I wanna see that. Ha Bracks? Interesting ain¡¯t it?!¡± Like a child lost in a candy store, he starts pacing back and forth while his hand fidgets, ¡°Whatcha waiting for then? Go get it, will ya!¡± ¡°Maybe later,¡± I smile and let my head fall back onto the wall, ¡°Right now there¡¯s a princess I need to meet.¡± Julan walks over and kicks me in the boot. I ignore him and he kicks me again and again until I respond, ¡°What?¡± ¡°The princess isn¡¯t going anywhere. Go get the weapon,¡± he looks down at me in excitement. ¡°It¡¯s not gonna run away, relax. I¡¯ll bring it after I get what I need from the princess.¡± ¡°Argh!¡± he walks to Bracks and circles back to me, all the while ruffling his own hair, ¡°Listen, you little shit, bring me that weapon to look at and I¡¯ll pass to the princess what it is you need of her, deal?¡± -Interesting,- I look at him suspiciously, -I¡¯m sure I can steal the gun from Elsa but I rather not wait for another iteration.- ¡°You tell the princess what I want and then I¡¯ll get you the weapon, deal?¡± ¡°Give your word ya¡¯ll bring it even if the princess refuses to see ya and we have a deal.¡± -Whelp¡­ that was easy,- for a few moments I stare at him, trying to understand how it serves his interests, -Sure, a gun might be interesting but what¡¯s got him so hysterical?- I get up from the floor and extend my hand for him to take, ¡°I promise.¡± He looks at my hand, not entirely sure what to do with it, but shakes it properly nonetheless, ¡°Why¡¯s it got you so hard and excited anyway?¡± I ask before letting go of his hand. ¡°I was a blacksmith¡¯s apprentice before I became an adventurer, and the past few years it¡¯s become a hobby of mine again. Seeing a weapon forged in a different world, a world without any magic, is an opportunity I can¡¯t pass up.¡± ¡°Ya don¡¯t say?¡± a grin creeps up my face, ¡°Play your cards right Julan, and I might just share with you a few other weapon designs you might find very interesting.¡± -Compound bows and canons shouldn¡¯t be too hard to reverse engineer once the idea is out there.- ¡°Marcus,¡± Julan opens his hands wide, ¡°You¡¯re making me weak in the knees ya little fucker,¡± he grabs me in a hug and lifts me off the ground. ¡°Put me down you old hack! Save your knees for the slaves that have to suffer through your stench.¡± I try to wiggle out of his vertebra pooping embrace and eventually he puts me back down, ¡°Seriously, when was the last time you washed yourself? You smell like a whore¡¯s room in the morning,¡± I take a few steps back and wave my hand in front of my face as if I¡¯m trying to fan away a bad fart. ¡°You don¡¯t smell like flowers either ya cunt so don¡¯t go changing the subject, c''mon tell me what you need the princess for? Making her scream once wasn¡¯t enough for ya?¡± he slaps me on my shoulder, nearly knocking me off my feet. ¡°You heard about that?¡± I chuckle. ¡°Half the palace did. Must be one hell of a sword you have down there.¡± ¡°Too big to wield one handed,¡± I wink at him. ¡°Bah! Can¡¯t be too big if ya think she can handle it,¡± he nods at Simca and laughs. ¡°And that¡¯s what I need to talk to the princess about,¡± I put an innocent smile on my face. ¡°Ya what now?¡± Julan tilts his head at me. ¡°You see,¡± I walk to Simca and pat her head, ¡°she¡¯s the first half-human half-animal I ever saw, but like you said, she¡¯s so small I just might kill her. So I want the princess to change her from a public slave to my private one until she grows up a little.¡± Scratching behind the base of her long ears absentmindedly I look at Julan and ask ¡°Whatcha say? Can you help me make her mine?¡± ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± he says laughing. ¡°Ya don¡¯t need the princess for that. Follow me.¡± Chapter 21 - No longer just a fantasy ¡°And he¡¯ll help me how?¡± I ask Julan¡¯s back as I hurry behind him. ¡°She,¡± he turns a corner and Bracks¡¯s rigid frame is left behind us, ¡°will help ¡®cos she¡¯s the Scrounger.¡± I follow along with Simca hopping next to me, ¡°And her guards won¡¯t make me wait outside her door so that they can bully me?¡± ¡°Ha! A mind mage as strong as her needs no guards. But remember,¡± he stops suddenly and I nearly collide with him, ¡°she can¡¯t read minds.¡± Inhaling deeply he straightens his back, adjusts his belt and armor, and continues forward a changed man. -Was that meant for us or for him?- I ask Jane. -I don¡¯t know but we¡¯ll find out if he¡¯s right once we see her expressions,- Jane rolls into my mental space on top of an impressive office chair, -I¡¯ve been sharing your mind for years and your random thoughts and fantasies still manage to horrify me sometimes¡­- -Ohh, that¡¯s so nice of you,- I feel my cheeks warm up as a slight blush appears on them, -You know¡­ in this world, they might not stay fantasies for much longer.- -I know,- a grin grows on Jane¡¯s face, -I¡¯m both excited and horrified at the possibilities.- If anyone else would have seen the red devil right now they might say she looked evil, but when I looked at her I couldn¡¯t help but think she looked childish. Beautiful but childish. -Once I get the chance, the chain one comes first,- I smile back at Jane inside my mind and blow on my thumb in real life, -I always wanted to know if it was physiologically possible.- Simca looks at me strangely as I do that so I take a note from Julan and try to make myself as presentable as possible. -You¡¯ll need to pick up an electric spell at some point then,- Jane hums to herself as she rolls around on her chair inside my mind. ¡°You didn¡¯t explain what''s so special about level 35,¡± I throw it out into the air so that I have something to distract me from a fantasy that even my new thumb blowing skill can¡¯t take care off quickly enough. ¡°If someone¡¯s higher than that, then ya know for sure that his class ranked up,¡± he answers in a somewhat nervous tone of voice. ¡°Meaning?¡± I sigh, -It¡¯s like getting an explanation from a doctor¡­ I think I know what they¡¯re talking about since I know the words but I have no idea what it really implies.- -Now you know how your patients feel,- Jane smirks. -Not fair. I always tried my best to explain it as simply as possible.- -You did, but that¡¯s only because you treat your patients as if they all have no more than a 4th-grade education.- -That¡¯s the best rule of thumb to go by if you want to make money as a doctor. Respect everyone like they¡¯re your equal but always take into account that they¡¯re stupid unless proven otherwise.- -Doesn¡¯t matter anyways now that we¡¯re here. Grow strong enough and you¡¯ll never need to tolerate idiots again. Just imagine how much less stressful your life will be.- Jane¡¯s words bring a smile to my face and the hope that one day, I¡¯ll be able to slap anyone who desperately deserves it, without a care in the world, makes me miss the first part of Julan¡¯s explanation. ¡°... it¡¯s common enough that it does happen, which is why we count it like that. So someone with a class change will be counted as over level 35 even if he¡¯s still only 31. I know it sounds weird but that¡¯s how it is¡­¡± he shrugs, ¡°You don¡¯t have this problem with the second rank up. Too few of them for it to happen and most are known by name anyhow. Now shut up and don¡¯t speak unless spoken too.¡± We walk into a large hall, ignoring the many workers that are busy handling various letters, packages, boxes, and crates. Dozens of doors are placed on each wall and people are running in and out of the hall through them. As we make our way through the hall I notice a few cages. Most not bigger than a large dog but a few looked big enough for me to fit in. A large bird with long, bluish tail feathers and a skull of some animal covering its head is perched under one of the magic lights that are floating in the air. As I follow Julan I can feel its stare on my skin but when I turn to look it seemed to be looking at something else. -Jane, speed things up.- As the sights and sounds slowed down I faked looking at Julan¡¯s back until I thought I felt a tingle in the back of my neck. Carefully I pretended that something grabbed my attention on the floor next to me and after looking at it I raised my eyes in preparation and snapped my head to look at the bird. I managed to get a glimpse of it just as it rotated its head to look away from me. -Gotch¡¯a! Thanks, Jane.- The moment I thought that the bird jumped into the air, flew over us and just as I thought it was going to hit a wall it passed through it as if the stone was made of water. -That¡¯s one creepy bird¡­- Jane said before I could. -What¡¯s more creepy is that Julan is heading to the door it disappeared over.- Avoiding a gang of children that ran past us, carrying letters and small packages, Julan knocks loudly on a door that looks no different than any of the many others in the room. Yet the moment his fist connects with the door for the first time, all activity in the room seizes. The workers go silent, the children freeze, even some of the animals suddenly quiet down, and everyone is looking at us. ¡°Come in. All four of you, no need to wait outside,¡± Julan opens the door, ¡°plenty of room inside for everyone¡­ eh? Mar-Mar said there were four of you,¡± she extends a small, chubby hand, covered in too many rings to count and enough bracelets, that they jingle as she rubs under the beak of the creepy bird next to her, ¡°and Mar-Mar is never wrong. No, she is not,¡± she pats the bird on the head, or more precisely on the skull that is covering its head, ¡°What do you say Mar-Mar? How many people do you see? Be a good girl and check again for mama, will ya?¡± she says with a nauseatingly sweet voice,¡±Who¡¯s a good girl?¡± she looks at the bird and uses both hands to ruffle its feathers, ¡°You¡¯re a good girl. Now count!¡± she commands and both of them look at us at the same time.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Like a deer frozen in front of the headlights of a rushing truck, my whole body screams for me to run away. While the bird''s white beady eyes are creepy, the short plump woman next to it, with her colorful attire, abundance of makeup and a playful smile strike fear in my heart and make my skin crawl. Julan isn¡¯t spared their gaze but he fares slightly better. So although his knees are shaking I hear him gulp and see him slowly lower his hand to his sword. Simca simply lowers her head, staring at the floor but otherwise fine. ¡°Now, now, sweetie,¡± movement returns to my body as she begins to speak, ¡°We are all friends here are we not? Julany, you know I despise violence. I¡¯m offended you thought I¡¯d ever try to harm you.¡± Exhaling audibly, he puts a fist to his chest and bows, ¡°My apologies, Madam. A habit from mah days as an adventurer, I meant no offense.¡± ¡°All forgiven, dear, and how many times do I need to ask you to drop the Madam, it makes me feel old,¡± she pouts her chubby face and pulls something out of her pocket, which she offers the bird to eat, ¡°Good girl. How is the one I sent you holding up, by the way?¡± ¡°Thank you again for taking care of us, Madam, but I¡¯m afraid Throm lost a training spar a few days ago and the usual happened.¡± ¡°Dear me, poor girl. But boys will be boys,¡± she blinks her eyes but they stay closed a moment longer than they should, ¡°I sent some healing potions to your room and I¡¯ll see what I can do about finding another nice girl to take care of my boys.¡± -Healing potion sex?!- my heart starts racing at the possibilities. ¡°Guarding our precious little princess is very tiring, no doubt, and I¡¯ll make sure to help you all get the rest you deserve,¡± she beams a motherly smile at Julan before continuing, ¡°Speaking of which, how is our little flower doing these days?¡± Julan gulps again and throws a quick glance in my direction. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about him sweetie, I¡¯m sure that a few healing potions of his own will keep his mouth shut. Maybe if he¡¯s as sweet as you, I might even give him a few of the high-grade ones,¡± she winks at me, ¡°The ones that can heal anything short of death in a matter of seconds,¡± she adds with a smile to Julan while ignoring me. -And he said she can¡¯t read minds,- I think and assume my best poker face. ¡°She rarely leaves her chambers except for official business, is visited daily by the royal mage and at least one of the other consultants and another tutor has been replaced.¡± ¡°And what about our newest friend?¡± ¡°Still got a broom up his arse keeping him straight.¡± ¡°Good boy he is. You should take an example from him, sweetie, I doubt he¡¯d have used such language in the presence of a lady.¡± ¡°My apologies, Madam. I¡¯m sure he wouldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°No worries, dear. Adventuring is not a kind profession, and luckily I¡¯m in a good mood. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve been properly surprised, right Mar-Mar?¡± she takes out another treat and throws it in the air. The bird''s beak moves as fast as lighting and the treat disappears after barely leaving her fingers. For a second it looks like some of her fingers would disappear with it, but they remain unharmed and she doesn¡¯t even flinch at the close call. ¡°Mind introducing me to the friends you brought with you?¡± she asks Julan while looking me directly in the eyes, with the bird joining her with a tilt of its head. Nervously shifting from one foot to the other he eventually points at me, ¡°This is Marcus. He¡¯s one of the summoned heroes ya see, and he says he has something from his world that piqued my blacksmithing interest. I thought you¡¯d be interested in meeting him as well.¡± She answers Julan while keeping her gaze on me, ¡°And very right you were, dear. He already proved to be quite interesting,¡± her smile grows in response to my newly assumed poker face, ¡°but please, do share what you need little old me to do in return?¡± She acts caring and her tone of voice is warm, but a chill runs down my spine as I struggle to maintain a calm facade. Julan rolls his shoulders back and with more confidence he says, ¡°The young hare,¡± he waves his hand at Simca who is cowering behind me, ¡°He has taken an interest in her, ya see, and when I heard that, there was no doubt in mah mind of who could best help him,¡± he bows his head slightly. ¡°Right you are, dear. Nothing I love more than helping others. I should get a good look at his interest than, shouldn¡¯t I?¡± there was a certain innocence to her tone of voice but Simca jumped forward regardless, ¡°Need to check if I can help our new friends, right Mar-Mar? -And how much it would cost me,- I added to myself at the greedy look in her eyes. ¡°Now what do we have here?¡± ¡°Skraaa.¡± ¡°Really? That young?¡± she put a finger in her mouth and after making a show of sucking on it she removed it with a wet pop. A moment later and the finger seemed to slip down and cause Simca to jump, ¡°No need to be afraid, sweetie. I couldn''t hurt a fly if I tried, right Mar-Mar? No I could not,¡± she lifts the finger back up and gives it a quick lick, ¡°Not something I could say about you though, can I Mar-Mar?¡± ¡°Saaka.¡± ¡°No, I sure can¡¯t.¡± She motions Simca to turn around in place a few times and proceeds to squeeze her cheeks. The scene looks like an aunt who hasn''t seen her niece for ages, I would call it adorable if I didn¡¯t know better. ¡°Ok, shoo with you,¡± she waves Simca away and begins to flip through a small notebook she produced out of thin air, ¡°Yes, just as suspected. What do you say Mar-Mar?¡± The bird next to her produced a series of soft barely audible chirps before plucking out one of its feathers and handing it over. ¡°Oh my! Aren¡¯t you lucky?¡± she finally addresses me, yet her smile makes me feel anything but lucky, -If anything it feels like my luck just abandoned me.- -Again, you mean,- Jane reminds me with a chuckle. -Oh¡­ right, you know, I¡¯m not sure how that thing works exactly. I didn¡¯t really feel unluckier than usual lately,- I scratch my mental beard. -That¡¯s just because you never really trust anyone and think the worse could happen at any moment.- -Expect the worse and you¡¯ll live your life pleasantly surprised at the good things that happen instead of constantly disappointed at the bad,- my mental image shrugs as I repeat what she already knows I think on the matter. -And as valid as it may be, if not for the system breaking skill you received we wouldn¡¯t even be having this conversation right now. Dying even once, let alone four in the span of a day, is what people usually consider unlucky¡­- ¡°If I could have your attention, dear, I¡¯d like to help you with what you came here for. So be a good boy and come closer,¡± her smile grows larger as my poker face threatens to show surprise at her noticing my conversation with Jane, ¡°Come now, I won¡¯t bite.¡± Walking through the cluttered room I approach the bird and the sitting women next to it. From this distance, I can smell a sickeningly sweet perfume, the strength of which threatens to bring tears to my eyes. ¡°You¡¯re a tall one aren¡¯t you. And hopa,¡± she stands up on her chair and the top of her curly hair barely reaches my chin. Lifting a hand up slowly I start wishing she won¡¯t be examining my hole, but instead of lowering it back down she proceeds to flick my forehead, ¡°Done. ¡®Slave menu¡¯ is how you designate her orders. Well now, yosh,¡± she jumps down and as she does the bird lifts off and after one last cry, it phases through the wall. -Slave menu,- I think. Nothing happens. -Slave menu!- Nothing. ¡°Slave menu,¡± I say out loud and still nothing happens. ¡°No no no, sweetie. Not you,¡± she flops back down into her chair, ¡°the other you,¡± she says and starts to giggle. Chapter 22 - Nothing ventured, nothing gained I was back outside the princess''s chambers. Bracks was standing straight as an arrow, not even looking at me, while Julan was sizing me up with a smile plastered on his face. -Great, now what do I do? Can¡¯t get access to the princess and going to the freaky woman will just lead to another death. In hindsight, it was kinda obvious that a mind mage would notice Jane...- I was starting to get the hang of dying. It wasn¡¯t so bad when there was no pain involved and not even that much disorientation unless the death was particularly gruesome. More along the lines of closing your eyes while in a car, driving through a cityscape and opening them in the suburbs. You feel lost for a second until you find some form of landmark and then everything falls into place. -And this bloody oaf,- I thought while locking eyes with Julan, -Can¡¯t believe this asshole killed me so easily. It wasn¡¯t even a request. She wonders aloud how great it would be if I could die for her, all while gently stroking me with a feather, and the next thing I hear is his sword being drawn and my head rolling.- Taking a few steps back I sit down with my back to the wall. Simca remains standing and Julan is picking his ear. With a sigh I force myself to stop focusing on him, -I doubt he wanted to do it and I can¡¯t really confront him on it, can I? No¡­ I¡¯ll need to find some other way to get ownership of Simca.- -Actually, I th- -There¡¯s still the princess route, maybe, but who knows how long I¡¯ll have to wait here.- -No need to w- -Fuck, fuck, fuck! I can¡¯t believe I miss how civilized Earth was¡­ at least there people didn¡¯t kill so easily. Well, most didn¡¯t at least. I could play around with everyone and at worst I¡¯d get my car keyed or a punch thrown at me.- -David.- -Fuck¡­ can¡¯t really complain though can I? If the roles were switched I doubt I would¡¯ve thought twice about killing people if I needed them dead. Hell, I¡¯d probably kill a few just for fun. Maybe I should take another restart to relax? Luise was quite enjoyable and there¡¯s a whole palace full of people to have my way with and kill. Not necessarily in that order,- a smile creeps onto my face, -Yeah, I think I¡¯ll do that while I think of a way to get the seal transferred to me, or hopefully come up with another way to deal with the murderous bi- -David!- Jane shouts at me. -What?!- I yell back. With a withering glance, she takes a deep breath to calm herself, -I still have control of the girl,- she exhales calming herself down. -How?- -The same way skills are exempt from the restarts, most likely. If you didn¡¯t get so worked up over getting your head lopped off you would''ve realized it was a possibility and asked me to check. Instead you were letting your urges dictate your course of action again,- sashaying around in my mind she summons a bed to sit down seductively on, -You can play around once we leave with the hares, until then how about you join me while we wait for the cooldown,- she pats the bed with a hand and bites her lower lip with one fang. -I can set her orders in the menu and there¡¯s even the option of making her die if you die like you guessed there would be,- she says with her head on my chest, while her tail plays around with my family jewels. -Great,- I answer absentmindedly. She was glitching in and out of my mind from time to time, but there wasn¡¯t any serious loss of mental function like last time. So either that was a one-time thing or it was exacerbated by dying immediately after. I was listening to her with only half a mind, my other busy trying to think of a secluded place where I can ejeculate privately. The fact that having sex with Jane makes me orgasm in real life slipped my mind and now I have blue balls that are making it hard for me to think straight. Noticing how distracted I am Jane smiles, -Just tell Simca to swallow everything. Then there¡¯s no mess,- she offers. Looking at Julan and Bracks I contemplate the offer but decide against it, -Maybe next time,- I start blowing on my thumb and thanks to my new skill the erection goes down much quicker than it normally does when I do it, -Right now there are more pressing matters to discuss. We don¡¯t have that many restarts before it becomes too late to try and leave with the bunnies.- Looking at Simca I add, -Also, we need to figure out how we deal with her. Can¡¯t send her back as there¡¯s no guarantee they can¡¯t dispel a private crest on the spot. I really hope this will be as easy as walking outside and meeting up with them on the other side of the wall.- -Who knows, we might get lucky,- Jane says with a serious tone. After a moment of silence, we both start laughing at the absurd idea and it takes me a moment to regain my breath. Ignoring the looks I was getting from Julan and Simca I mention a request to Jane before standing up to leave, -Try to move things around from a distance will ya? The Psionic tree is interesting and I¡¯m wondering if we might get telekinesis out of it.- -Sure, I¡¯ll give it a try. Anything in particular?- -Well, I was thinking it¡¯d be cool to use it to arouse people from afar, but it¡¯ll depend on how the skill works.- She rolls her eyes with a chuckle, -Why am I not surprised,- she says.
Right after anchoring myself we drop by Simca¡¯s room to introduce myself to the rest of the gang as Simca¡¯s new master and decide on where and when we will meet. After that finishes smoother than expected, I order Simca to run to the training arena and grab my backpack, bow and a full quiver of arrows. I also tell her to pick herself some equipment and to hide whatever she chooses in the backpack. If someone stops her she is allowed to explain her orders and who gave them but nothing else. If they pry in too much she is to run away as fast as she can back to me. I also told her where my room would be if she doesn¡¯t find me in the dining hall. Alone, and on my way to the dining hall I weaved in and out of alleys, houses, and various rooms, looking for isolated individuals to practice on. This was so fun that I ended up making a few detours, and though I didn¡¯t get the skill I was hoping for I did get something that will be useful in the future.
Mana Stimulation (Toggled) Leveled up
Locomotion tree unlocked Agility +5
Terrestrial movement branch unlocked Agility +2
Stealth Twig unlocked Agility +1
-You realize that a trail of corpses will put the palace on high alert and render this iteration useless, right?- Shrugging my shoulders I answer, -Getting an offensive skill would¡¯ve been worth it.- -Fair enough,- she sighs, -Now that you had your fun and worked out your feelings, care to try something?- The edge of my lips curls upwards as her words make me remember how well she knows me, -Sure. What do you have in mind?- -Next kill I turn the time dilation on and we see what happens.- -Oh my¡­- I grin wildly, -Sounds fun. Any particular target in mind?- -Any slave should do. We need someone of the same strength as the ones you killed so far.- -Works for me. - One thing I noticed while hunting for the past hour was that it was much easier to find slaves or servants in buildings with more than two floors. However, as most of these large buildings served some form of public cause, going unnoticed inside was impossible, there were too many people around. So instead of hiding, I''d do the opposite. I would walk in with a straight back and purpose in my step. Without looking around I¡¯d greet a random person as if I knew them for years, nod at another and head straight up to the second floor before anyone got a chance to ask questions. On the second flo, r it was a simple matter to find a room which door was left ajar and peek inside as I passed. If it looked and sounded free of people I¡¯d try going inside. If there was more than one person I¡¯d apologise and excuse myself. Servants rarely asked questions and most slaves didn¡¯t even raise their eyes to look at me. This time I had to go up to the third floor before I stumbled upon a good target. A young boy was washing the floor and the corridor was empty. Even better was the fact that there was a carpet I could use to sneak half the way to him. Stepping slowly on the balls of my feet, I¡¯d first put my weight on the lateral side of the foot and with a rolling motion transition the weight to all the toes. The most important thing was actually bending the knees correctly to keep most of the weight distributed equally while still keeping my balance. I was still a bit rusty and though my muscle memory from the army days was returning quickly I still had to rely on the carpet more than I would¡¯ve liked. All the sneaking didn¡¯t matter too much however, as the boy turned around after I made only a couple of steps towards him. With my presence known I moved forward normally while locking eyes with the boy. As all the servants and slaves so far, he also lowered his eyes immediately and as I passed by him I heard Jane start a countdown. -Three!- she said and everything slowed down just as my hands started to come up to grab the boys mouth and nape. I could feel him startle in surprise but it was too late, a single mana tether was already making it¡¯s way through him. There was a spasm that possessed his body as the arousing sensation hit full force and a moment later the mana tether passed between muscles and vertebrates to reach the spinal cord. From there it moved a few centimeters upwards until it reached his brain stem and exploded, leaving him limp, lifeless and ejeculting. I let go of the body and it started to fall slowly to the floor. Jane deactivated the skill while he was still in the air, making his body accelerate suddenly and me reaching forward on reflex to grab him before he hit the floor. -Well that was effective¡­- I think in awe as I wave my hand in place to make the pain and numbness from the lashback go away. -You¡¯re welcome,- she folds her hands over her chest and lifts her chin proudly. Hiding the body in an empty room I leave the building and head straight to the dining hall. -Can you control the mana tether as well? A five second kill is nice compared to ten, but you can clearly think much faster than me and I¡¯m wondering if that can translate to the skill.- -Can you activate the Increased Processing skill?- I give it a try but nothing slows down. -Nope. Which is weird¡­ I could use all skills up to now instinctively.- -Thats what I thought. I can¡¯t use any other skills. It¡¯s still early to tell but if I had money, I¡¯d put it on me being able to only use mental abilities.- -So mana isn¡¯t a mental ability?- -I guess not. Even if you control it mentally you¡¯re still controlling your own Mana. Either I don¡¯t have my own or I can¡¯t control yours. Either way, unless we get a skill that changes it, we have a separation.- -Hmm¡­ that sucks.- -For you maybe,- she sticks out her tongue and grins, -It¡¯s nice to finally have something just my own,- she says joyfully. I have a few other things I want to talk about but her words shut me up and make me put myself in her shoes. Yes, it sucks that I have no stats and only limited mana to work with and get stronger, but it¡¯s already more than I ever had excess to on Earth. With a weight in my stomach I pause to shake and clear my head from negative thoughts and push down any doubts about Jane somehow denying me access to those skills. ¡®If she is¡­ I have no way of telling and suspecting her won¡¯t do me any good. We¡¯ve been together for five years. She¡¯s the closest thing I have to a friend and in away I can even consider her my soulmate. I can be jealous and happy for her at the same time, right?¡¯ -What happened? Why¡¯d you stop?- Jane asks. -Nothing. Just the usual. Let''s go eat.- -Ohh, sorry,- her tail stops wagging, lowering to the floor together with her head, -There isn¡¯t anything I can say to help, is there?- She knows what I think about the subject, and trying to persuade me she doesn¡¯t have any nefarious intentions will only make me more suspicious that she actually has them. As such, I learned very quickly that it¡¯s better not to dwell on such thoughts. Absence of evidence does not mean evidence of absence, and add to that the fact that I¡¯m not a very trusting individual in general and having Jane sharing my mind becomes troublesome whenever I put myself in her shoes. Because my first thought whenever I do that is that if I was ever locked up in someone''s mind, even if this someone was the person who gave me life, I would try to take control. ¡®It becomes even scarier once I realise that her personality was shaped by my actions, so she should have no second thoughts of double crossing anyone if it means serving her self-interest.¡¯ -You can tell me why us having sex makes you glitchy and foggy,- I answer to her question. It takes her sometime to formulate an answer, time I use to make myself scarce as a few guards pass by me, running in the direction of the building I just came from. -I¡¯m surprised by that myself actually. Not having much to do I pleasure myself quite regularly, especially when you¡¯re testing the limits of your female partners, and I¡¯ve never experienced such side-effects. I can¡¯t even notice them myself, which makes the whole thing quite scary and intriguing at the same time¡­ if nothing else, not having physical body has made me quite self-aware, and not noticing something affecting my mental image or thought process is an experience I haven¡¯t had in the past few years.- Pausing to exaggerate a thinking pause she adds, -I think we should experiment and see if this persists and how various things affect it. We¡¯ll start from sex three times a day and increase from there. Whatcha say buddy? Feel like doing science with me?- she says with a wink and a not so subtle lick of her lips. -Pfft, three times? I say we go for an even dozen! Just figure out how to deal with my physical mess and I¡¯ll show you there¡¯s no limits to my imagination.- -I thought we already have one? I just need to set an order preventing her from biting your dick off and your personal cumbucket is good to go. That¡¯s one fantasy marked off the list,- she finishes with a flick of her tail on an invisible list. -As much as I¡¯d like to have a dedicated fluffer, can we not talk about this now? I¡¯m getting an erection and I¡¯m almost at the dining hall.- -Boohoo, suffer,- she sticks out her tongue and start to streaptease. I flick her off mentally in response and block her the best as I can while blowing steadily on my own thumb, the random skill proving its usefulness once again.
Pacifier skill has leveled up.
Sitting in the dining hall, waiting for Ralc to come take us, I couldn¡¯t help but distance myself from the others. In my mind my departure is already in affect and from now on I am sitting in the midst of my future enemies. Not that I ever considered them allies or even entertained the idea of having them as future friends. No, to me they were never anything other than ¡®earthlings¡¯, people who share knowledge and experiences from a world different to this one. -They are nothing more than a threat,- Jane chimed in eagerly, -If we have the chance we should kill as many of them as we can.- Munching on a fruit that tasted reminiscently like sour candy I moved my eyes from one person to the other, while listening in on bits and pieces of the conversations around me. From time to time I would catch Elsa throwing looks in my direction while talking to one of the spearman. -Sure,- I throw some fruit in my mouth and grimace as the sourness hits me full force, -Help me establish an alibi?- -What do you have in mind?- she grins, flashing a set of sharp teeth and a tail moving like a cat stalking its prey.
Increased Processing Skill (Active) level up.
Elsa stood no chance against the combined assault and soon after being escorted to our barracks and choosing rooms, I was sitting on her bed with my back perched on the wall while she was down on her knees, head bobbing up and down between my legs. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°That¡¯s better, but try not to interrupt the motion. Your lips need to follow the hand and make sure it goes up completely,¡± with one hand on her¡¯s and another on the back of her head, I demonstrate to her how I like my blowjobs, ¡°Yeah, much better. Now just suck harder and don¡¯t be afraid to put some force into your grip.¡± ¡°Like this?¡± ¡°Oww, funny. Do that again and I¡¯ll pinch your clit.¡± ¡°Do that and I¡¯ll bite your dick off. Now shut up and let me work.¡± ¡°Enjoy, princess. Just don¡¯t forget that you have two hands or you¡¯ll be down there al ow ow ow I got, I got it,¡± I mimic locking my lips and throwing away the key after which I lean my head back on the wall and focus on the sensation. A few minutes later I hear something heavy drop on the floor in my room and remember that I didn¡¯t give Simca any orders in case she gets to the room and doesn¡¯t find me. -Let me try something¡­- Jane says and disappears from my consciousness for a few moments. -Yes?- -Wait a few seconds and we¡¯ll see if it worked.- Two weak knocks come from the wall that connects mine and Elsa¡¯s room. Elsa stops to take a breath, ¡°Did you hear that?¡± she asks, hand stroking up and down. ¡°Not really, but if you¡¯re tired we can switch. No need to make up excuses,¡± I say with an innocent smile and pat her head. Giving me a suspicious look she grabs my penis in an iron grip, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare run away. We made a bet and I don¡¯t intend to lose.¡± She starts sucking with renewed vigor, making me grin and squirm at the same time. ¡°And the fact that I helped you doesn¡¯t detract from the win?¡± She lifts her head with a pop, ¡°No one asked you to,¡± she states with an arrogant look and goes back to work. ¡°Fair enough,¡± I laugh, ¡°No one asked me to show you how to ride me as well, but I¡¯ll do that for the benefit of all mankind.¡± ¡°What''s wrong with the way I ride?¡± she exclaims. ¡°Ow ow ow not so strong, not so strong! It was a joke...¡± Muttering something underneath her breath she takes me back into her mouth. -I can give general commands from afar apparently, so once you¡¯re done here you¡¯ll find her in your room, waiting and unable to leave the confines of the bed,- Jane smirks, -And speaking of waiting,- she summons an enormous arm chair and pushes me into it, -now that we have a container to shoot into, how about I show you what I can do?- She goes down on her knees, pulls me closer by dragging the whole chair with me on top of it, and with a playful smile makes me disappear, deep into her throat. My head arches backwards and before I can get used to the sensation, the tip of her tale slides between my legs and slips between my buttchecks, forcing itself into my hole. The simultaneous sensations coming from both real life and my own mind leave me no time to enjoy them and with a groan I grab Janes horns and explode into Elsa¡¯s mouth. Through involuntary shakes I plead for both of them to stop and while Elsa does, standing up to spit the contents out the window and turn to look at me with a triumphant pose, Jane takes my pleas as a cue to increase her pace and the force of the vacuum. And just like that, under Elsa¡¯s now bewildered gaze, I orgasem again. My very first non-ejaculatory orgasem. I inhaled deeply right before my abdominal muscles clenched so tight they started hurting and the rest of my body followed suit as I was paralysed from the euphoric sensation. Elsa said something but it didn¡¯t register as my mind was going numb. Just when I thought it couldn¡¯t get any worse Jane wrestled my hands off her horns and began again, this time somehow vibrating her tail as she massaged my prostate with it as well as flicking her tongue to give my scrotum a lick once she was down far enough. I could feel another peak coming and it took an amount of willpower I never knew I had in my possession to make the armchair disappear. However, if I thought that falling to the floor would make her stop, nothing could be farther from the truth, if anything it just gave Jane a better angle to attack me in. ¡°Banana! Banana.¡± I manage to yell out in between waves of clenching muscle spasm, and while Elsa wonders out loud what the fuck is happening to me, Jane releases her grip and steps back from my imaginary body, tail gently sliding out from between my legs. ¡°You alive?¡± Elsa pokes at my exhausted figure, lying limp on her bad with a shudder going through it every few seconds, ¡°Hey, answer me,¡± she pokes again and again. Eventually I manage to form some semblance of speech and mumble at her to lie down and that it¡¯s her turn. Slowly I lift myself up and flop between her legs. -Argh¡­ what I¡¯d give for a wet wipe right now,- I think with disgust and proceed to do what I must. Halfway through, my mind recovered from Jane¡¯s demonstration of skill and I decide to try do something like that on Elsa. -Similar to Big Clitty?- -Just like Big Clitty.- The memory of one of my old fuck buddies brings a smile to my face. We would meet a few times a month and our arrangement lasted for quite some time. She was somewhat chubby and not really my taste, but we shared a few interests and after engaging in them we¡¯d fuck if we had the time. I had a few similar relationships like that during my university days, all approved by my girlfriend of the time so I wasn¡¯t cheating, but what made Clitty special is that she could achieve orgasems in record time. She even had a bet going with a friend of hers on who could get the most in a row. -She started to black out after too many so we never did manage to break the fifty mark, but damn if I didn¡¯t get a huge ego boost after each try.- Her secret to getting to those numbers was that if she managed to peak a dozen or so times in less than half an hour, her body would become so overly sensitive that even massaging her back could make her go over the edge. Her body became like a giant clittoris and to this day she was the only girl I¡¯ve ever met who climaxed from a kiss.- -But with my new skill and this system¡­- Imagining what I¡¯d do if I could get Midas¡¯s touch, only instead of people turning to gold when I touch them they would orgasem, makes me stop moving my tongue, but Elsa grabbing my hair and pulling me closer brings me back to my senses. A moment later I send tendrils of mana in different directions throughout Elsa and activate [Mana Stimulation] on the lowest level, slowly dialing the strength of the skill up until she is screaming, my ears are hurting and someone is banging on the door and walls, yelling for us to be more quiet. When ignored, a different voice comes over asking to join in.
Mana Stimulation (Toggled) Leveled up
Elsa didn¡¯t lose consciousness but she did dry out after some time and instead of asking her to drink some water and going back down I faked an oragsem and threw the condom out of the window. Not that she would¡¯ve bothered to check, exhausted as she is. No, once I let go of her she got herself to a somewhat comfortable position on the bed and fell asleep, one lag dangling in the air and one hand completely off the bad. Done dressing, and annoyed she fell asleep before cleaning me off, I try something I didn¡¯t manage too earlier this day and put my finger in her ear. A few seconds later her brain is mush, my finger stings from the backlash and no skill is obtained. -Tabika said life and death situations make skills appear faster, so not much surprise that killing her didn¡¯t reward you with one,- Jane shakes her head at me. -Not many life and death situations will give me enough time to stimulate someone to death by putting a finger up their ear anyway....- -Maybe if you wrestle them?- -Maybe. Though with everyone being stronger than me if I don¡¯t finish it immediately they¡¯ll break my hold.- I leave after pushing her into the bed and covering her corpse with a blanket. When I enter my room Simca¡¯s head lifts from the pillow to look at me. ¡°Hey there,¡± I say warmly but get no reply. Sitting on the bed next to the her I yawn, ¡°You can sleep until Lisara comes. No reason for both of us to be tired.¡± Her nose twitches as my body odor hits her and when she notices me looking she averts her eyes and falls back onto the pillow. -She reminds me of your little sister,- Jane sniggres. -I thought the same when I met her.- Getting comfortable I put a hand on her head, and using one fingernail to scratch her scalp lightly I practice my mana manipulation with the other hand. The room brightens and dims rhythmically as I summon and dispel a small mana ball. Simca¡¯s breathing slows down and becomes even, before my small mana pool is depleted. A few minutes later I dose off as well. -David. David, wake up. Your mana is full.- As always happens, my mind is awake as if I was never asleep, while my body takes a few minutes to get into gear. -Thanks. Say¡­ do you know why I so rarely feel tired? Mentally at least.- -If you think it has anything to do with my presence than I don¡¯t know. Could be. I don¡¯t need sleep and since we¡¯re sharing a mind...- she shrugs. -I see, now if only I could get a skill that removes the physical affects of lack of sleep and life would be perfect,- I chuckle, -or at least significantly better. I hate sleeping¡­- -You know¡­- she says sheepishly, -Well¡­- -No.- -Okay.- We wait in silence for my body to wake up. I lift myself up to the edge of the bed and put my hands on my knees and my head on my hands. Hunched up like that, I yawn and try to blink the grogginess away. -Can I know why?- -On principle.- She pouts at my wry answer while I get up and warm up my stiff lower back before sitting back down to knead Simca¡¯s ears as I practice channelling my mana. The short fur feels soft and relaxing as my fingers brush against it. -Important enough to lose on the possible benefits?- -It wouldn''t be a principle otherwise.- -And you don¡¯t think there''s good reason to reevaluate? I try to channel all the mana I have left into the small orb that has formed on my palm. It doesn¡¯t take too much concentration by now and I just want to see what would happen if I did that.
Spellcasting Branch unlocked. Focus +2
Mana Shaping twig unlocked. Focus +1
Arcanum Tree grew another bud. Attunment +1
Mana Orb Spell learned. It¡¯s round and made of mana.
A small orb of pale blue light floats slightly above my palm. In the darkness of my room it''s bright enough to make me to squint when I look at it. -I meant this new world and system might be go- -I know what you meant,- I really didn¡¯t want to talk about this right now, or at all for that matter. -And?- -And what?- I snap at her, -You know what I think about that. You know how afraid I am of you eclipsing me so why even bring possession up?- my anger rises. -Because ignoring it will only make your fears worse,- she answers calmly. -And talking about it will help?- I yell and accuse -Who though, me? Or you?- I know I¡¯m angry for no reason. It¡¯s like I can see myself in third person and think to myself ¡®Why are you yelling?¡¯ but when I try to calm myself down it doesn¡¯t work. I just get angrier. Times like this, usually when furious at my girlfriends, is when I would turn to Jane for help and she¡¯d pulse calmness, helping me get my emotions under control and think rationally. A part of me wanted to ask her to do it now, but a bigger part of me knew that if she did, it would only fuel the thoughts that led to me being angry in the first place. -Both me,- her tone is relaxed, -and you.- She''s now speaking from a summoned sofa while drinking hot cocoa. A second steaming cup is waiting for me to sit down next to her and take it. For some reason this infuriates me even more and I just clench my fists and plant my feet as I glare at her. -It¡¯s why I separated our thoughts and tried to give you privacy. There¡¯s not much more I can do except disappearing entirely and for me that''s the equivalent of dying,- her legs are tucked underneath her and her tail curls over them, acting more like a reminder to restrain herself than a defensive gesture, -and in this new world, if I don¡¯t bring this up and you keep ignoring it, we¡¯re both going to die eventually. You saw how good our skills were against high level opponents? They were next to useless and it''s not going to get much better I¡¯d wager.- -That doesn¡¯t mean I should give you my body,- I sneer, -You think you can win against them when I can¡¯t?- -No you idiot!- she flares up and bares her teeth, -But together we stand a better chance and I won¡¯t let your fears be the death of me.- The fire in her mouth and the flame dancing between her horns diminish as she adds, -Now that I can finally get laid I plan on doing that for a long long time. Now sit down and drink your coco.- I look at her at a loss for words as my emotions keep switching between amusement, resentment and an urge to do what''s written on the shirt she¡¯s wearing and choke her for bringing stress into my life. -Want some marshmallow?- she offers from a bag she materialised. Burnt out I raise two middle fingers at her and drag myself to the sofa, dropping down into it. This makes Jane spill some of the delicious liquid so I refresh the sofa underneath us while making it slightly larger at the same time. -You know what I find strange?- I sigh as she hands me my mug. -Not including trust, love and empathy?- she jokes as she pops a large pink marshmallow into her mouth. -Nah, those are easy. Its sadness that¡¯s weird. I always struggle not to laugh when people cry because of me and can never understand why people do it in general.- Taking a gulp of the hot liquid a surprised smile appears on my face and I empty the mug in one go, -Can I have another? Hard to believe I can actually taste it even though this is all in my mind.- Jane hands me another glass, this time half full with an assortment of multicolored marshmallows. -Thanks. I mean it¡¯s easier with females. Most realise from a young age how a few tears can turn most situations in their favor and know very well how to leverage that, but men crying? Or crying from happiness for that matter? One of the hardest thing I¡¯ve ever accomplished was to learn how to cry on command. You won¡¯t believe how much it helped me out as a teenager and through university.- I look at Jane to try and figure what she¡¯s thinking but all I see is a red devil with a body as alluring as sin, looking at me while sipping on steaming chocolate milk dressed only in the shirt I always wear at home. There is a lot more I want to say to her and a whole speech starts to form in my mind but none of it matters. Her logic is solid. This is a new world and as stupid as I sound saying it time and time again, this also means new rules. So I have no choice but to think over my beliefs and principles and change them accordingly. And nothing can make you forget your principles as fast as the imminent fear of death. Jane waits until I finish my second mug and then looks at me as I pick at the marshmallows that are stuck to the bottom with my tongue. She knows better than to keep arguing her point and her laying there, giving me time to come to the same conclusion as her, shows me again that whether I like it or not she¡¯s a part of me and that there¡¯s no one else that knows me as well as her. I ruffle my hair with my hand and exhale loudly, -Can you tell me why you lied to me?- Looking confused she lowers her cup and retracts her tail which she was using to play with my feet, -Only if you tell me what you think lied about.- -Don¡¯t play coy. How can you say you ensured my privacy when you have access to all my memories? Even if you can¡¯t hear what I think, you can just check my memories at a later time.- -That¡¯s what you think I lied about? Idiot!- she exclaims annoyed as she kicks my leg, -Why not ask immediately?- she kicks again, and again. -Ow,- and again, -Stop that,- I kick her back. -I didn¡¯t lie,- she whips me with her tail this time, -I made a partition in your cortex. Anything you think to yourself is saved there and I- Catching her tail before it hits me again I interrupt her, -And I¡¯m supposed to take your word you¡¯ll never look at it?- -Yes,- she says wryly and flexes her tail to bring us closer, -Because you¡¯ve never lied to me and I intend to do the same,- she finishes with our faces almost touching and looks me in the eyes. A lot more is said between us after that but the walls are broken, and it¡¯s decided that my principle will be set aside for now while I reevaluate it. Jane will be allowed to try and control my body while I sleep and we start hammering out the details of how this would work and how it might affect our relationship when we are interrupted by Simca waking up and lifting herself up to sit on the bed. A few moments later Lisara steps out of the shadows in the corner of my room, informing me it is time for us to head outside and that she will join us once she finishes killing all the other males that were summoned together with me. A condition I insisted on in our earlier negotiations. Looking at Elsa¡¯s watch I still have with me I take note of the time of departure being three in the morning and head to the western gate with Simca. The roads are clear except for an increased number of patrols, some of which stop to investigate who we are only to send us on our way when I show them the pin marking me as a summoned hero. The guards at the gate do the same and after less than half an hour we are outside the outer walls, with the battlehares joining soon after. -Finally,- I think once we¡¯re set on a direction to run to and -Fuck!- is what I think when a hooded figure steps out of the forest we were just about to enter, cutting us off and throwing Lisara¡¯s head at our feet. Faster than I can blink only Salifa and I are left standing. Salifa because she managed to avoid the killing strike, losing her arm in the process, and I thanks to being completely ignored. With the hooded figure ruining our escape and bringing this iteration to an end I decide against wasting time and rush him just to see what happenes. I don¡¯t like being ignored and I might as well end this faster so I can try again. -I just hope he doesn¡¯t make me suffer.- Instead, he slaps me with the back of his hand so hard that my knees buckle, ¡°You¡¯re lucky Madam requested you be unharmed, so sit there and be a good boy.¡± He returns his attention to Salifa who¡¯s dropped a small, empty glass vial to the floor and is standing ready to fight while her cut forearm is regrowing at a visible pace. ¡°Salifa!¡± I shout through a numb jaw, ¡°Kill me now!¡± I try to move towards her but my legs still can¡¯t support my weight so I fall towards her, catching myself with my hands and scraping some skin of my palms. There were at least two throwing knives that I saw on her, but losing a hand meant she can¡¯t use any of them without letting go of the dagger in her good hand and leaving herself defenceless. -Plus, to her, your request sounds insane,- Jane laughs. The hooded man steps to the side, hiding himself behind a tree and jumping out at Salifa from a different one. Whatever skill he used to move the distance Salifa wasn¡¯t surprised and parried his attack. He didn¡¯t stay to engage her and instead moved quickly behind another tree, only to reappear from a completely different one to throw a knife at her back which she somehow deflected with ease. He tries a few more times, giving me enough time to get back on my feet and proceed to stumble towards Salifa. ¡°Use me as cover,¡± I tell her and she jumps towards me. The hooded figure responds before I can take another step, appearing from a tree closest to me and slashing apart my achilles tendons. Salifa stabs at him but he¡¯s too quick, already behind the cover of a tree before my body even hit the ground. I growl in pain while writhing on the forest floor. Dead branches and dry leaves didn¡¯t do much to soften the fall. -Unharmed, takes a completely different meaning when healing spells and potions are real,- Jane stops munching on popcorn to point the fact out to me. I¡¯d love to answer her but it¡¯s difficult to think straight at the moment, the pain is proving to be quite distracting. She puts down the bucket of popcorn and stands up, -I might be able to help,- she says as she cleans her buttery hands on her shirt, -Want me to try?- -Hurry! Please,- I plead her. -I will,- she says empathetically and disappears from my mindspace. A few seconds later, as the sound of clashing weapons rings over my head, the pain starts to diminish. Another tang of metal and the pain is almost gone, just the barest sensation that something is wrong with my legs is left.
Peripheral Nervous System branch unlocked. Dexterity +1 Perception +1
Afferent Nerve Neuron twig unlocked Perception +1
Nervous System tree grew another bud. Perception +1
Nerve Block Helps with reducing sensory perception
-Thank you,- I whisper to Jane in relief but Jane is unable to hear me. The skill is a great boon to me, being able to work through pain is something I was never good at, choosing to avoid it whenever possible. Nonetheless, in the back of what Jane called my private mind, a weak thought was whispering to me and asking me why, ¡®if she could do it whenever she wanted why chose to only reveal it now?¡¯ Was it now, because we talked about the concept of her possessing my body, or because I was in great pain and couldn¡¯t think crealy at the time? Whatever the reason, pain immunity is a welcome addition to my arsenal of skills. Feeling no pain allows me to return to the situation and not being able to think of anything I could do to change it, suicide floats up to the top of my pool of ideas. Never an option before today because of my inborn survival instinct and my aversion to pain. Two things that are no longer part of the equation. Giving my tongue a weak bite I realise that the skill doesn¡¯t extend to my cranial nerves so the option of biting my tongue off is not possible. Fortunately I have the Rondel dagger to stab myself in the heart with. Not wanting to find out what the Madam wants from me and how she even knows about me in this iteration, I proceed to grab a dagger and position the tip between my ribs, a difficult thing to do accurately without sensing pain. Once certain I¡¯m in the right place I angle the dagger to penetrate both the heart and the aorta at the same time and press the blade into myself. The hilt of the dagger presses to my chest just as a crash of blades resounds over me. There are no pain receptors in the internal organs and while my body is signaling my brain that something is wrong, very very wrong, but there is no pain I can feel. So with stable hands I remove the dagger and let it fall to my side, all that''s left is to wait until I bleed to death. It''s nighttime but the moons of this world are shining bright, illuminating the forest with their ghostly white light. A beautiful sight I get to see before I die. Salifa¡¯s head drops down next to me, lifeless eyes locking with mine. The man approaches to tower over me. Turning my head to look at him, corners of my vision slowly going dark I smile as I see him fumble for a healing potion but know that it''s too late. I won the battle. -Now how do I win the war?- Chapter 23 - Something always goes wrong in the end The iteration starts with me on autopilot, introducing myself to the battle hares as Simca¡¯s new master. After the usual avoidance of the initial near-death situation, everything continues smoothly. At Jane¡¯s suggestion, instead of going on another killing spree in hopes of getting an offensive skill, we¡¯ll be waiting with the hares. In a small confined room with sexy, murderous rogues and assassins. -What can possibly go wrong?- Not much apparently, -Things are going pretty good all considering.- Salifa and Simca are busy catching up in one corner. The third battlehare, -Whose name I should really know by now¡­-, is sitting next to them, meditating. Most of the room''s space is delegated to Lisara and I. Lisara, who the moment it was decided that I will travel with them, pushed me on my back and got on top. I looked at the other girls in surprise, but they didn¡¯t seem to care. Simply giving us some room to frolic and going on with their business. Salifa even got up once to instruct Lisara on how to ride better, as it was her first time. After which she congratulated her with a peck on the forehead and simply went back to talking to Simca as if nothing happened. -They don¡¯t treat men as equal,- Jane offered me an explanation. -Oh, right. They keep them in cages,- I think and suddenly get a weird urge to re-evaluate this endeavor. -Not only that. Men are nothing more than tools. Both human and hare, -Jane has a wicked grin plastered on her face, as if saying she agrees with their logic completely, -Their own males are used as a slave force for everything they want, while the humans are no better than stallions. Battlehares kidnap males for the same reasons men capture women during times of war. The stronger the male the more he is coveted and it''s not an unusual thing for a female battlehare to use humans in the street or even official gatherings.- The scene flashes in my mind and all doubt about going with them vanishes. -Think less pleasure and more artificial insemination,- she shakes her head, -A high ranking battlehare might have a few young ones who perform the role of fluffers. Bringing male human slaves near orgasm, only to ejaculate inside their leader. Which isn¡¯t very hard to do over and over again thanks to the use of fertility drugs and aphrodisiacs. The men are forced to ejaculate around the clock until they die.- -Only to be replaced by others,- I gulp, -This might be more fun than I expected,- I think as I spread Lisara¡¯s butt cheeks and turn on my skill. -Let''s see what happens when I make it all about their pleasure instead.- A few moments later and Lisara is on the edge, inhaling quickly and starting to clench her muscles. Salifa moves as fast as Brack¡¯s did, pulling her off me with one yank and clamping her mouth shut. Keeping her silent as her muscles spasm from her first ever orgasm. Salifa glares at me as she holds her on the floor. ¡°Be a good girl and I¡¯ll give you one too,¡± I send her a kiss and playfully summon a mana orb that I send dissipating towards her. I still can¡¯t control them properly but the ball of bluish light, turning into mist as it nears her, is a satisfying result. ¡°Sure,¡± she starts undressing, ¡°Let''s see what you''ve got.¡± By the time we had to move, I was exhausted. Elated, but exhausted. I was more than ready to start my journey in this world with a group like that. Unfortunately, this time the hooded figure caused a total party kill, again. So the next iteration I tried to act like I would if there was no escape plan. I left Simca with the girls and continued to the dining hall and from there to Elsa¡¯s room. I waited and waited for Lisara to come take me but they left without me. I was so angry I went on a killing spree that ended when one of the guards killed me. -In hindsight, maybe I shouldn¡¯t have tried to go after the princess¡­- The second iteration I get annoyed and tell the hares about the danger. For a reason they refused to tell me they decided against changing the escape plan, choosing to prepare for the engagement instead, But it still ends up with the whole party being killed and me committing painless suicide. I did, however, find out that the option of blowing up his mind with my skill is out of the question. The hooded figures reaction speed is too fast and the worst I managed to do was give him an untimely erection before he slapped me away. On the third iteration, it¡¯s a bit too late to flirt my way into Elsa¡¯s room. Dinner was over and the iteration started when I was already waiting in my room with Simca. So I had to improvise and was invited to Elsa¡¯s room under the pretense of needing someone to talk to. A few forced tears which I pretended to hide by wiping away at them quickly, and Elsa¡¯s defenses were down. I didn''t get a chance to set up a safe word, it wasn''t the right mood for it. The sex was more tender and caring than I like but I took the bitter pill and acted out the role of the gentle lover. -Not that it really matters. Thanks to Mana Stimulation there¡¯s little chance she¡¯ll forget the sex either way.- I have a few hours to spare so I pass them by making her edge for as long as possible. Denying her her coveted orgasm by going deliberately slow. Making sure that no part of her body is left unattended to. She was begging for me to let her finish but I refused. I enjoyed seeing her squirm and try to push me to where it felt better for her. And I would oblige, moving my fingers or mouth to where she wanted, but not staying there for long. When she tried to take matters into her own hands, literally, I grabbed both of her palms and pinned them over her head. Sure, there was no safe word, but that just meant that I can¡¯t cause pain. Making her edge over and over, denying her the release she so desperately wanted was torture. Torture by pleasure. And when I finally took her over the edge she thanked me, sincerely thanked me and grabbed me as the pant up orgasm rocked her body. I let go of her hands as it started and she rushed to hug me, looking for some familiarity and safety as wave after wave of pleasure made her body feel like she lost control over it. By the time she finally let me go, my back was scratched raw and most likely bleeding. The pain from it was exhilarating, and together with my half erect member and the sight of Elsa¡¯s senseless form on the bed, sent me on an ego trip. If there was a mirror in the room I would have been stuck staring at my reflection. -Been awhile since I felt so confident,- I roll my shoulders and crack my back, enjoying the delusion of power I felt.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Thankfully there was no mirror, so once Elsa fell asleep I grabbed her gun and walked outside the walls with Simca. The others joined soon enough and I told them of the impending threat. A short engagement later and I¡¯ve ascertained that the gun can hurt the hooded figure. Hitting him was a different story however, as not only could he move unpredictably from tree to tree, he also didn¡¯t let me fire more than once. Disarming me by cutting off both my hands before I could take another shot. I thought about giving the gun to one of the girls, they were much faster than me and using a gun wasn¡¯t that hard. -But it¡¯s okay,- I thought as I lay bleeding on the forest floor, -I can kill him myself. I think I can use his orders against him.- Giving the gun to the girls wasn¡¯t a good idea. Unlike me who he didn''t even consider as a threat, the girls he was constantly on the lookout for. Simca didn¡¯t die in the first clash this time so I commanded her to kill me. The surprise of my words caused the hooded man to falter and miss a thrown knife from Lisara. It struck him under the hood, adding a second cut to his body. The first being the one on his shoulder where the bullet grazed him as he avoided my shot. That gave Simca enough time to execute my order. It would¡¯ve been nice if she did it less eagerly and without a smile plastered on her face, but at least it was fast. And thanks to Jane, it was also painless. I closed my eyes on the forest floor and opened them in Elsa¡¯s bedroom. And without missing a stroke I kept on pumping, not allowing the slightest suspicion that something just happened to creep into her mind.
Mana Stimulation (Toggled) Leveled up
-Been awhile since this one leveled,- I think as I pry myself out of Elsa¡¯s embrace. I don¡¯t cast anchor this time. Whatever happens this iteration, whether I go with the battlehares or am taken to the Madam, will be set in stone and I¡¯ll have to live with the consequences. -Scared?- Jane asks. -Terrified. I could die¡­- -Exciting, isn¡¯t it?- Jane grins and lights up as flames begin to dance on her horns. -Not really,- I grab the small gun and leave the room, -I much rather make love than war.- -Too bad you don¡¯t feel the first but thrive in the later.- -Doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t choose to be a lover over a fighter,- I shrug. -Doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t be both.- -In this world? With my stats, or lack thereof? Yes, yes it does.- ¡°I¡¯ll create a distraction and you take him down. Simple as that¡± I turn my head to look at the grim faces around me. Learning about the hooded figure that will prevent us from leaving didn¡¯t sit too well with them. ¡°The signal for you to start moving will be a loud noise,¡± I see Salifa open her mouth to question me, ¡°A really really loud noise. I¡¯m more worried it¡¯ll scare you than you missing it,¡± I say and smile at her contempt at my words, ¡°Let''s go.¡± We begin moving through the forest. I have one hand on a dagger while my other keeps checking on a small glass vial in my pocket. The healing potion that was given to me by Salifa, without which my distraction is useless. Oh, it will work, I just won¡¯t survive to tell about it. As the distance between us and the outer palace walls grows, a man steps from behind a tree to block our way. For some reason he always does the same, showing himself to us before attacking. It makes the initial engagement much easier to survive, especially when his appearance doesn¡¯t take you by surprise. The next thing he always does is use the skill that allows him short distance teleportation between trees. He tries to teleport and attack from behind us but the battlehares manage to parry him while also shielding Simca, who although small was still able to hold her own unlike me. ¡°Hello!¡± My yell causes a pause in the clashes and the man looks at me from behind a tree. ¡°It¡¯s me you want, no?¡± I ask the man but he stays silent. No matter, I know the answer. -Now Jane.- She disappears from my consciousness and the sensations coming from my body are diminished. I make a show of stabbing myself in the stomach, trying my best to miss my vital organs and start running away from the hares. The man wastes no time, disappearing behind a tree and stepping out from behind one right next to me. I knew he would go for me so I pretend to fall. Without a sensation of pain I fall down without any care while also turning around in the air to make sure I fall on my back. The man is standing over me, I can''t see his expression through the hood but his body language speaks loudly of how annoyed he is with my actions. He glances at the girls and back at me. They aren¡¯t moving. They are as surprised and annoyed as he is and looking at them makes me want to laugh. I don¡¯t however, instead I reach a hand to my side. From their direction it looks like I¡¯m trying to stop myself from bleeding all over the forest''s floor but after a moment a gunshot reverberates between the trees, waking the silent forest up. A cacophony of sounds follows my shot. Birds lift into the sky in a clatter of flapping wings and beaks. Sleeping animals are roused from their sleep, crashing through bushes and breaking branches in their rush to get away from the loud sound. Maybe if Jane wasn¡¯t busy suppressing my pain, she could''ve slowed down time and I¡¯d be able to get another shot in. But she wasn¡¯t here and by the time I managed to squeeze the trigger a second time he was gone and I couldn¡¯t hear in what direction he was moving because my ears were ringing. I tried to stand up but I must''ve lost too much blood already because my feet refused to hold my weight. Slowly I took out the potion from my pocket and raised it to my lips, gulping down the cold liquid. Jane was still suppressing the pain preventing me from knowing if it was working or not. So I just lay there, waiting for the life-saving concoction to take effect when Lisara walked up to stand next to me. In her hand was a bloody dagger which she was cleaning using the man''s hood. She was the only one to respond on time. The only one not to freeze while looking at me once the bang of the firearm sounded. If not for the quick reaction this wouldn¡¯t have ended as easily as it did. The rest join her in towering over me. Salifa¡¯s expression is baffling to me so I ask to ease my fears, ¡°Why¡¯s it taking so long to heal?¡± She crouches over me, moving my cuirass to the side and poking the wound. ¡°A wound like this? A few minutes.¡± I click my tongue as time is something we¡¯re short on. I¡¯m surprised that no one came yet to investigate the gunshot. ¡°You punctured your intestine, the infection will kill you eventually. If you manage to survive the blood loss that is.¡± ¡°Bloodloss? But the potion?¡± the truth hits me like a truck. ¡°You mean this one?¡± she takes out a small vial from one of her pouches. ¡°All this trouble only to abandon your target at the very end?¡± ¡°Abandon Simca? Why would we?¡± ¡°The Crest will kill her once I die.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t,¡± she smiles as she says that. A gentle smile that looks condescending from my lying point of view. ¡°Suicide doesn¡¯t count as an attempt on your life. The Crest will do nothing to Simca, if anything it will free her once you draw your last breath.¡± ¡°Simca! I order you to¡± I get slapped hard and a metallic taste fills my mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t bother, her ears are plugged.¡± Straightening back up she looks around, ¡°That way,¡± she says and points to the group. ¡°Only a menu command can save you now, but luckily for us, you can¡¯t access it while hurt,¡± she chuckles and begins to walk away, ¡°Funny that you¡¯ll die for the same reasons that the very first master, the one who set our king free, did. It was nice knowing you Marcus of Earth. Goodbye.¡± ¡°Ah hahaha,¡± I begin to laugh hysterically, laughter that soon turns into screams of pain, ¡°Ahhhh!¡± The battle hares don¡¯t even look back as my screams intensify, simply moving deeper and deeper into the forest. That is until they notice Simca has dropped down to one knee and is grabbing at her chest. After ordering her to stop breathing, Jane leaves my mind space to keep blocking the pain. ¡°Too early for goodbyes sweet cheeks,¡± I say through clenched teeth, Jane is exhausted and can¡¯t block everything anymore. ¡°I haven''t tried that ass of yours yet,¡± I chuckle and spit some blood and a loose tooth to the side. ¡°Impossible¡­¡± Salifa whispers. ¡°That''s what they all say but in the end, they grit their teeth and take it like champs. Now feed me the potion before she suffocates.¡± End of part 1 END NOTE Like I wrote in the description for the story, this was my attempt of combining my favorite genres into one. Unfortunately, I also tried to address in it, my annoyance at the pseudo dark themes many stories on RR write about just to add "shock-value" or try to show with that how the characters/villains are evil/crazy and whatnot. (I think I was reading Everybody Loves Large Chests at the time and skipping much of the tacky and unimaginative demon sex and fake rape scenes. I still enjoyed the litRPG aspects and the unique world but the gore and sexuality are the exact problems I have with many stories that add them. They are unimaginative and if you read one tentacle hentai you read them all.) I now understand why all these stories are the same. Once you start escalating it''s very easy to cross a line that society forbids crossing. For example, Marquis de Sade''s books give you an erection a third of the time, feeling like you want to puke another third of the time and both at the same time the rest of the time. And that is why many countries have them banned. It''s this exploration of human nature that brings to mind things that lawful society can''t afford to bring up if it wants to remain civil. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Unfortunately, when I tried to explore really dark themes in an isekai world with levels and most importantly, health potions, things escalated too quickly for me to manage and the MC became someone the majority of people can''t stand. I still write the story every once in a while, usually when I''m in a bad mood, as the world and litRPG system I created still interest me, but posting it anywhere is not something I''m willing to risk. I apologize for letting the character take over the story to the point I can no longer publish it. However, I''ve repurposed the MC after toning him down and am using him in an Innworld fanfiction which I might upload if I ever manage to edit it. If that happens I hope you''ll read it and think "what a sociopathic crazy motherf***er" but still want to read the story as it''ll be interesting and he won''t be "that much of a crazy motherf***er" that you can''t identify/understand with him at least in some way. Stay safe and thank you for reading my story.